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Action Groups Overview

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Forest Myers
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Whether it is a basic form autoresponder or a multi-step nurture campaign that stretches over a few months, SharpSpring provides ways for you to create powerful automations based on your lead behaviors. Automations in SharpSpring are composed of tasks and action groups, which themselves are composed of various actions or events. This article will provide an overview on action groups.


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Visual Editor and Legacy Editor Differences

SharpSpring offers two distinct ways to develop action groups: the Visual Editor and the Legacy Editor. 

The Visual Editor shows how action groups are configured, as well as the logic that defines the group as a whole. This is done by way of a workflow. Every trigger, action, filter, and the like are on full display in how they interact with one another. As such, the Visual Editor allows you to create action groups in a point-and-click fashion in real time. SharpSpring recommends using the Visual Editor when developing action groups.  


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The Legacy Editor provides a menu-based method of setting up action groups. While far less visual than the Visual Editor, the Legacy Editor provides a quick, efficient, complete way of setting up and configuring action groups. 


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Creating Action Groups in the Visual Editor

SharpSpring allows you to create standalone reusable visual action groups. With reusable visual action groups, you do not have to continuously recreate common action groups. SharpSpring's Visual Editor allows you to create these reusable action groups. SharpSpring recommends using the Visual Editor when creating action groups.

To create action groups using SharpSpring's Visual Editor, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    New > Action Group.
  2. Enter a name for the action group.
  3. Choose an action group folder.
  4. Click the Use visual editor toggle.
  5. Optionally, click any of the following checkboxes:

     •   Make this action group available in the
          Contact Manager.

     •   Make this action group repeatable.
  6. Click Add Action Group.
  7. Click + > Action.
  8. Select the actions to use in this visual action group.
  9. Click OK.
  10. Add triggers, actions, time delays, and action groups as necessary:

     •   Actions: The available actions. 

     •   Triggers: Starts a branch from the
          initial action group. 

     •   Filters:     Additional criteria that a lead must
          fulfill before moving on to an action.

     •   Time Delay: Sets a time delay for actions.

     •   Action Groups: Multiple actions
          previously constructed together as
          a group.
  



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Note: Reusable action groups are a collection of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or be manually scheduled to a list.

Branches are not action groups. Branches refer to a collection of actions created for use only within a visual workflow. As the name implies, this collection of actions branch out from the action group and are dependent upon additional criteria in order to function. Branches will not be added as reusable, standalone action groups.


Creating Action Groups in the Legacy Editor

To create an action group using SharpSpring's legacy menu-based input, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    New > Action Group.
  2. Enter a name for the action group.
  3. Choose an action group folder.
  4. Click the Use legacy editor toggle.
  5. Click Add Action Group.
  6. Optionally, click any of the following checkboxes:

     •   Make this action group available in
          the Contact Manager.

     •   Make this action group repeatable.

     •   Create a time-based action group
          utilizing a custom field.
  7. Select the timing.
  8. Select the actions to add to this action group.
  9. Click Add Action.
  10. Add more actions as necessary.
  11. Click Save Changes.
  



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Note: Only legacy action groups can be referenced in legacy tasks.
 
Note: Setting the timing to
0 minutes after start will start this action group immediately after the trigger fires.


Navigating Action Group Pages

Once created, you can view action groups in the Action Groups menu. To access the Action Groups menu and navigate its features, click Automation > Action Groups in SharpSpring's top toolbar.


Filter Menus

The Automation Action Groups page offers many different viewing options in that you can filter your various action groups.

The first filter on the Action Groups page is for action group types. This menu allows you to separate Visual Editor automations from Legacy automations. Visual Editor and Legacy automations differ in input mechanics and presentation. The action group content is the same.

The second filter available on the Action Groups page is the active/inactive filter. This filter separates action groups that are active from those action groups that are inactive.

The filter search bar allows you to type in custom search parameters to find applicable action groups.

  



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Folders

folder.png  Folders house action groups within.

The folders state how many action groups the house. Clicking on a folder opens the folder and displays all associated action groups.

Folders will display only active or inactive action groups, but not both at once. 

The Miscellaneous folder is open by default.		  



