Overview

Enrollio's mobile and web apps are designed to receive incoming text messages directly in your Conversations tab. This keeps all parent communication in one place where your team can respond efficiently.

However, you might want to receive push notifications on your personal phone when families text your center. You can set this up using an automation with custom triggers and notifications—though each forwarded text will incur standard messaging charges.

This guide walks you through creating an automation that forwards incoming text messages to a designated phone number while still keeping the conversation visible in Enrollio.

How It Works

By default, incoming text messages from parents only appear in your Conversations tab. They won't automatically forward to your personal phone or staff cell phones.

To enable forwarding, you'll create an automation that triggers whenever a parent replies via text, then sends an internal notification (with the message content) to your chosen number.

⚠️ Important: Each forwarded text message counts as a sent SMS and will generate standard messaging charges.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Create a New Automation

Navigate to Automations > Create Automation.

[SCREENSHOT: Enrollio dashboard showing Automations menu and Create Automation button]

Step 2: Start from Scratch

Click Start from Scratch, then select Create New Automation.

[SCREENSHOT: Start from Scratch option selected in automation builder]

Step 3: Add an Automation Trigger

Click Add New Automation Trigger.

[SCREENSHOT: Empty automation canvas with Add New Automation Trigger button]

Step 4: Select "Customer Replied"

Choose Customer Replied as your automation trigger.

[SCREENSHOT: Trigger selection menu with Customer Replied highlighted]

Step 5: Add Filters

Click Add Filters to specify that you only want to trigger on text messages (not calls or emails).

[SCREENSHOT: Add Filters button in trigger configuration]

Step 6: Select Reply Channel

In the filter options, select Reply Channel.

[SCREENSHOT: Filter dropdown showing Reply Channel option]

Step 7: Choose SMS

From the reply channel dropdown, choose SMS.

[SCREENSHOT: Reply Channel filter set to SMS]

Step 8: Save Your Trigger

Click Save Trigger, then click Please select action to add what happens next.

[SCREENSHOT: Completed trigger configuration with Save Trigger button]

Step 9: Add an Action – Send Internal Notification

Choose Send Internal Notification as your action.

[SCREENSHOT: Action menu with Send Internal Notification selected]

Step 10: Add Custom Values – Message Body

To include the actual message content in your notification, navigate to Custom Values > Message > Message Body.

This inserts the custom value {{message.body}} so you see what the parent wrote.

[SCREENSHOT: Custom Values menu showing Message Body selection]

Step 11: Add Custom Values – Contact First Name

For personalization, navigate to Parent/Family > First Name to include who sent the message.

This helps you quickly identify which family is texting without opening Enrollio.

[SCREENSHOT: Custom Values menu showing First Name selection with completed notification action]

Step 12: Activate Your Automation

Save your automation and turn it on. Now when a parent texts your center, you'll receive a forwarded notification on your designated phone.

💡 Pro Tip: Consider creating separate automations for different staff members or departments. For example, forward enrollment inquiries to your director and tour follow-ups to your tour coordinator.

What This Doesn't Do

This automation sends a notification of the incoming text to your phone. It doesn't create a two-way conversation on your personal device.

You'll still need to reply to families through Enrollio's Conversations tab—either on desktop or mobile—to keep all communication tracked in one place.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why aren't messages automatically forwarded to my phone?

Enrollio is designed as a centralized communication platform. All parent messages appear in your Conversations tab by default, which ensures your team has full context and message history. Automatic forwarding would bypass this system and create fragmented conversations.

Will I be charged for these notifications?

Yes. Each forwarded message counts as an outbound text and incurs standard messaging charges. If you receive 100 parent texts per day and forward them all, that's 100 additional SMS charges.

Can I forward messages to multiple staff members?

Yes. Add multiple "Send Internal Notification" actions in your automation, each with a different phone number.

What if I only want to forward urgent messages?

Add additional filters to your trigger. For example, you could filter by keywords ("emergency", "urgent"), specific tags, or enrollment stage to reduce unnecessary forwards.