Here you have a list of all the workspace nodes available in the Automation Center, along with a breakdown on what they do and how they work.
You can either activate or deactivate a specific node in an active program with the Enabled/Disabled toggle. By deactivating a program, contacts will pass through the node without receiving an email, SMS, push message, etc. You can enable a specific node at any time.
The Disabled/Enabled toggle is available for the following types of nodes:
As a quick reminder, here is the onboarding video about Program Creation with Nodes:
Transactional entry points
Transactional entry points are ones where contacts are added to the program as soon as they have triggered the entry criteria. They are not processed at predetermined intervals, like recurring entry points, nor in batches.
Some transactional entry points ignore opt-in for the first email they send, see: Ignoring opt-in for certain transactional emails.
Email nodes in programs that start with a transactional entry node do not support Send Time Optimization.
If your program starts with a transactional entry point, you cannot add additional transactional, batch or recurring entry nodes to the same program.
Form
This node allows your contacts to enter the program once they complete and submit the selected form.
- Only general registration forms can be selected and used here.
- A form can be used by only one active (launched) program at a time. If the form is already in use by another active program, it will not be available for selection.
- Programs that start with this entry point follow the ignore opt-in rules for transactional programs.
Data change
Here you can select an action based on a change to a specific data field (such as email address). When a contact triggers a change to that field, it causes them to enter the program.
- You can select all standard system and custom fields here.
- You cannot select certain fields whose values are filled in dynamically, such as ‘Date of first registration’, or ‘Age’.
- Field values can be changed in many ways, for example through data import, API call, form submission, manual change, and so on.
Please consider the following:
- A field can be used by only one active (launched) program at a time. If the field is already in use by another active program, it will not be available for selection.
- If a form is submitted containing field values that already exist, these will not be overwritten and the program will not be triggered. Only a change in the field value triggers the program, regardless of how it is changed.
- Importing new contacts or adding new contacts via the UI can trigger programs starting with the Data change entry point, if the contact is initialized with a field value associated with such a program. For example, if a new contact is imported and the contact data includes the contact's address, and you have a program that starts with the On change of field Address entry point, then that program will be triggered when the contact is created in Emarsys.
The limitation described above does not apply to new contacts who were added via the API.
New contact
This will add all new contacts in the account database to the program, regardless of how they were registered.
- This node can only be used in one active program at any one time.
- It has no effect on new contacts entering other programs via other nodes, for example from a registration form or data change.
External event
Here contacts can enter a program if they are returned by an API call containing the same external event (you must first create the API call before you can use this node).
- If you include external data in the external event API call, this external data will remain available for that contact throughout their journey through the program and can be used to personalize further emails.
- Programs that start with this entry point follow the ignore opt-in rules for transactional programs.
On auto-import
This node allows the contacts of an auto import to enter the program as soon as the import completes.
Although the Automation Center can typically handle batches of up to 250,000 contacts, the performance of the On auto-import node may drop considerably for larger batches if there are a lot of columns in the import. To reduce the risk of your program being put into fail-safe mode, you should break larger imports up into smaller batches or use the API.
Batch entry points
See: Batches are better for more information on handling large numbers of contacts at a time.
If your program starts with a batch entry point, you cannot add additional batch, transactional or recurring entry nodes to the same program.
Target segment
In this node you select a target segment to enter the program, which can be used as a starting point for an ad hoc batch program that goes through further actions before sending the email.
- When the program is activated, the segment will refresh and all the relevant contacts then proceed to the next step in the process.
After launching a program that starts with the Target segment entry point, you cannot modify any of the nodes in it, including disabling or enabling them.
Currently, you can only choose an existing Contact data or Smart Insight segment here.
Batch email
Here you can combine a Target segment and an Email node.
- When the program becomes active, the segment will refresh and the email will be launched.
Recurring entry points
If your program starts with a recurring entry point, you cannot add additional recurring, transactional or batch entry nodes to the same program.
Recurring filter
This node combines a Recurring schedule and a Filter. At the scheduled time, the filter will run and all contacts returned will enter the program.
For more information on segmentation please see the Filter section below.
