In this article, we will discuss the specifics of how the automation editor works. You will learn how to navigate the panel in the Automation section, as well as how to combine triggers and actions.

Automation selection view

Adding triggers

Segment contacts entering the automation

Adding actions

Deleting triggers and actions

Saving the automation

Viewing the automation

Making automation an Active or Inactive

Naming your automation

Labeling your automations

Editing your automation

1. To enter the automation editor, click Automations in the menu on the left, then click the Create automation button in the upper right corner.

2. You have ready-to-use automation templates that you can use as a starting point. You can change them and adapt them to what is important for your business and the processes you want to improve.

Select the automation you want to use, then click Continue.

The system will redirect you to the automation editor, where you can see which triggers and actions are used to build the template of your choice. If the automation suits your needs, click the Get Started button to start the setup in your account. However, if you choose not to use it, click Never mind, take me back to recipes to return to the previous view.

If you want to create a new automation without using a pre-made template, click Start from scratch, and then click Continue.

Triggers are the conditions the fulfillment of which causes the automation to start. Adding triggers to automation is therefore nothing more than specifying the conditions for its initiation. You can set up multiple triggers so your automation will start in more than one way.

You can add triggers in two ways:

1. In the new automation view; the window below will appear immediately after clicking Continue from the automation selection view (previous step).

To add a selected trigger, click on it.

2. In the automation editor at any time by clicking Add a start trigger.

You can remove a selected trigger by clicking Delete trigger.

After selecting a trigger, the related options will be displayed. The setting common to most triggers is the running mode selection:

The Runs setting has two options:

This will make it so a contact can only enter the automation once, no matter how many times they meet the triggering conditions.

This will make it so that a contact can enter the contact repeatedly each time the triggering conditions are met.

Contact segmentation is a very useful option that allows you to target specific contacts by filtering them. You create segments so that only contacts that match it go into the automation.

For example, if you want the automation to only work for contacts who haven't made a purchase yet, you can create a segment that collects contacts by the lead tag and rejects those tagged as a customer.

You can add actions to automation in two ways. They both offer the same options, so which one you use is a matter of preference.

1. Directly from the automation building view

Clicking on the + symbol anywhere in the automation will open a modal with a list of available actions. After selecting a specific action, a window with settings related to it will appear.

2. From the sidebar

The sidebar is a dark gray column on the right side of the editor view. Each of the categories (Sending options, Contacts, etc.) can be expanded by clicking on the arrow. To place the chosen action at a specific point in the automation, drag it where you want it to appear. When you release the click, a window with the settings for the selected action will appear.

To delete a trigger or action, hover over it and click the trash can icon that appears in the upper right corner.

As you create your automation, the editor will automatically save your work. If necessary, you can go back to the previous version of the automation by clicking the clock icon next to Saved at hh:mm.

If you are creating a large automation, it may not fit in your browser window.

To view the entire sequence, you have two options:

It is a good practice to leave the automation Inactive until it is completely built. By changing its status to Active, you will activate triggers and thus start the process of adding contacts to the whole sequence.

When naming an automation, describe what it does – if you make a title unclear, managing your automation can be problematic, especially if you have a lot of them.

You can edit the name of an automation by opening it, then typing a name in the upper left corner and clicking Save.

To organise your automations and make them easier to find, you can group them. How you organise them is up to you. For example, you can set up labels for: pre-sale marketing, after-sale marketing, and sales funnel automation. You can find the option to add labels in the automation lists view.

When making changes to the automation after its activation, such as adding and/or removing actions, remember to switch the automation from Active to Inactive in the upper right corner of the screen (see Making automation an Active or Inactive). This puts the automation on hold while you make the desired changes, so your contacts don't skip steps and/or terminate the automation prematurely. Once the changes are complete, you can switch it back to Active status and the contacts will be resumed at the appropriate stages as part of the automation.