Note: Triggers are a legacy feature in Enrollio. We now recommend using Automations instead — they're more powerful and easier to use. Learn about Automations here.

What Are Triggers?

Triggers are conditional rules that connect different parts of Enrollio together. When something happens in your account (like a new tour request or form submission), triggers automatically perform actions in response.

Think of triggers as the behind-the-scenes logic that makes Enrollio work for you automatically — sending notifications, updating family records, creating tasks, and more.

How Triggers Work

Every trigger has two parts:

  • The trigger event: What happens to start the automation (example: "Form submitted")
  • The action: What Enrollio does in response (example: "Send text message notification")

Example Scenario

Let's say a prospective family fills out a tour request form on your enrollment site. You want to receive a text message notification immediately when this happens.

Here's how you'd set it up:

  • Trigger: Form submitted (Tour Request Form)
  • Action: Send text message to your phone with the family's details

Once activated, this trigger runs automatically every time someone submits that form.

Creating a Trigger

Follow these steps to create and activate a trigger:

  1. Click Triggers in your Enrollio navigation
  2. Click + New Basic Rule
  3. Choose your trigger event from the Choose a trigger dropdown
  4. Add any filters to narrow when the trigger fires (optional)
  5. Click + Add action
  6. Choose what action to perform from the Choose an action dropdown
  7. Configure the action with the necessary details
  8. Name your trigger in the Trigger name field (use something descriptive like "New Tour Request → Text Me")
  9. Click the Draft dropdown and select Activate
[SCREENSHOT: Triggers page showing the "+ New Basic Rule" button and navigation] [SCREENSHOT: Trigger builder showing trigger dropdown, action dropdown, and activate button]
💡 Pro Tip: Start simple with one trigger-action pair. You can always add more complexity later as you get comfortable with how triggers work.

Triggers vs. Automations

While triggers still work in Enrollio, we recommend using Automations for new setups. Automations offer:

  • Visual builder that's easier to understand
  • More actions and conditions
  • Better organization for complex workflows
  • All your automation logic in one place

Existing triggers will continue to work, but consider migrating to Automations when you have time.

Common Trigger Use Cases

Here are popular ways childcare centers use triggers:

  • New enrollment notifications: Text or email you when a family submits an enrollment form
  • Tour reminders: Send reminder messages to families before scheduled tours
  • Follow-up tasks: Create tasks for staff when a prospective family reaches a certain stage
  • Status updates: Update family records when they complete specific actions
  • Staff alerts: Notify team members when waitlist families need attention

Need Help?

Check out these related articles:

  • Duplicating Triggers
  • Setting Up New Lead Notifications
  • Using Exact Match & Contains Phrase Filters