# Creating Participants Source: https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/creating-participants > How to add a new Participant in Astalty, including the required and optional fields and the optional sample John Doe profile. A Participant profile is the central record for everyone you support. It holds their personal and contact details, NDIS plan, supports, documents, and notes. This page covers how to create one. To add a Participant, go to the [Participants page](https://app.astalty.com.au/participants) and select **Add Participant**. ![The Participants page listing Participants by NDIS number, first name, last name, Coordinator, Latest check-in and Tags, with an arrow pointing to the Add Participant button in the top right.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/add-particiapnt.png) ## Required Information You only need two things to create a Participant: a **first name** and a **last name**. Every other field is optional, so you can start with the basics and fill in the rest later from the Participant's profile. ## Primary Coordinator Set the **Primary Coordinator** - the Support Coordinator or staff member who will work with this Participant the most. If you can only create Participants for yourself, you're set as the Primary Coordinator automatically. Turn on **Send a notification to the new Primary Coordinator** to let them know they've been assigned. ## Contact Information Use this section for the Participant's own contact details. If their main point of contact is someone else, such as a parent or guardian, leave these fields blank and add that person as a [Contact](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/participant-directory/contacts) once the profile has been created. ## Reference Numbers Reference Numbers store the identifiers you may need when providing supports, including the Participant's NDIS, Medicare, and Centrelink numbers. ![The Add Participant form scrolled to the highlighted Reference Numbers section, with fields for NDIS Number, Aged Care ID, Medicare Number, Centrelink Number and External ID, and a This Participant does not require an NDIS number switch.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/reference-numbers.png) > **Need to store other identifiers?** > > Once the Participant has been created, you can add your own custom **reference numbers** - such as a Plan Manager's client number - and choose which show on their invoices. See [Reference Numbers](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/profile/reference-numbers). ### NDIS Number If you provide NDIS supports, enter the Participant's unique NDIS number here. It appears on invoices and fills any NDIS placeholders in your templates, so it's required to invoice their NDIS supports. #### Participants Without an NDIS Number If the Participant is not NDIS funded and this option is enabled for your account, turn on **This Participant does not require an NDIS number**. You can create a Participant without an NDIS number, but Astalty blocks NDIS invoicing until you either add the number or mark the Participant as exempt. ![The Reference Numbers section of the Add Participant form, with the switched-off This Participant does not require an NDIS number option highlighted beside the NDIS Number field.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/reference-numbers-2-guide.png) Turning on this option lets you skip the NDIS number and still finalise your invoice batches. ![The Reference Numbers section with This Participant does not require an NDIS number switched on and the NDIS Number field beside it greyed out, both highlighted.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/reference-numbers-3-guide.png) ![The charges list on Create Invoice Batch showing each Participant's NDIS number beside their name, with Imogen Fraser, who has no NDIS number, highlighted showing a dash instead.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/reference-numbers-4-guide.png) #### Duplicate NDIS Numbers If Astalty reports that the NDIS number is already taken, another active or archived Participant is using that number. ![The NDIS number is already taken window over the Add Participant form, explaining that another Participant already has the number and linking to how to find archived Participants, with a Close button.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/screenshot-2023-12-19-at-9.26.22-am.png) To find who's using it, search for the number in the Participants table. ![The Participants page with the NDIS number 661408842 typed into Search and an arrow pointing to it, narrowing the table to the one Participant with that NDIS number.](https://docs.astalty.com.au/assets/ndis-number-in-search.png) If no one appears, the Participant may have been archived. See [Archiving and Restoring Participants](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/archiving-restoring-participants) to learn how to find archived Participants. Some accounts allow duplicate Participant profiles. On those accounts, the warning includes an acknowledgement that lets you continue with the duplicate number. If that option is not enabled for your account, the number remains blocked and you need to restore or update the existing Participant instead. ## The Sample John Doe Participant Your account may include a sample Participant named **John Doe** so you can explore the platform with realistic data. When sample data is enabled for a new account, the profile includes: - The account owner set as the Primary Coordinator - A Charge Item, **Level 2 Support Coordination** (reference SC-L2) - An NDIS plan covering the current calendar year - A self-managed **Level 2 Support Coordination** service of 48 hours (around $4,806.72) - A **Sample Profile** alert explaining that it's an example > **Ready to remove the sample?** > > If your account includes John Doe, you can archive the profile once you're comfortable finding your way around. The alert on the profile links straight to the steps, or see [Archiving and Restoring Participants](https://docs.astalty.com.au/guide/participants/archiving-restoring-participants).