When you add a Tutor, Client or Student, Bobbin emails them an invite to join your organization. Your organization's emails, such as Lesson emails, join links and reports, only start reaching them once they've accepted it. This stops anyone's data going to a mistyped email address.
How invites work
You add someone, one at a time or by importing a spreadsheet.
They get an email called Join [your organization] on Bobbin, with a button to accept and set their password. The link lasts 7 days.
Once they've accepted, they can sign in, and your organization's emails start reaching them.
When you add someone, Bobbin confirms with a message such as Client created and invited. They'll get your organization's emails once they accept.
What's held back until they accept
Until someone accepts their invite, they don't get:
Lesson scheduled, reminder, rescheduled or canceled emails
Lesson Reports and Progress Reports
attendance emails
recording consent requests
classroom join links
Emails from Bobbin itself, such as password resets and sign-in security emails, still go out.
Note: Emails held back before someone accepts aren't sent again afterwards. Once they've signed in, they can see their Lessons and reports in Bobbin.
Checking who hasn't accepted
A person who hasn't accepted their invite shows an Invite not accepted badge at the top of their profile. Only Administrators see it.
When you email reports, join links or a consent request, Bobbin also tells you if any Clients were left out because they haven't accepted yet, for example: Report sent to clients. 1 client hasn't accepted their invite yet, so they didn't get it. If none of the Clients have accepted, nothing is sent and Bobbin tells you why.
Resending an invite
Open the person's profile.
Open the Actions menu and choose Resend invite.
Confirm. They get a fresh link that lasts 7 days, and the old one stops working.
If someone says they never got the invite, ask them to check their spam folder first.
People who already use Bobbin
If you add someone whose email address already has a Bobbin account with another organization, they're added in the same way as anyone new. Their existing account gets a Join [your organization] on Bobbin email asking them to accept or decline. Nothing from your organization is shared with them until they accept.
Until they accept, their profile shows the name you typed when you added them, along with Invite not accepted. You can add them to Lessons and Courses as normal.
If they accept, they sign in with their existing account and can switch between organizations. Their profile then shows the name on their own account.
If they decline, or don't answer within 7 days, they're removed from your organization. You can add them again if you need to.
Importing people from a spreadsheet
Everyone you import with an email address gets an invite, just as if you'd added them one at a time, and shows Invite not accepted until they accept it.
If you upload the same file again, anyone already added is skipped, including people who haven't accepted yet.
Students without an email address
A Student added without an email address doesn't get an invite and can't sign in. If you add an email address later from their Edit dialog, the invite goes out automatically when you save.
Changing someone's email address
When you change someone's email address from their Edit dialog, Bobbin asks the new address to confirm it:
The new address gets an email asking them to confirm it. If they've signed in before, it's called Confirm your new email address for [your organization], and they can keep their current password. If they've never signed in, they get the usual Join [your organization] on Bobbin invite.
The old address gets an email letting them know the address on the account was changed.
Your organization's emails to that person pause until the new address is confirmed.
Signing in with the new address isn't enough on its own; they need to click the link in the confirmation email. If the link has expired after 7 days, use Resend invite on their profile.
Frequently asked questions
A parent says they never got their Lesson link or report. Why?
They probably haven't accepted their invite. Check their profile for Invite not accepted, ask them to look in their spam folder, and use Resend invite if needed.
A Tutor stopped getting Lesson emails after I changed their email address. Why?
Your organization's emails pause until they confirm the new address. Ask them to click the link in the confirmation email, or resend it from their profile.
Someone I added has disappeared from my lists. What happened?
They most likely already had a Bobbin account with another organization and either declined your invite or didn't answer within 7 days. You can add them again.
Do people who were already in Bobbin need to accept an invite?
No. People added before invites were introduced carry on as they are, unless you change their email address.