This feature is in beta and is being gradually rolled out to accounts.
Automations are workflows that perform actions when contacts meet specific criteria. Use automations to automatically communicate with contacts or update contact information based on their activity.
For example, you can create an automation to:
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Send a welcome email to new contacts.
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Nurture leads over time.
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Onboard new customers.
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Follow up after a purchase.
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Add or remove contact labels.
Unlike campaigns, which are sent to a selected audience at a specific time, automations continue running and enroll contacts when the configured criteria are met.
You can start with a suggested automation or build one from scratch.
To create an automation:
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From the dashboard, click Marketing Automation.
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Click Automations.
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Click New Automation.
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Select a suggested automation or click Start From Scratch.
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Build the automation using the available rules, messages, and actions.
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Configure the automation settings.
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Review the automation, then click Activate.
Configure the following settings for your automation:
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Name: The name used to identify the automation.
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Enrollment: Determines which contacts can enter the automation.
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Trigger: Defines the event that starts the automation for a contact.
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Goal: Defines the goal contacts can complete while enrolled in the automation.
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Activation: Determines when the automation starts running.
Goal completion is tracked in Marketing Insights, allowing you to measure how many enrolled contacts reach the goal you configured.
The trigger determines the event that starts the automation for a contact.
Available triggers include:
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Form submitted
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Order created
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Cart abandoned
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Booking created
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Site member created
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Label added or removed
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Contact created
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Contact field changed
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Campaign opened or clicked
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Date reached
Some triggers use activity directly from your site. For example, you can start an automation when an order is created, a cart is abandoned, or a booking is created.
Build your automation by adding rules, messages, and actions to the automation flow.
You can add the following types of steps:
Rules control how and when contacts move through the automation:
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If/Else
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Wait for Event
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Wait for a Period of Time
Messages communicate with contacts:
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Send Email
Actions update contact information or control the automation flow:
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Add/Remove Label
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Update Field
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Exit
Pause an automation before making changes to its flow.
When an automation is paused:
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Existing contacts remain at their current step.
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Automation steps do not run.
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Marketing emails are not sent.
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New contacts are not enrolled, even if they meet the trigger criteria.
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Existing contacts are not removed from the automation.
When you turn the automation back on, contacts continue from the step where they were paused. Steps that became due while the automation was paused run immediately. Contacts already enrolled do not restart the automation or enroll again.
If you modify the flow while it is paused, existing contacts continue through the updated version when the automation resumes.
Caution
If you delete the step where a contact is currently waiting, the contact is removed from the automation. Edit the existing step instead of deleting and recreating it when you want enrolled contacts to continue through the flow.