Upcoming change to default parent contact settings
We are introducing an update to how Classter handles new Father and Mother connections for students.
With this change, when a new Father or Mother connection is created, Classter will automatically set the following contact settings to enabled by default:
- Guardian
- General Contact
- Academic Contact
This update is designed to make newly created parent records more complete by default and to reduce cases where important parent contact roles are left empty unintentionally.
What is changing?
Today, these contact settings may depend on how the parent connection is created or whether the relevant values are provided during creation.
After this update, when a new Father or Mother connection is created, the above fields will default to True unless a different value is explicitly provided.
This applies only to new parent connections. Existing student-parent connections will not be changed automatically.
Where the change applies
This update will apply across the following areas of Classter:
User interface
When users add a new Father or Mother connection through the Classter interface, the Guardian, General Contact, and Academic Contact options will appear enabled by default.
API integrations
When a new Father or Mother connection is created through an API request, and the request does not explicitly provide values for these fields, Classter will automatically set them to True.
API integrations that need a different behaviour should explicitly send the intended values in the request payload.
Consumer & Mass Imports via Excel
Import files can still provide the desired values for these fields.
However, if the values are left empty or null for a new Father or Mother connection, Classter will default them to True.
What should you do to prepare?
Before this update is released, we recommend that administrators and integration owners review any processes that create Father or Mother connections, especially:
- Student admissions workflows
- Parent data entry processes
- API integrations that create student-parent relationships
- Consumer or Mass Import Excel templates
- Automated import or synchronisation processes
If your institution expects Father or Mother connections to be created as Guardian, General Contact, and Academic Contact by default, no change is required.
If your institution needs different values in specific cases, please make sure those values are explicitly provided during creation, especially in API payloads and import files.
Important note
This update affects newly created Father and Mother connections only. It does not update existing parent records or change previously saved contact settings.
Need support?
If you are unsure whether this change affects one of your current integrations or import processes, please contact the Classter Support team before the release so we can help you review the relevant workflow.