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Creating an Automation

Learn how to create a multi-step automation

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Written by Peter Connolly
Updated over 5 months ago

Automations enable you to create multi-step automations triggered from subscriber actions like joining a list or segment, placing an order, or abandoning a cart.

To get started creating a flow navigate to the Automations page. If you had a legacy automation you will also need to navigate to the Automations tab. Click the New Automated Flow button.

Next give your Automation a name and choose from one of our premade templates, or Create from Scratch.

Creating a Trigger

The first in creating a automation is setting the trigger that will set the automation in motion. There are 5 types of triggers.

  • When a subscriber joins a list

  • When a subscriber joins a segment

  • When a subscriber places an order

  • When someone abandons a cart

  • Whenever someone browses but doesn't purchase

How the actions in the flow behave depends on what trigger you select. So once a trigger is selected, it can't be edited.

Adding an Email

Emails in automations are one-to-one emails that subscribers will receive once they reach that step in the automation. You can drag an email action into your automation.

Once you drag your email into the automation. You can give it a name for your own records and a subject line. Then click Compose Email to design your email.

You'll be directed to our email composer where you can add content and create your campaign. Once you're done, click Enable and you'll be directed back to your automation in progress.

An email directly under a trigger will send immediately once subscribers match the trigger rule. If you'd like a delay, use the time delay action below.

Adding a Time Delay

Time delays add a delay between actions in your automation. For example, if you put a time delay set at 7 days between 2 email actions, the emails will send 7 days apart.

Like the email above, you can drag your time delay into your workflow. From there set the time you'd like to delay the next action until.

Adding a Conditional Split

Conditional splits split your automation in two distinct paths based on whether or not a subscriber matches the rules. Currently this is whether or not a subscriber is in a segment, however more split types will be added in the future.

  • Split your automation by whether or not your subscriber is in a specific segment

  • Split your automation by whether or not your subscriber has placed an order

  • Split your automation by whether or not your subscriber has opened an email

  • Split your automation by whether or not your subscriber is subscribed to SMS

  • Split your automation by splitting your subscribers randomly

Drag a conditional split where you'd like in your automation and then choose your Settings

Enabling an Automation

Once you've added all your actions to your automation and completed it. Enable the automation by clicking the Enable button on the top right of the Automation editor.

You'll be prompted with a modal where you'll need to confirm that you'd like to enable the automation. Again click the Enable button.

That's it! You've created your first multi-step automation with Automations in SmartrMail. Nice work πŸŽ‰

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