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 attribute criteria that you set. There are many ways that you can go about using these rules to your advantage, and below are some examples:
Enrollment rule examples
With enrollment rules, the possibilities are endless; all you need is information on user attributes with Sana to take full advantage of this feature (see this guide).
Below are some example use cases of how enrollment rules can be used:
Without a mouse click on Sana, automatically enroll all new members of the [Department: Sales & Marketing team] from [Country: Sweden] into [Program: Sales & Marketing Onboarding] 3 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 rep'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 previously enrolled users 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
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.
Click on the People tab
Click Enroll
Type select Groups, choose the desired group from the list
Set the Program start date (see here for more info)
Click Enroll, and the learners will be enrolled in the program based on the parameters set
Customize enrollment, automate your way
Based on a set of parameters you set, you can choose who is enrolled now and in the future through automation. This option is better suited to you if it’s likely that the filtered users intended to be enrolled will not be used in another program.
💡 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 create a smart group here.
The steps below are similar for smart groups. However, the below will show how you can specify attributes with the trigger filter options.
In this example, we will create a rule that enrolls all UK based, Sales team members who started at the company on or after 01/07/2023.
Click on the Enrollment rules tab
Click on the Add rule button
Add name for the enrollment rule
Click ‘+’ and add filters
Country is UK and Department is Sales and Is created on or after 01/07/2023
Set the Program start date (see here for more info)
Click Save and the learners will be enrolled in the program based on the parameters set
💡 In the example above, if you change the filters to have Department ‘or’ Start date (instead of ‘and’, this will allow you to enroll all users of the sales team and all users who started after a 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 start date: Select a specific date that learners will be assigned
Select from specific 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 3 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
💡 If you add a smart group to enroll, it will only add the current members of the group. Create an enrollment rule if you would like all future group members to join the program automatically.
Go to Manage > Programs
Select the program you want to enroll users into
Click on the People tab
Click Enroll
Add individual learners by typing their name
Set the Program start date (see here for more info)
Click Enroll and the learners will be enrolled in the program based on the parameters set
Note: If, for example, the program start date is set to next week, the individual learners added will be notified on the date specified.
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 Program settings
Select your preferred option through the dropdown menu in "Visibility"
Save the changes
💡 Note! Selecting the option Visibility everywhere, automatically makes the program visible for everyone in Home.
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 the bottom of the Program
Select an existing enrollment rule or create a new one
Navigate to the bottom and select More options < Repeat
Configure the timing for the recurring assignment (days, months, or years, and whether to repeat after being assigned the program or after completion).
Save the changes
FAQ
Can I edit enrollment rules as a group admin?
No - group admins can view existing enrollment rules for programs where they are admin, 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 (e.g., 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).