Community Join Requests Get Workflow Automation Trigger

TL;DR

A new 'Requested to Join Group' trigger is now available in Workflows. It fires when a user requests to join a community group. This update is significant for automating community access. Agencies using HighLevel Communities with request-based access should review this.

Who this affects

This update affects HighLevel agency owners and SaaS entrepreneurs who utilize the Communities feature, specifically those with groups requiring requests to join. If your communities use direct joins, this trigger will not apply. HighLevel has not confirmed who specifically is affected, but it is relevant for those managing membership applications for their community groups.

What changed

HighLevel has introduced a new 'Requested to Join Group' trigger within Workflows.

Here are the specifics:

• The 'Requested to Join Group' trigger is now available in Workflows.
• It fires when a user submits a request to join a community group.
• Admins can filter this trigger by specific Groups.
• Admins can also filter the trigger by Membership Question Responses.
• Membership questions configured for a selected group become available as filter fields for the trigger.
• Responses to membership questions can be passed into GPT prompts inside workflows.
• Workflows can then use If/Else conditions based on the GPT output.
• This allows workflows to automatically approve requests and grant group access.
• Workflows can also flag requests for manual review, again based on GPT output.
• It is important to note that GPT actions incur additional charges per execution.
• The trigger fires exclusively on join requests, not on direct joins.
• For this trigger to function, groups must have request-based access enabled. HighLevel has not confirmed any limits, plan gating, or rollout status.

Where to find it

The new 'Requested to Join Group' trigger is located within HighLevel's Workflows section. HighLevel has not published the exact navigation path, but users should expect to find it as an available trigger option when creating or editing a workflow, likely under a 'Community' or 'Membership' category of triggers.

How agencies will use this

An agency can use this to automate onboarding for a client's exclusive paid community. For example, a marketing agency sets up a HighLevel sub-account for a client offering a premium membership community. The community group is configured for request-based access with membership questions like "What is your business's niche?" and "How did you hear about us?"

When a new prospect requests to join, the 'Requested to Join Group' trigger initiates a workflow. The workflow immediately captures their responses to the membership questions. An initial If/Else condition checks if the niche question response matches a pre-approved list. If it does not, a GPT action processes the response. The GPT prompt might ask: "Evaluate if this business niche is a good fit for our premium community. Respond 'APPROVE' or 'FLAG'." Based on the GPT's output, another If/Else condition determines the next step. If the GPT returns 'APPROVE', the workflow automatically approves the join request and grants access. If the GPT returns 'FLAG', the workflow creates an internal task in the agency's HighLevel account, notifying a team member to manually review the request and the GPT's reasoning. This ensures qualified leads gain instant access while ambiguous applications are escalated, saving manual review time.

Our take

This is a major update for agencies leveraging HighLevel Communities. The ability to automate group join requests, especially with the integration of membership question responses and GPT, significantly streamlines community management. This can reduce administrative overhead for client communities, making them more scalable. While GPT actions add cost, the potential for automated vetting and approval of community members makes this a powerful addition for agencies managing high-volume or selective groups. This matters this week for anyone looking to optimize their community workflows.