Create guardian–minor contacts from a Patch waiver

When this is set up correctly, Patch creates the same guardian–minor relationship used by integrations.. That unlocks the guardian’s Minors tab, birthday automations aimed at kids (with messages sent to the adult), and clearer household data for marketing.

Before you start

• You need the Waivers product on the account.
• This is per waiver and opt-in. Existing PDF-only waivers keep working until you turn the setting on and rebuild the minors page.
• Do not use a custom contact field named something like minors or minor_array for this. You must use the reserved Waiver Minors field.
• Email, phone, and SMS/email opt-in stay on the guardian. Do not put those on the minor rows.

What this does not do: When a guardian later checks in on a kiosk by phone, Patch does not automatically assume every linked minor attended. Minors should still be confirmed or checked in deliberately.

Overview

Step 1: Turn on “Create minor contacts”

1. In Patch, open Waivers (or Documents) and edit the waiver you want to update.
2. In the top stepper, go to Settings (step 2: Document → Settings → Success Page → Advanced → Installation).
3. Find the card Waiver Completion Options.
4. Check:Create minor contacts from the Waiver Minors multiple page (links each minor to the signing guardian)
5. You should see a short note under the checkbox reminding you that the waiver needs a repeating page bound to Waiver Minors, with First Name, Last Name, Birthday, and Gender.

Leave the other options (re-sign, invalidate-before date, PDF email) as you already use them.

Step 2: Add a repeating Waiver Minors page

Still in the waiver editor, go back to Document (step 1).

1. Create or select the page where guests will enter each child’s details (often after the adult’s name/contact page).
2. Open the page settings accordion Multiple Pages.
3. Check Enable multiple pages.
4. Optional but recommended:
   • Check Automatically add the first page at start. so one minor section appears without an extra click.
   • Set ‘Add’ button text to something like Add Minor.
   • Set ‘Remove’ button text to something like Remove Minor.
5. Under Field to Use, choose Waiver Minors.

If you pick any other “multiple object” field, the create-contacts setting will not create minor Contacts (the PDF can still work). Save will also fail validation while the setting is on and the page is wrong.

Step 3: Bind the minor fields

On that same repeating page, add Input / Field elements and bind them only to:

With Field to Use set to Waiver Minors, the field picker should only offer this short list. You should not be able to attach the guardian’s email or phone to a minor row from the UI.

Layout tip: keep the guardian’s name, email, phone, and signature on a non-repeating page. Put only the child fields on the Waiver Minors page.

Step 4: Collect the guardian as usual

On another page (not the Waiver Minors page), collect enough adult info to create or match the signing contact — typically first/last name plus email and/or phone, plus the signature and legal text you already use.

The adult remains the source of marketing consent. Messages about kids go to the guardian’s opted-in channels.

Step 5: Save and test

1. Save the waiver in the portal.
   • If the create-contacts setting is on but the page isn’t bound to Waiver Minors, or a field outside the allowlist is bound, save should block with an error. Fix the page and save again.
2. Open the signing / smartlink URL (or use Installation → preview / kiosk path you already use).
3. Sign as a test adult, add 1–2 minors with name + birthday, and submit.
4. In Patch, open the guardian contact and confirm:
   • The Minors tab lists each child.
   • Each minor is a separate contact with the correct birthday.
5. Sign again with the same minor name + birthday. Patch should update that minor Contact, not create a duplicate.

What happens on submit

Using this in automations

Common pattern: birthday automation for kids, message to the adult.

1. Audience / filter on the minor (birthday upcoming, is a minor / has a guardian).
2. Send SMS or email using the guardian’s opted-in phone or email (Patch already prefers guardian channels when messaging a minor).
3. Copy can address the adult (“It’s almost Ava’s birthday…”) while the trigger is the child’s birthday.

If you only collected names/DOBs as loose custom fields on the adult and never enabled this setting, birthday automations will not behave like true guardian–minor contacts. Rebuild the waiver with Waiver Minors + the create-contacts checkbox.

Troubleshooting

Your checklist

• Settings → Create minor contacts… checked
• Repeating page with Field to Use = Waiver Minors
• First Name, Last Name, Birthday on that page (Gender optional)
• Guardian name + contact channels on a separate page
• Test sign creates Minors on the adult contact
• Re-sign with same name + DOB updates the same minor