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Action Groups Information

The Automation Action Groups page displays information associated with action groups.

When viewing action groups in a folder, the following information is displayed:

  • The action group name

  • The action group's creation date

  • The number of actions in the action group

  • The number of workflows the action group is attached to

  • If the action group is considered as visual, legacy, or repeatable

When comparing visual, legacy, and repeatable action groups at-a-glance, consider the following:

  • Visual Editor action groups are represented by
    the  flow-branch.png  Visual icon.

  • Legacy action groups are not represented an icon.

  • Repeatable visual action groups are represented by the  loop.png  Repeatable icon. 

  • Both visual and legacy action groups will be represented by the  loop.png  Repeatable icon if they are repeatable.
  



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In addition, visual action groups are listed under Workflows, and legacy action groups are listed under Tasks. If an action group is attached to a workflow or task, the word will appear blue. Clicking these blue words will open a pop-up window detailing what the action group is a part of.



Options

The  cog.png  Options menu allows you to configure an action group. The available options are as follows:

  • Rename action groups.

  • Activate or deactivate action groups.

  • Copy action groups.

  • Schedule action groups.

  • Move action groups to specified folders.
  



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Modifying Legacy Action Groups

To modify an existing legacy action group, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Click the desired action group's name.
  3. Make changes as necessary.
  4. Click Save Changes. 
  



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When making changes to an active action group,
keep in mind the following:

  • Actions removed from an existing action group will not prevent these actions from occurring for contacts that were already a member of the action group.

  • Actions added to an existing action group will not be applied to contacts that were already a member of the action group.

  • When deactivating an action group, you have to option to stop all currently scheduled automations or to allow currently scheduled events to happen while preventing future leads from being scheduled to said actions.
  


Deactivating Action Groups

To disable an active action group, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Set the menu listing to Active.
  3. Locate the desired action group.
  4. Click  cog.png  Options > Deactivate.
  5. Click one of the following toggles, depending on need:

     •   Do not allow currently scheduled
          events to fire.

     •   Allow currently scheduled events
          to fire.
  6. Click OK.
  



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Activating Action Groups

To enable a deactivated action group, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Set the menu listing to Inactive.
  3. Locate the desired action group.
  4. Click  cog.png  Options > Activate.
  



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Removing Contacts from Action Groups

To prevent actions from a scheduled action group from occurring, the contact must be removed from the action group. To remove contacts from action groups, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Contacts > Contact Manager.
  2. Click on the desired contact's name.
  3. Click the Memberships tab.
  4. Click  flow-branch.png  Action Groups.
  5. Locate the action group that the contact will be removed from.
  6. Click  cog.png  Options > Remove.
  



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Scheduling Action Groups

To schedule an action group to a list, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Lists.
  2. Locate the desired list.
  3. Click  cog.png  Options > Schedule.
  4. Select an action group from the action group menu.
  5. Select the time and date parameters.
  6. Click Schedule Action Group.
  



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Creating Action Group Folders

To create a new folder to house action groups, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Locate the desired action group.
  3. Click  cog.png  Options > Move to Folder.
  4. Select New Folder.
  5. Enter a name for the folder.
  6. Click OK.
  



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After creating an action group folder, you can edit the folder name at any time in the Action Groups menu. Click the  pencil.png  Edit icon next to a folder to edit the name.


Moving Action Groups

To move an action group from one folder to another, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Locate the desired action group.
  3. Click  cog.png  Options > Move to Folder.
  4. Select the folder to move the action group to.
  



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Renaming Action Groups

To rename an action group, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Locate the desired action group.
  3. Click  cog.png  Options > Rename.
  4. Enter a new name for the action group.
  5. Click OK.
  



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Copying Action Groups

To copy an action group, do the following:

  1. In SharpSpring's top toolbar, click
    Automation > Action Groups.
  2. Locate the desired action group.
  3. Click  cog.png  Options > Copy.
  4. Enter a name for the copied action group.
  5. Click OK.
  



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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the Make this action group available in the Contact Manager option?
A: This option allows you to add contacts to this action group directly from their contact profile.

Q: What is the Make this action group repeatable option?
A: This option allows for the lead to go through this action group more than once. 


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