Communities - smarter join requests with workflow automation

Communities - smarter join requests with workflow automation

August 17, 2026

Community admins can now automate how join requests are reviewed, routed, and acted on using a new workflow trigger, without manually reviewing every submission.

What changed

New Workflow Trigger: Requested to Join Group: A new Requested to Join Group trigger is now available in Workflows. It starts whenever a user submits a request to join a community group, letting admins build automations around the entire join request lifecycle.

Dynamic Filters Based on Membership Questions: Admins can filter the trigger by Group and by Membership Question Responses - the actual answers users provide while requesting access. Once a group is selected, each membership question configured for that group becomes available as a filter field, enabling workflows that route differently based on what users say.

AI-Powered Request Screening: Membership question responses can be passed into GPT prompts inside workflows - for example, to check whether submitted answers look like spam, gibberish, or low-quality responses. Based on the GPT output, an If/Else condition can automatically approve the request and grant group access, or flag it for manual review.

How it works

As an admin

  1. Create a new workflow and add the Requested to Join Group trigger.
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  1. Select the target group - membership questions configured for that group automatically appear as available filters.
Screenshot 2026-08-12 at 7
  1. Optionally, add a GPT action to evaluate the responses (e.g., spam detection).
Screenshot 2026-08-12 at 7
  1. Use If/Else conditions to branch based on GPT output or response values.
  2. Add actions like Grant Group Access, send a welcome message, or tag the contact.

No changes are needed on the member-facing side. The join request experience remains the same - the automation happens behind the scenes.

Why This Matters

Managing join requests manually doesn't scale. As communities grow, admins need a way to automatically screen, route, and act on incoming requests - especially when membership questions are used to qualify applicants.

Previously, there was no way to connect join request data to workflow automations. With this trigger, admins can build intelligent approval flows that use the actual content of member responses, reducing manual review while keeping control over who gets access.

Notes

  • The trigger fires on join requests, not direct joins. Groups must have request-based access enabled.
  • Membership question filters are dynamic - they update based on the questions configured for the selected group.
  • GPT actions incur additional charges per execution.

Need help with this?

If you'd like help setting this up or want to know what it means for your account, book a quick call and we'll walk you through it.

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