How to Set Up a Refresher Workflow

A Refresher Workflow automatically expires a learner’s course completion after a set period (e.g. 12 months) and re-enrols them to complete the course again. This is the standard approach for ongoing compliance training in Acorn.

How a Refresher Workflow works

• When a learner completes a course, the refresher clock starts.

• After the Refresher Period (e.g. 12 months), the completion expires and is archived.

• The learner is automatically re-enrolled and must complete the course again to become compliant.

• Reminder emails can be sent before the expiry date to prompt re-completion.

Step 1: Create the Refresher Workflow

1. Go to Admin > Workflows and click Create Workflow.

2. Enter a Name (e.g. “Annual Compliance — 12 Month Refresher”).

3. Set Workflow Type to Refresher.

4. Set Content Type to Course (or Live Learning if applicable).

5. Set the Refresher Period — e.g. 12 months. This is how long after a completion before it expires.

   1. (Optional) Set a Cut Off Date if you want all completions before a specific date to expire immediately, regardless of the refresher period. Useful for resetting compliance after a policy update.

6. Enable Include Emails if you want to notify learners when their completion expires or is approaching expiry.

   1. Click Add Reminder Email to set up pre-expiry reminders (e.g. 30 days before expiry).

   2. Turn on Send Emails Retroactively if you want emails sent to users whose completions already expired before this workflow was created.

   3. Turn on Repeat Completion Expired Email Monthly if after a user's completion has expired, you want to resend the Completion Expired Email once per month until the user re-completes the content.

   4. Turn on Also Send Expired Email to Supervisor if you want the user's supervisor to receive the same email at the same time when the user receives their Completion Expired Email, with additional text identifying which user is expired. If monthly repeat is enabled, the supervisor will also receive the monthly resend.

7. (Optional) Add Cohort Restrictions if this refresher should only apply to specific user groups.

8. Click Create Workflow.
   
   

Step 2: Add the Refresher Workflow to the course

1. Navigate to the course in the catalogue.

2. Click the cog icon > Update Course.

3. Scroll down and click Add Workflow.

4. Select your Refresher Workflow and click Update Course.

Combining with other workflows

For annual compliance training, it is common to stack a Refresher Workflow with a Due Date Workflow and an Enrolment Workflow on the same course. Each handles a different part of the learner lifecycle. For guidance on combining workflows, see Workflow Definitions.

Important notes

• • Refresher Workflows do not share email reminders with Due Date Workflows. If you want reminders for both new and returning learners, configure emails in both workflows.

  • A cut-off date cannot be set to a future date.

  • This workflow does not manage re-enrolment for Acorn-to-Acorn (A2A) shared content.