How to Auto-Update a Custom Field from Text Message Replies

You can automatically capture text message replies from parents and save them directly into a custom field on their profile. This is useful for collecting quick responses like confirmation codes, allergies, or updated information without manual data entry.

What You'll Need

• A custom field created for the family profile
• An automation that sends a text message to parents
• Basic understanding of custom values

How It Works

When a parent replies to a text message from Enrollio, you can use the {{message.body}} variable to capture their response and store it in a custom field. This happens automatically through an automation trigger.

Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Create Your Custom Field

1. Go to Settings → Custom Fields
2. Click Create Custom Field
3. Name your field (e.g., "Allergy Info" or "Confirmation Code")
4. Select Text as the field type
5. Save your custom field

Step 2: Set Up the Automation

1. Navigate to Automations in the left menu
2. Click Create Automation
3. Name your automation (e.g., "Capture Allergy Response")

Step 3: Add the Trigger

1. Click Add New Trigger
2. Select Inbound Message as your trigger type
3. Choose SMS as the message type
4. Set any additional filters if needed (like specific keyword contains)

Step 4: Add the Update Action

1. Click the + button to add an action
2. Select Update Contact (or Update Custom Values)
3. Find your custom field in the dropdown
4. In the value field, type: {{message.body}}
5. Save the action

Step 5: Activate Your Automation

1. Review your automation flow
2. Toggle the automation to Active
3. Test by sending yourself a text message

Example Use Cases

Collecting Allergy Information

Send: "Please reply with any allergies we should know about for [Child Name]."
Parent replies: "Peanuts and dairy"
The response automatically saves to the Allergy Info field.

Tour Confirmation

Send: "Reply YES to confirm your tour on Friday at 2pm."
Parent replies: "YES"
The confirmation saves to a Tour Confirmed field.

Emergency Contact Updates

Send: "Please reply with your updated emergency contact number."
Parent replies: "555-123-4567"
The number saves to a custom Emergency Contact field.

Pro Tip: Use filters in your trigger to capture specific responses. For example, trigger only when a message contains "CONFIRM" or starts with a number. This prevents random messages from overwriting important data.

Important Notes

• The entire reply saves: {{message.body}} captures the full text of the parent's reply, including spaces and punctuation
• Case sensitive: If you're using keyword filters, remember that "YES" and "yes" are different
• Overwrites existing data: Each new reply overwrites the previous value in that custom field
• Works with group texts: If you send a broadcast, each parent's reply updates their own record

Troubleshooting

The field isn't updating

• Check that your automation is toggled to Active
• Verify the custom field name matches exactly
• Make sure the parent replied to the correct phone number
• Check your trigger filters aren't too restrictive

Wrong information is being saved

• Review your trigger conditions — they may be too broad
• Consider adding keyword filters to your trigger
• Make sure you're using the right variable ({{message.body}} not {{contact.name}})

Pro Tip: Add a follow-up text message in your automation to confirm what was saved: "Got it! We've recorded: {{message.body}}"

Related Articles

• Creating and Managing Custom Fields
• Understanding Automation Triggers
• Text Message Variables and Personalization
• Updating Parent Contact Information