Prevent members to change their first AND last names
How to prevent members from changing their names (first and last name)? Through "Contacts" we can make the field admin access only to prevent the user from entering their own names. However, this will make the name fields internal fields that can only be seen or edited by an administrator. I prefer members to see their names. When they change their names without administrators' knowledge is a big No-No! Because we have a testing system with first and last names that must be matched.
In addition, I had to set up "Current and Formerly Name (First AND Last Name)" manually (only internal administrators to see) through Membership Fields so that the office will be able to keep tracking. I am still inserting names manually one by one for many - about 900 more to go... HOWEVER, this will not solve the problem because if members change their names, how will we, administrators, know when and what their name has changed to? Nowadays members or more people have changed their names. That is fine but it is not fine at my end because of testing system.
I would prefer members to ask me or my office (administrators only) so we can update their names for them. This way we can keep tracking for the right information/records especially for tests.
casli
shared this idea
Fixed in 8.7 release
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On Feb 13, 2024, I submitted a wishlist asking to prevent members from editing their first and last names themselves through their profiles. I’m not against name changes — members can update their names, but I prefer they contact administrators to request the change so we can track and record it accurately, especially for internal tests that require name matching, because currently no admin alert or tracking exists when members change their names.
On Jan 16, 2025, Wild Apricot sent an email: “An idea you supported has a new status update!”
https://gethelp.wildapricot.com/en/articles/2847-version-8-7-0-release
This release didn’t show name changes clearly.On March 3, 2025, I changed the First and Last Name fields to “View Only” to prevent self-editing. After doing this, the email notification for new applications began displaying the applicant’s email address in the subject line instead of their full name. It seems the {Contact_FullName} macro no longer works correctly when these fields are set to “View Only.”
I reported this via Live Chat on March 24, 2025, and support said it would be escalated. But there has been no follow-up.I had to change the name fields back to “Edit in own profile” so names would display correctly in emails — which unfortunately allows members to change their names again without admin knowledge. This is frustrating and creates inconsistencies in our records.
Problems:
1. When name fields are set to “View Only,” {Contact_FullName} macro doesn’t work properly in email subject lines.
2. No admin alert or tracking exists when members change their names.
3. For new applicants and existing members — both groups are affected by the same “View Only” or “Edit” setting for name fields, which is fine. But it is not acceptable that the email subject line shows the email address instead of their full name. Please ensure their full names are always shown in their profiles and in the email subject line (not their email address) when “View Only” is selected.Suggestions:
• Fix the {Contact_FullName} macro so it still displays full names correctly when fields are “View Only.”
• Send automatic email notifications to administrators when a name change occurs.
• Add a system log or internal note under the Contact details tab > Internal Use, showing old and new name with the date of change.
• Update the Former and Current Names field automatically if possible; if not, I will have to update it manually each time.
• Let members view their full names but not edit them, and require them to contact administrators for any name updates. For new applicants, I don’t understand why selecting “View Only” affects the macro in email subject lines — it should be straightforward that their full names display, not their email addresses. Also, new applicants cannot log in to their profiles without membership and payment approval; therefore, they wouldn’t be able to edit their names.I also created a custom internal field:
“Former & Current Name (First AND Last Name)” under Members > Membership fields, visible only to administrators. Members and applicants do not need to see this, but it is essential for our internal tracking, testing, and verification purposes.Example: User ID #59498535 changed their name without administrator knowledge, and the system provides no history or timestamp of the change. This creates confusion and undermines our testing process, where identity consistency is critical.
Please consider this request seriously. We need better tools to maintain accurate and verifiable member records.
Thank you.
