> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.peoplevine.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.peoplevine.com/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/setup-triggered-emails.md).

# How to Set Up Triggered Emails

### Before you begin (Prerequisites)

* **Permissions**: You must be an **Administrator**, **Supervisor**, **Manager**, **Support**, or **Account Rep**. See: [How to Manage Users and Permissions](/products/control-panel-overview/admin-overview/manage-roles-permissions.md).
* **Admin Setup**: Verify sender domain authentication (SPF/DKIM) is configured for your sending domain.
* **Decision**: Know which system event should trigger the email (e.g., "Membership card activated", "Appointment confirmed").

### Instructions

1. Compose a newsletter and set the **Type** to **Triggered Response** — this is what enables trigger assignment. Build the email content following [How to Build & Send an Email Newsletter](/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/build-send-email-newsletter.md).
2. **(Optional)** Personalize with dynamic variables (e.g., first name, membership name). Variables pull data from the member's CRM record into the email at send time. A triggered email doesn't require dynamic content — broad wording works too (for example, "Your payment method has failed" needs no variables). Contact the Peoplevine Support team for assistance with available variables.
3. After saving, you are prompted to **assign the trigger**. Select the trigger event from the list. For every available trigger and exactly when each one fires, see [Email Triggers Explained](/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/email-triggers-explained.md).

> **Important**: Some triggers fire together as part of the same action. If you assign newsletters to more than one overlapping trigger, the recipient receives duplicate emails for the same event. See [Email Triggers Explained](/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/email-triggers-explained.md) for which triggers overlap.

4. If the trigger is item-specific (e.g., a specific event or scheduler), select the target item.
5. Click **Assign** to save the trigger.

> **Note**: On the Schedule card, each assigned trigger shows the specific item name (e.g., "Gold Application is set to pending"), so you can see at a glance what each trigger is configured for.

6. Test by performing the trigger action with a test member and checking [**CONNECT > View E-mails Sent**](https://control.peoplevine.com/messaging/email/sent).

> **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **CONNECT > Individual Messaging > E-mails Sent**.

> **Note**: Some triggers apply to all records (e.g., "Membership billing failed" applies to all memberships), while others can be scoped to a specific item (e.g., "Event registration confirmed" can target one specific event).

> **Tip**: Triggered Responses send instantly — best for confirmations. If a message should arrive after a delay rather than immediately, use a Campaign instead.

> **Note**: Before bulk-importing members, decide whether the **Membership card activated** triggered email should fire for the imported batch.

### What Happens Next

* **On the member side**: The member receives an automatic email the moment the trigger event occurs.
* **Tracking**: Verify delivery in [**CONNECT > View E-mails Sent**](https://control.peoplevine.com/messaging/email/sent).

> **Note (Pro Dash):** Navigate to **CONNECT > Individual Messaging > E-mails Sent**.

* **Next step**: For delayed or multi-step follow-ups instead of instant triggers, see: [How to Create a Campaign](/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/create-campaign.md).
* **Related**: For scheduled recurring sends (daily, weekly, monthly), see: [How to Set Up Recurring Messages](/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/setup-recurring.md).

***

*Last updated: 2026-06-24*


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://help.peoplevine.com/products/control-panel-overview/communications-overview/setup-triggered-emails.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.