Overview

The Create Associated Record action lets you automatically create custom records and link them to families in your automations. Use this to track enrollments, tours, contracts, or any other important data tied to a family.

What This Action Does

When triggered, this action creates a new custom object record and associates it with a parent or family. The custom objects available depend on what you've set up in your account.

Before You Start

You'll need to:

  • Create at least one custom object in your account
  • Set up an association label between that object and families

Without these, the action won't have anything to create or link.

[SCREENSHOT: Settings > Custom Objects screen showing a configured custom object with association labels]

How to Configure This Action

  1. Add the "Create Associated Record for Family" action to your automation
  2. Choose which custom object type to create
  3. Fill in the fields you want to populate - you can use merge fields to pull in family data automatically
  4. Select an association label to categorize the relationship
  5. Save the action
[SCREENSHOT: Automation builder showing the Create Associated Record action configuration panel with fields and association label dropdown]

Field Options

You can populate fields using:

  • Static values - Same data for every record created
  • Custom values - Dynamic data from the automation
  • Merge fields - Pull information directly from the family record

Real-World Example: Tour Scheduling

Let's say you want to track important dates when a family books a tour. When an enrollment opportunity moves to "Tour Scheduled," you can automatically create a "Tour" custom object that captures:

  • Tour Date - pulled from your calendar booking
  • Preferred Start Date - from a custom field on the family record
  • Number of Children - from the enrollment form
  • Special Requests - from the tour booking notes

Setup:

  • Trigger: Enrollment opportunity stage changes to "Tour Scheduled"
  • Action: Create Associated Record for Family
  • Object to Create: Tour
  • Fields:
    • Tour Date → {calendar.appointment_date}
    • Preferred Start Date → {family.preferred_start_date}
    • Children Enrolling → {family.children_count}
    • Notes → {calendar.appointment_notes}
  • Association Label: Scheduled Tour

Once triggered, the automation creates the Tour record and links it to the family, so you can see all tour details right from their profile.

[SCREENSHOT: Family profile showing the associated Tour record under a custom records section]
Pro Tip: Use this action to build a complete enrollment timeline. Create custom objects for tours, orientations, contracts, and first days - then track each milestone automatically as families move through your enrollment pipeline.

Common Use Cases

  • Track tours: Create a Tour record when families book a visit
  • Log enrollments: Create an Enrollment record when a contract is signed
  • Record visits: Track parent meetings or check-ins
  • Manage waitlists: Create a Waitlist Entry when spots fill up
  • Track transitions: Log room moves or graduation to the next age group

Troubleshooting

Don't see your custom object in the dropdown?
Make sure you've created an association label between that object and families in Settings > Custom Objects.

Fields not populating correctly?
Double-check your merge field syntax and make sure the data exists on the family record before the automation runs.