The left portion of the Edit screen shows events in the top half and templates in the bottom half. You can show or hide either half by clicking the arrow at the right of the section header. By default, this panel shows events and hides templates.
To expand the view, click the triangle at the bottom of the panel in the gray Event Templates header, or the top triangle in the Events header.
Save Events as Templates
Click Save Event to save an event solely for the sequence in the automation you are creating, or click Save As Template to save the event as a template.
Any event that you want to save as a template is stored under Templates in the left panel. This allows you to quickly drag and drop events that you use repeatedly across other automations. You can edit these templates for each automation then save them into their individual automation sequences while keeping the original template for use later.
Events
Events are the main processes of your automations. Drag and drop them into the sequence body and edit them to create processes. All events have an icon and are color-coded with a stripe down the left side to help distinguish them in the sequences.
Note: If an event requires an assignment, the system will not allow you to save an event without first assigning it to someone.
Alert
Creates alerts for employees. The dialog contains two tabs. You will not be allowed to save this event without entering information on both tabs:
Alert Event Tab
Name is the name of the alert. Assigned To creates an alert for the person or role you select in the dropdown list.
For roles in your company, use this for alerts to a group, such as your management team.
Alert Body
The Alert Body tab displays a text area where you can type the alert message with personalization fields available to use for a custom message.
The Email event can be used to send emails to resources and clients.
Email Event Tab
- Name - the purpose of this email. The recipient will not see this field.
- From - the sender of the email. Select an email address from the dropdown list. This lets you specify what you want to appear in the “From” field that the client sees.
- To - the recipient(s) of the email. Select recipient(s) from the dropdown list. This sends the email to the clients included on the automation along with any resource you select in the assign options.
- Email Category - allows clients the option to subscribe or unsubscribe from receiving future emails.
- Between Time - this restricts the hours when an email can be sent. It defaults to the start and end times for your company but can be edited to your preference.
- Send Mon-Fri Only - allows the email to be sent only on weekdays. This is important when you set up wait periods for events.
- Approve Email - places the email in a waiting status until you approve the email on the Approve Emails page. If you have emails awaiting approval, you will see the Approve Emails button on the Edit screen.
- Alert Resource(s) - assigns the event to one or more resources once conditions are met. You need to assign a resource if your company does not have a CSR or Sales Person.
- Alert Role(s) - assign any role from the dropdown list to notify of the event.
Email Body Tab
The “Email Body” tab displays the subject input and the email body to be edited. Personalization fields are available for customizing either the subject line or the body of the email.
Form Email
The Form Email event works the same way as the Email event but you can also add a form to the email from the Form Email Event tab:
If your Form dropdown list doesn’t contain a form you want to use, you can click the “+” icon to open the Forms Builder overlay and create an ad-hoc form without leaving the Automation Edit screen.
The “Personalization” tab on the Form Email Body tab contains an additional Forms section. The forms section has personalization fields for Form Link and Form URL that you can insert into the email.
If/Else Logic
This event is used to add decision logic within an automation sequence. Use this event to create conditions that allow the event to proceed or keep it from proceeding and to determine what happens within this piece of the sequence. This is explained in “Build Decision Logic into an Automation.”
Marketing
This type of event works through SendJim, a third-party service that requires a subscription. Use this event to show your appreciation to clients and market to new leads. You can use it to send email and physical mail such as postcards, letters, greetings cards, and gifts.
Note
Notes are internal, an opportunity for you to make any comments in the automation’s sequence. This note appears only on the Edit screen.
Opt-In Email
Use this event to send a specific Opt-In email to clients in order to get approval for future marketing notifications from your company. You also can include Opt-In or Opt-Out links that let clients subscribe to different email categories or unsubscribe from them. For details, see Customizing an Opt-In/Out Email.
Tags
Although you can add or remove Tags within specific events, a Tag as an event is sequence-based. Aside from general information that a Tag supplies in a client’s Account, an event Tag might be connected to a previous event completing or the plan for a future event. You can use it to mark a client as having entered and completed certain portions of an automation sequence.
In the Edit Tags Event dialog, you can add or remove one or several tags and create tags from a new dialog without leaving the sequence you’re editing.
Note: When creating tags, it’s important to save them with a format of ### - Tag Name. Doing this allows for easier grouping of assets including automations.
Text Message
Send a text message to clients or resources. This overlay is set up to mirror the email event except that it will send to cell phones only so it has fewer body options in the Text Body tab.
Note: You must first subscribe to Two Way Texting before you can use it in an automation.
To Do
A To Do creates a task for the chosen resources for any client who enters the sequence:
You must assign someone to the To Do, choose a ticket type, then choose how many days the resource has to complete the tasks assigned in the “Due in Days” field. The “Tags” tab lets you choose which Tags, if any, to add or remove based on completing the To Do.
Wait Period
Use a wait period to delay the next event in the sequence based on criteria you specify. For more information about wait periods, see Wait Period Specifications.