Simulate before you send
A dry run executes the full path with no side effects — no messages leave the system until you activate.
Follow-up that remembers the action — and respects the person.
Highland Neighbors United/Automations · Post-petition follow-up
Save draftDraftNot enrolling yet · run a simulation before you activate
Petition signed
trigger
Wait 1 day
delay
SMS consent?
branch
SMS thank-you
if SMS consent
Email thank-you
otherwise
Add tag "Signer"
both paths
Notify organizer
staff notification
Available steps
EmailSMSAdd tagUpdate listCreate taskNotify staffWaitBranchWebhook
Validation
Trigger and exit are connected
Branch covers both outcomes
SMS step has consent check upstream
Add merge fields to email subject
Build visual paths that trigger on real activity, decide with conditions, and act across email, SMS, tags, tasks, and staff alerts — then simulate before you send and trace every enrollment.
The operating loop
1Trigger & decide
Start from something real, then branch on what's true.
Paths begin on activity you already capture — a petition signed, a donation, an event RSVP, tag or list changes, form and survey activity, volunteer signups, and manual or scheduled events. From there, conditions split the path so the right people get the right follow-up.
- Triggers span giving, events, forms, surveys, tags, and lists
- Condition builder branches on contact and event data
- Every step is one you place — no path writes itself
Highland Neighbors United/Automations · Simulate run
No messages sent — simulation only
Sample contact: Rosa G.Sample event: Signed “Save the Creek”
Petition signed
matched sample contact
Wait 1 day
simulated instantly
Branch · SMS consent?
true → SMS path
SMS thank-you
rendered · not delivered
Email thank-you
branch not taken
Add tag "Signer"
would apply
Notify organizer
would notify
Dry runs execute the full path with no side effects · demo data
2Simulate first
Dry-run the whole path before anyone gets a message.
Pick a sample contact and event, then watch each step resolve — executed, branch taken, waited, or skipped — with a clear banner that no messages were sent. Catch a broken branch or missing field before you activate, not after.
- Runs the full path with no side effects
- Per-step outcomes: executed, branch, wait, skipped
- Prominent "no messages sent" confirmation
Highland Neighbors United/Automations · Enrollment · Rosa Guerra
RGActive
Rosa Guerra
Post-petition follow-up · enrolled Apr 2
Current step
Add tag
in progress
Next step
Notify staff
scheduled
Attempts
1 of 3
no retries yet
Step history
Enrolled · Petition signed
Apr 2 · 9:14aCompletedWaited 1 day
Apr 3 · 9:14aCompletedBranch · SMS consent = true
Apr 3 · 9:14aCompletedSMS thank-you · delivered
Apr 3 · 9:15aCompletedAdd tag "Signer"
Apr 3 · 9:15aActiveEvery enrollment shows attempts, retries, and exit reason · demo data
3Trace every enrollment
See exactly where each person is — and why.
Open any contact's enrollment to see the current step, what's scheduled next, and the full step history with attempts, retries, errors, and exit reasons. When something fails, you can see it and retry with full context.
- Current step, next step, and scheduled time
- Attempt, retry, and error detail per step
- Exit reasons recorded — completed, exited, or errored
Highland Neighbors United/Automations · Path analytics
ExportEnrolled
612
all time
Active
118
Completed
466
Errored
4
review needed
StepExecSkipErrStatus
Petition signed612—0Completed
Wait 1 day596—0Completed
Branch · SMS consent?596—0Completed
SMS thank-you3812150Active
Email thank-you2113854Failed
Errored steps can be retried with full context · demo data
4Improve & schedule
Measure what's working and enroll on your schedule.
Path analytics show enrolled, active, completed, and errored counts alongside a step-level executed / skipped / error table. Scheduled triggers run against CRM-owned cohorts on a cron and timezone you set, with verified ownership and an enable switch.
- Step-level executed, skipped, and error counts
- Scheduled triggers with cron, timezone, and CRM cohort
- Enable switch with verified cohort ownership
Highland Neighbors United/Automations · Scheduled trigger
ActiveWeekly · runs against a CRM cohort
Every Tuesday · 8:00aAmerica/New_York
Cohort: “Lapsed signers · Ward 3”
CRM-owned · verified ownership
Next fire
Tue 8:00a
America/New_York
Last fire
Mon 8:00a
184 enrolled
Schedule enabledtoggle to pause
Automation you can see through — not set-and-forget.
Consent and suppression apply
SMS dispatch still runs normalized DNC and suppression checks. Automations never bypass consent.
You build the path
Paths are composed from a fixed set of contract-backed steps — triggers, waits, branches, and actions. No path is authored for you.
Attempts and errors are visible
Every enrollment records attempts, retries, and exit reasons. Execution is observable and retryable, not a black box.
Explore the connected tools and workflows that extend the work above.
Turn one action into the right next step
Build the follow-up, simulate it, and watch every enrollment on Advotecate.
Sign a petitionRSVP to an eventStart a fundraiserKnock doorsPhone bankFollow a causeVolunteerLaunch a campaignText supportersShare your story