User Role Changed

Trigger a workflow when a user's role is updated.

Overview

The User Role Changed trigger fires when a user’s role is modified. This is useful for automation based on membership level changes, permission updates, or user lifecycle events.

When It Fires

Admin changes a user’s role
Membership plugin upgrades/downgrades a user
WooCommerce changes role based on purchase
Programmatic role changes via code
Subscription status changes affect role

Configuration

Field	Type	Required	Description
Old Role	select	No	Filter by previous role
New Role	select	No	Filter by new role

Available Data

Role Information

Variable	Type	Description
`{{Trigger.old_role}}`	string	The previous role
`{{Trigger.new_role}}`	string	The new role
`{{Trigger.all_roles}}`	array	All current roles

User Information

Variable	Type	Description
`{{Trigger.user_id}}`	integer	User ID
`{{Trigger.user_email}}`	string	Email address
`{{Trigger.user_login}}`	string	Username
`{{Trigger.display_name}}`	string	Display name
`{{Trigger.first_name}}`	string	First name
`{{Trigger.last_name}}`	string	Last name

Example Workflows

Membership Upgrade Welcome

When users upgrade to premium:

Trigger: User Role Changed
- New Role: “premium_member”
Action: Send Email
- To: {{Trigger.user_email}}
- Subject: Welcome to Premium, {{Trigger.first_name}}!
- Body: Premium benefits and getting started guide

Downgrade Notification

When membership expires:

Trigger: User Role Changed
- Old Role: “premium_member”
- New Role: “subscriber”
Action: Send Email
- To: {{Trigger.user_email}}
- Subject: We miss you, {{Trigger.first_name}}
- Body: Win-back offer or resubscription link

CRM Sync

Keep your CRM updated with role changes:

Trigger: User Role Changed
Action: Airtable - Update Record
- Find by: Email = {{Trigger.user_email}}
- Update: Membership Level = {{Trigger.new_role}}

Admin Alert

Notify admins of high-value role changes:

Trigger: User Role Changed
- New Role: “administrator”
Action: Send Email
- To: security@yoursite.com
- Subject: Security Alert: New admin created
- Body: User details and action timestamp

Common Role Change Scenarios

From	To	Typical Cause
subscriber	customer	First purchase
customer	premium_member	Subscription start
premium_member	subscriber	Subscription expired
subscriber	administrator	Manual promotion

Best Practices

Set up workflows for both upgrades and downgrades
Use specific role filters to avoid unintended triggers
Log all admin role changes for security auditing
Create re-engagement workflows for downgraded users