How to delete last year's database

How to delete last year's database

Overview

Some communities prefer to delete their membership database year after year.  In this article, we will discuss...
  1. Advantages to deleting your database.
  2. Cautions and reasons to keep your database.
  3. How to delete the entire database.
  4. How to partially delete.
If you are not sure if you should delete or partially delete your database, contact your AGS representative.  We're happy to help, make recommendations, and provide guidance.  

Advantages to deleting your database 

  1. Only approved members are listed in you database.  Last year's expired or suspended members are cleared out.
  2. Only paid memberships are listed in your database.  If you don't use AGS to collect payments, only listing paid memberships may be easier for your staff.
  3. The approval process for members in year 2+ is the same as in year 1.  Creating New Memberships is quicker and easier than Updating existing memberships in the application portal. 
  4. Communities that issue yearly, age, or logic based classic passes.  "Flash a Pass" communities.  For example, 2025 Child passes and then 2026 Teen passes next year.  Deleting and starting with a fresh database year after year is easier to manage.  
  5. Communities that re-upload an address list year after year.  Its easier to delete last year's database prior to uploading this year's database.  

Reasons to keep your database & cautions

  1. Communities that wish to reuse barcode passes year after year should keep the database.   Deleting the database also deletes the members barcode numbers.  
  2. Communities that allow members to renew memberships onsite should keep the database (allow signup days).  Its easier to update a membership rather than re-type an entire membership.  
  3. Communities that charge a different fee for existing members than new members should keep delete the database.  Last year's database will help ensure your new member rates are enforced.    
  4. Communities that utilize virtual guest passes that roll over from year to year should keep the database.  Deleting the database also deletes the virtual guest passes.  

How to delete your database

  1. From the Membership Portal, click OPERATIONS
  2. BEFORE DELETING: AGS recommends downloading a copy of your membership list
    1. Click EXPORT MEMBERS to download a copy
  3. Scroll down to the Bulk Delete section
  4. Click DELETE ALL MEMBERSHIPS
  5. Click DELETE on the confirmation screen
  6. You cannot reverse this operation.  Only do this if you are sure it is what you want.  

How to delete part of your database

You have a few options to delete part of your database.  
  1. Delete a specific Membership Type
    1. You may want to do this to clear out certain groups of memberships, like Non-Residents
  2. Delete Expired Memberships
    1. Some clients like to do this in the summer, so they keep the current year's membership for next year, but old memberships are cleared out
  3. Delete Limited Members
    1. If you are using the Limited feature, for passes like Nanny Passes or Season Long Guest Passes, this button deletes them


FAQs

If I delete the database, do my statistics get deleted?

No, your check-in and occupancy statistics are kept.

If I delete the database, does my log (sign in sheets) get deleted?

No, your log is kept.

If I delete the database, does my application portal, guest pass sales, booking portal, account financials, etc. get deleted?

No, deleting the database is only deleting your memberships list.  

What is the "Delete Inactive Members" button?

This button deletes Memberships (Households) that have no Members (people).  In other words, deletes all empty memberships with no patrons.