Once a Census has been sent, members can respond through email or directly in their Member Compass. Admins can then review, approve, and manage those responses on the backend.
Census responses can be collected without requiring members to log in, though login can be required for added security.
Viewing and Managing Existing Census Requests
Main Census Page
From the menu within the backend → Open the Members tab → Census.
Here you’ll find past, current, and future Census requests, with details such as:
Census name
Response count
Date sent
Status (Draft, Open, Closed, or Archived)
Due date
Additional columns are available under the gear icon at the top right of the list.
Action Column
Edit → open the Census settings or responses
Archive → prevent further modifications (archived responses remain visible)
You can also archive one or more Census' by selecting multiple and then using the Batch Action button.
Archiving is permanent on the admin side and can only be undone by the Novi team.
Delete → completely remove a Census from your database
Use the Search field and Filter button to narrow down the list by Census Name, Census Status, Sent Date From, and Sent Date To.
View & Edit Existing Census Requests
To edit an existing Census:
Navigate to the admin side of your site > Members tab > Census sub-tab.
On the Census page, click the Edit link in the far right Action column, or click on the name of the Census.
Within the Census there will be two tabs:
Members Tab: This is where admins can view Census responses and approve updated values when applicable. More details below.
Settings Tab: Adjust any of the original settings on this tab. More details above. One exception is if the Census has already been sent - then you will not be able to edit the Census Recipients.
Reviewing & Approving Census Responses
For field-based Census requests (not Staff Roster), admins can review and approve member submissions from the Members tab within the specific Census on the backend.
For Staff Roster Census requests tied to companies, there is no admin review step. Updates to staff rosters are applied immediately in real time as the member completes the Census.
Example of the Members Tab of an Active Census:
Members Tab
This tab within the Census is where the list of recipients can be viewed and managed by admins. (See screenshot above for an example.)
Within a specific Census, the Members tab shows all recipients and their response statuses:
Not Sent – request couldn’t be delivered
Not Complete – request sent, but no response yet
Needs Review – response received, waiting for admin approval
Completed – response submitted and reviewed/approved (if required)
At the top, you’ll see overall totals for each status plus the Census’ status (Draft, Open, Closed, Archived).
List View & Actions
Customize visible columns (including submitted field values). If any of the Census Fields are displayed, it will show the new values submitted via the Census for a quick view.
Use the Action column on the right for each member:
View → see the response in detail and approve required fields
Approve All Fields → accept all changes in bulk
Archive → remove the member from active processing
Batch Actions allow approving or archiving multiple records at once
Export the list to Excel if needed
Company List View
When a Census is sent to a company, two additional columns appear on the Members tab in the list view:
Sent To: Displays all company contacts with Management Access who received the Census email. This can include Primary, Billing, or standard Management Access contacts, depending on which recipients were selected.
If no valid email is on file, the field will display "N/A."
Completed By: Shows the name of the person who submitted the Census.
If they were logged in, their name will display.
If they were not logged in, the original recipient’s information will display, since the system cannot identify exactly who completed it.
Batch Actions
Select one or more records within the Census Members list, then use the Batch Action button to do one of the following:
Approve All Fields - click to approve all fields for all selected members without needing to go into the full details page for each
Archive - click to archive the selected members
Search & Filter
Admins can use the Search field to search by Name.
Or use the Filter drop-down to filter the list by any of the following:
Member(s) - specific records
Member Type(s) - specific member types
Submitted From - date range for when members submitted their responses
Submitted To - date range for when members submitted their responses
Status(es) - the member's status for this Census (Not Sent, Not Complete, Needs Review, Completed, and Archived)
Approving/Accepting Field Values
When a field requires admin approval:
Member-submitted values appear in a New Value column
The previous record value shows in an Original Value column
Admins can:
Approve fields individually
Use Accept All & Next to quickly approve all changes for one member
Edit or reject values directly from the response view
When a value is rejected, the system doesn’t apply the new member-submitted value, and the original field value stays intact.
💡 Tips: Use the Needs Review filter to view only those awaiting an action for faster processing
Example of a Census Detail Page for a Specific Member's Response:
Related Articles
Create a Census to Verify Profile Details or Staff Rosters – Getting started with building a Census.
Creating Custom Fields in Novi - Useful for creating new fields to include in a Census.
Creating a New Group in Novi - Brush up on Groups knowledge to build a list of Census recipients.