CDOL Procedures

CDOL CDOL app Description Policies Requirements Procedures CDOL FAQs CDOL Help CDOL tips of the week Current Release Notes Known Issues

The Church Directory of Organizations and Leaders (CDOL) is a Web application that contains information about Church organizations and leaders worldwide. Organization information includes address and contact information as well as information about related units, leaders in the organization, etc. Leader information includes address and contact information as well as information about the leader's calling or position. CDOL helps General Authorities, Church Headquarters personnel, Area administration personnel, and local priesthood leaders worldwide to fulfill their assignments. The information below explains how to:

• Sign in and navigate in CDOL.
• Deal with IE9 and IE10 Browser Compatibility Issues (hourglass continues to spin, unable to see all features, unable to edit, etc.)
• Search for organization and leader information.
• Personalize the Church directory.
• Export information for use in a spreadsheet application.
• Export data to create mailing labels.
• Create special reports.
• Add or update your personal contact information in the directory.

CDOL access is restricted to authorized users and systems. Any release of information from CDOL is governed by a comprehensive information release policy.

Signing in to CDOL

Follow these steps to sign in to CDOL:

1. In your browser’s address field, enter the URL https://cdol.churchofjesuschrist.org/cdol/
2. Enter your LDS Account username and password.
3. Click the I agree, Sign-in button. The CDOL screen appears. (If it does not appear, follow the instructions in the error message.)

• If you forget your username or password or need to register for an LDS Account, click on the links provided. A new screen opens where you are asked to provide some personal information.
• For easier access to CDOL, create a favorite (bookmark) in your Web browser, or add a shortcut to your desktop.

Dealing with IE9 and IE10 or greater Browser Compatibility Issues

If Internet Explorer version 9 or 10 (or greater) is used to access CDOL there are some compatibility issues with these browser versions that impact CDOL's functionality. Attempting to access certain features will cause the hourglass to spin rather than executing the command, or certain features may not be visible, or may be only partially visible. Affected areas include:

• Clicking on the Unit Boundary Forms/Maps link on a summary page causes the hourglass to spin without producing any results or opens the list window but no maps or forms are displayed
• Drop-down menus in Advanced Search and other areas do not open or only display partial contents without a scroll bar
• Editing contact information such as phone numbers, addresses, etc., causes spinning hourglass or application error or crash
• Other access or functions cause spinning hourglass or error

To work around this issue, users can:

• Run CDOL in a different browser (such as Chrome or Firefox)
• Set the IE browser to "Compatibility View" using the compatibility view icon (looks like a page with a jagged line running through the middle of it) which can usually be found in the URL address field to the right of the "Pad Lock" (Security Report) icon, or under the Tools drop-down menu on the menu bar. To run CDOL in compatibility view, first sign in to CDOL, then click on the "Compatibility View" icon or open the "Tools" drop-down menu, find "Compatibility View" and click to enable it, or open it and add "lds.org" to the list of websites.

If the menu bar is not enabled (the menu bar drop-down menu items usually include "File", "Edit", "View", "Favorites", "Tools", and "Help") it can be enabled by right-clicking in an open spot of the section of the browser immediately below the URL address field, where the menu bar is usually positioned, and then clicking on "Menu Bar" to toggle it to enabled (places a check mark to the left of the selection). In compatibility view CDOL performs more closely to levels found with earlier versions of IE.

Navigating in CDOL

In general, you can navigate in CDOL the same way you navigate in other Web-based programs. Please take note of the following:

• When using edit in CDOL do not use the back or forward buttons in your Web browser, unless after each page jump you do a page refresh. Otherwise the displayed data may show false information and not reflect the actual information of the underlying page. Using the navigation tools provided within CDOL when editing (such as links) does not require a page refresh.
• At any time during your session, you may click the Church Directory logo to go to the CDOL home page.

The following options or links are available on the CDOL home page:

• Sign Out
• LDS Maps
• Feedback
• User Manual
• FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
• Headquarters Directory Guide

Other options may be available depending on your CDOL rights.

