Automated Programs: Setup, Settings, and Management

  • Updated

The Automated Journey Builder User Guide explains how to configure, manage, and maintain Automated Programs in Act-On. Use this article to understand program settings, sources, entry methods, messages, early exits, and how to safely start, pause, and update programs over time.

This article does not walk through building the workflow step by step. If you are actively designing or editing the sequence of steps between Start and Exit, use the Automated Journey Builder Program Flow Guide instead.

Use this guide when you are setting up a new program, reviewing configuration options, troubleshooting why a program cannot start, or planning safe changes to an existing program.

Quick Reference (Advanced Users) - Click to Expand
  1. Create (or open) a program from Automation > Automated Programs.
  2. Complete Settings: sources, entry method, options, and time zone.
  3. Add emails in Build > Program messages.
  4. Build the workflow in Build > Program flow.
  5. Add optional Early exits to stop messaging when criteria are met.
  6. Save, then start the program from the Dashboard.
  7. Pause before making changes to steps or settings.
Try it like this: Create a simple nurture program: add a welcome email, wait 2 days, then branch based on engagement. Add an Early Exit so contacts leave the program once they convert or meet your “customer” criteria.

If you are focused specifically on building the workflow steps, see the Automated Journey Builder Program Flow Guide .

Getting started

Create a new program

  1. Go to Automation > Automated Programs.
  2. At the top right of the Automated Programs listing page, click: 
    New program button
  3. The Automated Journey Builder opens so you can configure and build your program.

Open and edit an existing program

  1. Go to Automation > Automated Programs.
  2. Hover over the program you want to update and click Edit.

Edit program option

If a program is running, you can view it in the Automated Journey Builder but you cannot make changes. Pause the program first.

Pro tip: If contacts are currently moving through the journey, consider waiting until they exit or moving them to a separate holding program before making significant changes. Editing steps that contain active contacts can cause unwanted behaviors.

How the Automated Journey Builder is organized

The Automated Journey Builder includes:

  • Settings for program details, sources, entry method, options, and time zone.
  • Build for Program messages, Program flow, and Early exits.
  • Lists & segments to manage the lists and segments referenced by your program.

Some features, such as Settings and Program messages, are similar to the classic editor. The biggest difference is Build > Program flow.

1) Configure Settings

Complete your program configuration first. These choices determine who enters your program and how often Act-On checks for new entrants.

Program details and contact sources

  1. In Settings > Program Details, enter a Program Name and Description.
  2. Under Contact Sources, choose the list(s) and segment(s) that will feed contacts into the program.

Choose how contacts enter

Next, choose the entry method that matches your program goal:

  • Manually: Run only for the contacts currently in your sources, or trigger a one-time check from the Dashboard using Now.
  • Immediately: If your program uses a single source list, contacts enter as soon as they enter that list.
  • On a Schedule: Check for new contacts on a recurring schedule (for example, daily or as often as hourly depending on your settings).

Options and time zone

In Settings, choose any additional options you need for your use case, such as:

  • Allow contacts to repeat steps or Allow contacts to re-enter (use with caution to avoid unwanted repetition).
  • Suppress entrants on suppression lists (highly recommended).
  • Use alternate unique identifier when you need entries that are not tied to email address.
  • Ignore email fatigue rules if you have fatigue rules enabled and want program messages to bypass them.
  • Attach sent notes to contacts or leads from CRM lists, when enabled.

Need to make a change? You cannot edit Program Settings while the program is running. Pause it first.

Finally, select the Time zone used by the program. This impacts scheduled entry timing and time-based steps.

2) Add Program messages

In Build > Program messages, add the email messages you plan to send through the program. You can then select these messages in steps such as Send Email in the Program Flow.

  1. Open Build > Program messages.
  2. Click +Add Message.
  3. Choose how you want to add messages:
    • Blank opens the Email Composer.
    • Other types (templates, drafts, previously sent) let you select one or more items, then click Submit.

Choose message type for program messages

Select messages and submit to add to the program

For message management best practices and reporting considerations, see How to Manage Automated Program Messages .

3) Build the Program flow

Build > Program flow is where you create the visual workflow between the Start and Exit steps.

For step-by-step guidance on building and editing the workflow, see the Automated Journey Builder Program Flow Guide .

4) Lists & segments used in your program

Build > Lists & segments includes all lists and segments associated with your program, including:

  • Source lists and segments
  • Lists used in steps (such as updating or copying)
  • Lists and segments referenced in conditional branching

To add lists or segments, click +Add List or Segment and select the desired items.

For more detail, see Use Lists and Segments in Automated Programs .

5) Add Early exits (optional)

Early Exit conditions automatically remove contacts from the program once they meet specific criteria. These are useful when you want contacts to stop receiving messages after converting or meeting a threshold.

  1. Open Build > Early exits.
  2. Click +Add Condition.
  3. Define the list or segment rule for the exit.
  4. Click Submit.

Contacts in a Wait step will complete their current wait before being moved into Early Exits. For details, see How to Use Early-Exit Conditions .

Save, start, and monitor

Save your program

Click Save at the top right to save your changes. If the program is not fully configured, you will see a message explaining what is missing or incorrect. Drafts can be saved, but a program cannot run until required issues are resolved.

Start or pause

To start or stop your program, see: Start or Stop an Automated Program .

Reporting and troubleshooting

To view performance, contact activity, and configuration details, use the program Dashboard: Using Act-On's Automated Programs Dashboard .

Make changes safely

To make changes to a running program, you must pause it first. If your program contains contacts actively sitting in steps (especially Wait steps), plan your edits carefully to avoid unintended exits or duplicated sends.

For step editing safety and contact impact details, see: Edit an Automated Program .

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