What are Triggers in Customer.io?

If you're using Customer.io with Union, triggers are what start your automated campaigns. Whether you're wanting to connect with new students, send them reminders about one class remaining on a class pack, or even connecting with new subscribers— triggers are what power that journey. There are three primary ways Union suggests to trigger a campaign:

• Segments — when someone meets specific conditions, often combining multiple attributes and/or events
• Attributes — when something on a student's profile changes (like becoming a subscriber or having one class remaining)
• Events — when a student takes an action (like registering for class, attending a class, or having—or not having—a pass)

While Customer.io groups segments and attributes together, we recommend thinking of them separately.

Segments as Triggers

Segments are one of the most common ways Union clients trigger campaigns in Customer.io. You can use them in two primary ways.

1. Synced Segments (from Union)

These segments are automatically created in Customer.io when someone has an active pass, ticket, or subscription. They’re based on real-time status — not just a purchase — and update automatically as a person’s access changes.

Use synced segments to trigger a campaign the moment someone holds an active pass, ticket, or subscription. Common use cases include:

• New subscriber welcome
• New student special journey
• Special offers (e.g. discounted class packs or limited-time promos)

A few key details:

Pass names are tied to the original pass name. If you rename the pass later, the synced segment name will not change.

For example: if you originally created a pass named, 2-Weeks Unlimited New Student Special, your synced segment will appear in Customer.io as: Active Passholders for 2-Weeks Unlimited New Student Special , even if you later rename the pass to, New Student Special.

Custom Segments

Custom segments are created manually in Customer.io and allow you to combine multiple conditions — including attributes, events, or both. They’re helpful when synced segments don’t give you quite enough control, or when you need to get more specific about who should enter a campaign.

Examples Include:

• Students with an active class pack and no registrations in the past 10 days
• Subscribers who haven’t attended a class this month
• Anyone who has an active pass or an active subscription
• Students who attended class twice in one week and haven’t returned
• Anyone who has had a specific pass

Custom segments are great when you want to define your own conditions beyond what Union’s synced segments provide. They’re especially helpful for re-engagement or when you want to reach a very specific group.

Events as Triggers

Event-based triggers start a campaign when a student takes a specific action. Unlike attributes, which describe a person’s current status, events are action-based — they track something that happened.

Depending on the event, you may be able to refine it using additional conditions.

Examples Include:

• They attended a class
• Customer has or hasn’t had a pass
• Customer attended a class with a specific teacher

Events are helpful when you want to respond to something someone did — not just who they are or what they currently have

Frequency Settings

After choosing your trigger, you’ll also define how often someone can enter the campaign. This is called frequency, and it helps you avoid over-messaging the same person too often — especially in journeys that someone might qualify for more than once. Learn more about managing how often someone should enter each campaign.

Using triggers in Broadcasts

You don’t need a full campaign to use triggers. The same segments, attributes, and events covered in this guide can also be used to send one-time emails using Customer.io’s Broadcasts feature. Broadcasts are ideal for announcements, one-time promotions, special events (i.e. workshops, retreats, trainings) without setting up a full journey.

This is helpful when you want to message a specific group like:

• Active subscribers
• People who attended a similar workshop
• A schedule change for a specific class that only affects students who’ve attended it