This article walks through configuring Tip Line in Messages XR Enterprise for the website widget and the Finalsite Mobile App, including setting up notification recipients by category and using Tip Manager to review, acknowledge, and document submitted tips.
💡 Quick answers
- Where can community members send a tip? Through the district's Tip Line phone number, text line, website widget, and the Finalsite Mobile App. The same settings, categories, notification recipients, and Tip Manager apply to each.
- How is the Tip Line widget added to a website? Copy the embed code from the Widget area of the Tip Line settings and paste it onto the district or school website page where the widget should appear.
- What is required before Tip Line can appear in the mobile app? Tip Line must be enabled in Messages XR Enterprise on the exact district organization the mobile app is connected to, and then turned on in the Finalsite CMS mobile app settings. If either side is off, Tip Line does not appear in the app.
- How does disguised voice work? It only applies to phone tips. Messages XR Enterprise creates an altered, pitch-shifted copy of the voicemail that staff hear in Tip Manager. It has no effect on tips submitted in the app or on the website widget.
- Does Tip Line accept anonymous submissions from community members and parents? Yes, submitters can choose to remain anonymous, though they may optionally include contact information.
- Where is Tip Line configured? Navigate to Settings Organization config tab, scroll to the Settings section at the bottom, and click to open Tip Line settings.
- Can tips be routed to different staff members based on category? Yes, categories such as bullying, safety risk, or vandalism can each be assigned to specific email addresses or SMS numbers.
- Is it possible to assign different notification recipients for each school? Yes, each school can have its own set of notification contacts per tip category.
- What actions can be taken on a tip after reviewing it? A tip can be acknowledged (adds a timestamp), archived (adds a timestamp and can be undone with Mark as New), or given a Note. All actions are timestamped so the team has a full documented record.
- Can a tip's category or school be changed after it is submitted? Yes, staff can change a tip's category or move it to another school. Doing so re-sends the notifications to the recipients assigned to that school.
- Can identifying information be viewed for anonymous tip submissions? Yes, clicking the submitter's username in the tip details reveals their IP address and device information even when the submission was anonymous.
In this article
- Step 1: Plan Tip Line setup
- Step 2: Configure settings in Messages XR Enterprise
- Step 3: Turn on Tip Line where families find it
- Use the Notification Settings area
- Access Tip Line data in Tip Manager
- Take action on individual tips
Step 1: Plan Tip Line setup
Decide where Tip Line can be found by families, students, and staff.
- Widget embed code: Once set up, copy the embed code to place a Tip Line widget onto district and school websites, in any area that is chosen.
- Mobile app: Tip Line can also be offered in the Finalsite Mobile App. It uses the same settings, categories, notification recipients, and Tip Manager. Tip Line needs to be set up for the district first: reach out to a Client Success Manager to get started.
Before configuring settings, a few decisions may be needed:
- Set the Tip Line phone number.
- Decide who will receive the messages.
- Decide whether tips will be anonymous.
Step 2: Configure settings in Messages XR Enterprise
Tip Line needs to be set up for the district first before any child organizations can have Tip Line.
Navigate to Tip Line settings
Once these decisions are made, Tip Line is ready to be configured.
- Click the Settings tab in the left navigation of Messages XR Enterprise.
- On the Organization config tab, scroll down to the very bottom, where a Settings section appears.
- Click to open Tip Line settings.
- The Tip Line window opens, where the settings are configured.
Review Tip Line settings and where families see them
Each setting below controls how Tip Line works in Messages XR Enterprise, ordered by how they appear in the Tip Line window. The last column shows how the setting appears to families in the Finalsite Mobile App:
| Setting | How to configure | What families see in the app |
|---|---|---|
| Tip Line settings (phone number) | Confirm the number shown is the selected Tip Line phone number. | A Call us button that dials the Tip Line number. |
| Disguise recorded voice | Check the box to disguise the caller's voice when a tip is left by phone. Messages XR Enterprise creates an altered, pitch-shifted copy of the voicemail that staff hear in Tip Manager. Disguised voice has no effect on tips submitted in the app or on the website widget. | A line under Call us letting callers know their voice will be disguised. |
| Enable | Check the box to enable Tip Line. Deselect to stop using the feature. | Tip Line appears in the app only when enabled on the district organization the app is connected to. |
| Alert dialog | Edit the alert text. Check Show alert dialog to display the alert or deselect to hide it. | A banner at the top of the screen, for example "If this is an emergency, call 911." The text is translated into the person's app language. |
| Placeholder text | Adjust the default text in the input box. A short prompt helps users know where to start. | The hint text inside the tip box. |
| Force identity inclusion | Check the box to require contact information with every tip. | The anonymous toggle is hidden; a name plus a phone number or email is required. |
| Tips are anonymous by default | Check the box to default all tips to anonymous. Contact information can still be added but is not required. | The anonymous toggle starts switched on. |
| Organization | Check the box to provide a dropdown so users can select a school with their tip. | A school picker with search. |
| Categories | Add or delete tip categories, and assign specific personnel to receive tips from a category. Examples: bullying, threat, safety risk, fighting, vandalism, drugs. | The category picker. |
| Notification | Add the email addresses and SMS numbers notified when a tip is submitted, then assign them to categories. Steps are below in Assign notification recipients to categories. | Not shown in the app. Recipients set for the category and school receive email and text notifications. |
| Summary email | Type an email address into the field, then select Add, to send a summary of all tips received during a given period. | Not shown in the app. |
| Receipt message | Customize the message sent to the user once a tip is submitted. | Shown after the tip is sent, together with the tip code. |
| Widget | Copy the embed code and paste it onto a website. Select Preview Widget to see how Tip Line will appear. Steps are below in Embed the Tip Line widget on a website. | Not shown in the app. The widget is for websites. |
⚠️ Important Notes
- School administrators and principals are able to update the text for their assigned school.
