> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sendkit.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Automations

> Build automated email workflows that trigger based on contact activity and run on autopilot.

## What are automations?

Automations are multi-step workflows that send emails, wait, check conditions, and call webhooks — all triggered automatically when contacts enter through a list or segment. Once active, they run on autopilot without any manual intervention.

## Automation lifecycle

| Status     | Description                                                                |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**  | Being built. You can add, edit, and remove steps freely                    |
| **Active** | Running. Contacts are being enrolled and processed                         |
| **Paused** | Temporarily stopped. No new contacts are enrolled and processing is halted |

<Note>
  You can only edit an automation's workflow when it's in **Draft** status. Active automations must be paused first.
</Note>

## Building a workflow

Automations use a visual graph-based builder. You connect steps together to define the flow contacts go through.

### Step types

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Trigger" icon="bolt">
    The entry point. Defines how contacts enter the automation — via a contact list or a segment.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Email" icon="envelope">
    Sends an email using a template. Supports personalization with contact variables and properties.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Delay" icon="clock">
    Pauses the contact for a set amount of time before moving to the next step. Configurable in minutes, hours, or days.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Condition" icon="code-branch">
    Splits the flow based on whether a contact meets a condition. Creates **Yes** and **No** branches.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Webhook" icon="globe">
    Sends an HTTP request to an external URL when a contact reaches this step.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Trigger (entry point)

Every automation starts with a trigger that defines how contacts enter:

| Entry type       | How it works                                                                                                                                           |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Contact list** | Contacts are enrolled automatically when they're added to a specific [list](/knowledge-base/lists-and-segments). Event-driven — happens in real time.  |
| **Segment**      | Contacts are enrolled when they match a [segment's](/knowledge-base/lists-and-segments) filter conditions. Checked periodically via scheduled polling. |

### Email steps

Email steps send a message using one of your templates. The template's subject, sender, and body are used, with personalization variables replaced per contact.

All the same [personalization variables](/knowledge-base/campaigns#personalization) from campaigns are available — `{{FIRST_NAME}}`, `{{EMAIL}}`, custom properties, etc.

### Delay steps

Delay steps pause the contact's progression through the workflow. You configure:

* **Duration** — A numeric value
* **Unit** — Minutes, Hours, or Days

For example, a delay of `3 Days` means the contact waits 3 days before moving to the next step.

### Condition steps

Conditions check whether a contact meets a specific criteria and split the flow into two branches:

* **Yes branch** — Contact meets the condition
* **No branch** — Contact does not meet the condition

**Available conditions:**

| Condition                    | What it checks                                                      |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Email Opened**             | Whether the contact opened a specific email step                    |
| **Email Not Opened**         | Whether the contact has not opened a specific email step            |
| **Email Clicked**            | Whether the contact clicked a link in a specific email step         |
| **Email Not Clicked**        | Whether the contact has not clicked a link in a specific email step |
| **Email Bounced**            | Whether a specific email step bounced for the contact               |
| **Has Completed Automation** | Whether the contact has completed a specific automation             |
| **Is Active In Automation**  | Whether the contact is currently active in a specific automation    |
| **In List**                  | Whether the contact belongs to a specific list                      |
| **Not In List**              | Whether the contact does not belong to a specific list              |
| **In Segment**               | Whether the contact matches a specific segment                      |
| **Contact Property**         | Whether a contact's property matches a given value                  |

This lets you build responsive workflows — for example, send a follow-up only to contacts who didn't open your first email.

## Contact enrollment

When a contact enters an automation, they're tracked individually through each step. You can see:

| Status        | Meaning                                        |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Active**    | Currently progressing through the workflow     |
| **Completed** | Reached the end of the workflow                |
| **Exited**    | Left the automation early (e.g., unsubscribed) |
| **Failed**    | A step failed during processing                |

### Re-entry

By default, a contact can only go through an automation once. You can enable **Allow re-entry** to let contacts be enrolled again if they match the trigger conditions a second time.

## Example workflow

Here's a typical onboarding automation:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Trigger: Contact added to 'New Users' list">
    A contact is added to your "New Users" list (via API, import, or manually).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Email: Welcome message">
    Immediately sends a welcome email with getting started instructions.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Delay: 2 days">
    Waits 2 days before the next step.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Condition: Opened welcome email?">
    Checks if the contact opened the welcome email.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Yes: Send tips email / No: Resend welcome">
    * **Yes** — Sends an advanced tips email
    * **No** — Resends the welcome email with a different subject line
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Sending limits

Like [campaigns](/knowledge-base/campaigns), automations respect your account's sending limits:

* **[Domain warmup](/knowledge-base/domain-warmup)** — Emails are paused if your daily warmup limit is reached
* **Daily limit (Free plan)** — Free plan accounts are limited to 100 emails per day
* **Monthly quota** — Your plan's monthly email limit is enforced

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I edit an active automation?">
    No. You must pause the automation first, which moves it back to a state where you can modify the workflow. Contacts already in progress will resume when you reactivate.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens to in-progress contacts when I pause?">
    They stay at their current step. When you reactivate, they continue from where they left off.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a contact be in multiple automations at once?">
    Yes. Automations are independent — a contact can be enrolled in as many as they qualify for.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if a contact unsubscribes mid-automation?">
    They exit the automation immediately. No further emails are sent.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How fast are automation emails sent?">
    Each step is processed individually per contact. Emails are dispatched as soon as a contact reaches an email step (after any delays).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>