Programs can be managed in various ways, and as a creator, you have the flexibility to choose how participants are enrolled. Whether it's setting specific rules for automatic enrollment, enrolling particular users, or enabling tailored visibility, each method offers unique advantages.
Enrollment rules
With enrollment rules, you can automate the way learners are enrolled based on the user attributes criteria that you set.
Enrollment rule examples
Below are some example use cases of how enrollment rules can be used:
Without a mouse click, automatically enroll all new members of the [Department: Sales & Marketing team] from [Country: Sweden] into [Program: Sales & Marketing Onboarding] three days after their [Start date].
Automate your sales team's training to boost their performance and increase their success rate. Instead of waiting for subpar results, use Smart Groups in conjunction with Programs to identify when a sales representative's conversion rate drops below 30%. Then, enroll them automatically in a revision course to help them improve their skills and get back on track.
You could even use it to enroll users into a birthday course on their birthday!! 🎉
Understanding enrollment rule logic
User no longer meets enrollment rule criteria: when a user no longer meets the enrollment criteria, they will automatically be unenrolled from courses or live sessions, without losing any progress.
Changes to enrollment rules: if you make any changes to enrollment rules, such as changing the start date, these changes will be applied both to new users and to users who have previously been enrolled in the program. This means that updating the recurrence or required assignment parameters on an enrollment rule will also update started enrollments.
Manual enrollment overrides enrollment rules: if a user has been both manually and automatically enrolled (through an enrollment rule), the manual enrollment overrides the enrollment rule. Meaning, if the user is unenrolled due to changes being made to the enrollment rule, the user will remain enrolled because they were manually enrolled.
Enrollment rules priority: ideally, enrollment rules for each program should be non-overlapping. However, if a user matches the criteria of multiple enrollment rules for the same program, the priority is as follows:
Active rules take precedence over paused (deactivated) rules.
Rule with earlier start date takes precedence over rule with later start date.
Pausing enrollment rules: if an enrollment rule is paused, no new users will be enrolled. However, previously enrolled users will remain enrolled.
Deleting enrollment rules: if an enrollment rule is deleted, no new users will be enrolled. Additionally, any users previously enrolled through that rule will be unenrolled.
Unenrolling a user from a program: if you manually remove a user who meets the enrollment rule criteria, they will be automatically re-added, and their enrollment date and due dates will be updated. Additionally, any custom email notifications in the program will be sent again.
To unenroll a user:
Update their attributes so they no longer meet the criteria.
Adjust the enrollment rule to exclude them.
These methods ensure that user participation is managed effectively without unintended disruptions.
Who can edit/view enrollment rules?
Admins and owners can edit
Group admins can view if they have access to the program
List of learners matching the criteria
You can download the list of learners matching the enrollment rule criteria. Additionally, when editing a rule, you can separately download other lists showing users who:
Still matches the criteria
Now matches
No longer matches the criteria
How to download the list:
Go to Manage > Programs.
Select your program and scroll down to Enrollment rules.
Click the three-dot menu next to the rule and select Edit rule.
Click View all next to the list you want to export, then choose your preferred file format to download.
Excluding users from enrollment based on existing certificates
In case a user already holds a relevant certificate, you can exclude them from enrollment by adding a certificate exemption in the program's settings:
Go to Manage > Programs in the navigation sidebar.
Navigate to the Enrollment rules tab and click the New rule dropdown button.
Select Certificate exemption from the dropdown menu.
Choose the certificate, and all the users with that specific certificate will be exempted from the enrollment.
This can be useful in scenarios where multiple programs lead to the same certificate, or when learners transfer between departments.
Enroll a group to your program
For the most optimized and automated experience, we recommend using Smart Groups for group enrollment. However, if you have a standard group, you can still follow the steps below when enrolling a group to your program:
💡 For more information on Smart Groups, check out this guide.
Go to the People tab and click Enroll.
In the Add people box start typing in the name of the group to be enrolled and choose the desired group from the list.
Set the Program start date (see here for more info).
Click Enroll.
Learners will be enrolled in the program based on your selected parameters.
Customize enrollment, automate your way
Set your rules to automatically enroll current and future learners. Choose this option if you don't plan to enroll these filtered learners in other programs.
💡 If you may use the same filtered group of users again in the future, it is recommended that you create a Smart Group for those users - see how to do this here.
Here is an example demonstrating how to specify attributes using trigger filters.
To create a rule that enrolls all UK-based Sales team members who joined on or after July 1, 2023, follow these steps:
Go to the Enrollment rules tab.
Click New rule and select Add rule.
Enter a name for your enrollment rule.
Click Add filter (or the + icon), select Custom attributes, and set the following:
Country: UK
Department: Sales
Start Date: on or after 01/07/2023
Set the Program start date (see here for more info).
Click Save.
Learners will automatically be enrolled based on your selected parameters.
Filtering tips
Logic operators: click the and button between filters to switch the condition to or.
Filter conditions: click is next to a filter attribute to access alternate operators (such as is not, on or after, etc.).
💡In the example above, switching the filter condition from
Department and Start Date to Department or Start Date will enroll all sales team members, as well as anyone who started on or after the specified date.
Program start date
Here, you can determine when and how learners are assigned to the program:
Now: Learners are instantly enrolled in the program and notified by email.
Set a specific date: choose the date on which learners will be assigned.
Select from attribute (recommended for enrollment rules):
Created at - selecting this will enroll a user based on their Sana account creation date.
Activated at - selecting this will enroll a user based on their Sana account activation date (accepting the Sana invite and registering their information).
Delay - enter the number of days of delay from created/assigned at in which you would like a user to be enrolled.
For example, if you want the learner to be enrolled three days after their account has been created on Sana:
Select Created At in the drop down.
Input '3' days into the Delay input box.
Enroll individual users in programs
To enroll individual learners in your program follow these steps:
Go to Manage > Programs.
Select the Program you want to enroll users into.
Click the People tab.
Click Enroll.
Add individual learners by typing their name.
Set the Program start date (see here for more info).
Click Enroll.*
Learners will be enrolled based on your selected parameters.
*Note: If the program start date is set to next week, the individual learners added will be notified on the specified date.
💡 If you add a Smart Group to enroll, it will only add the current members of that group. Create an enrollment rule if you would like all future group members to join the program automatically.
User group visibility in programs
Programs can also be available to your selected group of users, delivering targeted learning. This option allows you to decide who sees what, making it effortless to deliver the right knowledge to the right users.
Through this option you can choose between the following visibility options:
Visible in Manage
Group access
Visible everywhere
How to enable custom visibility in a program:
Go to Manage > Programs and click the program of choice.
Navigate to the Settings button on the right.
Select your preferred option in the Visibility dropdown menu.
Click Save.
💡 Selecting Visible everywhere automatically displays the program to all users on their Home page.
Recurring assignments for programs
Recurring assignments make it easy to ensure learners revisit important training at regular intervals, without manually having to assign content each time. With this feature, you can automatically reassign a program to learners on a fixed schedule, helping you maintain compliance, reinforce key knowledge, and keep skills up to date.
How to turn on recurring assignments for a Program:
Go to Manage > Programs and click the program of choice.
Navigate to Enrollment rules tab.
Select an existing enrollment rule or create a new one (New rule > Add rule).
Scroll down to Repeat assignment.
Configure the timing for the recurring assignment (days, months, or years, and whether to repeat after being assigned the program or after completion).
Click Save.
FAQ
Can I edit enrollment rules as a group admin?
No - group admins can view existing enrollment rules for programs where they are admins, but editing these rules is reserved for administrators and owners. This ensures that enrollment rules are managed with a consistent approach across the organization. However, group admins can still directly enroll users into programs, providing flexibility in managing learner participation.
What options can I choose for the recurrence schedule of recurring assignments?
When setting up a recurring assignment for a program, you can customize how often the assignment repeats and when the recurrence starts. The available options include:
Frequency: choose to repeat the program every set number of days, months, or years (for example every 6 months, every 1 year).
Start of recurrence: decide whether the next assignment should be scheduled after the previous assignment is given (after assignment) or after the learner completes it (after completion).