People Finder - CiviCRM Extension

A privacy-focused CiviCRM extension that allows users to search for friends from the past and connect with them without disclosing personal information.

Features

1. User Authentication & Registration

• Users must already be in the CiviCRM database to register
• Email-based verification system
• Invitation links for administrators to send to users
• Secure token-based authentication

2. Privacy-Restricted Search

• Search only returns partial information (e.g., "Steve S, Michigan")
• Full contact details are only revealed after a connection is accepted
• No crawling allowed - only searches contacts already in the database
• Search logging for audit purposes

3. Connection System

• Users can send connection requests to people they find
• Connection requests include optional messages
• Recipients can accept or decline connections
• Full contact information is only shared after acceptance

Installation

1. Copy this extension to your CiviCRM extensions directory:

   cp -r "CIVI CRM " /path/to/civicrm/extensions/com.example.peoplefinder
   

2. Install the extension via CiviCRM:

   • Go to Administer > System Settings > Extensions
   • Find "People Finder" and click Install

3. The extension will automatically:

   • Create necessary database tables
   • Register API endpoints
   • Create menu items

Usage

For End Users

1. Registration:

   • Navigate to People Finder login page
   • Enter your email address (must be in database)
   • Check your email for verification link
   • Click the link to verify and access People Finder

2. Search:

   • Use the search form to find people by:
     • First name
     • Last name
     • State/Province
     • City
   • Results show partial information (e.g., "Steve S, Michigan")

3. Connect:

   • Click "Connect" on a search result
   • Optionally add a message
   • The person will receive a notification
   • If they accept, full contact information is shared

For Administrators

1. User Management:

   • Access the admin page to view all registered users
   • Send invitation links to users
   • Manage user accounts

2. API Access:

   • All functionality is available via CiviCRM API3
   • See API documentation below

API Endpoints

PeopleFinder.search

Search for people with privacy restrictions.

Parameters:

• first_name (optional): First name to search
• last_name (optional): Last name to search
• state_province (optional): State/Province to search
• city (optional): City to search
• limit (optional): Results limit (default: 50)
• offset (optional): Results offset (default: 0)

Returns: Array of contacts with partial information

Example:

$result = civicrm_api3('PeopleFinder', 'search', [
  'first_name' => 'Steve',
  'last_name' => 'Smith',
  'state_province' => 'Michigan',
]);

PeopleFinder.register

Register a new user (must be in database).

Parameters:

• email (required): Email address

Returns: User ID and verification status

Example:

$result = civicrm_api3('PeopleFinder', 'register', [
  'email' => 'user@example.com',
]);

PeopleFinder.verify

Verify email with token.

Parameters:

• token (required): Verification token

Returns: User ID and verification status

PeopleFinder.connect

Send a connection request.

Parameters:

• contact_id (required): Target contact ID
• message (optional): Message to include

Returns: Connection ID

Example:

$result = civicrm_api3('PeopleFinder', 'connect', [
  'contact_id' => 123,
  'message' => 'Hi, remember me?',
]);

PeopleFinder.getconnections

Get connection requests for current user.

Parameters:

• status (optional): Filter by status (pending, accepted, declined)

Returns: Array of connections

Database Schema

civicrm_peoplefinder_user

Stores registered users and their verification status.

civicrm_peoplefinder_connection

Stores connection requests between users.

civicrm_peoplefinder_search_log

Logs all searches for audit purposes.

Security Features

1. Authentication Required: All searches require authenticated, verified users
2. Privacy by Default: Only partial information is returned in searches
3. No Crawling: Only searches contacts already in the database
4. Connection-Based Sharing: Full information only shared after mutual connection
5. Search Logging: All searches are logged for security auditing

Requirements

• CiviCRM 5.0 or higher
• PHP 7.0 or higher
• MySQL/MariaDB

Support

For issues or questions, please contact your CiviCRM administrator.