Invitations & Onboarding

The invitation system is how residents get access to your community portal. After creating user accounts, you send email invitations that let residents set up their login credentials.

How Invitations Work

1. You create a user account with their name, email, and role
2. You send an invitation email to that user
3. The resident receives an email with a unique link
4. They click the link, set their password, and their account becomes active
5. They can now log in and access the portal

Invitation Gate

The invitation gate controls whether users must be invited to join, or whether they can register on their own.

Setting	Behavior
Invitation Required (default)	Only invited users can create accounts. Self-registration is disabled.
Open Registration	Anyone with the portal URL can create an account.

Configure this setting in Admin > Settings > Site Settings.

Sending Invitations

Individual Invitation

From the user list (Admin > Members > Users), click the invitation icon next to any pending user. An email will be sent to their registered email address.

Bulk Invitations

To invite multiple users at once:

Tracking Invitations

Monitor the status of your invitations from the user list:

• Pending — Invitation sent, but user hasn't created their account
• Active — User accepted the invitation and set up their account

You can resend invitations to users who haven't responded. There's no limit on resends, but space them out — sending too frequently may cause the emails to be flagged as spam.

Pre-Launch vs. Post-Launch Workflow

Before Publishing

1. Create all user accounts (individually or via CSV import)
2. Configure your site content and settings
3. Send invitations to all users
4. Publish your site

This way, when the site goes live, residents already have their accounts ready.

After Publishing

1. Create the new user account
2. Send their invitation immediately
3. They can access the portal as soon as they set up their account

Onboarding Tips

Help new residents get the most from your portal:

• Welcome message — Consider posting a welcome notice or post explaining what the portal offers
• Quick start guide — Point residents to the Quick Start for Residents guide
• Key content — Make sure your most important documents and upcoming events are already published before sending invitations
• Follow up — Check back in a week to see how many invitations have been accepted. Resend to anyone who hasn't responded.

Best Practices

• Send invitations in batches — If you have hundreds of residents, send invitations over 2-3 days rather than all at once. This helps with email deliverability.
• Include context — Some residents may be unfamiliar with your portal. A separate email from the board explaining what AtriumCMS is and why they should sign up improves adoption rates.
• Set a deadline — Give residents a specific date by which they should create their account. "Please set up your portal account by March 15" creates urgency.
• Track adoption — Monitor the pending vs. active ratio. If adoption is low, follow up with reminders.

Next Steps

• User Management — Managing user accounts
• Roles & Permissions — Understanding access levels
• Initial Setup & Publishing — Complete your launch checklist