How lifecycle email automations work

Lifecycle automations are emails that MapleGather sends automatically when a member reaches a milestone — like joining, paying, or lapsing. This page explains the model behind them: what triggers each automation, which members receive them, and how the two-layer control system works.

The short version

Every time a membership milestone event happens — join, payment, renewal, lapse — MapleGather evaluates the relevant automation. If the automation is on, and the member is eligible to receive that class of email, it sends. If the automation is off, nothing sends. An org-wide kill switch can pause all automations at once.

How it works

Two-layer control system

Lifecycle automations have two on/off controls that must both be active for an email to send:

Org-wide kill switch — a single switch on the Email > Automation page that can pause all outgoing email from your organization at once. When it’s off, every automation is suspended, and a warning banner appears on the page. Use this only when you need to temporarily halt all email output.
Per-automation toggle — each of the eight automations has its own on/off switch on the matrix. You can disable individual automations without affecting others.

Transactional vs. marketing class

Each automation belongs to one of two classes, which determines whether members can opt out:

Transactional — always sends to all eligible members, regardless of their marketing preferences. Members can’t opt out of transactional emails through their preferences page. These cover operational events: membership activation, payment receipts, application outcomes, and lapse notices.
Marketing — only sends to members who haven’t opted out of marketing emails. The Resurrection re-engagement email is the only marketing-class lifecycle automation.

The one exception is renewal reminders: they’re transactional by class, but members can silence them from the Reminders section of their email preferences. This is intentional — renewal reminders are operational information members may still want to control without turning off all transactional email.

The eight automations and when they fire

Automations are grouped by the membership phase that triggers them:

Join phase: Welcome (on activation), Approval (on application approved), Decline (on application declined)
Billing phase: Payment receipt (on any successful payment)
Renewal phase: Renewal reminder (on approach to expiry — timing is configurable; today a single offset is supported, for example 30 days before expiry; multiple offsets are planned for a future update)
Lapse phase: Grace warning (on entering grace period), Lapse notice (on final lapse), Resurrection (configurable days after lapse — marketing class, off by default)

Skipping the welcome email

When you add a member manually and the Welcome automation is enabled, the welcome email sends by default. You can suppress it for a specific new member by checking Skip welcome email in the member-add form. This is a per-member one-time skip — it doesn’t affect the automation setting itself.

Why it works this way

The two-layer model separates a temporary global halt (the kill switch) from intentional, permanent per-automation configuration (the individual toggles). This means you can, for example, disable the Resurrection automation for an extended period without accidentally silencing renewal reminders.

Transactional emails are always-on by design. Members signed up expecting to receive receipts and membership notices — these are part of operating their membership, not marketing. The consent model is intentionally narrow: only genuinely optional communications are opt-outable.

Edge cases and boundaries

Kill switch off: All eight automations are suspended, even transactional ones. The automation matrix shows all switches as non-interactive and a warning banner explains the state. Restore the kill switch to resume sending.
Resurrection and consent: Because Resurrection is Marketing class, a member who has opted out of all marketing emails won’t receive it, even if you’ve enabled the automation.
Welcome skipped vs. automation off: Checking Skip welcome email for a new member suppresses only that instance of the welcome email. The automation stays on for future members. Turning the automation off in the matrix stops welcome emails for everyone going forward.