> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.puddin.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Sending and Managing Applicant Invitations in Puddin

> Send, resend, and monitor invitations so applicants can access Puddin and complete their personal statements before your deadline.

Invitations are how applicants gain access to the Puddin writing environment. When you send an invitation, Puddin emails the applicant a personalised link that takes them directly to their personal statement. You can send invitations to individual applicants, to a manually selected group, or to your entire cohort in one action. This page covers sending initial invitations, checking delivery status, and following up with applicants who haven't started or finished.

## Sending invitations

### Send a single invitation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Locate the applicant">
    In your cycle's **Applicants** tab, find the applicant you want to invite. Use the search bar or filters to narrow the list if needed.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the applicant's options">
    Click the **⋮** (more options) menu on the applicant's row and select **Send Invitation**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm the send">
    A confirmation dialog shows the applicant's name, email address, and the email template that will be used. Click **Send** to dispatch the invitation. The applicant's status changes to **Invited**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Send invitations in bulk

To invite multiple applicants at once, see [Bulk Management](/admissions/applicants/bulk-management). Bulk invitations use the same email template as individual sends and trigger the same status update.

## What the invitation email contains

Every invitation email sent by Puddin includes:

* A personalised greeting using the applicant's first name
* A brief explanation of what Puddin is and why they're receiving the invitation
* The name of your institution and the programme they've applied to
* A unique, secure access link to their personal statement task
* Your submission deadline (pulled from the cycle settings)
* Contact information for your admissions team

<Note>
  You can customise the body copy, sign-off, and institution branding of invitation emails in **Admin → Institutional Settings → Email Templates**. The access link, deadline, and programme fields are always injected automatically and cannot be removed.
</Note>

## Resending invitations

If an applicant reports that they didn't receive their invitation, or if the original link has expired, you can resend it at any time.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Find the applicant">
    In the **Applicants** tab, locate the applicant who needs a new invitation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Resend the invitation">
    Click **⋮ → Resend Invitation**. Puddin generates a fresh access link and sends a new email. The previous link is immediately invalidated to prevent confusion.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Resending an invitation invalidates the previous link. If the applicant still has the old email, the link in it will no longer work. Let the applicant know to look for the most recent email from Puddin.
</Warning>

## Checking delivery status

Puddin tracks email delivery for every invitation. To see the delivery status for an applicant:

1. Click the applicant's name to open their profile.
2. Select the **Invitations** tab within the profile.

You'll see a log of every invitation sent to that applicant, including:

| Column    | Description                                                             |
| --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Sent at   | Date and time the email was dispatched                                  |
| Status    | Delivered, Bounced, or Pending                                          |
| Opened    | Whether the email has been opened (if supported by your email provider) |
| Link used | Whether the applicant has clicked through to Puddin                     |

<Info>
  If an email shows a **Bounced** status, check that the applicant's email address is correct before resending. You can edit an applicant's email address from their profile page as long as they have not yet submitted.
</Info>

## Sending reminders

Reminders are follow-up emails sent to applicants who have been invited but haven't yet started or completed their personal statement. Use reminders to reduce late submissions without manually chasing each applicant.

### Send a reminder to one applicant

1. Open the applicant's profile.
2. Click **Send Reminder**.
3. Select whether to send the **Not Started** reminder or the **In Progress** reminder, depending on the applicant's current status.
4. Click **Send**.

### Send reminders in bulk

You can send reminders to all applicants in a given status group at once from the bulk actions menu. See [Bulk Management](/admissions/applicants/bulk-management) for full instructions.

<Tip>
  Set up automated deadline reminders in **Admin → Institutional Settings → Notifications** so Puddin sends reminder emails automatically at intervals you choose — for example, 14 days and 3 days before the submission deadline.
</Tip>