How to use goals in automations

Last updated: June 5, 2025

Overview

You can pull contacts to certain steps in an automation with a goal node. Read on to learn how to use goals in automations.

What is a goal?

When you add a goal to your automation, your contact will jump to that step once they meet the condition (or conditions) specified in the goal.

Goals check whether contacts have met the condition specified every six hours, until the default of one week has passed or the amount of time specified in the "Max time to check for conditions" setting. To prevent contacts from being pulled out of the automation too soon, goals should always have a "Max time to check for conditions" setting that matches the length of the automation.

Once a goal is reached, contacts will skip any action not yet executed and proceed immediately to the following action or action you assign below the goal.

Goals are only aware of the branch they are nested in

If you use a conditional split in your automation and add a goal under one side of the automation, the goal can only pull contacts out of the automation once they reach the side of the conditional split that contains the goal. You may need to create multiple goals for a single automation to cover all branches.

Add a goal

To add a goal to your automation:

  1. Click the + button

  2. Click goal 

  3. Set your conditions

  4. Click Done

Goal options

  • Goal Name Enter a descriptive name for your goal

  • Conditions Select conditions to trigger your goal

  • Go to this action if goal is reached Select a step in your automation to send contacts to when they meet your goal's conditions

  • If goal is not met Select an option for contacts who have not met your goal

    • Continue means the contact will proceed to the next node in the automation

    • Wait means the contact will wait at this step indefinitely until the goal is reached

    • End means the goal will keep checking for met conditions until the max time has passed

  • Max time to check for conditions Select a length of time to check for conditions

Delete a goal

To delete a goal:

  1. Click the goal node you want to delete

  2. Click Delete

  3. In the pop-up window, choose whether to Keep or Remove nodes under the deleted goal

  4. Click Delete Goal