Goal
Run census season on automations instead of email chains. In this workflow, you connect payroll before the season starts, build a census collection project template with automated outreach and reminders, launch it in bulk, and monitor the whole season from one dashboard. Set it up once — the same template works year after year.
Prerequisites
Companies, plans, and client contacts set up in CX, with contact roles assigned consistently.
An email template for census outreach, and an annual questionnaire (APQ) template if you use one.
Client reminders configured (see Setting Up Client Reminders).
Step-by-step workflow
1. Connect payroll before the season starts
Payroll connected early means census data flows without delays later.
Open your project templates and click Explore Curated Templates.
Download the Payroll Connection - (Pre-Census) template.
Launch it for the companies whose payroll isn't connected yet — the Payrolls page shows who still needs one. The project emails plan sponsors and walks them through connecting in the client portal.
Track statuses on the Payrolls page and follow up with anyone stuck at Awaiting Client.
Start early — assisted connections can take up to two weeks. See Connecting Payroll Ahead of Census.
2. Build your census project template
Create a project template dedicated to annual census collection. Add internal tasks (review submitted data, finalize the census file) and client-facing tasks (update company info, complete the questionnaire, submit census data), each assigned to the right role.
Set the Plan Year data field to the correct year. Update this every year before you launch.
Add the annual questionnaire task, configured so responses save directly to the project record.
Add log fields for milestones — census received, review complete, final approval — so you can report on timelines later.
Important: An incorrect plan year stores census data in the wrong annual record and affects reporting.
The full worked example is in Census Data Collection Projects.
3. Add the automations
Add an automated email task that notifies the plan sponsor when census collection begins — pick the template and the recipient roles.
Set due dates on client-facing tasks and configure reminders before and after the due date.
Add an automation that launches your follow-on project (like census review or compliance testing) when collection completes, with conditions set so it triggers only when you want it to.
See Common Automation Recipes for the email, launch-project, and file-saving patterns.
4. Launch — test first, then in bulk
Confirm the correct contacts are assigned to each plan.
Launch a test project for one plan. Verify the email went out and the client task appears in the client portal.
Launch for the remaining plans in bulk.
5. Monitor the season from the dashboard
Open the built-in Census & Payroll dashboard.
Watch widgets like Census Data Waiting for Review, Census Tasks Blocked by Client, and Clients by Census/Payroll Status.
Let automatic reminders chase the slow responders; step in personally only for the outliers.
Expected outcome
Plan sponsors get their census request, questionnaire, and reminders automatically the moment you launch.
Submitted questionnaires and data save straight to the project record — no manual uploads.
Milestone fields log when data was received, reviewed, and approved, ready for reporting.
You can see the whole season's status at a glance, and the same template is ready for next year.
Related features
Census Data Collection Projects
Connecting Payroll Ahead of Census
Client Task Reminders
Common Automation Recipes
Viewing Dashboards Inside CX
Tips
Tip: Update the Plan Year field first thing each season — it's the most common setup miss.
Tip: Expect the first reminder wave to spread over a couple of days. Large batches split on purpose to protect email deliverability.
Tip: Use the milestone fields to spot slow plans early, then track turnaround across the season with SLA Tracking and Performance Reporting.