- Checking the box next to Tips are anonymous by default still allows a user to submit contact information, but it will not be a required step in the process.
- School administrators and principals are able to update the text only for their assigned school's Tip Line receipt message.
Assign notification recipients to categories
- Email addresses: To add new, type the email address into the field, then click Add. Add multiple email addresses so that each of those will be notified when a tip is submitted.
- SMS numbers: To add new, type the SMS number into the field, then click Add. Add multiple SMS numbers so that each of those will be notified when a tip is submitted.
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Assign email and SMS to categories: Click an email address or phone number to assign this contact information to a category.
- For example: After an SMS number is added, click that number, for example one that belongs to the campus security officer. In the Edit Address window that pops up, assign any tips regarding "Weapons" to be directed to the campus security officer.
Once these notifications are configured and assigned, they appear in the data at the bottom of the page in the section Use the Notification Settings area.
- Click Save to save all changes made in the Tip Line configuration.
Step 3: Turn on Tip Line where families find it
Embed the Tip Line widget on a website
The Tip Line widget can be placed on district and school websites, in any area that is chosen. Families, students, and staff then complete the fields in the widget to submit a tip.
- Open the Tip Line window: Settings Organization config Tip Line.
- Scroll to the Widget area, below the Receipt message and above the Save button.
- Select and copy the embed code in the gray box.
- Paste the code onto the district or school website page where the widget should appear.
- Click Preview Widget to see how Tip Line will appear on the website.
Connect Tip Line in the Finalsite Mobile App
Tip Line in the Finalsite Mobile App uses the settings, categories, notification recipients, and Tip Manager configured in Step 2. After Tip Line is enabled in Messages XR Enterprise, turn it on in the Finalsite CMS mobile app settings. Follow the steps in Mobile App and Chat for school leaders: Set up Tip Line, which also covers how Tip Line appears in the app.
⚠️ Important Note
Messages XR Enterprise settings are read from the exact organization the mobile app is connected to. Enabling Tip Line on a child school alone will not turn it on in the app; it must be enabled on the district organization itself.
Use the Notification Settings area
The reason why tips are popular with districts is the unique and precise ways that school staff can be notified when tips come in.
- Scroll all the way down in the Tip Line window to see which Notification Settings have been set in the Notification section above.
- Settings are organized by school so the number of users assigned to receive notifications when tips come in is visible.
- See any that say "0/#"? This is a big red flag! That means if Tip Line is configured at that school and a community member submits a tip, no one will be notified.
Access Tip Line data in Tip Manager
View the tips sent in through Tip Line using the Tip Manager report. Depending on the settings, tips may be anonymous or may include contact information. This is reflected in the results in the reports.
- To access Tip Manager, click to open the Reports area in the left navigation.
- Click the Tip manager tab at the top of Reports.
- Select a topic from the Category column and view the tips pertaining to that category in the main panel.
- Browse through and review the individual tips in a specific category.
- Click an individual tip submission to open it and see the details that were sent in through Tip Line.
IP address and device info for anonymous tips
The IP address can be viewed even for users who submit tips anonymously.
Click the username in blue beneath the title "Submitted by" and a window pops up.
Take action on individual tips
Once an individual tip is open, these actions are available:
- Acknowledge: Clicking the Acknowledge button places a timestamp onto the tip details page. The button changes to "Mark as New" to undo, though a timestamp documents any changes to the tip.
- Archive: Clicking the Archive button adds a timestamp onto the tip details page. To undo, click the "Mark as New" button. All documentation is timestamped to make sure all actions are clear and documented for the team.
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Note: This is a box for adding any notes pertaining to the tip. Notes are added into the timestamp feed. Add as many notes as needed to track documentation and keep the team looped in.
- Add notes on actions taken, such as:
- IT contacted regarding IP address
- Contacted reporter on 2/7/25
- Notes on conversation with team or any other actions taken
- Add notes on actions taken, such as:
Change a tip's category or move it to another school
Staff can also change a tip's category or move it to another school when a tip was submitted under the wrong category or sent to the wrong school.
- Change the category: Update the tip's category so it matches the type of concern reported.
- Move to another school: Reassign the tip to the school that should handle it.
Either change re-sends the notifications. The email and text notifications go to the recipients assigned to the tip's new category and school in the Notification Settings area. Make sure each school has notification recipients assigned for every category before moving tips, so the right staff members are alerted.