PCO Sync V2

First things first:

Here's what you'll need to prep for PCO Sync v2:

• Make sure you're running Rock RMS v14.0 or higher.

• You’ll need a 9 Embers PCO Sync V2 subscription ($300/year).

• You'll need admin rights in PCO.

If you do not have a PCO Sync V2 account, follow this link to the PCO Sync V2 Subscription Request. It’s just a quick form, and you’ll get setup instructions faster than you can say workflow.

Which fork in the road are you taking?

1. I’m already using the original PCO Sync (v1)

2. I’m not using any PCO sync (yet!)

Use the page outline on the right to jump to the section that applies to you.

Prefer video instructions instead? You're in luck! Click the appropriate link below for step-by-step video guides.

Installing PCO Sync V2 with V1 already installed

Installing PCO Sync V2 (fresh Install)

I’m Already Using Version 1 of the PCO Sync

If you’re running version 1 of the plugin, you’ll see it listed on your Installed Plugins page.

What Version 1 Did

You had to:

· Set up a group for each security level in PCO

· Manually manage folders, groups, and permission levels tied to a PCO account

· Map those groups to tags within the plugin

· Rely on attributes for tags that weren’t mapped to a group

What version 2 improves:

• It will auto-import your person and group tag mappings

• It will also add a PCO Marker attribute to your existing PCO groups and tags

Let's Install!

Start with the PCO Install Assistant

Once you launch the assistant, it’ll recognize your version 1 install automatically.

You’ll be prompted to:

Import Settings

We highly recommend choosing this option. This will import the PCO account information you already added when you installed PCO Sync V1. Once complete, the assistant will tell you what was imported.

Don’t want to import PCO Accounts automatically? No problem—Click Do Not Import Settings. Use the menu on the right to skip to instructions for Not using version 1? Let’s Do a Fresh Install.

Next Steps with PCO Install Assistant:

1. Add your 9 Embers Account info. If you do not have a PCO Sync V2 account, follow this link to the PCO Sync V2 Subscription Request. It’s just a quick form, and you’ll get setup instructions faster than you can say workflow.

2. Set how often the job runs. We suggest every 4 hours to start. You can adjust this anytime.

3. Remove the Old Version. This will trigger a system restart—heads up!

Before You Run Your First Sync

Things to do before your first sync. There are a few things to configure before your first sync. You'll find this setup section under: PCO V2 > Assistants

Job Configuration Assistant

• Set up your Notification Group—they’ll get alerts if the sync fails or if it exceeds your change threshold.

• Stoppage Percent: Set it to 0% for now. This stops the job so you can review all changes before anything happens.

Tag and Folder Import

If you used PCO V1, you likely already have tags and/or groups (folders) set up.

• Folder Import: You can skip this step if you're satisfied with your current group structure.

  • Want to start fresh with your groups? Use the automation to rebuild your group setup from scratch. 👉 [Jump to: Not using version 1? Let’s Do a Fresh Install > Before You Run Your First Sync > Assistants]

• Tag Import: In V1, tags were stored as attribute values. In V2, tags are imported as native Rock tags.

  • If you’ve been using tags in PCO, consider using the Tag Import to automatically create matching Rock tags. 👉 [Jump to: Not using version 1? Let’s Do a Fresh Install > Before You Run Your First Sync > Assistants]

Campus Mapping?

PCO V1 didn’t handle campus mapping. If you have multiple campuses, you may choose to use this. You'll find this setup section under: Installed Plugins > PCO V2

Here’s how to get them aligned:

1. Click on Campus Mapping

2. For each Rock Campus, select:

   1. Source: Planning Center

   2. The PCO campus to map to it

3. Repeat for each campus. Done and done.

Your First Sync

The job is called PCO V2 Sync. After it runs, check out the Sync History.

If your Stopping Percentage is set to 0 you’ll see the status Awaiting Review. Click into the line to see the details.

Here’s what you’ll see:

• "Adding a new person” usually means assigning them to a group or tag—not creating a duplicate person record. Rock will attempt to make the profile after you approve the job.

After reviewing:

• Click Approve

• Refresh the Sync History to check for errors

• Errors appear below the Operations block help pinpoint what needs to be fixed

As you run the job more, you’ll see fewer changes each time. If something doesn’t look right:

• Cancel the job

• Make updates in Rock or PCO

• Re-run the sync

Once everything’s dialed in, you’ll start seeing people in the PCO marker groups if you imported folders.

💬 Need Help? See our Support Information below.

Not using version 1? Let’s Do a Fresh Install

The plugin is installed—now let’s walk through setup using the PCO Install Assistant. It’ll guide you step-by-step.

Navigate to Admin Tools > Installed Plugins.

Click on the PCO v2 button, then click on the PCO Install Assistant to set up your plugin.

