Using Recurring Action Groups

Custom Date and DateTime Fields in Recurring Action Groups

Recurring action groups require a custom Date or DateTime field to function. Date and Date/Time fields are usable as reference points for certain action groups and workflows that utilize a custom field. This is due to how the field references a specific date or both a date and time. These fields are useful, as they are meant to dynamically schedule and send reminder emails. 

Note: Standard action groups are available on the Trial and the Essential plan. Standard, time-based, and Recurring action groups are available on the Advanced and Ultimate plans.

Refer to Creating DateTime Fields for more information on creating custom Date and DateTime fields.

Creating Recurring Action Groups 

Action groups are collections of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or manually scheduled to a list or lead. Recurring action groups differ slightly from standard action groups, as they act based on the frequency of the recurring action, the date and time when the action will occur, and the number of times the action will recur. 

To create recurring action groups, do the following:

1. Click Automation > Action Groups in the left toolbar.
   
   
   
   
2. Click Create Action Group.
   
   
   
   
3. Select Recurring.
4. Click Get Started.
   
   
    
5. Enter a name for the action group in the Action Group Name field.
6. Optionally, select the desired folder from the Add this action group to a folder field.
7. Optionally, click the Make repeatable and Make this action group available in the Contact Manager checkboxes.
8. Click Next.
   
   
   
   
9. Select the desired field type from the Field Type drop-down menu:
   • Account - Appears only on accounts.
   • Lead - Appears only on contacts.
   • Opportunity - Appears only on opportunities.
10. Select the desired custom Date/Time field from the Field Name drop-down menu
    • Important: If the custom field is a Date field, you will need to enter a specific time for when the associated actions will be executed.
11. Select either of the following time options under Use the time:
    • Important: When selecting a time option, be aware that the paired date is populated through automation, a form fill, or manually by a user. This means that the actions within the recurring action group are all relative to the value a lead has for the selected date.
    • From "Custom Field" - Pulls time information from the custom field.
    • Custom Time - Selects the desired time from a drop-down menu.
12. Modify how often to repeat the action group in the Set a schedule which recurs every field and select the desired measurement of time from the Set a schedule drop-down menu:
    • Week - The action will repeat weekly.
    • Month - The action will repeat monthly.
    • Year - The action will repeat yearly.
13. Select the desired ending parameter from the Ends drop-down menu:
    • Never - The action group will never end unless manually terminated.
    • After - The action group will end after a set number of recurrences.
    • On - The action group will end on a designated date.
14. Click Save.
    
    

Refer to the Action Groups Overview for more information on setting actions after the core recurring action group has been created, as well as additional action group features.
 

Editing Recurring Action Groups

You can edit previously created recurring action groups at any time. To edit a recurring action group, do the following:

1. Click Automation > Action Groups in the left toolbar.
   
   
   
   
2. Set the activity toggle to either Active or Inactive.
3. Set the type field to Recurring.
4. Open the folder the action group is in.
5. Click the name of the desired    recurring action group.
   
   Note: You can also locate an existing recurring action group by entering the name of the desired recurring action group in the search bar.
   
   
   
   
6. Click    Edit in the Custom Field action group.
   
   
   
   
7. Edit the custom field as necessary.
8. Click Save.
   
   

Be aware that when a recurring action group is rescheduled to activate on a new date, all currently scheduled events will remain as scheduled, and all new events will be scheduled for the new date.

In addition, if the recurring action group is edited and has no value for a scheduled lead, the lead will continue to be scheduled to the recurring action group without any actions being scheduled.
 

Manually Updating Custom Field Data

Date and Date/Time fields will need their time data paired with respective dates to correctly function when set to a recurring action group. This is done on a contact-by-contact basis.

To update custom Date or Date/Time field data for contacts, do the following:

1. Click Contacts in the left toolbar.
2. Click the name of the desired contact.
   
   
3. Click the Custom Fields tab.
4. Locate the desired custom Date or Date/Time field and select the desired date and time from the calendar menu.
5. Click Save.
   
   

Viewing Lead Memberships

You can view whether or not contacts are members of a recurring action group.

To view contact memberships, do the following:

1. Click Contacts in the left toolbar.
2. Click the name of the desired contact.
   
   
3. Click the Memberships tab.
4. Click Action Groups.
5. Locate the relevant    recurring action group entries.
   
   

A contact who has been scheduled to a recurring action group will have a label next to the respective entry.

Ongoing recurrences will display the following label:
Recurred X Times / Next: <Date> / End: <End Setting>

Completed recurrences display the following label:
Recurred X Times / Status: Completed on <Date and Time>

For these labels, the Next date is when the action group will be rescheduled. The End date is when the action group recurrences are scheduled to end.