Common issues with automations

Marketune automations are a powerful tool for streamlining your workflows. However, you might occasionally run into issues, such as contacts not being added, emails not sending, or unexpected paths being followed in an if/else step. Don't panic, most of these problems can be resolved quickly and easily.

This article highlights the most common automation issues and provides clear, actionable solutions to keep everything running smoothly.

Things to remember: To avoid unexpected errors or disruptions, always switch the automation to Inactive before making any updates. Editing active automations can lead to unintended issues, so it's best to ensure they are inactive to keep everything running smoothly.

• Contact is not added to automation or added multiple times
• Email is not sent to a contact
• Incorrect path followed in an 'if/else' step

If a contact isn’t being added to your automation as expected - or is added multiple times - don’t worry. Here are some common reasons and ways to fix it:

• Verify trigger settings - Make sure that triggers are set correctly and match your intended conditions.

• Check the automation creation date - Verify when the automation was created. If the automation was created after the trigger conditions were met, the contact won’t respond to the trigger.

• Triggers aren’t retroactive - Automations only activate for contacts who meet the conditions after the automation is live. If necessary, manually add contacts to the automation.

• Activate the automation - Ensure the automation is marked as 'Active'—contacts can only be added if it’s live.

• Check 'Visited Webpage' triggers - Check that the URL and domain entered in the trigger exactly match the actual webpage.

• Use the 'Subscribes to List' trigger - If you’re not using a Marketune form, switch to the 'Subscribes to List' trigger for better compatibility.

It may happen that emails are not sent to a contact, even if everything seems set up correctly. Here are some common reasons and solutions:

• Unsubscribed contacts: Only contacts subscribed to a list are considered "active" and eligible to receive emails.
• Emails sent to spam: Verify if the email ended up in the contact's spam folder rather than their inbox.
• Action “Send email” was added later: If the “Send Email” action was added after the contact already passed through that step in the automation, they won’t receive the email
• Review the automation path: Check the automation path for the contact to identify where the issue occurred and make necessary updates.

Occasionally, contacts may take an incorrect path in an “if/else” step. Here are some key checks to resolve this issue:

• Review the step conditions - Ensure the conditions set in the 'if/else' step align with the contact’s data. Double-check that tags, custom fields, or other criteria are properly configured before the contact reaches this step.
• Add a buffer with a wait action - Include a wait action before the 'if/else' step to allow the system time to update the contact’s data or tags. For example, wait 5 minutes or wait until a custom field is updated.
• Verify subscription list - If the step includes checking for list subscriptions, confirm that the contact is on the proper list. You can find this in the contact details.
• Review automation history - Use the contact’s activity log to trace their journey through the automation. This can help identify where the path went wrong. 

To ensure your automation runs smoothly, we recommend starting with a test contact. This allows you to spot and fix any potential issues before adding real contacts to the workflow.
1. Go to “Contacts”.
2. Click “Add contact”.
3. Fill the form with the test contact details.
4. Click “Add”.
5. Add the test contact to the automation.
6. Follow the steps in the automation with a test contact. You can skip waiting steps if needed.