After building your Stage-Release Course in AccessAlly, it’s time to set up the corresponding CRM automation. Without this step, your online courses and students will not sync properly with your CRM, and there will be no way to automate the course.
Before setting up the automation, please make sure you’ve set up your Stage-Release Course properly, by following this tutorial: How to Create a Stage-Released Course With AccessAlly.
Note: If the modules are released at the same time for a large number of clients, please use the batchsync HTTP post (instead of the updateuser to avoid overloading the CRM / WordPress site.
Video Tutorials
Visit the ActiveCampaign marketplace to use our free automation templates with your AccessAlly setup:
Written Tutorials
STEP 1: Locate The CRM Automation Guide Inside AccessAlly
The “Guide” to setting up your CRM automations is built inside your AccessAlly plugin.
To locate it, go to the AccessAlly Course Wizard > Edit/Modify Existing Courses.
Here, you can choose the course you’d like to create the CRM automation for by clicking on the “EDIT” button.
If you have fully set up the course pages as instructed in the previous tutorial (How to Create a Standalone Course With AccessAlly), the edit button will take you to the Checklist.
Click on the link for “click here for CRM campaign setup guide”.
Now, you’re inside the CRM automation setup guide. Here, you can see at a glance which CRM you’re integrated with and which course you’re building out the CRM automation for.
If you would like to change courses, just select the correct one from the dropdown menu.
STEP 2: Follow Your Specific CRM Instructions
The CRM Automation Guide will walk you through each step of the setup process. It’s recommended that you use the Guide inside your membership site (as opposed to the next part of this tutorial), as the links and tags you need are dynamic and will match up with the course you’re building.
However, if you want a refresher, click on the toggle for your integrated CRM to see all the steps.
Infusionsoft
Step 1: Create a Campaign
To set up your course campaigns in Infusionsoft, log into your account, then go to Marketing > Campaign Builder > Create a Campaign.
Step 2: Designate a Goal
FREE COURSE: If you’re setting up a campaign for a free course, select the “Submits a Web Form” option for your goal. Double click on this to reveal additional settings. In the form options, you can add the URL of your Thank You page so that the user is redirected from the form back to your website. This is recommended!
Under the “Code” Tab, you can retrieve the HTML code to copy/paste into your website’s opt-in page:
After this step is completed, switch the tab in the top right corner from DRAFT to READY. You can now return to the campaign builder to configure the sequence.
Step 3. Apply course tags
Each time you add a component to the Campaign Builder, you’ll need to connect the steps by hovering over an item, then dragging the green arrow that appears to the next step in the process.
The course tags you need to apply will appear inside AccessAlly’s CRM Automation Guide.
Step 4: Send HTTP Post Action
HTTP posts: Each time you apply a tag in an Infusionsoft campaign, it is important to immediately follow it with this step, which instructs Infusionsoft to communicate the tag change with AccessAlly. When you are using the CRM Automation Guide inside AccessAlly, the correct HTTP will appear:
Step 5: Send Login Information Via Email (Optional)
The final part of the initial welcome sequence consists of the welcome email.
Since this email will communicate the username and password to the new user, you’ll want to include two merge fields: email & password. After you’ve finished drafting the email, toggle the element from “draft” to “ready.”
It’s always a good idea to test the campaign with a couple different valid email addresses to ensure you haven’t forgotten any steps and the communication is running smoothly between AccessAlly and Infusionsoft.
Step 6. Finish the Welcome Sequence
Step 7. Create content release sequence for course module
Important: This step needs to be repeated for every module in the Stage-Release course. Select the module you’ll be working on from the dropdown, and the tags will change dynamically to help you keep track of what you need to add in the automation.
8. Clone an existing module-release sequence and customize (optional)
9. Create Refund/Revoke Access Sequence (optional)
Ontraport
Step 1: Create a Welcome Campaign
The first thing you’ll need to go is log into your Ontraport account and go to Campaigns > Add New Campaign > Start From Scratch.
Step 2: Configure the Trigger For Your Course
A Free Course starts when a client opts in to a free offer. Add a new trigger by clicking on the + button beside ADDED TO CAMPAIGN. Add a Contact submits a form trigger and select the form that will be used to collect the client information (name, email, etc).
A Paid Course is only released on successful payment. Add a new trigger by clicking on the + button beside ADDED TO CAMPAIGN. If you are using the Ontraport Smart Form to take orders, add a Contact submits a form trigger and select the order form. Important: configure the trigger only when the order is is successful.Alternatively, if you are using the AccessAlly Order Form to take orders, add a When Contact is added to Tag trigger and select the Payment Successful tag.
