How Do I Configure the "Send Email For Consecutive Unexcused Absences" Workflow? – iClassPro Support

IN BRIEF
The Send Email For Consecutive Unexcused Absences workflow automatically identifies students who have accumulated consecutive unexcused absences in a class and sends a re-engagement email to their family. This workflow helps you reach out to families before an attendance pattern turns into a lost enrollment, and it lets you target that outreach to specific programs.

Interactive Demos for configuring Autopilot workflows can be found in the Education Corner, accessible from the Office Portal's "Welcome" screen.

Overview
Accessing the Feature
Step-by-Step Instructions
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Related Articles

Overview

This workflow monitors attendance as it is recorded and responds when a student is marked with an unexcused absence. The System counts consecutive unexcused absences separately for each enrollment, so a student who attends one class regularly but misses another is only evaluated against the class they are missing.

Workflow type: Activity-driven
Trigger: A student is marked with an unexcused absence for a class
Purpose: Send a re-engagement email to the family when a student reaches a set number of consecutive unexcused absences in a class

NOTE: This functionality was previously configured under SETTINGS>SETUP>STUDENT SETTINGS>STUDENT OPTIONS. It now lives in the Autopilot workflow library, so you can manage it alongside your other Autopilot workflows and add program-level targeting. Existing configurations were carried over, and the workflow continues to behave as it did before the move.

Accessing the Feature

From the Office Portal, navigate to AUTOPILOT > WORKFLOWS > "Add a Workflow."
Locate Send Email For Consecutive Unexcused Absences in the list of workflows.
The workflow will automatically be copied to your account and will open in the Workflow Editor.
After configuring the workflow, Save your changes.
When you are ready, Enable the workflow to begin using it.

NOTE: Only account administrators or staff members who have been granted "Admin Access" permissions can copy or edit Autopilot workflows.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Open the Send Email For Consecutive Unexcused Absences workflow.
Review the workflow details:
- Trigger Type: Activity-driven — runs when an unexcused absence is marked for a class.
- Communication Template Used: Consecutive Unexcused Absences Email.
Under the “Send Consecutive Absences Alert” action, configure the following options:
- Consecutive Absences Threshold
  - Defines the number of consecutive unexcused absences required before the email is sent.
  - The value used is the one in place at the time the email is sent, not when attendance is recorded.
  - Changing this value after attendance is recorded may delay or alter when the email is triggered.
- Send A Copy To All Email Addresses Associated With Eligible Students
  - Leave this checkbox unchecked to send the email only to the primary guardian's email address.
  - Select this checkbox to send the email to all email addresses associated with the student's family. This is useful when more than one guardian needs to see attendance communication.
- Programs
  - Use the multi-select dropdown to choose which programs this workflow applies to. All programs are selected by default, which means every active class enrollment is eligible.
  - The Programs filter acts as an entry point for the workflow. When an absence is marked, the System checks the program tied to that enrollment. If the program is not selected here, the workflow stops and no email is sent.
  - Because the filter is applied separately for each enrollment, a student enrolled in two programs is only evaluated for the program you have selected.
After configuring the workflow, Save your changes.
When you are ready, Enable the workflow to begin using it.

Additional Options

Communication Templates: While staff cannot select a different communication template, the Consecutive Unexcused Absences Email template can be edited under SETTINGS > SETUP > GENERAL SETTINGS > COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES > "Autopilot" tab. Any customization previously applied to this template has been preserved, including all existing email variable options.
Opt-In Compliance: Autopilot always respects family-level email opt-in preferences when sending messages. If a family has opted out of Autopilot communications, the workflow stops and no email is sent. Families who have opted in are processed normally, using the same preference checks applied by every other Autopilot workflow.
Filtering: This workflow filters by program only. Filtering by level, or by a combination of programs and levels, is not available.

How the Workflow Processes an Absence

Understanding the order of these checks helps explain why an email may or may not be sent for a particular absence. Immediately after a student is marked with an unexcused absence, the System:

Checks whether the enrollment's program matches the Programs filter. If it does not, the workflow stops.
Counts the consecutive unexcused absences for that specific enrollment, on a class-by-class basis.
Checks whether that count is a multiple of the value defined by the Consecutive Absences Threshold. If it is not, the workflow stops.
Checks whether the class end time for the attendance date is more than 72 hours in the past. If it is, the workflow stops. This prevents emails from going out for attendance entered long after the fact.
Waits either 30 minutes after the absence is marked or 4 hours after the class end time, whichever is longer. This wait period gives staff time to correct attendance before a family is contacted.

After the wait period, the System re-checks the record before sending:

If the absence has been changed to excused, the workflow stops.
If the student has been marked present, the workflow stops.
If the family has opted out of Autopilot communications, the workflow stops.
If the absence is still marked absent and unexcused, the System sends the Consecutive Unexcused Absences Email to the recipients defined by your checkbox selection.

How the consecutive count is calculated:

The count is tracked separately for each enrollment.
The count resets to zero when the student is marked present for that enrollment.
The count resets to zero when the student has an excused absence for that enrollment.

Audit Logging

Configuration changes and sent emails are both recorded so you can confirm what the workflow did and when.

When a user creates or updates the workflow, the System writes an entry to the Audit Log section of the Autopilot page capturing:

Staff name
Date and time
IP address
Action type (Created or Updated)
Context (Workflow)
A message that includes the workflow name and ID

When the workflow successfully sends an email, the System writes an entry to the main Office Portal Audit Log.

Best Practice Recommendations

Configuration tips

Use the Programs filter to separate outreach by program when attendance expectations differ. For example, you may want competitive team enrollments handled differently than recreational classes.
Select Send A Copy To All Email Addresses Associated With Eligible Students when families in your account commonly have two guardians who share responsibility for scheduling.
Review the Consecutive Unexcused Absences Email template before enabling the workflow, so the wording matches your voice and includes a clear next step, such as a link to reschedule or contact the front desk.

Operational tips

Encourage staff to record attendance during or immediately after class. The 72-hour limit and the wait period both depend on timely attendance entry.
Mark absences as excused when a family gives notice. Excused absences reset the count and keep the workflow from contacting families who have already communicated with you.
Check the Autopilot audit log after your first week to confirm the workflow is triggering as expected before you rely on it.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why didn't a family receive an email even though the student has several unexcused absences?
- Confirm that the workflow is enabled, that the enrollment's program is selected in the Programs filter, and that the consecutive count has reached a multiple of the value in Send Email After 'X' Consecutive Unexcused Absences. Also verify that the family has not opted out of Autopilot communications.
A staff member corrected an absence right after class. Will the family still get the email?
- No, as long as the correction is made before the wait period ends. The System waits 30 minutes after the absence is marked or 4 hours after the class end time, whichever is longer, then re-checks the record. If the absence is now excused or the student is marked present, the workflow stops.
We entered a week of old attendance. Why didn't any emails go out?
- The workflow stops when the class end time for the attendance date is more than 72 hours in the past. Backdated attendance entered outside that window will not trigger emails.
A student is enrolled in two classes. Does an absence in one affect the other?
- No. Consecutive unexcused absences are counted separately for each enrollment, so each class is evaluated on its own.
Didn’t there used to be a setting for this under Student Options?
- Yes. The workflow moved from Settings > Setup > Student Settings > Student Options into the Autopilot workflow library and no longer appears in Student Options. Your existing configuration carried over with all programs selected.