Recurring batch email
A combination of Recurring schedule, Target segment and Email, which means that at the defined time your selected segment is refreshed and the email is launched.
For more information please see the Send email and Filter sections below.
Anniversary
A combination of a Target segment and a Filter. The filter displays all the date fields in your database along with the corresponding criteria (for example 'Is in the future', 'Is today', 'Is in the past', etc.).
Entry from another program
This node is used in conjunction with the Transfer participants to another program toggle in the Finish node, and the two in combination allow you to automate the transition of contacts from one program directly into another.
- This entry node starts a recurring program that runs once a day. It comes with a built-in Wait node that cannot be removed. You cannot connect any other nodes to the Entry from another program node, you can only connect nodes to the special Wait node following the entry node.
- In the Wait node you can select only the time of day that the program should run.
- It behaves like any other recurring program; that is, child campaigns are created for all the emails within it every time it is run.
When using a program with an External event, only the Contact IDs are transited to the linked program. The related payload is not passed.
- Clicking this node will show a summary of all the programs connected to that program. New connections cannot be added or removed here, only via the Transfer participants to another program toggle in their respective Finish nodes.
- You can switch to the workspace of the source program by clicking the Edit icon.
Channel message nodes
You can either activate or deactivate a specific node in an active program with the Enabled/Disabled toggle.
Send email
In this node you select an email which will be sent to contacts as soon as they arrive at the node.
- The email itself can be previewed or edited through opening the properties pop-up.
- If you open an email from a program, the program name is displayed at the top and you can return to the program via the linked program name at the top.
In transactional programs, Send email nodes can process a maximum of 250,000 contacts coming from New contact, Data change or On auto-import entry points. Any more contacts than this, and the program will be put into fail-safe mode.
We strongly recommend that you break up imports that contain more than 250,000 contacts into smaller blocks, or freeze any programs that might be affected until after the import has been completed.
Emails used in programs are of the type On program event. Other email types can be selected from the Automation Center are also available for selection, but they will lose their recipient source and scheduling page once selected.
Send SMS
If you are using the SMS channel, you will also see this node. In it you can select an SMS message which will be sent to contacts as soon as they arrive at the node.
Mobile Engage push message
If you are using the Mobile Engage channel, you will also see this node. In it you can select a push message which will be sent to contacts as soon as they arrive at the node.
Offline Mail
If you are using the Offline Mail channel, you will also see this node. In it you can select a direct mail (print) campaign which will be sent to contacts as soon as they arrive at the node.
This feature is currently on general release for clients in the UK and Germany/Austria/Switzerland, for deliveries within the EU.
If you are located outside these regions but interested in this product, please speak to your Success Manager.
Channel distribution nodes
You can either activate or deactivate a specific node in an active program with the Enabled/Disabled toggle.
Save contact list
This node collects contacts which pass through it into a contact list. You can specify the name of the contact list, and it will be created when you save the program.
- When the Add new contacts to existing list checkbox is checked, all the contacts that pass through the node are added to the same list. This is the default setting.
- If you uncheck this checkbox, the list is overwritten with every new entry.
It only makes sense to uncheck it for programs starting with a recurring entry point, since this pushes a batch of contacts through at once. Otherwise only single contacts pass through (and the contact list will therefore only contain the most recent contact).
Click here for some examples of when to use this node.
Web channel - add
If you are using Web Channel, you will also see this node. It adds contacts who pass through it to the selected Web Channel campaign.
Web channel - remove
If you are using Web Channel, you will also see this node. It removes contacts who pass through it from the selected Web Channel campaign.
CRM Ads - add to audience
If you are using CRM Ads, you will also see this node. It adds contacts who pass through it to the selected CRM Ads audience.
CRM Ads - remove from audience
If you are using CRM Ads, you will also see this node. It removes contacts who pass through it from the selected CRM Ads audience.
Response nodes
Didn't respond to email
This node combines Wait node and a behavior filter.
- If no response to the email has been identified (for example by clicking a link or downloading images) after the defined time period, the contacts progress to the next stage.
- The behavior filter automatically references the email previous to it.
