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Using Recurring Action Groups

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Forest Myers
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Recurring action groups let you schedule an action group to a lead that will execute on a recurring basis.

This means that you can create an action group that, on a given date, will schedule and send birthday emails, subscription reminders, and other recurring events.

This article will detail how to create and use recurring action groups.



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Regarding Custom Date and DateTime Fields

Recurring action groups will require a custom Date or DateTime field in order to function. Date and Date/Time fields are fields that are usable as a reference point for certain action groups and workflows utilizing 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.

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


Creating Recurring Action Groups 

Action groups are a collection of standalone events that can be referenced within a visual workflow or can be manually scheduled to a list or lead. Recurring action groups are slightly different from standard action groups, as they act based on the frequency of the recurring action group, the date and time when action will happen, and how many times the action will continue. 

To create recurring action groups, do the following:

  1. Click Marketing > Automation > Action Groups in SharpSpring's top toolbar.
  2. Click New Action Group.
  3. Select Recurring.
  4. Click Get Started.
  5. Enter a name for the action group in the Action Group Name field.
  6. Select the desired folder from the Add this action group to a folder field.
  7. Optionally, click the Make repeatable checkbox.
  8. Optionally, click the Make this action group available in the Contact Manager checkbox.
  9. Select the desired field type from the Field Type drop-down menu:

      Field   Description  
      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.
  11. Select either of the following time options under Use the time:

      Time   Description  
      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 field.
  13. Select the desired measurement of time from the Set a schedule drop-down menu:

      Schedule   Description  
      Week


    		The action will repeat weekly.  
      Month


    		The action will repeat monthly.  
      Year


    		The action will repeat yearly.  
  14. Select the desired ending parameter from the Ends drop-down menu:

      Parameter   Description  
      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.  
  15. Click Save.
   Click to enlarge.
 
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.
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.
 

Refer to Action Groups Overview for more information on setting actions once the core recurring action group has been created and 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 Marketing > Automation > Action Groups in SharpSpring's top toolbar.
  2. Click the Type drop-down menu.
  3. Click Recurring.
  4. Set the Activity toggle to either Active or Inactive.
  5. Open the folder the action group is in.
  6. Click the name of the desired  calendar.png  recurring action group.
  7. Click  12pencil.png   Edit in the Custom Field action group.
  8. Edit the custom field as necessary.
  9. Click Save.
   Click to enlarge.
   
 
Note: You can also locate an existing recurring action group by entering the name of the desired recurring action group in the search bar.
   

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 according to the new date.

In addition, if the recurring action group is edited and has no value for a lead that is scheduled, then the lead will continue to be scheduled to the recurring action group without 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 > Contacts in SharpSpring's top 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.
  5. Select the desired date and time from the calendar menu.
  6. Click Save.
   Click to enlarge.


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 > Contacts in SharpSpring's top toolbar.
  2. Click the name of the desired contact.
  3. Click the Memberships tab.
  4. Click Action Groups.
  5. Locate the relevant  calendar.png  recurring action group entries.
   Click to enlarge.

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.

   Click to enlarge.

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