Evergreen Automations

An evergreen automation is an automation that runs continuously and automatically, providing value like appointment reminders and follow-ups without constant manual intervention. 

Core Benefits

Evergreen automations are typically used to replace any manual process. They have many benefits:

• Time & Resource Saving: Reduces the need for constant, manual work.
• Scalability: Reaches a broad audience across different time zones.
• Consistent Revenue/Leads: Generates a steady stream of opportunities without active management.
• Flexibility: Content can be ideal and perfected before being automated.

Automations not configured to be evergreen simply run once, whereas an evergreen automation may run the same contact through an automation many, many times.

Example of an evergreen automation

The simplest example of an evergreen automation is happy birthday automation: this is an automation that sends out an email the day of the contact's birthday, perhaps with a special offer or discount.

Building an evergreen automation

The simplest way to build an evergreen automation is to first identify and build a segment that populates based on criteria, e.g. contacts with a birthday tomorrow. This type of segment will constantly rotate people into the segment when their birthday is tomorrow and removed them from the segment when their birthday is not tomorrow.

This same concept can be applied to virtually anything.

Triggering and running the automation

Using the "When added to segment" trigger is the simplest way to have contacts enter an automation when specific criteria is met. However, other triggers can be just as effective.

Once triggered the automation can perform whatever work needs to be done, such as sending an email.

Restarting the automation

What makes an automation evergreen is use of the Restart Automation action.

Typically when a contact runs through an automation and the automation ends, the contact cannot be re-processed by the automation.

For an evergreen automation, the final step for each automation branch needs to end with the Restart Automation action. This tells the DailyStory automation system that the contact is allowed to run through the automation indefinitely if they are qualified.

In the example of a birthday, a contact would run through the automation, receive the happy birthday email, and then be flagged as allowed to run through the automation again in the future. The next year, when they are re-added to the segment the automation is again triggered and the contact is run through the happy birthday automation again.