Didn't click link
This node combines Wait and a behavior filter.
- If a contact still has not clicked a link in the email after the defined time period, they progress to the next stage.
- When you use this node you need to choose from a list of links, which are taken from the email preceding this node.
Only trackable links and landing pages are shown. Add-ons and forms are currently not available for selection.
Editing an email campaign that have a Didn't click node may cause the Automation Center program to enter into fail-safe mode. To avoid this, create a copy of the program and edit the email campaign only in the program copy. Launch the program only after the edits are finished. The original program can be aborted and deleted.
Time action nodes
Wait
Here you specify the delay in hours or days before the next step is taken in the program. You can also specify to wait until a specific day of the week.
Please take the following into consideration when using Wait nodes:
- All delays specified in days are counted as calendar days, not 24-hour units. If you specify ‘wait 1 day and send at 07:00’ the node will collect content that occurs between 00:00 and 23:59:59, which is then sent out at 07:00 the following day.
Calendar days are counted according to the default timezone of the account that launched the program. The timezone selected in a user's My Profile page is not taken into account.
- The Wait until the next ... and send at ... option is based on your account's time zone. The following examples show how it works:
- If you set your program to Wait until the next Wednesday and send at 9.00 on Tuesday, then your program will wait until the next day.
- If you set your program to Wait until the next Wednesday and send at 9.00 on Wednesday, then your program will wait until the next Wednesday.
Schedule
Here you specify a fixed time and date in the future when the next step is run in the program. Contacts reaching this node are queued until that point.
If a Schedule node is set to a date in the past, then the scheduled action will be performed as soon as a contact arrives at the node and the contact will pass through it immediately.
Filter action nodes
Segment
Here you select from simple or combined segments which can be used as simple logic switches that allow you to split paths according to contact properties or responses.
In order to use this node you have to have an existing Emarsys or Smart Insight segment that you can apply it to.
You can use filters together by either having them on parallel paths (which in effect links them with the OR operator) or in sequence along the same path (in which case they are in effect linked with the AND operator). In each case you should bear the following in mind:
- Parallel filters mean that contacts can progress along two paths if the filters have been so configured. It is up to you to ensure that this does not happen.
- Sequential filters can incur performance penalties if you have a large contact database, and should be avoided where possible. Instead, combine all the criteria together in one filter, or combine multiple filters together in. See: Before you start building programs - Filters.
All contacts who are returned by the segment go to the next step of the program, those who are not are assumed to have exited the program.
Exclude
Whereas the Segment node only allows contacts in the selected segment to proceed, this discards any contacts in the segment. In this way you can ensure that contacts do not receive the same email twice, for example.
Quick filter
Whereas the Segment node requires you to select an existing Emarsys or Smart insight segment, the Quick filter lets you choose a field and a value on the fly. This is a useful and time-saving way to fine-tune your program.
Filter switch
This node lets you add a segment to the path, which allows contacts to proceed if they are in the segment, and excludes them if not. This lets you filter out contacts using criteria which are not necessarily related to any other segments in the program.
This node effectively acts as a combination of the Segment and Exclude nodes, and as such is best used only when both functions are necessary.
A/B splitter
Here you can split the program into different paths, with contacts randomly assigned to each path according to a % value that you set. You can add paths and change the % value while the program is active. However, you cannot delete a path once a contact has entered it.
To stop further contacts entering a path, simply reduce the % value to 0.
For more information, see About how we assign contacts to paths.
A/B splitter nodes may not link to each other, nor can you follow them with nodes that are not paths created from within the node properties dialog. If you do, program validation will fail and you will need to change the program structure.
Finish node
This is how you end your program, and all paths in a program require this as the final node. This node signifies that all contacts who reach it have exited the program.
You can configure the Finish node to forward participants to the entrance node of a different program with the Transfer participants to another program toggle.
Node badges
Participation badge
This badge is added to a program node when participation settings are applied. You can click on it to open the participation settings menu and change the settings using this icon.
Fast-forward badge
This badge is added to Wait nodes when the program is in Test mode, when test contacts have arrived at the node and have been queued. You can click it to process all the queued contacts immediately.
