Troubleshoot your automation

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How to troubleshoot your automation

Automations are crucial tools for engagement and marketing within ActiveCampaign, allowing businesses to send targeted messages and actions based on user behavior and interactions. However, sometimes issues can occur, leading to unexpected results. This article outlines common automation problems and provides detailed steps for troubleshooting them effectively. Understanding how to rectify these issues is essential for maintaining effective communication with your contacts and maximizing the potential of your automations.

How to access this feature

To troubleshoot your automation, you need to navigate through the ActiveCampaign interface. Follow these steps:

1. Log in to your ActiveCampaign account. 2. Go to the Automations section from the main menu. 3. Select the specific automation you need to troubleshoot.

Once you've accessed the automation, you can begin examining the various components and settings to identify any issues.

Step-by-step instructions for troubleshooting your automation

Contact was not added to my automation

1. **Check the timing of your automation creation**:

  - Did you activate the automation before or after the contact met the trigger conditions? Remember that triggers are not retroactive.
  

2. **Confirm the automation's status**:

  - Make sure your automation is set to Active. Contacts cannot be added to an automation that is inactive.
  

3. **Review concurrency settings**:

  - Check the concurrency settings of your automation to determine how many times a contact can enter it. If settings prevent repeated entries, the contact may not have been added.

4. **Inspect the triggers**:

  - Review the configuration of your triggers, including segments. Ensure the contact meets all conditions and check if the trigger is set to run Once or Multiple Times.

5. **Page visit triggers**:

  - If using a page visit for the trigger, verify that the URL matches the conditions established.

6. **Forms**:

  - If using a third-party form for the Submits Form trigger, acknowledge that this will not add contacts. Instead, opt for a Subscribes to list trigger.

An email was not sent to my contact

1. **View the contact's automation path**:

  - Understand how they entered your automation and pinpoint why an email was not sent. 

2. **Check contact status**:

  - Determine whether the contact is Unsubscribed, Bounced, or has an Unconfirmed status, as these will result in skipping the email action.

3. **List subscriptions**:

  - Ensure that the contact is subscribed to at least one list as sending is contingent on list membership.

4. **Email delivery issues**:

  - Acknowledge that emails might land in spam folders or secondary tabs in email clients (e.g., Promotions, Social in Gmail).

5. **Examine the automation order**:

  - If the contact moves through the automation before the Send Email action is configured, non-retroactive actions are affected.

6. **If/Else conditions**:

  - Investigate the If/Else conditions to ensure the contact met the required criteria.

The contact went down the wrong path in my “If/Else” statement

1. **Evaluate conditions in the “If/Else” statement**:

  - Ensure the contact fulfilled all necessary conditions before or after passing the step in question.

2. **Understand conditional logic**:

  - If using an Or condition, remember that only one of the conditions needs to be true. For an And condition, all must be true.

For further inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact the Customer Experience team.

Configuration options and settings

Understanding the configuration options is pivotal for effective automations. The following elements should be thoroughly reviewed:

- **Active Status**: Ensure automations are set to Active to allow contacts to enter. - **Concurrency Settings**: Review how many times a contact can enter an automation. - **Triggers**: Focus on the specific triggers used, ensuring they are set up correctly to meet conditions. - **If/Else Statements**: Carefully configure these conditions to guide your contacts down the correct paths within your automation.

Best practices and tips

- Always activate your automations before expecting contacts to enter them. - Regularly review your automation paths to ensure no changes affect performance or delivery. - Test your email configurations by sending to yourself or a test contact before activating automations. - Utilize tags wisely to segment your audience effectively within automations. - Periodically review your automation triggers and conditions for relevance and effectiveness.

Common use cases with examples

- **Event Registrations**: Automate follow-ups for users who register for webinars through specific triggers. - **Lead Nurturing**: Use subscribes to list triggers to add contacts to nurturing automations that send tailored content. - **Customer Onboarding**: Set automation paths that provide new customers with necessary information and resources post-purchase.

Troubleshooting section

Be proactive in identifying issues to avoid interruptions. Always verify:

- Triggers are set to the correct conditions. - Contacts have the required statuses. - Automation actions are correctly ordered and configured.

For detailed guidelines on specific problems, refer back to the step-by-step instructions listed above.

FAQ

1. What should I do if my contact was not entered into the automation?

Verify the timing of automation activation and ensure it's set to Active.

2. How can I check if an email was sent to a contact?

Use the automation path viewer to track how contacts move through the automation.

3. What does it mean if a contact is Unsubscribed?

If a contact is marked as Unsubscribed, they will not receive any automated or direct campaigns until they opt back in.

4. How do I check my automation's concurrency settings?

In the automation settings, you can review how many times a contact can enter the automation.

5. Why didn't my email deliver?

Emails could go to a contact's spam folder or they may have specific status issues affecting delivery.

6. What if the contact didn’t meet the conditions in an If/Else statement?

Verify that conditions are correctly configured and understand how they apply to contacts based on their movement earlier in the automation.

7. Where can I find additional help?

If issues persist, reach out to the Customer Experience team or refer to the ActiveCampaign help documentation for more resources.

For more guidance, refer to related articles and troubleshooting documents available on ActiveCampaign's help center. ```