Orbit sends automated emails in response to key events across the platform — registrations, membership changes, payment confirmations, and more. Each automated email can be customized or disabled independently.
How Automated Emails Work
Automated emails are triggered by specific events in the system. When the event occurs (e.g., a user registers for an event), Orbit automatically sends the corresponding email to the relevant user. No manual action is required.
Each automated email:
- Uses the same branding as your manual emails (logo, colors, header, footer)
- Supports dynamic fields for personalization (e.g.,
{{ first_name }},{{ item_name }}) - Is logged for tracking and debugging
- Includes duplicate prevention — the same email won't be sent to the same recipient for the same trigger within 24 hours
- Works for both registered users and guest recipients (e.g., guest event registrations)
Available Automated Emails
Account
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Welcome | Sent when a new user account is approved |
Membership
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Membership activated | Sent when a membership is activated (new signup or manual activation) |
| Expiring in 90 days | Sent 90 days before membership expiration |
| Expiring in 30 days | Sent 30 days before membership expiration |
| Expiring in 7 days | Sent 7 days before membership expiration |
| Membership expired | Sent on the day the membership expires |
Membership expiration reminders are checked daily and sent automatically at the appropriate intervals.
Events
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Event registration confirmation | Sent immediately when someone registers for an event |
| Event reminder | Sent 24 hours before an event starts |
Event reminders are checked daily and sent to all registered attendees of upcoming events.
Courses
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Course enrollment confirmation | Sent when a user enrolls in a course |
Resources
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Resource registration confirmation | Sent when a user registers for (or purchases) a resource |
Payments
| Trigger | |
|---|---|
| Payment confirmation | Sent when a payment is successfully processed |
| Payment failed | Sent when a payment attempt fails |
Customizing Automated Emails
Automated emails are managed from the Mail section of the admin portal. They appear in the sidebar grouped by area (Account, Membership, Events, Courses, Resources, Payments), alongside your manual emails and mailing lists.
Select any automated email type from the sidebar to view its send history and edit its template.
Subject Line
Edit the subject line for each email type. Dynamic fields are supported (e.g., "Welcome to {{ organization }}, {{ first_name }}!").
Email Body
Customize the content using a Markdown text editor with support for dynamic fields. A dropdown menu lets you insert available fields at the cursor position. The email is rendered with your organization's branding automatically.
Enable or Disable
Each automated email has an enable/disable toggle directly in the sidebar. Disabled emails are silently skipped when their trigger event occurs. This lets you turn off specific notifications without affecting others.
Delivery Tracking
Each automated email log entry includes delivery status tracking via Postmark — you can see whether individual sends were delivered, opened, bounced, or flagged as spam.
Email Categories
Automated emails fall into three categories that control how subscription preferences apply:
| Category | Behavior | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Transactional | Always sent — cannot be opted out of | Password reset, payment receipts |
| Operational | Sent unless the user opts out of account notifications | Membership reminders, event confirmations, enrollment confirmations |
| Marketing | Sent only to users subscribed to marketing emails | Newsletters, promotional content |
Users can manage their preferences for operational and marketing emails from the unsubscribe preferences page. Transactional emails are always delivered regardless of preferences.