Using the Automation Program Builder

When in the Program Editor tab you will be able to see the Editor Canvas. This documentation shows you the ways in which you can interact with the interface and the APB stages.

On this page:

• Editor Canvas and Stage Palette
• Saving and Versions
• Stage Validation
• Publishing and Activating
• Testing a Program

Editor Canvas and Stage Palette

There are multiple different functions in the Program Builder to help you visualise and build your Program, these are detailed below.

Adding Stages

When adding your first stage, there will be a box in the centre of the canvas that says 'Drop stage here', this is where you begin your program.

While you're dragging, the connectors you can drop the stage onto will be highlighted as red circles and will expand to show you when it can be connected to the program. Stages can be dropped onto any of these circles.

You can also drop stages directly onto the canvas but they will not be connected to the program until they have been moved to a connector.

Moving Stages

Individual stages can be moved between connectors. You can do this if you click and hold a stage so that the connectors reappear, you can then re-position it in the program like you would with a new stage.

Editing Stages

Each stage has some configuration that must be entered in order to function properly.

For example, a Send Campaign stage needs to know which campaign to send and an Add to List stage needs to know which list you want to add contacts to. In order to configure each stage, simply click on it and a sidebar will open showing all the necessary configuration options.

There are different options available to each stage. To close the stage sidebar you can click on a clear part of the canvas or click the Close button at the top left of the sidebar.

When the stage sidebar is revealed the palette will collapse, to reveal the palette you must click the + in the top left of the canvas.

Adding SMS Personalisation

When creating an SMS message, you have the option to add personalisation using your core/data table fields.

1. Click Personalisation
2. Select Core or Data table
3. Select the field you want to personalise

Deleting Stages

To delete a stage you can use the Delete Stage button in the stage's sidebar. Stages with contacts assigned to them cannot be modified.

Zoom and Expand

In order to better navigate large or complicated programs, you can use the zoom functions on the toolbar or the mousewheel to zoom your program in, out or to its actual size. This is useful when trying to get an overview of how a program works.

You can make the display full screen by clicking the Full Screen button, which can be useful for large programs. To return to the standard screen, press the Escape key or click the Full Screen button again.

Saving and Versions

Save Draft

We recommend saving your work with the 'Save Draft' button regularly. You can save a draft at any stage, regardless of invalid stages or unpublished campaigns.

If you make a mistake or wish to go back to a previous version you can do so using the 'Versions' drop box.

Versions

The 'Versions' drop box lists the previously saved versions of your program. At any time you can click on an entry to bring the version up in the editor.

Versions are colour-coded:

• Black: a saved draft
• Red: an invalid draft
• Blue: a published version

The most recently published version will also show a 'play' symbol alongside it.

Stage Validation

When stages are first added they are invalid, as they must be configured before they can be used. Invalid stages are highlighted with a red border but this does not mean you cannot add more stages before validating.

The program will notify if errors are present with a pop-up when saving or attempting to publish. If you press either 'Okay' or 'Cancel' the invalid stage(s) will shake to prompt you.

Publishing and Activating

Publish Program

The 'Publish Program' button is used to finalise your program before activating it. Publishing checks the program for invalid stages, alerting you if these are present, and ensures it's ready to go.

If publishable, a new version will be saved.

Activating a Program

Once a program has been published you can activate it in the Administration sidebar. This option will not show until the program has been published and only active programs will perform any actions.

The active status of your program controls whether it is live or not:

• Active programs are 'live' (i.e. contacts added to the program will move through it) but cannot be edited.
• Inactive programs are not live (i.e. contacts added to it will sit at the first stage waiting to be activated) but can be edited.

Testing a Program

To test an automation program you will need to place a test user into the program manually. You are likely to want to do this before sending to other users, so make sure not to associate any forms, lists or others programs before testing.

Add a test user by finding their email address or phone number in a list and add them manually to the program. They will then go through the stages you have created.

Should you have delay stages that you want to skip as part of testing, you can pause the program and then manually move them between stages.

You can review the contact's progress on the editor canvas, by clicking on the stage and seeing the "Active", "Processed" (and on the last stage a "Removed") number.

Copy & Delete

As well as activating your program, you can also delete and copy it.

If you copy the program you will be asked to name it before being taken to the program editor for that copy; delete it and you will be taken back to the list of automation programs.