Step 3: Add Course Tags
Here, you’ll want to make sure that the “Base Access” tag is added, as well as the “Module 1” access tag (if desired). You should also remove the “Revoke Access” tag, in case someone previously cancelled the course but purchased again.
Step 4: Add a Webhook to generate a new user in AccessAlly
This step will generate the user with proper access tags inside AccessAlly.
To do this, add a Webhook (under the Advanced tab) item to the campaign. In the settings, the “destination URL” and “post data” information will need to be filled out. You can find the appropriate information inside the CRM Automation Guide for this course inside AccessAlly.
Step 5: Send login information (optional)
Step 6: Release Course Modules (Repeat This Step For Each Module
Important: This step needs to be repeated for every module in the Stage-Release course. Select the module you’ll be working on from the dropdown, and the tags will change dynamically to help you keep track of what you need to add in the automation.
Step 7 Add END and publish the campaign
Step 8: Create Refund/Revoke Access Rule (optional)
If you would also like to create a refund/revoke access automation inside Ontraport, please see this tutorial: How To Set Up a Refund / Revoke Access Automation In Your CRM
ActiveCampaign
Step 1: Create a Welcome Sequence
Step 2: Configure the starting condition
Option A: Free Course
A Free Course does not require payment and starts when a client “Submitted a form”. Select the form that will be used to collect the client information (name, email, etc).
Option B: A Paid Course
Step 3. Assign Access Tag
Step 4. Generate user password through a Webhook
Step 5. Send login information (optional)
Step 6. Create content release sequence for course module
Important: This step needs to be repeated for every module in the Stage-Release course. Select the module you’ll be working on from the dropdown, and the tags will change dynamically to help you keep track of what you need to add in the automation.
Step 7. Activate the Automation
Step 8: Create Refund/Revoke Access Rule (optional)
If you would also like to create a refund/revoke access automation inside ActiveCampaign, please see this tutorial: How To Set Up a Refund / Revoke Access Automation In Your CRM
ConvertKit
1. Create a welcome sequence
2. Customize Welcome email (with login info)
3. Create the welcome automation
4. Configure the event that triggers the automation
5. Apply course tags
6. Add tag to trigger the AccessAlly webhook
7. Add to welcome sequence to send the login info
8. Release course modules
9. Make the automation Live
10. Create the Refund/Revoke Access Sequence (optional)
If you would also like to create a refund/revoke access automation inside ConvertKit, please see this tutorial: How To Set Up a Refund / Revoke Access Automation In Your CRM
Drip
Step 1: Create a Release Workflow
To set up your course campaigns in Drip, log into your account, then go to AUTOMATION > NEW WORKFLOW.
Choose a descriptive name for this workflow, then click “create.”
Step 2: Add a Trigger
Once your new workflow has been created, it’s time to determine the “trigger” that will kickstart the course sequence. The type of trigger you choose will depend on the type of course you’ve created:
Option A: Free Course
A Free Course does not require payment and starts when a client “Submitted a form”. Select the form that will be used to collect the client information (name, email, etc).
Option B: A Paid Course
A Paid Course is only released on successful payment. Because the payment processing is handled external to Drip, the payment processing platform needs to add a tag when the payment is successful. (This can be done with AccessAlly’s order forms).
Step 3: Assign Access Tag
Step 4: Generate user password through an HTTP Post
This next step will create a custom password for each new user. To do this, add a new action in your sequence and select “Webhook” in the “Conditions and Workflow” section. The CRM Automation Guide inside AccessAlly will give you the appropriate HTTP URL that you can simply copy/paste into your automation, as indicated in the example below:
Step 5: Send Login Information (Optional)
To prevent Drip from sending out a blank password, we need to add a short, 1-minute delay before sending out the welcome email.To add the login information inside the email, you can use the Drip shortcodes/merge fields:
- Username: by default, the username is the email address:
{{ subscriber.email }} - Password: the password custom field shortcode is based on the password field configured in AccessAlly -> General Settings -> Initial Setup -> System Integration -> Password Field.
{{ subscriber.accessally_password }}
Save the email, update the action and return to the Workflow.
Step 6: Create content release sequence for course module
Important: This step needs to be repeated for every module in the Stage-Release course. Select the module you’ll be working on from the dropdown, and the tags will change dynamically to help you keep track of what you need to add in the automation.
Step 7: Start the Workflow
Active the Workflow by clicking on the “Start” button.
Step 8: Create the Refund/Revoke Access Workflow (optional)
If you would also like to create a refund/revoke access automation inside Drip, please see this tutorial: How To Set Up a Refund / Revoke Access Automation In Your CRM