This article covers:
What an automation produces each time it runs
How schedules and event triggers decide when it runs
What you can and cannot re-run after a failure
Why a count in your destination can differ from your segment
In short
An automation builds a segment of fans on a schedule or around a game, and can push the segment automatically to a destination. Each run creates a separate snapshot called a child segment, which does not update after it is built. If a run fails or is skipped, you can re-run it from the automation's run history, for both time-based and event-based automations.
What an automation produces
Each run creates a child segment holding the fans who matched at that moment, then pushes it to your destination.
A child segment is a snapshot. It does not grow or shrink after it is created, so a fan who stops qualifying tomorrow stays in the segment that was already pushed. If you need a list that stays in sync, use a dynamic segment instead of an automation. For the fuller comparison between the two, see Segment automations.
In Segment Analyzer, automation segments show in pink, static segments in blue and dynamic segments in teal.
Important: An automation does not build or send your campaign. It delivers the audience, and you build the campaign in your destination tool.
How a run happens
The automation becomes due. Either the cadence you set comes round, or a game in your schedule reaches the trigger point you set.
The segment is built. The criteria are evaluated against your data as it stands at that moment. An automation never waits for the day's data to load.
The child segment is created. If nobody matches, no segment is created and the run is marked as skipped.
The segment is pushed to your destination. How the audience arrives depends on the destination, so check that destination's article.
The destination processes it. This is not instant. An ad platform can take up to a day to finish building an audience.
Important: Because an automation does not wait for your data, a run that happens before the day's data has arrived builds a smaller audience than you expected, and nothing is flagged as wrong. Set your cadence or trigger timing for after your data normally loads. If you are not sure when that is, ask support.
When automations run
Time-based | Event-based | |
What decides the timing | A cadence you set: hourly, daily, weekly or monthly | Each game in your schedule, a set time before or after it |
Time zones | You choose the time zone when you create the automation. Daylight saving is handled for you, so 5 PM stays 5 PM all year. | Timing is relative to the event, so the time zone does not affect when it runs. |
Criteria | Evaluated at the moment the run happens | Evaluated at the moment the run happens, and narrowed to the game that triggered it |
Your automation also has an automation period, which is the start and end dates it is active for. It shows as Upcoming before the start date, Active during the period, and Completed after the end date. If you pause it, it shows as Paused until you unpause it, and no runs happen in that time. A paused automation still moves to Completed once its end date passes. See Pause or unpause an automation.
Note: An hourly cadence only makes sense if your data loads hourly. If it does not, an hourly automation will keep rebuilding the same audience.
If a run fails
Read the error text on screen, it names one of four categories: System, Configuration, Schedule, or Destination. For what each category means, which are self-clearing, and how to re-run a failed or skipped run, see Troubleshooting automation runs.
Why results can differ
The count in your destination is often lower than your child segment count, usually by around 5%. That is normal. Suppressions, unsubscribes, bounces and match rates all reduce the number, and ad platforms only match a share of the fans you send.
If you re-ran a failed or skipped run and the audience looks wrong, the re-run evaluated your criteria at the new time. For criteria tied to recent activity, that returns a different group of fans. This is expected, not a fault. A re-run after a Destination error is the exception: it pushes the segment that was already built.
FAQ
Can I re-run a failed automation?
Yes, for both time-based and event-based automations. Select Re-run on the run in the run history. You can also re-run a skipped run. See Troubleshooting automation runs for what each kind of re-run does.
Why is my destination count lower than my segment count?
Suppressions, unsubscribes, bounces and match rates. A gap of around 5% is normal. Contact support if it is much larger.
How long until my audience appears in the destination?
It varies by destination, and an ad platform can take up to a day. Confirm the count in the destination itself rather than assuming.
Does an automation update an audience it already pushed?
No. Each run pushes a snapshot. Later runs create new child segments rather than updating earlier ones.
Does an automation wait for my data to load before it runs?
No. It runs at the time you set and uses whatever data has arrived by then. Set your timing for after your data normally loads, so the audience is complete.
How often does my data refresh?
Your refresh frequency is shown in the automation setup when you choose your cadence. Match the two, because running more often than your data refreshes just rebuilds the same audience.
Still need help?
Contact StellarAlgo support and include:
The automation name, and the play it started from if you used one
The destination name
The date and time of the run
The child segment name, if one was created