Step 1: Add Your PCO API Token

You’ll need admin rights in PCO for this step. A helpful link will appear on the screen to take you directly to the right spot:

Planning Center - Login

Step 2: Enter Your 9 Embers Account Info

Enter the subscription key and secret we emailed you after you filled out the inquiry form. If you do not have an account, follow the link to the Plugin Support Form and select I need help setting up my PCO Sync 2 subscription. 9 Embers will help you to setup a subscription and provide you with the keys to continue.

Step 3: Configure Sync Frequency

We suggest starting with every 4 hours. You can always change it later.

Before You Run Your First Sync

Let’s talk mapping.

If you have multiple campuses and use them in PCO, mapping those campuses in Rock is a great place to start.

Campus Mapping

1. Click Campus Mapping

1. For each Rock Campus:

   1. Set Source to Planning Center

   2. Choose the matching PCO Campus

Assistants

Job Configuration Assistant

1. Set up your Notification Group—they’ll get alerts if the sync fails or hits a change threshold.

2. Set the Stoppage Percent to 0% for now. This lets you review everything before the sync makes changes.

Folder and Tag Import

Deciding on using the folder and import depends on how you use PCO.

• Don't use tags to assign people to teams? You can skip tag import.

• Do you use folders in PCO? Importing will build out a full structure: a group for every folder, service type, team and position—which could quickly add up.

👉 You’ll need at least one of these (tags or folders) to sync with people in PCO. You can import both, but pick whichever best reflects your PCO setup.

Prep Before Importing Tags or Folders

Before running any imports, do a bit of setup:

1. Under Group Type: Serving Team, add a Group Attribute:

   1. Name: PCO Marker

   2. Field Type: PCOMarker

2. Under Entity Attributes, filter for "Tag":

   1. Add Attribute

   2. Name: PCO Marker

   3. Field Type: PCOMarker

1. Create a Parent Group (e.g., “PCO Teams”) of type Serving Teams where all imported groups will live.

Folder Import

Head back to the Install Assistant and select Folder Import.

Depending on the number of teams in your PCO structure, this may take some time. A progress counter will keep you updated. After it finishes, check the imported folder structure to verify.

Tags Import

Tags will import with a prefix like: PCO/Folder Name/Group Name/Tag Name

Other Things to Know

• Version Information shows what plugin you're running

• Manage Accounts lets you view your PCO account info and additional settings.

Your First Sync

The sync job is called PCO V2 Sync. After it runs, open the Sync History.

If you set your Stopping Percentage to 0%, you’ll see the status Awaiting Review. Click on the line to see the pending changes.

You’ll see what the sync wants to do—nothing changes until you approve it.

• "Adding a new person" usually just means assigning them to a group or tag—not creating a duplicate. Rock will try to match the person after approval.

After reviewing:

• Click Approve

• Refresh Sync History to check for errors

• Errors appear below the operations and help you identity missing or invalid data

After a few syncs, things should settle down. If something doesn’t look right, you can:

• Cancel the job

• Make updates in Rock or PCO

• Run the sync again

Once everything’s set, you’ll start seeing people land in the right groups if you imported folders. If things are running smoothly, feel free to adjust the stoppage percentage in the job configuration to let the sync process changes automatically.

FAQ

Q: I used the Folder Import and now I have a TON of groups I don’t need. Can I bulk delete them?

A: Yep! Just fill our Plugin support form here—we have a SQL script that can remove the whole folder hierarchy in one swoop.

Q: Do I need access to PCO?

A: Yes. You need admin-level access to generate tokens and manage integrations.

Q: Is Rock or PCO the primary source of information?

A: Neither. This is a true 2-way sync. The most recently updated record—whether in Rock or PCO—will be used to sync data.

Q. The Sync failed because of a Fatal Request Error. How do I fix this?

A: This is likely due to a group in Rock still linked to a team/position in PCO that was deleted. PCO doesn't delete a team from their database until 30 days after someone deletes it in the UI. Our update to PCO Sync V2 1.8 (available soon) is made to handle these situations. Updating the plugin should resolve this issue.

Support

If you need assistance, please fill out our Plugin Support Form and select the type of support you need:

• I need help setting up my PCO Sync V2 subscription.

• I'm already using the PCO plug-in and I'm having issues.

• I'm using a different plug-in and I'm having issues.

Before submitting a new issue, we recommend reviewing our 9 Embers Plug-in Issues List on GitHub to see if your concern has already been documented. If your issue isn’t listed, please provide as much detail as possible in the form to help us assist you efficiently.

Additional Support for PCO V2 Users If you're using the PCO Sync V2 plug-in and need more in-depth assistance, we offer an optional 30-minute Zoom support call for a one-time fee of $100. Ongoing or additional support may be available upon request at a rate of $175 per hour. To request this support, please select the “I’m already using the PCO plug-in and I’m having issues” option on the Plug-in Support Form.