Skip to main content
FamilyTreeDNA Site
  1. Help | FamilyTreeDNA
  2. Group Projects
  3. Group Project Administration
  4. Project Administration Tools

GAP Join Authorization Tool

Introduction

The Join Authorization tool allows you to review requests to join your project and to invite potential project participants to join your project. Many group project administrators require Join Requests in order to screen prospective project members. Having a join request requirement has both benefits and drawbacks:

Benefits

  • Allows you to request additional information such as test type(s), genealogical information, or society membership status. For example, you can make sure a kit without a Y-DNA test will not join a Y-DNA haplogroup project.
  • Helps to determine if the research goals of the new member fit with the goals of the project.
  • Ensures that new project members meet the project requirements. 

Drawbacks

  • Extra steps may discourage prospective members from joining.
  • Requires monitoring and responses by administrator or co-administrator. 

Keep in mind that you have the option to remove group members at any time. This means if you choose not to have a Join Authorization, you may remove them at a later date if they do not meet your project criteria.

In smaller projects it is usually fairly easy to keep track of who joins and if they are relevant to project goals, but may be less so in larger ones. You may find that vetting members after they have joined is hard to keep up with. If this becomes the case you can always add a join authorization requirement at any time. Conversely, you can also lift the requirement at any time.

If you require Join Requests, you also need to be able to respond to them within 48 hours. This will ensure positive service to your prospective project members.

Accessing the Join Authorization Tool

To access this page:

  1. Sign in to your GAP account by entering your Project Administrator username and password.
  2. On the navigation bar, hover your cursor over Project Admin and click Join Authorization on the drop-down menu.

    OR

    In the lower section of your GAP dashboard, in the Project Administration section, click Join Authorization.
    You are directed to the Join Authorization tool.

Controls and Columns

The Join Authorization tool has two main functions: Send Join Request and View Join Requests.

Join AUthorization w lines.png

Send Join Request

Click the Send Join Request button to display the following fields:

Send Join Request w lines.png

    1. Project Drop-Down – If you have more than one project registered to your GAP account, this drop-down menu allows you to toggle between them.
    2. Send Join Request – Opens the Send Join Request form.
    3. View Join Requests – Opens the list of Join Requests.
    4. Email Address – Enter the recipient's email in this field.
    5. Copy To Project Administrator – Click this check box to send a copy of your email to the Group Administrator(s).
    6. Your Note – Enter the text you would like to send to the recipient at this address.
    7. Send Join Request – Click to send your email.

View Join Requests

Each interaction between the project and applicant are logged in separate lines. This includes accepting/denying an application, or a request to provide more information.

Click the View Join Requests button to display the following Controls:

View Join Request w lines.png

  1. Project Drop-Down – If you have more than one project registered to your GAP account, this drop-down menu allows you to toggle between them
  2. Send Join Request – Opens the Send Join Request form
  3. View Join Requests – Opens the list of Join Requests
  4. Message Per Page – This is the number of messages that will be displayed on each page of the join requests
  5. Refresh – Click this button to apply any changes you make in the filters
  6. Show All – Resets all of the filters
  7. Message Type – Filters by request by type. Types include:
    • All – Resets Message Type filter
    • Accept Request – Messages sent by a project administrator in response to join requests
    • Deny Request – Messages sent by a project administrator in response to join requests
    • Reply Request – Messages sent by a project administrator requesting additional information from the applicant
    • Join Request – Messages sent by applicants requesting to join the project
    • Cancel Request– A defunct filter that is no longer applicable
  8. Has Kit # – Filters messages to only those applicants who have provided a kit number
  9. Export to Spreadsheet – Creates a .csv file of messages based on the filters you have applied
  10. Read – Click this to read the contents of each message
    • Note: After clicking Read, you must scroll to the bottom of the list to read the message
  11. To – Lists the recipient of the message. This can either be the applicant of the project
  12. From – Lists the sender of the message. This can either be the applicant of the project
  13. Kit # – Displays the kit number of the applicant, if provided
  14. Test Type– Lists all tests associated with the kit number provided by the applicant
  15. Message Type – Specifies the type of message described in Item 7 above
  16. Date Sent – The timestamp when the message was sent
  17. Date Read – The last date the message was opened
  18. Message– The text of the message as written by the sender
  19. Reply – Opens a form to send a response to a message. The options for message type are:
    • Accept Request – Sends the applicant an email with a link to join the project
    • Deny Request – Sends the applicant a denial email containing the message entered into the text field.
    • More Information – Sends the applicant a request to provide more information
  •  
Submit Feedback