Kiddo Help — For centers

How to set up auto-archive rules for your waitlist

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Chris

Last updated on Aug 8, 2026

Summary

Auto-Archive Rules keep your active waitlist manageable by moving applications to Archive when a child passes your age limit or a family has been inactive for too long. You choose the thresholds; Kiddo runs the rules daily and when you first turn a rule on.

Before you start

  • You need admin access to Settings.
  • Review your classroom age bands (under Settings → Locations & Classrooms) if you plan to use the age rule — Kiddo can suggest a threshold from your oldest classroom.
  • Auto-archive rules only affect applications on the Wait List tab with On Wait List status. Offers, enrollment in progress, and enrolled children are not auto-archived.
  • This guide covers Auto-Archive Rules in settings. Incomplete applications can also be removed from the active list automatically after reminder emails — that is separate from these rules.

Steps

  1. Open Settings → Enrollment & Waitlist and scroll to Auto-Archive Rules.
  2. Choose one or both rules:

Age rule

Turn on the first toggle and set When child turns [years] years [months] month(s).

  • Kiddo uses the child's date of birth. Applications without a birth date are skipped.
  • If your threshold is below Kiddo's recommended age (from your classroom upper age limits), you may see Update auto-archive age. You can Use recommended age, Keep existing age, or Turn on with current age.
  • Recommended age uses each classroom's upper age limit. If a classroom has no upper limit, Kiddo adds two years to its minimum age.

Inactivity rule

Turn on the second toggle and set If the parents' last activity was more than [number] [Month / Year] ago.

  • Last activity means the parent signed in or confirmed interest in Kiddo. If that date is missing, Kiddo uses the last time they confirmed their application.
  • Imported or staff-added applications that never signed in are only considered after the record has been on your waitlist for more than one year.
  1. Changes save automatically. When you first enable a rule, Kiddo runs auto-archive once right away and shows how many applications moved to Archive (if any).
  2. After that, rules run on a daily schedule (3 AM UTC). Matching applications move to Archive without further action from you.

What happens next

On your waitlist

  • Archived applications leave the Wait List tab and appear under Waitlist → Archive.
  • Auto-archived rows show Age rule — auto or Inactivity rule — auto so you can tell them apart from manual archives.
  • Waitlist position is preserved — if you Return to Waitlist, the original submission date still counts for ordering.
  • Use Return to Waitlist from a child's profile anytime a family comes back.

For families

Auto-archive is staff-facing cleanup. On Home today:

  • Families do not see a removed or archived label for auto-archive.
  • If auto-archive was the only status on the application, Home may fall back to On Waitlist — which can look like they are still actively waitlisted.
  • Kiddo does not send an automatic email when auto-archive runs.

Reach out directly when families need a clear answer. Use Parent Withdraw when you archive manually and want them to see Withdrawn on Home. See How to archive a waitlist application.

On Overview

  • Auto-Archived Children (Last 30 Days) on Overview shows how many applications were archived in the last 30 days, as a share of all archived applications at your center.

Common questions

Can I use only one rule?

Yes. Age and inactivity rules work independently — enable either or both.

Does auto-archive delete applications?

No. Applications move to Archive. You can still view details, export data, and use Return to Waitlist to bring them back to the active list.

What counts as parent activity for the inactivity rule?

Signing in to Kiddo or confirming continued interest on an application. Staff edits alone do not reset the clock for a signed-in family.

Will auto-archive affect applications with an open offer?

No. Only applications with On Wait List status are eligible. Sent offers, accepted enrollment, and enrolled children stay where they are.

What about imported waitlist rows?

Families who never created a Kiddo account are not archived for inactivity until the record is at least one year old. Age rules still apply when the child's date of birth crosses your threshold.

How is this different from manually archiving?

Manual archive is a one-time staff action with a reason you choose. Auto-archive runs on your schedule using the rules above. Both land in Archive and behave the same on Home today.

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