Repeat Annually Setting for Automation Entry Conditions

Repeat Annually is the ideal way to create a single automation that can be triggered and then re-triggered based on the anniversary of any date in the past, whether before, on, or after.

Before beginning, it's important to understand how Automations function and how their Entry Conditions work. To get started, click here for the first in a series of Automation how-to articles.

There are many reasons for using Repeat Annually in an automation's entry conditions when based on a date. They can include, loan anniversary check-ins, birthday greetings, yearly check-ins and any other event anniversary.

• What Repeat Annually Does and When to Use It
• How to Use Repeat Annually
• Important Aspects to Repeat Annually

What Repeat Annually Does and When to Use it

Repeat Annually allows for a single automation to run and then re-run 'on', 'before', or 'after' the anniversary of a date. The most common use for this would be a "Birthday Greeting" automation that would repeat each year on or about their birthday.

The following graphic demonstrates how using Entry Conditions with a Relative Date and Repeat Annually enabled causes the automation repeat actions each year at the same time.

1. Repeat Annually will tell an automation to repeat their actions (in order) each year after the initial entry
2. Update Email and/or Text Message Actions at anytime to keep communications fresh each year
3. Once activated, automation will automatically assign to contacts as they meet the Entry Conditions for an easy: build, activate, move on

How to Use Repeat Annually

Building the automation Entry Conditions mentioned above is easy.

1. Create a (or edit an existing) contact based automation with the purpose of sending a "heads-up" to the Referral Contact and a "Happy Birthday" greeting to the Client. The image below shows us adding a name to a new contact based automation.
   
   
2. After Saving, it's time to build the Entry Conditions. In our case, we'll click the, '+ Set Condition' button and add the following conditions.
   
   1. Adding the first condition: Type = "Client"
   2. Adding the second condition: 3-days before Contact DOB + Repeat Annually
      
      
3. Once set, any contact that meets the conditions set will automatically be enrolled. Since a relative date is used, the 'Enroll existing records' toggle is disabled. This is to avoid the impression that the automation could be added to contacts who do not meet the exact entry conditions specified.
   
   
4. Now that we have the entry conditions set, we can add Actions. In the below image, we have 3 actions:
   
   1. Email to Referral Contact (if one doesn't exist, no worries, it will continue normally)
   2. Wait 3 days
   3. Email to Client with a birthday
      
      
5. Once happy with the automation - Save and Enable it.
   
   

Important Aspects to Repeat Annually

Repeated date automations will continue to re-run year-after-year. However, there are some things that a user can adjust. Plus some other important items to be aware of.

1. Remove an automation: We can remove (or un-assign) a repeating contact based automation from a contact. By doing so, they are no longer enrolled and therefore will not be 're-added' to the automation.
2. Completely stop an automation: At any time, we can cancel an automation for all contacts by disabling it. This should not be something taken lightly. It ideally would only be done in the case of sun-setting or expiring an automation.
3. Transaction based automations can also use Repeat Annually on any standard date field on a transaction.