CDOL Navigation Tips

Tips to help you navigate CDOL more efficiently:

• Tab Key – Use the Tab key to move to the next field.
• Dates – When entering dates, click the calendar icon. A calendar opens showing the current month with the current date highlighted. To select a date, click on the day of the month. If you need to select a different month or year, use the next and previous arrows at the top of the calendar.
• Drop-down Lists – In a drop-down list (for example, a list of countries), you can save time by typing the first character of the desired entry. This moves the selection to the first entry in the list that begins with this character.
• Keyboard Shortcuts – Use the keyboard shortcuts to make data entry easier. Click F1 or Ctrl+H to display the keyboard shortcut help.
• Web Pages – CDOL is based on individual Web pages. Each time you click a link you move to a new Web page. CDOL functions much like other Internet-based programs. However, as noted, do not use your browser’s forward and back buttons to move between Web pages. Use the links provided on the CDOL screen.

Changing Your CDOL Preferences

To change your preferences:

1. Next to your username at the top of the screen, click My Account.
2. To view your preferences, click the Expand icon next to each section.
3. Check the box next to each of your desired preferences.
4. Click Save.
5. To view your changes, click the Church logo at the top of the page. The home page is updated according to your preferences.

Searching for Leader or Organization Information

CDOL allows you to search for leader and organization information to help in day-to-day Church administration.

Leader Information

To search for a leader you may use the leader’s full name, last name, or Membership Record Number (MRN). For example, enter the leader’s full name. From the main CDOL screen:

1. Select the Leader option.
2. Enter all or part of the leader name in the Search field. Do not include the leader's position type or location, or anything else that is not part of the leader's actual name. If uncertain how something is spelled, only enter those characters of which you are certain. Extraneous information or misspellings will cause zero or unexpected results.
3. Click Search. The search results should appear. Depending on the number of results, you may have several options available to you.
   If your search returns only one result, you are taken directly to the leader summary page. See similar options in the Unit Summary Page under Organization Information below.
   If your search returns two or more results you can select one of the options in the shaded bar above the results to:
   • Refine Search
   • Save Search As
   • Export to File
   • Export for Mailing Labels
   • Make a Directory
4. Click a leader name to view the Leader Summary Page. Once on the summary page, scroll down to view the leader information.

Organization Information

To search for an organization, enter the organization’s name, location, unit number, or local name in the Search field. For example, use the organization’s location. From the main CDOL screen:

1. Select the Organization option.
2. Enter all or part of the organization name in the Search field, or the unit number (if known) in the Search field. Do not include anything that is not in the actual organization name, such as additional state or city location information, leader information, or country information, unless certain that the information is included in the organization name. If uncertain how something is spelled, only enter those characters of which you are certain. Extraneous information or misspellings will cause zero or unexpected results.
3. Click Search. The search results appear. Depending on the number of results, you may have several options available to you.
   If your search returns only one result, you are taken directly to the organization summary page. See options for the Unit Summary Page below.
   If your search returns two or more results you can select one of the options in the shaded bar above the results to:
   • Refine Search
   • Save Search As
   • Export to File
   • Export for Mailing Labels
   • Make a Directory
4. Click an organization name to view the Unit Summary Page. Scroll down to view the following directory information:
   • Positions
   • General Information
   • Addresses and Phone Numbers
   • Associated Organizations

Note that when you enter a unit number in the Search field, that unit’s Unit Summary Page appears.
Additional options available on the Unit Summary Page include:

• Add to My Personal Directory
• Unit Boundary Maps (depending upon your CDOL rights)
• Make a Directory
• Mailing Labels

CDOL Search Tips

Tips to help you search CDOL more efficiently:

• Avoid broad name searches (such as entering only a common last name like “Smith”) that could produce a results list with thousands of names. If your search is too broad, a warning message appears asking you to refine your search so that system performance is not adversely affected.
• You can use % as a wild card. For example, if you were searching for a Steve Williams, but were unsure whether the full name was spelled Stephen or Steven, you could enter in the Search field the string: ste%en williams, which would search both spellings, but would omit the search for Steve because of the added n at the end of the first word in the string. The system automatically inserts a wild card after a character string, so ste williams would include all names that begin with Ste, including Steve, Steven, Stephen, Stefan, Stephan, Stephanie, etc. The wild card can be used in either leader or organization searches, but cannot be used in unit number searches. Unit numbers must match exactly. See below.
• All organizations or leaders matching your search criteria are available. Use the Results drop-down list to change the default view to 50 or 100 results per page.
• When your search results require multiple pages to display, click Next to go to the next page, Prev for the previous page, First for the first page, and Last for the last page. Then use the scroll bar to see all the information on a page.
• Use a unit number search whenever you know the unit number. The unit number search is the most efficient way to search in CDOL. A unit number search displays the Unit Summary Page.
• You can also search by local name. Local names are helpful to show the organization name as it appears in the unit's local language.
• If searching for a ward or branch, and you only know an address or a general location, first use LDS Maps to attempt to locate the name of the organization or leader before using CDOL. There is a link to LDS Maps at the top of the CDOL application window. Once the LDS Maps application is launched, either enter the address or use the map to find a specific location. Once a search is performed, the results should display the unit(s) close to or assigned to the location, along with the name of the leader of each unit.

