Campaign FAQ
What should I keep in mind before I edit a campaign?
As a general rule, stop the campaign before you edit it. This keeps campaign parameters from changing mid-edit and prevents issues with the participant flow. When you are done, restart the campaign to resume normal operation.
If you need to edit a campaign without stopping it, first confirm that it is not currently running. To do this, check the Next run field on the Workflow settings expansion panel of the campaign form page. A value at or before the current time means the campaign is in progress. A value in the future means the campaign is not running.
Never delete campaign elements such as Marketing email or Timer while participants might still be waiting at them, since deleted elements leave those participants stuck permanently. Instead, disconnect the element from the flow or change its configuration.
When exactly are the campaign emails sent?
The start time of the emails sent through a campaign depends on the conditions that you set for them. Use the campaign page to configure the mailing conditions.
Click the transition to the Marketing email element in the campaign diagram and view its properties area on the right-hand side of the page. Use the fields in the properties area to specify the sending conditions.
What is the logic behind filtering emails when they are added to a campaign?
When selecting emails to add to a campaign, the list does not display all of the emails located in the Email section. An email will not be available if it is a bulk email, has the "Active" status, or is associated with another campaign.
I have started the campaign, why is it not displayed in the campaign progress check?
The campaign may not have actually started yet and there is nothing to log. The campaign will be started with the execution of its first step and the records will be displayed in the campaign progress check. The moment of execution is defined in the default campaign execution frequency or via execution time specified in the element with condition flows. Learn more: Set up campaign diagram.
How often is the campaign audience status updated?
The campaign audience status updates at the same frequency as the Default campaign execution frequency property for the campaign. When the campaign runs according to its scheduled execution, the audience status refreshes automatically. Learn more: Set up the campaign properties.
However, for participants in the Timer elements or in Transitions that have exact time filtering, their status will only update at the specified time rather than following the default campaign frequency. Learn more about timers and transitions: The Timer element, Transitions between campaign elements.
What happens if I stop a campaign, make changes, and then restart it?
When you stop a campaign, all ongoing processes stop, which ensures that campaign parameters do not change during editing. Existing participants remain in place, and no new participants are added, even if triggers or timers are configured.
Bulk email sending behaves differently. After you stop the campaign, Creatio first waits for the participants on the current step to finish it and move into the bulk email audience, and only then does the campaign stop. Any bulk email that has already started continues according to its own flow. This behavior is known as a "soft stop".
We recommend that you stop the campaign, make the necessary changes, and then restart it.
Does stopping a campaign preserve participant states in timers and delays?
Yes. Stopping the campaign preserves all participant states. However, participants who entered through a trigger are re-evaluated against the audience when the campaign stops, which can briefly affect analytics. For example, participant counts may rise immediately after the stop.
What happens if I change the bulk email in a campaign element without stopping the campaign?
If the audience was active and the campaign was running, those participants use the old email template, and the next run after the change uses the new email. If there was an audience but the campaign had not started yet, those participants use the new email at launch.
Instead of deleting a Marketing email element, replace the bulk email configured in it. Deleting the element leaves any participants waiting there stuck permanently. If you no longer need the element, leave it disconnected on the diagram instead of deleting it.
What happens if participants are waiting at a timer and I delete the elements that follow it?
If there were no participants on the deleted elements, there is no issue. If there were participants on them, they stop there permanently and disappear from the statistics. For participants currently on the timer, the outcome depends on the campaign state. If the campaign had not started when you made the change, they follow the new flow. If it was running, they continue along the old flow, and the next run uses the new flow.
What happens if I add new elements after participants reach the final element?
If the last element is Exit from campaign, no further actions occur. If the last element is not Exit from campaign, participants proceed according to the flow configuration.
What happens if I change the transition condition (for example, a filter) between elements?
If the campaign is running during the change, it works using the old filter. If the campaign starts after the change, it uses the new filter.
What happens if I modify a timer or a conditional flow delay that is currently running (for example, from 24 hours to 2 hours)?
The Timer element works in units of at least one day, whereas a delay set on a conditional flow can use hours. In either case, when you change the value, participants proceed according to the new condition. For example, if you change a conditional-flow delay from 24 hours to 2 hours, Creatio counts 2 hours from the moment the participant completes the previous step.
Does changing a timer affect participants already waiting on it?
Timer settings are not tied to participants. If you change the timer while the campaign is not running, participants follow the new timing on the next run; in this case, ensure that the timer start time is not set in the past or in the immediate present, especially if the campaign execution frequency is set to 15 minutes. If you change the timer while the campaign is running, participants continue with the old settings, and the next run uses the new settings.
What happens if I delete a timer and add a new element instead?
Participants who are currently waiting at the old timer remain stuck there indefinitely. We recommend against deleting the timer. Instead, leave it on the canvas and disconnect it from the flow, or change its conditions and keep it in the flow.
How quickly does Creatio apply changes when the campaign uses a dynamic segment?
Creatio applies the changes at the next scheduled campaign run, according to the Next run field on the Workflow settings expansion panel of the campaign form page.
What should I check before the next campaign run?
- Make sure that all campaign diagram changes are saved in the campaign designer.
- If the campaign uses an Add audience element, ensure that the dynamic segment filter is correct.
- If the "exact time" settings of a timer or delay transition change, verify that the campaign run is scheduled before the exact time of the timer or delay. For example, if the next campaign run is scheduled in 15 minutes from the current time, set the timer execution time to 20–25 minutes from the current time.
- If you make changes without stopping the campaign, confirm that it is not currently running. To do this, check the Next run field on the Workflow settings expansion panel of the campaign form page. A value in the future means the campaign is not running. A value at or before the current time means the campaign is in progress.