> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Student Notifications

> Configure welcome emails, drip unlock alerts, and lesson completion notifications for course members in the HoopAI platform.

Keeping members informed and engaged throughout their course journey is a core part of delivering a great learning experience. The HoopAI platform supports both built-in system notification emails and fully customizable automation-based notifications you can tailor to match your brand.

## Built-in email notifications

The HoopAI platform includes a set of default membership email notifications that can be enabled or disabled per account. These are configured in **Memberships and Communities > Courses > Settings > Email Settings**.

| Notification            | Trigger                                                     | Default behavior                |
| ----------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Welcome message         | Member first gains access to the portal                     | Sent automatically              |
| Drip content unlocked   | A scheduled lesson or module becomes available              | Sent automatically when enabled |
| Offer access email      | Member is granted access to a specific offer                | Sent automatically              |
| New comments in courses | A new comment is left on a lesson the member is enrolled in | Optional; disabled by default   |
| New course materials    | New lessons are added to an enrolled course                 | Optional                        |

To enable or disable any of these, navigate to **Courses > Settings > Email Settings** and toggle each option on or off.

***

<Frame caption="Email notification settings for membership courses including welcome messages and drip alerts">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/hoopai-84ec0cdc/6H6KkyQA1R8CSKe6/images/memberships-settings-email-config.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=6H6KkyQA1R8CSKe6&q=85&s=bc8bf6e38c094e245c9abd0cace51236" alt="Email notification settings" width="1119" height="484" data-path="images/memberships-settings-email-config.png" />
</Frame>

## Customizing the welcome email

The default welcome email is functional but generic. To replace it with a branded template:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a welcome email template">
    Navigate to **Marketing > Emails** and build a new email template. Include your logo, a warm welcome message, and a login link using the custom value **Login Url (Magic Link)** under the Membership Contacts custom value group. This value generates a one-click sign-in link personalized for each member.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open email settings">
    Go to **Memberships and Communities > Courses > Settings** and click the **Email Settings** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Replace the default template">
    Next to **Send Welcome Message**, click **Default Template** and select your new branded template from the dropdown. Click **Edit** to preview or modify it, then click **Save**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

From this point, every new member receives your branded welcome email instead of the platform default.

<Tip>
  Include two things in every welcome email: the direct portal login link and a short "what to do first" prompt (e.g. "Start with Module 1 — it takes about 15 minutes"). Clear next steps dramatically increase the chance a new member logs in within the first 24 hours.
</Tip>

***

## Drip content unlock notifications

When a drip-scheduled lesson or module unlocks, you can notify members automatically. Two approaches are available:

### Built-in drip notification

Enable **New Course Materials Unlocked** in the Email Settings tab. When content unlocks, the platform sends a standard system email to the member notifying them that new content is ready.

### Custom automation drip notification

For a branded, personalized experience:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a new automation">
    Navigate to **Automation** and click **+ New Workflow**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the trigger">
    Select **Drip Content Unlocked** as the trigger. Choose the specific course and module or lesson to monitor.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a Send Email action">
    Add a **Send Email** action using your branded email template. In the email body, include:

    * The name of the unlocked module
    * A direct login link using the **Course Login URL** custom value
    * A short description of what the member will learn in the new content
  </Step>

  <Step title="Activate the workflow">
    Toggle the workflow to **Active**. Members will receive the notification each time that content unlocks.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

<Frame caption="Courses dashboard showing performance metrics and member activity">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/hoopai-84ec0cdc/FZKrq1mleUCO75xo/images/memberships-courses-dashboard-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=FZKrq1mleUCO75xo&q=85&s=a9ddb797c90b8733f804912f3923db67" alt="Courses dashboard" width="1122" height="359" data-path="images/memberships-courses-dashboard-1.png" />
</Frame>

## Lesson completion notifications

You can send a follow-up message each time a member completes a lesson — useful for reinforcing key takeaways or directing them to a related resource.

**Trigger**: **Lesson Completed**

Useful actions to pair with this trigger:

* Send an email with a summary, reflection prompt, or bonus resource
* Add a tag to track completion in the CRM
* Send an SMS reminder if the member has not started the next lesson within 48 hours

***

## Course completion notifications

When a member finishes all lessons in a course, use a **Course Completed** trigger to:

* Send a congratulations email
* Issue a certificate using the **Grant Certificate** action
* Unlock a bonus course or community using **Grant Membership Access**
* Post a notification in a Slack channel (via a webhook action)

See [Certificates](/memberships-and-communities/certificates) for the full certificate issuance workflow.

***

## In-app notifications

Beyond email, the HoopAI member portal also supports in-app notifications. Members who are logged into the portal can receive browser notifications for:

* New comments on lessons they have participated in
* New content unlocking in their enrolled courses
* Community posts and replies (if enabled in community settings)

Members control their notification preferences from their portal account settings.

***

## SMS notifications for course events

Combine email notifications with SMS for time-sensitive reminders:

* Send an SMS when a drip module unlocks, encouraging immediate action
* Send a reminder SMS to members who enrolled more than 7 days ago but have 0% completion
* Send an SMS when a live event is 24 hours away (see [Live Events](/memberships-and-communities/live-events))

Use the **Send SMS** action in any course-related automation alongside or instead of email. SMS notifications require a connected Twilio number in your HoopAI account settings.

***

## Using custom values in notification emails

Personalize every notification with dynamic merge fields:

| Custom value               | What it inserts                                  |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `{{contact.first_name}}`   | The member's first name                          |
| `{{membership.login_url}}` | A one-click login link to the portal             |
| `{{course.name}}`          | The name of the course                           |
| `{{lesson.name}}`          | The name of the specific lesson                  |
| `{{certificate.link}}`     | A direct link to the member's issued certificate |

Access these values in the email builder under **Custom Values > Memberships**.

***

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I turn off the default welcome email and rely entirely on my own automation?">
    Yes. In **Courses > Settings > Email Settings**, disable **Send Welcome Message**. Then build your own automation using the **Membership Access Granted** trigger with a **Send Email** action pointing to your branded template. This gives you full control over timing, content, and design.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I send a notification to myself (or a team member) when someone enrolls?">
    Yes. In your enrollment automation, add an internal notification action — either **Send Email** to a team email address, a **Send SMS** to a team phone number, or a **Slack Notification** via webhook. This keeps your team informed of new enrollments in real time.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I send a re-engagement email to members who have not logged in recently?">
    Yes. Use a **Wait** step followed by a filter condition that checks the contact's last login date or lesson completion progress. If the condition is not met within your wait period, branch to a **Send Email** re-engagement action reminding them to return. Tag the contact as "inactive" to track re-engagement campaigns.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between the built-in email notification and an automation-based notification?">
    Built-in notifications use the platform's default email template and are sent automatically without any workflow setup. Automation-based notifications use your own branded templates, allow you to set delays, add conditions, include dynamic content, and chain multiple actions together. For a professional member experience, automation-based notifications are recommended.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I notify a member when a new lesson is added to a course they are already enrolled in?">
    Yes. Enable **New Course Materials** in the Email Settings tab to use the built-in notification. Alternatively, build an automation that triggers when a new lesson is published in a specific course, then send a **Send Email** action to all enrolled members using a contact list filter.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>