Using the Advanced Search Option

An advanced search option is available to help you narrow a search. For example, you can narrow your searches to a specific organization type, such as a branch, or for a specific classification such as a care center branch. The example below shows how to create a saved search for care center branches.

1. From the main CDOL screen, click Advanced Search.
2. Select the Organization Type. For example, select Branch.
3. From the Classification drop-down list, select Care Center.
4. Click Search. The Search Results list appears.

• From the Search Results screen you can also click Refine Search to access the Advanced Search options.
• To see the results displayed by organizational hierarchy, choose one of the Church Location options and check the Sort by Hierarchy checkbox.

For additional information on using Advanced Search please send an email with Send Advanced Search Document in the subject line to: oiservices@ldschurch.org

Creating My Searches

After searching for an organization or leader in CDOL you have the option of saving the search criteria for later use. This can save time when you regularly need to view the results of certain searches. These searches display on the main CDOL screen under My Searches.

1. From Search Results click Save Search As.
2. Enter a name for the search. Your saved search displays on the CDOL Main screen under Saved Searches – My Searches.

Note that a saved search displays the most current information in CDOL, not necessarily the search results displayed when the saved search was originally created.

Exporting Search Results

You can export CDOL data to a file that can be used with a spreadsheet program. To export CDOL data:

1. From the Search Results screen, click Export to File. A new window opens showing that your request is being processed. Once the processing is completed, a new window appears.
2. Indicate what you want to do with the file: Click Open, Save, or Cancel.

Note that:

• If you have rights to view sensitive information, this sensitive information appears in red text in the exported data.
• Downloaded information is not updated when CDOL data is updated. To avoid stale data, download the data each time the information you originally downloaded changes in CDOL.

Creating Reports from Advanced Search Option

You may want to create reports with information from organizations that meet specific criteria. In CDOL you can use the Advanced Search option to create reports and lists that meet your criteria. The following example illustrates the procedures:

1. Click Advanced Search on the main CDOL screen and select from the following criteria:
   • Keyword(s) - You can enter a keyword, such as the name of an organization or leader.
   • Search Type - Select Position, Organization, or Church Department to identify the type of search you want to complete. (For example, select Organization.)
2. Depending on the Search Type you select, select from the following criteria:
   • Organization Type - Select from a list of organizations such as Ward. (For example, select Branch.)
   • Position Type - Select from a list of positions such as bishop.
   • Church Department - Select from a list of Church departments.
   • Classification - Select a classification from the drop-down list such as Care Center or Supports Military. (For example, select Care Center.)
   • Status and Date - Select the status of the organization. (For example, select care center branches that became active between 1 July 2008 and 1 July 2009.)
3. As desired, select from the following criteria you may also include in your search:
   • Language - Select the language from the drop-down list.
   • Church Location - Select the location from the drop-down list. (For example, select Area and then select Europe Central Area, Europe East Area, and Europe West Area.)
   • Political Location - Here you can narrow the political location to a specific country or state.
   • Property Number and Property Address - Here you can enter specific information about the property.
4. Click Search. The Search Results screen displays the organizations that meet the criteria you selected.

Adding Organizations or Leaders to Your Personal Directory

If you regularly view or update the information for organizations or leaders, you can save time by adding the organizations or leaders to your personal directory on the CDOL home page. To add an organization or leader to your personal directory:

1. From the Unit Summary Page or Leader Summary Page click Add to My Personal Directory. This automatically adds a link to the item in your personal directory. A link to My Church Directory displays immediately on the main CDOL screen.
2. Click the link to go directly to that organization’s or leader’s directory information.

