Introduction to Automations
Automations simplify your daily tasks by automatically handling repetitive processes—from following up with prospective families to confirming tours and sending enrollment reminders. This guide covers the essentials: what automations are, how they work, and how they can transform the way you manage your childcare center.
What Are Automations?
Automations use technology to perform repetitive tasks without manual work. By defining triggers (starting points) and actions (tasks), you create efficient processes that save time and reduce errors.
For example, when a parent submits a tour request form, an automation can:
- Add their information to your parent database
- Assign them to the right staff member
- Send a personalized welcome text message
- Create a tour booking opportunity
Everything happens instantly and consistently, without you lifting a finger.
[SCREENSHOT: Example automation workflow showing a tour request form submission triggering multiple actions]Key Benefits of Using Automations
Save Time: Stop doing the same tasks over and over. Let automations handle routine follow-ups, reminders, and updates so you can focus on families and children.
Eliminate Mistakes: When you're juggling enrollment calls, staff schedules, and daily operations, it's easy to forget a follow-up. Automations ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Respond Faster: Parents expect quick responses. Automations send immediate confirmations and next steps, creating a professional first impression.
Grow Without Overwhelm: Handle more tour requests and enrollments without hiring additional administrative staff.
Common Automation Use Cases for Childcare Centers
Tour Request Management: Automatically capture tour requests, send confirmation messages, and add families to your enrollment pipeline.
Waitlist Follow-ups: When a spot opens, automatically notify families on your waitlist and invite them to schedule a tour.
Tour Reminders: Send text reminders the day before scheduled tours to reduce no-shows.
Enrollment Nurturing: Follow up with prospective families at the right time—after tours, when they're reviewing options, or when enrollment deadlines approach.
Parent Communication: Send welcome messages to new families, birthday greetings to children, or important center updates.
How Automations Work: Triggers and Actions
Every automation has two core components that work together:
Triggers: The Starting Point
A trigger is the event that starts your automation. It's the "when this happens" part of the equation.
Common triggers include:
- A parent submits a tour request form
- A family books an appointment
- A parent responds to a text message
- A tag is added to a family record
- A specific date arrives (like enrollment deadline)
Triggers ensure your automations respond to real-time events exactly when needed.
Actions: What Happens Next
An action is the task performed after a trigger occurs. It's the "then do this" part of the equation.
Common actions include:
- Send a text message or email
- Update family information
- Assign a family to a staff member
- Add a tag for tracking
- Create a task or reminder
- Move a family through your enrollment pipeline
You can chain multiple actions together to create powerful, multi-step processes.
[SCREENSHOT: Visual diagram showing trigger (form submission) connecting to multiple actions (send text, assign staff, create opportunity)]Setting Up Your First Automation
Ready to create an automation? Here's how:
Step 1: Navigate to Automations
Click Automation in your left sidebar, then click the Automations tab.
[SCREENSHOT: Enrollio navigation showing Automation section in left sidebar]Step 2: Create New Automation
Click the + Create Automation button. You'll see three options:
- Use a Recipe: Pre-built automations designed specifically for childcare centers
- Select a Template: Customizable automation templates you can modify
- Start from Scratch: Build your own automation from the ground up
Step 3: Choose Your Starting Point
Option A: Use a Recipe (Recommended for Beginners)
Recipes are ready-to-use automations built for common childcare scenarios like tour request follow-ups, waitlist management, and enrollment reminders. Just select one, customize the messages, and turn it on.
[SCREENSHOT: Recipe library showing childcare-specific automation recipes]Option B: Select a Template
Templates give you more flexibility. Start with a basic structure and modify triggers, actions, and timing to fit your center's needs.
Option C: Start from Scratch
For complete control, build your automation step by step. Choose your trigger, add actions, and customize every detail.
Step 4: Choose Your Trigger
Select the event that will start your automation. For example:
- "Form Submitted" for tour requests
- "Appointment Booked" for tour confirmations
- "Tag Added" for waitlist notifications
Step 5: Add Your Actions
Define what happens after the trigger. Click Add Action and choose from options like:
- Send a text message
- Send an email
- Assign to staff member
- Add to enrollment pipeline
- Create a task
You can add multiple actions and even include delays between them (like "wait 2 days, then send follow-up").
[SCREENSHOT: Action selection menu with childcare-relevant options highlighted]Step 6: Save and Test
Click Save to preserve your automation. Before activating it, click Test Automation to make sure everything works correctly.
When you're ready, toggle the automation to Active and it will start working immediately.
[SCREENSHOT: Automation builder showing Save button and Test Automation button]Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between triggers and actions?
Triggers start the automation (like a form submission), and actions are what happens next (like sending a welcome message).
Q: Can I create multi-step automations?
Yes! Add multiple actions and use delays, conditions (if/else logic), and filters to create sophisticated processes.
Q: Do I need technical skills to build automations?
Not at all. Enrollio's automation builder is designed for childcare professionals, not developers. If you can create a checklist, you can build an automation.
Q: How do I manually add a family to an automation?
Open the family's record, click Automation in the right panel, select Add to Automation, choose your automation, set when it should start, then click Add.
Q: Can I see which families are currently in an automation?
Yes! Open any automation and click the Enrolled tab to see all families currently going through that automation.
Q: What if I make a mistake in an active automation?
You can edit automations at any time. Changes only affect families who enter the automation after your edit—families already enrolled continue with the original version.