How to trigger an automation using a date

Overview

The date field automation trigger lets you trigger an automation based on a Custom Field with a date field type. Read on to learn how to use the date field trigger to create automations based on contacts’ birthday, anniversary, pregnancy due dates, and more!

In this guide

• Date field trigger settings
• Building date field triggered automations

Date field trigger settings

1. Start automation
   1. On the date will trigger the automation on the date in the Custom Field
   2. Before the date will trigger the automation the specified number of days, weeks, or months before the date in the Custom Field
2. Time - Set the time (in the account’s timezone) for the automation to be triggered on the specified date
3. Wait until the selected day(s) of the week - Select this option to only trigger the automation on specified days of the week. contacts whose date field falls on a day that is not selected will trigger the automation on the first selected day after the date stored in the Custom Field.
   
   For example, if contact A has 1/1/24 (a Monday) as the date in the Custom Field and you select Tuesday and Thursday to trigger the automation, contact A will trigger the automation on Tuesday 1/2/24.
4. Repeat automation:
   1. None - The automation will not repeat
   2. Monthly - The automation will repeat every month on the day stored in the date field
   3. Yearly - The automation will repeat every year on the day and month stored in the date field

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Building date field triggered automations

Two automations are required if you’d like to send emails or SMS to contacts in advance of and on the date in their date field.

Let’s say you want to send your contacts a coupon to use before their birthday, a reminder to use the coupon, and a message wishing them a happy birthday on their birthday.

First, you'll set up an automation that uses a wait node to trigger a specified amount of time before the date. This automation is used to send customers their birthday coupon. You can add additional nodes to this automation, separated by wait nodes, to send reminders about the coupon.

Second, you'll set up an automation that triggers on the date stored in the date field. This automation is used to send customers a happy birthday message.

Create an automation to trigger before the custom date

The automation containing nodes that lead up to the date field should be set up first.

For our example, we’ll send our contacts a coupon two weeks before their birthday and a reminder to use the coupon one week before their birthday.

To create this automation:

1. Select the date field trigger
2. Under Start automation, select Before the date and set the wait time to 2 Weeks
3. Add an Email node and create an email that contains a coupon
4. Add a Wait node set to 1 week
5. Add another Email node and create an email that contains a reminder to use the coupon
6. Click Activate in the top right corner to activate your automation!

The completed automation should look like this:

Create an automation to trigger on the custom date

The automation that sends out the happy birthday message will be triggered on the date in the contact’s date field.

To create this automation:

1. Select the date field trigger
2. Under Start automation, select On the date img
3. Add an Email node and create an email that contains a happy birthday message
4. Click Activate in the top right corner to activate your automation!

The completed automation should look like this:

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