Overview
Document Categories allow you to attach the right document to a communication automatically, based on context.
Instead of attaching a specific file to a Communication Template, you attach a category (for example, Agenda or Syllabus). When the communication is sent, Administrate dynamically selects and attaches the correct document from the Course Template or Event.
This ensures that each course or event sends the appropriate document without requiring manual updates to templates.
How it works
Document Categories act as a link between:
- documents stored on Course Templates or Events
- Communication Templates that include attachments
When a communication is triggered, Administrate:
- checks the category configured on the template
- finds documents associated with the Event that carry that category
- attaches every matching document to the outgoing message
Documents on a Course Template participate through the Event: when an Event is created, the Course Template's documents are copied onto it. This copy happens once, at Event creation.
Note
Adding a document to a Course Template later does not add it to Events that already exist. For those Events, associate the document with each Event directly, or the communication will send without it.
Set up document categories
- Open the Control Panel.
- Select Document Categories.
- Create the categories you want to use (for example, Agenda, Pre-work, Certificate).
These categories will be available when assigning documents and configuring communication templates.
Assign categories to documents
- Upload or open a document in the DMS.
- Select one or more Document Categories.
- Associate the document with a Course Template or Event.
Only documents associated with the relevant Course Template or Event will be considered for dynamic attachment.
Use categories in communication templates
- Open a Communication Template.
- In Email Attachments, select Add (+).
- Choose Categories.
- Select the required Document Category.
When the template is used by a trigger, the system will attach documents matching the selected category.
Example
A course has its own agenda document. Instead of creating a separate communication template for each course:
- assign the document to the Agenda category
- attach the Agenda category to the communication template
Each course or event will then automatically send its own agenda document when the communication is triggered.
What happens at send time
- Every matching document attaches. If several documents on the Event share the category, all of them are included, so keep categories specific enough that this is what you want.
- No match sends without the attachment. If no document with the category is associated with the Event, the communication is sent with no attachment and no warning. Test a communication after setup to confirm the attachment arrives.
- Attachments are limited to 12 MB in total. A communication whose stored attachments exceed the limit is not sent and is recorded as an error in the trigger logs. The size check covers stored files; documents generated at send time are not included in it.
Best practices
- Use consistent category names across your organization.
- Keep categories broad enough to be reusable (for example, “Agenda” rather than “Course A Agenda”).
- Ensure documents are correctly associated with Course Templates or Events.
- Test communications to confirm the correct documents are attached.