Check-In Fallback — Facilitator Runbook

Use when integrated Workshop Check-In (Cloudflare + D1) fails on training day. Open this file locally from the repo or on the deployed site: trainer/check-in-fallback-guide.html

Overview

The workshop has two attendance paths:

PathPurposeRequires
Live check-in (sign-in.html) Primary — records attendance in D1, links to roster Cloudflare Pages, D1, trainee site login (token + email)
Fallback form (Google Form) Backup — attendance only when live path is broken Google Form you create; optional embed on sign-in-fallback.html
Fallback does not replace site login Trainees still need Workshop Access (workshop token + roster email) for My Workshop, lab credentials, and Story/Modules. The Google Form is attendance only.

When to use fallback

Switch to the Google Form if any of these block live check-in at the door:

  • Check-in page errors after trainees are logged in (“Check-in failed”, network errors)
  • Cloudflare / D1 APIs down (Attendance page in trainer tools also fails)
  • Wrong site host (Vercel mirror — content preview only; trainees need Cloudflare for login, My Workshop, and check-in; if Cloudflare is unreachable, use form)
  • Check-in window logic broken and you cannot fix it in time (still try Open check-in on Attendance first)

Do not use fallback if the only issue is a trainee who forgot to log in — have them complete Workshop Access first, then retry live check-in.

Quick decision

  1. Confirm trainee used Cloudflare URL (not Vercel mirror — Vercel is token-only preview).
  2. Confirm trainee completed Workshop Access (token + roster email).
  3. Open trainer Attendance — can you load the cohort?
  4. Try live check-in yourself on sign-in.html?cohort=….
  5. If still broken → announce fallback form (section below).

One-time setup (before training day)

Complete once per workshop series; store links in this guide and your morning-of checklist.

1. Create the Google Form

  • Title: e.g. MHP DE Workshop — Attendance Check-In
  • Required fields: Full name, Email (workshop roster email)
  • Optional: Department / company, Cohort (dropdown with your YYYYMMDD-slug ids)
  • Turn off “Limit to 1 response” if trainees may retry; collect email for deduplication in Sheets

2. Note your form URLs

From Google Form → Send → link icon:

  • Responder URL (share at door): paste your forms.gle or docs.google.com/forms/…/viewform link
  • Responses spreadsheet: Form → Responses → link to Sheets

3. Embed on the workshop site (optional but recommended)

  1. In Google Form → Send → <> embed → copy iframe src URL
  2. In the repo, edit sign-in-fallback.qmd — replace YOUR_FORM_EMBED_URL in the iframe
  3. Deploy to Cloudflare Pages

    4. Trainees can then use sign-in-fallback.html on the main site even if the embed fails (share direct form URL as backup).

    Pre-class checklist

    • Google Form created and tested (submit one test row)
    • Responder URL saved below and in facilitator channel
    • sign-in-fallback.qmd embed updated and deployed
    • QR code for form URL or fallback page ready for projector
    • Co-trainer knows to export Sheets if live check-in stays down

Training day — switch to fallback (~5 minutes)

  1. Announce clearly: “Integrated check-in is temporarily down — use the backup form for attendance only. You still need your normal site login for My Workshop.”
  2. Share the fallback (pick one or more):
    • Projector: QR to sign-in-fallback.html or direct Google Form
    • Chat / email: same link + cohort id
    • Read URL aloud for anyone without phone camera
  3. Keep live paths open for labs: Workshop Access, My Workshop, and content gates are separate — only attendance moves to Google Form.
  4. Monitor the room: Co-trainer watches Form responses or asks names orally for anyone who cannot submit.
  5. Do not delete partial D1 check-ins from earlier — merge with Form export later.

What to tell trainees

Short script “Please submit the backup attendance form with your registered email. Then open My Workshop the usual way — workshop token and your roster email on the Cloudflare site — to copy your ATTENDEE_ID before Module 1.”
TaskTool
Record attendance (fallback day)Google Form
Site loginWorkshop Access on any page
Copy ATTENDEE_ID & secretsMy Workshop
Check-in when live system worksWorkshop Check-In page

URLs to share

Replace YYYYMMDD-slug with your cohort id from Trainer & Trainee management.

Cloudflare site (required for live APIs):
https://mhp-data-engineer-2026.pages.dev/

Live check-in (primary):
https://mhp-data-engineer-2026.pages.dev/sign-in.html?cohort=YYYYMMDD-slug

Fallback page on site (Google Form embed):
https://mhp-data-engineer-2026.pages.dev/sign-in-fallback.html

Direct Google Form (if iframe blank):
your form viewform URL

Trainer attendance (verify / export D1):
https://mhp-data-engineer-2026.pages.dev/trainer/attendance.html

After class — reconcile attendance

  1. Export Google Form responses to Sheets (Form → Responses → Download CSV or open linked Sheet).
  2. Export D1 attendance from trainer Attendance → Export CSV (includes anyone who checked in live before the outage).
  3. Merge by email (and name as secondary check). Deduplicate same-day duplicates.
  4. Store final attendance list per your client / MHP process (HR, learning portal, etc.).
  5. Note in facilitator debrief: fallback used, time window, approximate count from Form vs roster size.
No automatic sync Fallback responses do not write to D1. Reconciliation is manual unless you build a separate import process.

Troubleshooting

SymptomLikely causeAction
“Sign in first” on check-in No Workshop Access session Trainee completes site login; retry live check-in
“Check-in is not open” Window closed in Attendance Trainer → Attendance → Open check-in
API errors on Cloudflare only D1 / env misconfiguration Use fallback; fix env after class
Works on facilitator laptop, not room Wi‑Fi Corporate firewall / DNS Fallback form + mobile hotspot test
Blank iframe on fallback page Embed URL not configured Share direct Google Form link
My Workshop empty / errors Separate from attendance Verify roster email on login; trainer checks roster in D1

Return to live check-in

When APIs work again:

  1. Test yourself: login → sign-in.html?cohort=… → success screen.
  2. Announce: new arrivals use live check-in; Form submissions already counted.
  3. Trainer Attendance page should show new check-ins in real time.

Related: sign-in-fallback.html · Attendance management · Trainer & Trainee management · Design: development-docs/01_system-design/Attendance_Sign_In_System_Design.md