What are automations?
Automations are multi-step workflows that send emails, wait, check conditions, and call webhooks — all triggered automatically when contacts enter through a list or segment. Once active, they run on autopilot without any manual intervention.Automation lifecycle
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being built. You can add, edit, and remove steps freely |
| Active | Running. Contacts are being enrolled and processed |
| Paused | Temporarily stopped. No new contacts are enrolled and processing is halted |
You can only edit an automation’s workflow when it’s in Draft status. Active automations must be paused first.
Building a workflow
Automations use a visual graph-based builder. You connect steps together to define the flow contacts go through.Step types
Trigger
The entry point. Defines how contacts enter the automation — via a contact list or a segment.
Sends an email using a template. Supports personalization with contact variables and properties.
Delay
Pauses the contact for a set amount of time before moving to the next step. Configurable in minutes, hours, or days.
Condition
Splits the flow based on whether a contact meets a condition. Creates Yes and No branches.
Webhook
Sends an HTTP request to an external URL when a contact reaches this step.
Trigger (entry point)
Every automation starts with a trigger that defines how contacts enter:Email steps
Email steps send a message using one of your templates. The template’s subject, sender, and body are used, with personalization variables replaced per contact. All the same personalization variables from campaigns are available —{{FIRST_NAME}}, {{EMAIL}}, custom properties, etc.
Delay steps
Delay steps pause the contact’s progression through the workflow. You configure:- Duration — A numeric value
- Unit — Minutes, Hours, or Days
3 Days means the contact waits 3 days before moving to the next step.
Condition steps
Conditions check whether a contact meets a specific criteria and split the flow into two branches:- Yes branch — Contact meets the condition
- No branch — Contact does not meet the condition
| Condition | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Email Opened | Whether the contact opened a specific email step |
| Email Not Opened | Whether the contact has not opened a specific email step |
| Email Clicked | Whether the contact clicked a link in a specific email step |
| Email Not Clicked | Whether the contact has not clicked a link in a specific email step |
| Email Bounced | Whether a specific email step bounced for the contact |
| Has Completed Automation | Whether the contact has completed a specific automation |
| Is Active In Automation | Whether the contact is currently active in a specific automation |
| In List | Whether the contact belongs to a specific list |
| Not In List | Whether the contact does not belong to a specific list |
| In Segment | Whether the contact matches a specific segment |
| Contact Property | Whether a contact’s property matches a given value |
Contact enrollment
When a contact enters an automation, they’re tracked individually through each step. You can see:| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Active | Currently progressing through the workflow |
| Completed | Reached the end of the workflow |
| Exited | Left the automation early (e.g., unsubscribed) |
| Failed | A step failed during processing |
Re-entry
By default, a contact can only go through an automation once. You can enable Allow re-entry to let contacts be enrolled again if they match the trigger conditions a second time.Example workflow
Here’s a typical onboarding automation:Trigger: Contact added to 'New Users' list
A contact is added to your “New Users” list (via API, import, or manually).
Sending limits
Like campaigns, automations respect your account’s sending limits:- Domain warmup — Emails are paused if your daily warmup limit is reached
- Monthly quota — Your plan’s monthly email limit is enforced
FAQ
Can I edit an active automation?
Can I edit an active automation?
No. You must pause the automation first, which moves it back to a state where you can modify the workflow. Contacts already in progress will resume when you reactivate.
What happens to in-progress contacts when I pause?
What happens to in-progress contacts when I pause?
They stay at their current step. When you reactivate, they continue from where they left off.
Can a contact be in multiple automations at once?
Can a contact be in multiple automations at once?
Yes. Automations are independent — a contact can be enrolled in as many as they qualify for.
What if a contact unsubscribes mid-automation?
What if a contact unsubscribes mid-automation?
They exit the automation immediately. No further emails are sent.
How fast are automation emails sent?
How fast are automation emails sent?
Each step is processed individually per contact. Emails are dispatched as soon as a contact reaches an email step (after any delays).