Types of AMRs

There are four types of automated message rules.

Note: If you schedule a bulk send on a specific date, use an AMR. Otherwise, use Workflows.

Activity-Based AMRs

Activity-Based automated message rules send messages when a contact performs an activity in response to a related message that you sent to them. Possible activities include opening a message, clicking a link inside a message, or a purchase conversion. Various combinations of these activities can also be used as the criteria for describing when to send. Messages of this type are often called remails or remarketing.

Warning: Activity-Based Automated Message rules will only send messages to contacts who meet the criteria for the rule, after the rule is activated. For example, if you send a message on a Monday, and on the following Thursday activate an automated message rule to send based off of clicks that message generates, the automated message rule would not send for clicks the message generated before the time the automated message rule was activated. In other words, the automated message rule would have no knowledge of clicks generated before it was activated. In this case, before Thursday.

For information about setting up an Activity-Based AMR see Create An Activity-Based AMR.

Date-Based AMRs

Date-Based automated message rules send messages when a chosen field for a contact matches a specified date or month. For example, you might store a contact's birthday or subscription renewal date in a field, and then chose to send a message when there is a match for that field.

Warning: Date-Based rules will send messages to contacts who have meet the criteria for the rule even before the rule is activated. For example, let's say you create and activate a Date-Based automated message rule on October 1, 2009 with a field of Contact Created and a type of match of Check day, month, and year every day. If a contact has a value of September 29, 2008 in their Contact Created field, then this automated message rule will send them the message tied to the rule.

For information about setting up a Date-Based AMR see Create A Date-Based AMR.

Schedule Recurring AMRs

Schedule Recurring automated message rules send messages on a periodic basis. For example, you might send out a coupon at the beginning of every month to contacts on a specific segment, such as "high value" or "at risk" customers.

For information about setting up a Schedule Recurring AMR see Create A Scheduled Recurring AMR.

API Triggered AMRs

API Triggered automated message rules send messages when a rule is called via the API. This type of message allows for easy management and reporting for emails sent by an in-house or third party system which has been integrated with the application. For Version 4 of the API, you can use the id assigned to a given automated message rule to reference it. To obtain an id for a given Automate Message Rule, call the readMessageRules function.

For information about setting up an API Triggered AMR see Create An API Triggered AMR.