Creating an automation helps automate repetitive tasks related to marketing and contact management. You can either use a template to create your automation or create your own custom automation by combining the entry points, actions, and conditions of your choice.
Before you start
If this is your first time creating an automation, check our Getting started with Automations guide and learn more about the different elements involved in the process in our dedicated article Available entry points, actions, and conditions in an automation.
Step 1: Create an automation
When creating an automation, you can choose to either create a custom automation or use one of our templates:
- Go to Automations.
- Click + Create an automation.
- Click Use the classic editor to create a custom automation, or choose from one of the available templates in our list:
- Name your automation.
- Optional: Add a description of your automation.
- Choose if you want your contacts to enter the automation multiple times:
- If the option Allow your contacts to enter the automation more than once is activated, your contacts will be able to enter the automation multiple times.
- If the option Allow your contacts to enter the automation more than once is deactivated, your contacts will be able to enter the automation only once.
💡 Good to knowFor specific automations, such as a welcome automation, contacts should only enter the automation once and receive the welcome email a single time. However, with other automations, such as a re-engagement automation, you might want the contacts to be able to enter the automation multiple times and receive the re-engagement email each time they become inactive.
- Click Create automation.
Step 2: Select an entry point
An automation always starts with an entry point, which is a criterion that decides which contacts enter the automation. For example, in a welcome automation, the entry point is when a contact is added to a specific list.
To select an entry point for your automation:
- Click Add an entry point.
- Choose the entry point you want to use for your automation.
- Configure the entry point.
- Click OK to add the entry point to your automation.
- Optional: Click Add an entry point again to add additional entry points to your automation. In such cases, if a contact meets the rule of at least one entry point, they enter the automation.
Step 3: Add actions or conditions
Once you've added an entry point to your automation, you can add the actions or conditions you would like your contacts to experience.
Conditions
Conditions are rules your contacts have to meet in order to to proceed to the next steps of your automation. For example, in a welcome automation, the condition is to wait a few minutes before sending an email.
To add a condition to your automation:
- Click +.
- Choose the condition you want to add to your automation.
- Configure the condition.
- Click OK to add the condition to the automation.
- Optional: Click + again to add additional conditions to your automation.
Actions
Actions are the events carried out in an automation when a contact meets an entry point or condition. For example, in a welcome automation, the action is to send an email.
To add an action to your automation:
- Click +.
- Choose the action you want to add to your automation.
- Configure the action.
- Click OK to add the action to the automation.
- Optional: Click + again to add additional actions to your automation.
Step 4: (Optional) Add exit and restart conditions
When a contact enters an automation, they start going through the steps until they exit the automation after completing the final step. However, it's possible to force a contact to exit or restart the automation, no matter which step the contact is at, using an exit or restart condition.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article What are the exit and restart conditions in an automation?.
Exit conditions
To add an exit condition to your automation:
- Under Exit & Restart the workflow, click Add new Conditions.
- Under Exit the workflow, click Add a condition.
- Choose the exit condition you want to add to your automation.
- Configure the exit condition.
- Click OK to add the exit condition to your automation.
- Optional: Click Add a condition to add additional exit conditions to your automation.
Restart conditions
To add a restart condition to your automation:
- Under Exit & Restart the workflow, click Add new Conditions.
- Under Restart the workflow, click Add a condition.
- Choose the restart condition you want to add to your automation.
- Configure the restart condition.
- Click OK to add the restart condition to your automation.
- Optional: Click Add a condition to add additional restart conditions to your automation.
Step 5: [Recommended] Test the automation
Once you're done setting up your automation, we recommend testing it before activation. This helps identify potential problems, such as:
- Unreplaced placeholders in emails.
- Contacts being stuck in a step.
- Contacts not exiting the automation despite meeting the exit condition, among other issues.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Test an automation.
Step 6: Activate the automation
Once you are done testing your automation, you can activate it to allow contacts to enter and move through it.
To activate your automation, click Activate automation. |
Custom automation ideas
You can now create your own custom automations. Expand the following accordions to learn more about some common custom automations:
Encourage customer retention after they create an account or make a purchase by providing instructions on how to use your products or services, promoting further engagement and interaction.
- Entry point: A contact is added to a list
- Condition: Add a delay
- Action: Send an email
Before blocklisting an inactive contact, try to get them to re-engage with your brand or content by asking if they still want to hear from you or sending them a discount code.
- Entry point: Contact details - A contact is in a segment at a given time - Unengaged contacts
- Action: Send an email
- Condition: Wait until - Email Marketing Activity - Opened
- Action (in No branch): Blocklist a contact
Determine your most promising leads andhow close they are to making a purchase by assigning points to prospective customers based on their behavior.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Set up a lead scoring model with Automation.
Receive a notification when someone fills out one of your forms, enabling you to take quick action. You can direct these notifications to yourself or your sales or marketing team for prompt follow-up.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Receive a notification when a contact submits a form.
Send a reminder email annually on a specific date. This can be useful to remind your customers that their contract or subscription renewal date is approaching, or to wish them a happy anniversary from the day they subscribed to your emails.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Launching a workflow based on the date on which a contact is added to a list.
You can choose from the following automation templates:
➡️ Click the links to access articles for each use case, or check our dedicated article What automation templates are available? for an explanation of each template.
Step 2: Configure the automation
When you choose an automation template, we'll walk you through configuring each step. Just enter the required information or select the email template of your choice. The necessary steps will then be added to your automation automatically.
Step 3: [Recommended] Test the automation
Once you're done setting up your automation, we recommend testing it before activation. This helps identify potential problems, such as:
- Unreplaced placeholders in emails.
- Contacts being stuck in a step.
- Contacts not exiting the automation despite meeting the exit condition, among other issues.
➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Test an automation.
Step 4: Activate the automation
Once you are done testing your automation, you can activate it to allow contacts to enter and move through it.
To activate your automation, click Activate automation. |
⏭️ What's next?
- Test an automation
- How does a contact move through an automation?
- Why have my contacts not been added to an automation?
🤔 Have a question?
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