Making a Directory

At times you may want to have a printed directory of organizations or leaders. A template in CDOL guides you through this process. The Make a Directory template allows you to create a custom, printable directory. To start the process, click Make a Directory on a Search Results screen or on a Unit Summary Page or Leader Summary Page for an organization or leader. The Make a Directory template displays. For example, to make a new stake directory, follow these steps:

1. Design – To design a new directory, click Continue.
2. Organizations – Select the organizations to include, and then click Continue.
3. Positions – From the drop-down list, select the positions you want to display in the directory. For example, the Primary Contact is a stake president in a stake or a bishop in a ward. Key Positions are the positions that provide leadership to a unit and normally consist of stake presidencies and bishoprics (including clerks). After you make a selection, click Continue.
4. Contact Details – From each category select the phone numbers and addresses you want to include in the directory, and then click Continue.
5. Display and Title – Select the sort order for the directory, decide on a one- or two-column layout, and select either official or local names. Add a title and description for the directory, and then click Continue.
6. Summary – The screen displays a summary of the options you have selected. From this point you have the following options:
   • Print the directory
   • Save the directory design
   • Go back to change the criteria
   • Return to the search results and start over

The Make a Directory template produces a document in Adobe ®Acrobat (.PDF) format. The document can be printed and saved on your computer.

Creating Mailing Labels

There is a mailing label feature in the current version of CDOL. This feature has several advantages. For an overview of the feature, see the CDOL Mailing Labels Quick Start Guide (Tip 17b in the CDOL tips of the week found in the side bar at the beginning of this User Manual).

Adding and Updating Personal Contact Information

CDOL allows you to update your own personal contact information (such as telephone numbers and addresses). Any user who can see his or her own assignment can update his or her own contact information. Please note that changes you make to your personal contact information could take up to 24 hours before being updated in the directory.

To add or update your phone numbers, addresses or email address:

1. Type the unit number or part or all of the unit name in the search field, or click the Leader radio button, and then enter part or all of your name or Membership Record Number (MRN) in the Search field.
2. Click Search. If using unit name or unit number, navigate to the unit summary page. If using your name, the search results may appear as a list on the screen or take you directly to your personal summary page, depending on the uniqueness of your name.
3. Click on your name if a list appears or if you are on the unit summary page (because you used the unit number or unit name). The Leader Summary Page displays.
4. Click Edit Assignment above your name, and then select the Phone Numbers, Addresses, or General tab, which is also the default when entering edit.

To add a new phone number (similar changes apply to addresses):

1. From the list of available types of phone numbers, select the type of phone number you want to change.
2. In the Number field, enter the complete phone number, including the area code, any extension, and the in-country code, if used, and then tab or click out of the field (important).
3. Click Save.

To change an existing phone number (similar changes apply to addresses):

1. In the Number field, enter the complete phone number, including the area code, any extension, and the in-country code if used, and then tab or click out of the field (important).
2. Click Save.

To change your email address:

1. Select the General tab.
2. In the Email Address field, enter the complete email address, and then tab or click out of the field (important).
3. If you have a private email address (the email address is not seen except by those with stewardship for you) enter it in the Private Email Address field, and then tab or click out of the field (important).
4. Click Save.

Most changes made will appear almost immediately after saving.

If other changes need to be made, those changes should be sent either through MLS (such as an assignment change) or submitted to Church headquarters by using the e-mail address oiservices@ldschurch.org or by clicking the Feedback link in the top right corner of CDOL.

CDOL Tips

• Local Names – Local names are helpful because they show the organization name as it appears in the language of the unit. When you enter a local name, use a character set that supports the characters used in the organization’s primary language.
• E-mail – When you click an e-mail address in CDOL, it opens your default e-mail application and places the selected e-mail address in the To field.
• Unsaved Changes – A red star next to the name of the organization or leader means an unsaved change has been made to the directory. Once the change has been saved, the star disappears.
• Unpublished Changes – Certain changes require verification after being saved. If the message "Unpublished Changes" appears in the upper right part of the screen, that change must be reviewed before it will appear on the summary page. This message remains until the changes have been verified for publishing in the directory (normally within 24 hours).