Note: This article references an older automation system. Enrollio now uses a unified Automation builder that replaces the previous Triggers and Campaigns features. Learn more about Automations.

Why Repeating Reminders Matter for Childcare

If you host recurring events—like monthly parent orientations, weekly open houses, or regular staff training sessions—you need reminders that repeat automatically. Setting these up once saves you from manually creating the same reminder every week or month.

When to Use Repeating Reminders

Perfect for events that happen on a regular schedule:

  • Weekly tour days
  • Monthly parent meet-and-greets
  • Recurring enrollment information sessions
  • Regular staff meetings or training

How Repeating Reminders Work

Instead of creating a new reminder for each occurrence of your event, you set up one automation that triggers based on the event date. When families register for any instance of your recurring event, they automatically receive reminders at the right time.

The key is using date-based triggers in your automation that reference the event's scheduled date, not a fixed calendar date.

Setting Up Your Repeating Reminder

Step 1: Create Your Recurring Event

First, make sure your recurring event is set up in your calendar with all occurrences scheduled.

[SCREENSHOT: Calendar view showing a recurring event set up with multiple dates]

Step 2: Build Your Reminder Automation

  1. Go to Automations in your navigation menu
  2. Click Create Automation
  3. Name it clearly (example: "Tour Day Reminder - 1 Day Before")
  4. Set your trigger to Event Booked and select your recurring event

[SCREENSHOT: Automation builder showing Event Booked trigger configuration]

Step 3: Add a Wait Step

Add a wait step that's relative to the event date:

  1. Click the + button to add a step
  2. Choose Wait
  3. Select Wait Until Specific Date/Time
  4. Choose the event date field
  5. Set your offset (example: 1 day before, 2 hours before)

[SCREENSHOT: Wait step configuration showing relative date selection based on event date]

Step 4: Send Your Reminder

  1. Add another step after the wait
  2. Choose Send Message
  3. Select email, text, or both
  4. Write your reminder message
  5. Include event details using custom values (event name, date, time, location)

[SCREENSHOT: Message configuration with event custom values inserted]

Pro Tips for Recurring Event Reminders

💡 Pro Tip: Set up multiple reminder touchpoints—one a week before, one the day before, and one an hour before. Each automation runs independently based on when the family books.

💡 Pro Tip: Use custom values in your messages to automatically pull in the correct event date and time. This ensures your reminders are always accurate, no matter which occurrence families register for.

💡 Pro Tip: Test your automation by registering yourself for an upcoming event instance. Check that the wait time calculates correctly and your reminder arrives at the right time.

Common Scenarios

Weekly Tour Days

Set up one automation that triggers when anyone books any tour slot. The wait step automatically calculates the reminder time based on each family's specific tour date.

Monthly Parent Orientations

Create a series of reminders (1 week before, 1 day before, 1 hour before) that all reference the same event date field. Families who register months in advance get the same timely reminders as families who register last minute.

Quarterly Open Houses

Even for less frequent recurring events, this approach saves you from recreating reminders each quarter. Set it up once and it works for every occurrence.

Troubleshooting

Reminders sending at wrong times? Check that your wait step is using the event date field, not a custom field or fixed date. The offset should be relative to the event, not today's date.

Some families not receiving reminders? Verify that they completed the booking and have valid contact information. Check your automation's activity log to see where families are in the sequence.

Need to update your reminder message? You can edit the automation at any time. Changes apply to all future reminders, but won't affect reminders already scheduled.