There are several different settings you can select when working with time-based segments, such as months or days, to help you set up your automation as specifically as possible and fully align it with your workflow. In this article, you will learn more about these different settings so you can select the right ones for your automation.
In this article:
Please note: In this article, we use an if/else step as an example. However, you can use these settings anywhere segment building is possible, such as in wait and goal steps or in advanced searches.
Is / Is not
You can use this condition when you only want contacts to take a specific path at a specific moment. In the example below, the if/else step checks if it is the month of January. If yes, the contact will take the yes path. If not, the contact will be sent down the no path. For this condition, select the ‘Is’ option.
Sometimes you may want contacts to follow the yes path throughout the year, except in January. In that case, select ‘Is not’. Contacts will only be sent down the no path during the month of January.
Is after / Is on or after
If you want contacts who arrive at the step after a specific date to receive a different email than contacts who arrive before this date, you can use ‘Is after’:
Based on the example above, contacts arriving after the 10th of January at this step will take the yes path. All contacts arriving before the 10th of January will end up in the no path.
If you also want contacts who sign up on the 10th of January to be in the yes path, then choose ‘Is on or after’.
As you can see, for these conditions, you use a combination of ‘Is after’ / ‘Is on or after’ and ‘Is’. You first check if it is January ‘Is’. If not, contacts can go directly to the no path. If it is January, you want to check if it is after (or on/after) the tenth of this month, and you use ‘Is after’ / ‘Is on or after’.
Is before / Is on or before
Imagine you have an action running; all newsletter subscribers before the 10th of January will receive a coupon code. To set this up, place an if/else step with the following conditions:
All registrations before January 10th will enter the yes-path, where you can add your email with the coupon code. If you want registrations on January 10th to also receive a code, you need to choose ‘Is on or before’. This way, the contacts that have reached the if/else step before January 10th will flow into the yes-path, but also the contacts arriving on January 10th will enter the yes-path.
As you can see, for these conditions you use a combination of ‘Is earlier’ / ‘Is on or before’ and ‘Is’. You first check if it is January ‘Is’. If not, contacts can go directly to the no-path. If it is January, then you want to check if it is earlier than (or on/before) the tenth of this month, and you use ‘Is earlier’ / ‘Is on or before’.