This job sends a prepared message to the members of a group, for example after an address import is finished.

The message must be saved as a prepared message. After sendout, a prepared message remains saved in the system.

This job sends group messages. Each sendout of the group message is assigned a separate message ID. Each sendout also appears separately in the ​Outbox​.

Statistics are evaluated separately for each sendout of the group message. Group message statistics are presented in the​ Group Message Statistics Overview​ window (see ​Group Message Statistics (window)​).

Hint:

In Engage, the designation ​(S)​ means system-related. Generally, you only combine ​system (S) events​ with ​system (S) jobs​. For more information, see ​Contact (C) vs. System (S) Automations

Recommended Automations​

An automation is a combination of an event plus a resulting job. The following combinations are recommended. It is possible to create other combinations, as well, but not all combinations of events and jobs result in meaningful system behavior.

  • Contact Import Finished (S) + Send Prepared Message to Group (S): This automation sends a prepared message to all group members when the import is finished. The prepared message is sent to both existing members and newly imported members.
    To send the prepared message only to new group members, create a selection with the ​Basis for Condition​ ​Group​. In the ​Rule​ area, enter ​Member Creation Date​, ​Selection run date​, ​exactly before​, ​0 days​. Add this selection to the event-based job, not to the event.

  • Event-based Automation Finished (S/C) + Send Prepared Message to Group (S): This combination creates a multi-step automation workflow. When a first defined automation is finished, sendout of the prepared message is initiated.

Hint:

You can not use the combination Group Created (S) + Send Prepared Message to Group (S) to send a prepared message to a new group immediately after it is created. This automation is not possible


General

​Name​

Displays the name of the automation that is defined in the ​Edit Event​ window.

​Description​

Displays the description of the automation that is defined in the ​Edit Event​ window.

​Event​

Displays the event that is defined in the ​Edit Event​ window. Every time this event occurs, Engage executes the dependent job.

​Job​

Defines the job. Engage executes this job automatically every time the event occurs. For a list of all available jobs, see ​All Available Event-Based Jobs​.

Define Job​

This area defines the specific parameters of the job.

  • Group Name: This drop-down list defines the sendout group. The prepared message is sent to the recipients of this group. Use the  symbol to search for a specific group.

    • Use Event Parameter: This field should not be checked. The group must be selected manually. Otherwise it is not possible to select a prepared message.

  • Message: This drop-down list defines the prepared message sent to the group. All prepared messages saved in the selected group are displayed here.

  • Selection: This drop-down list defines a selection to limit sendout to group members in the selection. Use the  symbol to search for a specific selection.

  • Defer Sendout: This field defines a deferral period before the actual sendout of the prepared message. During this deferral period, the prepared message is available as a scheduled message in the system. It is possible to defer sendout for up to 7 days. The symbol opens a pop-up window. In the window it is possible to select the length of deferral.
    During the deferral period, the scheduled message can be edited or rescheduled either in the ​Outbox​ or in the ​Send Scheduled Message​ automation. Changes made to this scheduled message do not affect the original prepared message. Likewise, changes to the automation or to the prepared message do not affect the scheduled message. At that point, any changes desired before sendout must be made to the scheduled message, not the prepared message.

  • Selection - Related Data: This input field creates an additional selection using a regular expression (Regex). The selection further limits the recipients of the sendout. The expression can refer to related data or attribute data.


Define Delay​

In this area, you can define a time delay between the event and the resulting job. If you define a delay, the system waits the specified amount of time after the event takes place before executing the event-based job. If you do not define a delay, the system executes the job immediately after the event takes place.

Hint:

Engage calculates the selection for an event-based job when the job is executed, not when the event takes place. When you define a delay, the selection is calculated after the delay


  • ​Delay:​ Defines whether there is a delay between the event and the resulting job.

    • ​No: ​There is no delay between the event and the resulting job. When Engage registers the event, the system executes the job immediately.

    • ​Yes: ​Creates a delay between the event and the resulting job.
      ​Unit:​ Defines the unit of time with which Engage calculates the delay.
      ​Value:​ Defines the duration of the delay.

Actions

The following actions are available: