Rules and Alerts in Apricot let administrators automate notifications based on specific form activity or field values.
By creating “rules” that define what should trigger an alert and who should receive it, you can ensure staff are informed about key events—like new enrollments, updates to records, or data conditions that require attention.
You’ll build each rule in three main parts: Rule Details, Trigger, and Action.
Step 1: Access Rules & Alerts
Go to the Administrator tab.
Under Workflow Station, select Rules & Alerts.
You’ll see a list of any existing rules on the Manage Rules page.
To create a new rule, click New Rule in the top-right corner.
Tip: If you leave the setup page mid-process, your partially created rule will still appear as active on the Manage Rules page.
Step 2: Configure Rule Details
In the Rule Details section, enter the basic information that identifies your rule.
Rule Name – Choose a unique, descriptive name. Each rule name must be distinct.
Description – Optional, up to 140 characters. Useful for clarity on the Manage Rules page.
Form – Select the form this rule applies to.
Tier 1 forms appear first in the list, followed by Tier 2 forms.
Click Save & Continue to save your inputs.
The Rule Details card will minimize, but your key entries remain visible as you continue setup.
Step 3: Define the Trigger
The Trigger section determines when an alert will appear.
Choose whether the alert triggers upon record creation, upon record update, or both.
(Optional) Add field-level conditions to make the trigger more specific:
In the first dropdown, select the Field you want to monitor.
In the second dropdown, choose the Condition (comparison unit) such as Equals, Contains, or Within the Last.
In the third box, enter the Desired Output (the value that must be met).
Notes:
Conditions work similarly to Form Logic.
When using Matches Any or Matches All, separate multiple values with a pipe (|).
Example: Matches Any → Counseling|Tutoring|Classes
All field conditions are connected by AND statements.
For example, an alert triggers only if a student speaks English, is Female, and was born after 1999.
Values in the third field are case-sensitive (e.g., “John” ≠ “john”).
“Within the Last” requires both a number and time unit (e.g., 7 days).
3. To add another condition, click Add Field Condition.
4. To remove one, click the Trash icon beside the condition.
To view unsupported fields or conditions, see Unsupported Fields & Conditions.
Step 4: Configure the Action
The Action section defines what notification users receive, who receives it, and what it says.
Write a Notification Message — this is what appears in the alert.
Keep it short and clear. (Do not confuse with Rule Name.)
Choose a Notification Type (e.g., In-product or Email).
Define your Scope(s) (the audiences who should receive this alert):
Site
Program
Role
Named individual users
User Type (e.g., Standard and Guest Users, Admin Users, or All Users)
Example:
Hugh (staff) gets a message to “welcome and enroll” a new participant.
Admin users get a simpler notification that a new participant was added.
4. Click Save & Continue to finalize the rule.
Once saved, alerts will automatically begin sending to the configured audiences.
To stop alerts, toggle the rule Off from the Manage Rules page.
Important: Once an Action is saved, you can edit the Notification Message but not the Notification Type or Audience/Scope. If you need to change those, delete the Action and recreate it with new selections.
What else do you need help with?
Learn more about Rules & Alerts in Apricot: