If you wonder why your contacts have not been added to one of your automations, it could be for one of the following reasons:

❌ Entry point does not match

When creating an automation, you need to add an entry point that will trigger the automation. To enter the automation, the contacts have to match the condition specified in the entry point.

The contact does not meet the criteria defined in the entry point

To enter an automation, a contact has to meet the criteria defined in the entry point.

For example, if the entry point of your automation is when a contact matches a condition (e.g. "VIP" attribute is equal to "YES"), the automation will only be triggered if a contact's attribute matches this condition. If a contact's "VIP" attribute is equal to "NO", the automation won't be triggered.

The contact has not performed the action defined in the entry point

To enter an automation, a contact has to perform the action defined in its entry point.

For example, if the entry point of your automation is when a contact clicks a link in one of your email campaigns, the automation will only be triggered when a contact performs this action. If a contact only opens your email campaign without clicking the link, the automation won't be triggered.

The contact was added to Brevo via a large import of contacts

If the entry point of your automation is "A contact is added to a list" and you then import a large number of contacts at once, it is possible that they do not enter your automation.

Adding contacts to an automation via an import is limited. Your contacts will be imported correctly into Brevo but will not be added to the automation. In fact, Brevo Automation is used to create custom automations based on the behavior of your contacts. It is not designed for mass emailing, which can be done via an email campaign.

❌ Tracking reasons

When creating automations that require using the Brevo tracker and track events, sometimes contacts may not enter the automation due to tracking reasons.

Contact was not identified by the Brevo tracker

When someone visits a website that contains the Brevo tracker, the tracker will automatically add a cookie to their browser. The tracker should then identify the contact.

A contact can be identified if:

• They create an account on the website
• They submit a Brevo form on the website
• They click a link in an email sent from the Brevo account

Even if the contact entered an email address during checkout, if they are not identified by one of the three ways mentioned above, they will not enter the automation.

Contact did not log into the website

Even if a contact is identified, the Brevo tracker can retrieve their email address and identify them only once they are logged into your website. To allow identified contacts to enter your automations, make sure you have a login page on your website.

If you want to be able to track contacts who have not logged in your website but entered their email address during checkout, you need to add an identification request on your website.

Track events have not been created properly

If you have installed the Brevo tracker manually, you need to create your own custom track events.

If you are using a Brevo plugin, check this table to learn if your plugin automatically creates the three standard track events or not. If not, you will also have to create your own custom track events.

You can then add these track events to your automation to trigger each step. The name of the track events created on your website has to be the same as the name entered in the automation. Otherwise, the automation won't be triggered.

To learn how to create track events, please read our technical documentation.

❌ Automation limitations

A contact may not be able to enter an automation because of technical limitations. 

Automation has not been activated/has been paused

Make sure you have activated your automation to allow contacts to enter it and receive your abandoned cart email. If you paused your automation, new contacts won't be able to enter it.

Contacts limit has been reached

On Free and Starter plans, only 2,000 unique contacts can enter your active automations. Above this limit, no more contacts can enter your automations.

Brevo will send you a notification email when:

• The contacts limit is about to be reached (80%)
• The contacts limit is reached

Find more information about this limitation below:

How do contacts work with a Free or Starter plan in Automations?

• 2,000 contacts can enter your active automations.
• If a contact enters two different automations, they count as one contact.

What happens when the 2,000 contacts limit is reached?

• Once you reach the 2,000 contacts limit, no more contacts can enter your automations unless you upgrade to a Business or Enterprise plan.
• Your automations remain active, and the contacts already in your automations continue to progress in them.

What happens to contacts blocked by the limit after you upgrade?

• They automatically enter your automations if they still meet the requirements.
• They don’t automatically enter your automations if the entry point is “A contact is added to a list”. To let these contacts in, you need to remove them from the list and add them back.

🤔 Have a question?

If you have a question, feel free to contact our support team by creating a ticket from your account. If you don't have an account yet, you can contact us here.

If you’re looking for help with a project using Brevo, we can match you with the right certified Brevo expert partner.