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PewSearch — Help

Canonical copy for the customer-facing help page rendered at pewsearch.com/help. The actual page source lives in the pewsearch repo at pewsearch/web/src/app/help/page.tsx; this document is the source of truth the page is derived from.

When customer language changes here, update the page within the same PR (or vice versa). The /ensure-solid pewsearch scorecard dim-5 check depends on this file existing at help_surface.canonical_source per knowledge/readiness/pewsearch.yaml.

Finding a Church​

How do I search for a church?​

Use the search bar on the homepage or the directory page. You can search by church name, city, state, or denomination. Results are ranked by relevance and rating.

Can I filter by denomination or state?​

Yes. On the directory page, use the state dropdown and denomination filter to narrow results. You can also browse by state from the footer links or visit /directory/texas (or any state name) directly.

What do the ratings mean?​

Ratings are sourced from Google Maps reviews. They reflect the average community rating on a 1–5 star scale.

How many churches are listed?​

PewSearch lists over 218,000 churches across the United States and Canada. We combine data from Google Maps, OpenStreetMap, and direct church submissions.

Is there a cost to search the directory?​

No. Searching, browsing, and viewing church listings is completely free. No account is required.

Premium Pages​

What is a Premium Page?​

A Premium Page is an upgraded church listing on PewSearch. For $4.95/month, your church gets custom photos, staff profiles, ministry showcases, service hours, parking and dress code info, a verified badge, premium placement, and priority support.

What is included in Premium?​

Premium includes: custom hero photo and branding, staff profiles with photos and bios, ministry and event listings, detailed hours and service info, a verified badge on your listing, premium placement in search results, and priority support.

Is there a free trial?​

PewSearch offers a 48-hour free preview so you can see exactly how your church page will look before committing. No credit card required for the preview. All plans are month-to-month — cancel anytime.

What is the Pro Website plan?​

Note (2026-04-18): Pro Website is now sold and managed at churchwiseai.com as cwa_pro_website ($14.95/mo site-only or $19.95/mo with Chat Starter bundled). The PewSearch Pro Website listing (ps_pro_website) is a legacy demo-only artifact. See knowledge/decisions/pro-website-decouple-2026-04-18.md.

The Pro Website plan includes everything in Premium plus a full one-page church website at churchname.john316.church. You get cinematic templates with video backgrounds, custom logo upload, a featured sermon section, and SEO optimization.

Claiming Your Church​

How do I claim my church?​

Visit the PewSearch directory and find your church listing. Click the "Claim Your Church" button on the church detail page. You will be asked for your name, email, and role at the church. After submitting, you can choose a plan (Premium Page) and complete checkout.

What happens after I complete checkout?​

After checkout, your page is activated immediately. You will receive a magic link via email that takes you to your admin dashboard at pewsearch.com/admin/[your-token]. From there you can update your church information, add photos, staff profiles, ministry listings, and more.

What if my church is not listed?​

If your church does not appear in the directory, visit the "Add Your Church" page (linked in the footer). Submit your church details and we will add it, typically within 24–48 hours.

Can multiple people manage the same church?​

Yes. The primary admin can add team members from the admin dashboard. Each team member gets their own unique magic link with role-appropriate access.

Managing Your Page​

How do I access my admin dashboard?​

You access your dashboard through a unique magic link sent to your email after checkout. The link looks like pewsearch.com/admin/[your-token]. Bookmark it for easy access. You can also click "My Dashboard" in the site header if you have visited your dashboard in the same browser session.

What can I update from my church dashboard?​

You can update your church name, description, address, phone, website, email, service hours, parking information, dress code, welcome message, denomination, and more. You can also manage staff profiles, ministry listings, events, and uploaded photos.

How do I add photos?​

In the admin dashboard, scroll to the Photos section. You can upload a hero image for your page header. Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WebP.

How do I add staff and ministry listings?​

In the admin dashboard, use the Staff section to add team members with name, title, photo, and bio. Use the Ministries section to list church programs with descriptions. Changes are published immediately.

Contact us at support@churchwiseai.com with your church name and the email you used during checkout. We will send you a new magic link.

Team Access​

How do I add team members?​

From your admin dashboard, go to the Team section. Enter the team member's name, email, and role. A unique magic link will be generated for them. Copy this link and share it directly — no email is sent automatically.

What roles are available?​

PewSearch supports 7 roles: Admin, Office Admin, Prayer Team, Care Team, Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, and Worship Leader. Each role has appropriate permissions — for example, only Admin and Office Admin can edit church settings, while Prayer Team members can view prayer requests.

Can I remove a team member?​

Yes. From the Team section of the admin dashboard, you can remove any team member. Their magic link will stop working immediately.

Billing & Subscriptions​

How much does Premium cost?​

Premium Pages are $4.95/month, billed month-to-month with no annual commitment. Cancel anytime.

How do I cancel my subscription?​

From your admin dashboard, click the billing section to access the Stripe Customer Portal, where you can cancel, update your payment method, or download invoices. Your page stays active until the end of the current billing period.

What payment methods are accepted?​

All major credit and debit cards through Stripe: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover.

What happens if I cancel?​

Your paid features (Premium Page) remain active until the end of your current billing period. After that, your listing reverts to the free tier. Your data is retained so you can reactivate anytime.

Do you offer refunds?​

Yes. If you cancel within the first 48 hours (the preview period), you are not charged at all. For billing issues, contact support@churchwiseai.com. Full details: pewsearch.com/refund-policy.

ChurchWiseAI Products​

What is ChurchWiseAI?​

ChurchWiseAI is our AI product brand offering advanced tools for churches, including an AI Voice Agent that answers your church phone 24/7 and an advanced AI Chatbot with ministry tools, care coordination, and analytics. ChurchWiseAI products are purchased at churchwiseai.com — separate from PewSearch.

Does my Premium Page include a chatbot?​

PewSearch Premium ($4.95/mo) is a professional directory listing — it does not include a chatbot. For AI features (care coordination, voice receptionist, callback scheduling, custom training), visit churchwiseai.com. Plans start at $14.95/month for Chat Starter.

How do ChurchWiseAI plans relate to PewSearch?​

ChurchWiseAI and PewSearch are separate products with separate subscriptions. You can use either product independently, or both together for maximum visibility.

Contact​

Still need help? Email support@churchwiseai.com or call (888) 603-0316. One-business-day response. Include your church name and the email used during checkout for fastest resolution.

See also​