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Workflows let you automate email and SMS communications based on events in Sailia. Instead of manually sending reminders, follow-ups, or thank-you messages, you configure triggers and let Sailia handle the rest.

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How workflows work

A workflow consists of:
  1. A trigger — the event that starts the workflow (for example, a booking confirmation or an activity date approaching)
  2. A delay (optional) — how long to wait after the trigger before sending
  3. A message — the email or SMS sent to the customer or staff member
When the trigger fires, Sailia queues the message and sends it at the configured time.
Workflow emails are tracked as workflow-email-sent events in meter usage tracking, so you can monitor how many automated emails are being sent.

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Available triggers

Sailia provides triggers across several categories. You can attach one or more workflow communications to any trigger.

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Booking triggers

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Course and session triggers

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Group booking triggers

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Membership triggers

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Instalment triggers

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Account triggers

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Waiver and waitlist triggers

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Staff triggers

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Common workflow examples

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Create a workflow

1

Open the workflows section

Navigate to your workflows dashboard and select Create Workflow.
2

Choose a trigger

Select the event that starts the workflow. See available triggers for the full list.
3

Set the timing

Choose when the message should be sent — immediately after the trigger, or after a delay (for example, 24 hours before the activity).
4

Write the message

Compose the email or SMS content. Use merge fields to personalize the message with the customer’s name, activity details, and booking information.
5

Activate

Enable the workflow. It runs automatically for all future events that match the trigger.

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Merge fields

Workflow messages support merge fields to personalize content. Available fields depend on the trigger, but common fields include:
The exact merge fields available are shown in the workflow editor when you select a trigger.

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Email and SMS

Workflows support both email and SMS as delivery channels. When creating a workflow, choose the channel that best fits the use case:
  • Email — best for detailed messages with booking breakdowns, links, and attachments
  • SMS — best for short, time-sensitive reminders like session start times
Booking confirmation workflows automatically attach a PDF receipt when sent by email.

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Managing workflows

From the workflows dashboard, you can:
  • Enable or disable a workflow without deleting it
  • Edit the message content or timing
  • View send history to see which customers received the message
  • Monitor volume through the workflow-email-sent built-in meter
Disabling a workflow stops future messages from being sent but does not cancel messages already queued. If a message is scheduled to send in 24 hours and you disable the workflow now, that message may still be delivered.

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Session groups

You can scope a workflow to specific session groups. This lets you send different messages for different activities — for example, a kayaking-specific welcome email for kayaking bookings and a climbing-specific one for climbing bookings. When creating a workflow, select one or more session groups to limit which bookings trigger the communication.

Waivers

Set up waivers and automate reminders for incomplete submissions.

Meter tracking

Monitor workflow email volume through built-in meters.