Platform Compatibility – Play A.8: Graduate Program Intake Tagging System
Does This Tagging System Work With Our Platforms?
The short answer is almost certainly yes. Here is why — and what to look for.
Why This System Works Across Platforms
The Graduate Program Intake Tagging System was designed from the ground up to be platform-agnostic. It does not require a specific CRM, a specific LMS, or a specific student information system. What it requires is one thing: that your platforms support the ability to attach a descriptive label — a tag, a category, a custom field, or a similar feature — to a contact or learner record.
That capability exists in virtually every platform graduate programs use today. The names vary. The interfaces look different. But the underlying capability — the ability to say this person has this characteristic, is in this stage, or has taken this action — is universal.
What to Look For in Any Platform
Regardless of which platforms your program uses, here are the five capabilities that matter most:
- Tags, Labels, Categories, or Custom Fields — Does the platform allow you to attach descriptive information to a contact or learner record beyond the standard fields?
- Automated Workflows or Rules — Does the platform allow you to automatically apply or remove tags based on a person’s actions, status changes, or time-based triggers?
- Date-Time Stamping — Does the platform record when a tag was applied, a field was updated, or a status changed?
- Filtering and List Segmentation — Does the platform allow you to filter or segment records based on tags or custom fields?
- Data Export — Does the platform allow you to export data — including tags and custom fields — in a format that can be combined with data from other platforms?
Common Platforms and Their Compatibility
Note: Platform features and configurations vary by institution and contract. Always confirm specific capabilities with your platform administrator.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platforms
| Platform | Compatibility Notes |
| Salesforce | Highly compatible. Supports custom fields, record types, tags, and sophisticated workflow automation. Can serve as the central hub through which tags from other platforms are aggregated into a unified learner profile. Configuration requires administrative access. |
| Slate by Technolutions | Highly compatible and widely used in higher education enrollment management. Supports tags, custom fields, and population-based segmentation natively. Automated workflows allow tags to be applied based on applicant actions and status changes. |
| HubSpot | Fully compatible. Supports contact properties, custom fields, and tags. Workflow automation available in paid tiers. Particularly useful for programs using it for marketing and recruiting automation. |
| Microsoft Dynamics 365 | Compatible. Supports custom fields, categories, and workflow automation through Power Automate. Integrates well with other Microsoft products including Excel and Power BI. |
Learning Management Systems (LMS)
| Platform | Compatibility Notes |
| Canvas by Instructure | Compatible. Supports custom data fields, groups, and section-based organization. Automated rules can flag learner behavior. Particularly well suited for the Active Learner category. |
| Blackboard / Anthology | Compatible. Supports custom fields and learner groups with engagement data available through analytics tools. Automated alerts can be configured to flag at-risk learner behavior. |
| Moodle | Compatible. Open-source with strong support for custom fields, user tags, and cohort-based organization. Flexibility is high but configuration requires technical expertise. |
| D2L Brightspace | Compatible. Supports custom learner attributes, intelligent agents — automated rules that trigger actions based on learner behavior — and robust analytics. Well suited for early intervention workflows. |
Student Information Systems (SIS)
| Platform | Compatibility Notes |
| Banner by Ellucian | Compatible. Supports custom attributes and codes that function as tags. Data export is robust and Banner integrates with most CRM and LMS platforms used in higher education. |
| PeopleSoft Campus Solutions | Compatible. Supports custom fields, population queries, and data export. Integration with other platforms typically requires IT involvement. |
| Workday Student | Compatible. Supports custom fields, business process automation, and robust reporting. Configuration is typically managed by a central IT or Workday administration team. |
Website and Marketing Platforms
| Platform | Compatibility Notes |
| WordPress | Compatible through integration. Form plugins can capture inquiry data and pass it to a CRM. Website actions such as page visits and button clicks can trigger automated tag application in a connected CRM. |
| Squarespace / Wix | Compatible through integration tools like Zapier. Website actions can trigger tag application in a connected CRM. Direct tagging capability within the platform itself is limited. |
| HubSpot / Marketo / Pardot | Highly compatible. Designed around contact segmentation through tags, lists, and behavioral tracking. All three support automated tag application, date-time stamping, and data export. |
What If Our Platform Is Not Listed Here?
Use these five questions to assess compatibility:
- Does it support tags, labels, categories, or custom fields on a contact or learner record?
- Does it support automated workflows or rules that can apply or remove tags automatically?
- Does it record date and time when a tag is applied or a field is updated?
- Does it allow you to filter or segment records based on tags or custom fields?
- Does it support data export in a format that can be combined with data from other platforms?
If the answer to most of these questions is yes — your platform is compatible. No platform is a barrier to beginning. Start with what you have. Build from there.
A Note on Platform Integration
The true power of this tagging system is not what any single platform can do — it is what becomes possible when platforms are connected and speaking the same language. Most of the platforms listed above can be integrated with each other through native integrations, API connections, or middleware tools like Zapier, Make, or MuleSoft.
Building those integrations is beyond the scope of this play. But it is the natural next step for programs that have successfully implemented the tagging system within individual platforms and are ready to connect them into a unified ecosystem. That work — like all the work in this playbook — should be approached one integration at a time, with your platform owners and support staff as partners in the process.
Need Help?
- Full system documentation — refer to the complete play
- Platform compatibility questions — refer to the Platform Compatibility Appendix
- Getting started — refer to the Getting Started Guide and Your First 90 Days
One Final Reminder
This system exists to serve your learners — not the other way around. Every tag you apply, every profile you build, every pattern you discover in your intake data is only valuable if it leads to better decisions, more personalized support, and a program that more fully lives out its purpose.
The goal was never a perfect tagging system. The goal was always a program that truly knows its learners — and uses that knowledge to serve them well. Start there. Start small. Start now.
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Play 0.1: Guided Worksheet – Discovering Your Graduate Program’s Purpose Statement is available for download as a Word Doc by clicking here:
Click on this link to view a list of all published plays. https://rgalsup.com/chronological-listing-of-available-grad-program-intake-playbook-plays/