Overview#
The portal sends candidates seven kinds of email, to invite them and to bring them back when there's something to do. This page covers who the emails go to, what each email is and when it goes out.
This page is for your Pump administrator, and is part of the Pump Portal Admin Guide. To change the wording, see Changing email wording and troubleshooting.
Video: C7 - Emails a candidate receives
Who the emails go to, and from#
- To: the candidate's Personal Email on their Person record in Pump, not their Work Email or Other Personal Email. Check it's filled in and correct before inviting a candidate. This is the standard; if you'd like the emails to go to a different email field, ask Pump.
- From: the address in the PortalNotificationSenderEmail setting (see Settings you can change). Pump sets this up at install as a shared mailbox, for example portal@yourcompany.com, so it isn't tied to one member of staff. Candidates' replies go to that mailbox.
- One email per candidate. If several items need attention on the same day, the candidate gets one email listing them all, not one email each.
- No tracking and no unsubscribe link. These emails are about the candidate's own compliance, so they don't carry an unsubscribe link: a candidate who unsubscribed would stop getting the emails they need.
- Only items shown in the portal. Items with Show in Portal = No, items that are inactive, and items for a placement, offer or application that didn't go ahead are never included.
- Not invited yet? If a candidate would get an email about their items but hasn't been invited to the portal, they're sent the invitation instead.
The seven emails#
| # | Sent when | Starts | Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portal Invitation | Staff click Send Invite, or daily for candidates who should have portal access (see Portal Invitation) | Send Invite: at install. Daily invitations: when you turn their flow on | You're invited to the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 2 | Candidate Registration Reminder | Daily, 3 and 7 days after the invitation if the candidate hasn't registered | When you turn its flow on | Reminder: complete your registration on the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 3 | New Placement Notification | Daily, when a candidate has a new placement with items still to complete | When you turn its flow on | Compliance item(s) to complete for your new placement on the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 4 | New Compliance Item Notification | Daily, when new items have been added for the candidate | When you turn its flow on | New compliance item(s) on the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 5 | Compliance Expiry Reminder | Daily, when an item is 90, 30, 7 or 1 days from its expiry date | When you turn its flow on | Compliance item(s) expiring soon on the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 6 | Manual Compliance Reminder | Staff click Send Reminder | At install | Reminder to complete your compliance item(s) on the Pump Candidate Portal |
| 7 | Compliance Reactivation Notification | Staff reopen an item the candidate had finished | When you turn its flow on | Compliance item(s) need your attention again on the Pump Candidate Portal |
"When you turn its flow on" means the email starts once you switch on its flow in production (see Turning the automatic emails on).
Each email greets the candidate by first name and has a link to the portal. The item emails list each item on its own line with the role it's for, for example "Right to Work — Site Manager at Acme Ltd".
1. Portal Invitation#
Has a link to register, and an invitation code in case the candidate is asked for one. The link lasts 14 days; after that, staff send a new invitation.
Besides Send Invite, a daily check invites any candidate who should have portal access but hasn't been invited: anyone with a current placement, an open offer, or an application with a Status Reason of Short List or beyond.
2. Candidate Registration Reminder#
Sent twice if the candidate still hasn't registered: 3 and 7 days after the invitation by default. Change the timings with PortalReminderDaysFirst and PortalReminderDaysSecond (see Settings you can change).
3. New Placement Notification and 4. New Compliance Item Notification#
Tell the candidate about items they haven't been told about yet. Each item is only announced once.
5. Compliance Expiry Reminder#
Reminds the candidate about items with an expiry date coming up: at 90, 30, 7 and 1 days before by default. Change the days with ComplianceExpiryReminderDays (see Settings you can change).
- Which items: items the candidate may need to renew or finish. Items waiting for your team to review, and items that are deferred or inactive, aren't reminded.
- Once per window: if the candidate has already had any portal email about the item since that reminder point, for example it was announced as new 20 days before it expires, the 30-day reminder is skipped. Later reminders still go.
Items on the candidate themselves (for example passport, DBS, right to work) are only reminded while the candidate has a live role:
- a placement that hasn't been cancelled, been a non-starter, or finished, and hasn't ended;
- an offer that's New, Awaiting Authorisation or Awaiting Response; or
- an application at Short List, CV Sent, Interview or Under Offer.
A candidate with no live role gets no reminders for these items. If your process needs a different rule, contact Pump.
- Items on the candidate's limited company (for example Public Liability Insurance) go to each candidate linked to that company who has a live role.
6. Manual Compliance Reminder#
Sent when staff click Send Reminder on a compliance item, or on several selected items (see Sending a reminder). Each item says why it needs attention: "(expired on 20/10/2026)", "(please resubmit)" for an item your team rejected, or "(document needed)". Staff see a summary of what was sent and what was skipped. Candidates whose portal access has been withdrawn are skipped.
Only items the candidate has something to do on are reminded: New, In Progress, Training to Qualify, Expired and Failed. The same live-role rule as the expiry reminder applies to items on the candidate or their company.
7. Compliance Reactivation Notification#
An item is reactivated when staff reopen it after it was completed or closed, for example because the document needs redoing. On the compliance item, click Activate; the item goes back to New, and the candidate is emailed that it needs their attention again.
The candidate is found from the item's Person field. An item linked only through a placement, offer or application, with no Person, doesn't send this email.