Why isn't there a Realm sync like Planning Center's?

Realm doesn't offer an API — ACS Technologies has confirmed to us that it never has, by design — so there is nothing for SignUpChurch to connect to. The import file is the way Realm itself documents for bringing in people from another system. If ACST ever opens a partner API, a live sync is on our roadmap.

One row per person with four columns, named exactly as Realm's import expects: First Name, Last Name, Primary Email, and Mobile Phone. From a sheet it's everyone who signed up on that sheet; from the People page it's everyone across all your sheets plus any contacts you imported. Someone on two slots is still one row.

Will it create duplicates in Realm?

Realm's import only adds profiles; it never updates existing ones. After the import, Realm shows a Resolve step for anyone who looks like an existing profile, so you decide whether to merge. Importing the same file twice would add everyone twice, so import a sheet once, when sign-ups have settled.

What about names Realm rejects?

Realm requires both a first and a last name. A volunteer who typed only a first name gets an empty Last Name cell, and Realm rejects that one row (the rest import fine). Fill in the surname in the file before importing, or in Realm's review step.

Which plans include it?

Basic and Pro, the same as every CSV export. The sign-up sheets themselves are free.

I don't see the Export for Realm button.

It only shows for churches that have told us they use Realm. Open Dashboard → Integrations, choose Realm (ACS Technologies) under “Your church software,” and save; the button then appears on every sheet and on the People page (Basic & Pro).

no API, no problem

Import sign-ups into Realm

Realm by ACS Technologies doesn't offer an API, so unlike Planning Center or MinistryPlatform, SignUpChurch can't sync volunteers into it as they sign up. What Realm does have is its own import tool, and SignUpChurch hands you a file built for it.

Export for Realm is a Basic and Pro feature, next to Export CSV on every sheet and on the People page. It shows once your church software is set to Realm: at the top of Dashboard → Integrations, or from the question at registration.

The short answer: Click Export for Realm on a sheet (or on People for everyone), then in Realm go to Profiles → People → Import Profiles → Import from .csv and choose the file. The columns already match Realm's names, so there is nothing to rename.

Download the file

First, tell SignUpChurch your church runs Realm, if you haven't: open Dashboard → Integrations, pick Realm (ACS Technologies) under “Your church software,” and save. That turns on the button everywhere.

Then open a sheet and click Export for Realm at the top of the page. You get one row per person who signed up on that sheet, even if they took more than one slot. For everyone across all your sheets, use the same button on the People page; that file also includes any contacts you imported into People.

The file has four columns, named exactly as Realm's import expects them: First Name, Last Name, Primary Email, and Mobile Phone. A sign-up form collects a single name, so the last word becomes the last name (“Mary Anne Smith” → Mary Anne / Smith) and “Smith, Mary” is read the other way round.

Realm requires both names. If a volunteer typed only “Pat,” that row has an empty Last Name and Realm will reject it while importing the others. Open the file and fill in the surname first, or fix it in Realm's review step.

Import it in Realm

These are Realm's own steps, from its Import Profiles article. You need the Merge Individual permission in Realm.

In Realm, open Profiles → People → Import Profiles.
Click “Import from .csv,” choose the file you downloaded, and give the import a description.
Something like “Communion prep volunteers, Oct 2026” so you can find it later.
Review the first five rows and click Yes.
Realm checks the column names against its fields. Ours already match, so nothing should need renaming; if a column shows as unmatched, use Realm's Edit to point it at the right field.
When the import finishes, click Resolve to handle anyone Realm thinks it already has.
Realm's import adds new profiles and never changes existing ones. Returning volunteers who are already in Realm show up here so you can merge them instead of ending up with two Theodores.

When to import

Import a sheet once, after sign-ups have settled, since importing the same file twice adds everyone twice. For an ongoing rota, the People page export is the better habit: download it every so often and let Realm's Resolve step skip the people it already knows.

If your church uses Realm and you'd like a true sync, tell ACST. Their support team pointed us to Realm's own idea board, and a request from a Realm church carries more weight than one from us. Drop us a note and we'll send you the link.

Common questions

Why isn't there a Realm sync like Planning Center's?: Realm doesn't offer an API — ACS Technologies has confirmed to us that it never has, by design — so there is nothing for SignUpChurch to connect to. The import file is the way Realm itself documents for bringing in people from another system. If ACST ever opens a partner API, a live sync is on our roadmap.
What's in the file?: One row per person with four columns, named exactly as Realm's import expects: First Name, Last Name, Primary Email, and Mobile Phone. From a sheet it's everyone who signed up on that sheet; from the People page it's everyone across all your sheets plus any contacts you imported. Someone on two slots is still one row.
Will it create duplicates in Realm?: Realm's import only adds profiles; it never updates existing ones. After the import, Realm shows a Resolve step for anyone who looks like an existing profile, so you decide whether to merge. Importing the same file twice would add everyone twice, so import a sheet once, when sign-ups have settled.
What about names Realm rejects?: Realm requires both a first and a last name. A volunteer who typed only a first name gets an empty Last Name cell, and Realm rejects that one row (the rest import fine). Fill in the surname in the file before importing, or in Realm's review step.
Which plans include it?: Basic and Pro, the same as every CSV export. The sign-up sheets themselves are free.
I don't see the Export for Realm button.: It only shows for churches that have told us they use Realm. Open Dashboard → Integrations, choose Realm (ACS Technologies) under “Your church software,” and save; the button then appears on every sheet and on the People page (Basic & Pro).

Next up: See everyone who signed up →