How to Add Rules to Sequence Steps

Managing multiple sequences simultaneously can be overwhelming and time-consuming, but with rules- a powerful set of tools that automatically performs tasks for you, you can automate repetitive tasks and increase performance with your Distrobird sequences. In this article, we'll go through the fundamentals of creating rules in a sequence.

What is a Rule

A rule allows you to create simple if-then workflows that are executed based on a series of conditions that must be met before the predefined action is carried out. For example, when X event occurs (trigger), and Y conditions are met (filter), then perform Z (action).

 

You can create as many rules as you need in a sequence.

 

Trigger

A trigger is the initial input that kickstarts the activation of a rule in a campaign. Triggers define the types of events that will prompt Distrobird to assess your rule's requirements and determine whether or not they are met.

 

Filters

Filters are an optional part of a trigger that can be used to narrow the scope of triggers to determine whether or not a rule will be activated. Filters are only considered when a trigger is fired.

 

Action

An action is an event that occurs as a result of a trigger being met. Therefore, if a rule's conditions are satisfied, the action sequence you specified for the rule will be executed.

 

Follow these steps to create a rule in a sequence

 

1. From a sequence’s page, navigate to the step for which you want to create a rule and click Add another rule to open the rule builder.

2. On the rule builder, enter the name of your rule in the Name field. The name should reflect the purpose of the rule in a few words.

3. Next, enter a rule description in the Description field. This step is optional.

4. Click +Add events next to When, from the dropdown select an event to trigger the rule. The events available are:

• SMS- when a message is received
• Email- when an email is received
• Call - when a call is made 

5. Once you have selected an event, you can add a filter or an action to the event. 

To add a filter,

a. Select the“If” statement from the dropdown

b. Next, click +Add filter, select a filter from the dropdown and enter a value.

Note: You can add as many filters as needed to specify when a rule should be triggered. To add more filters, repeat steps a and b.

6. Next, add an action to define what happens when an event occurs or the filter conditions are met, click Then and select Action

7. Click on the Select Action button and select an action that you want to be carried out when this rule is triggered. The action options available are:

• Send SMS Select this option if you want contacts to receive an SMS when the specified event occurs. To configure this option follow these steps
  • Select Send SMS from the action dropdown
  • In the wait field, enter a time interval before the message is sent to the contact and click on the dropdown next to it to select a time unit.
  • Toggle on the Custom recipient option if you want the SMS message to be sent to a different contact; otherwise, leave it off. Enter a phone number to send the SMS message from in the From field, and the recipient's phone number in the To field.
  • Next, compose your sms message in the message box, or click on the template icon to insert a template
  • Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, contacts will be sent the saved SMS. 
  •  
• Send Email Select this option if you want contacts to receive an email when the specified event occurs. To configure this option follow these steps
  • Select Send Email from the action dropdown
  • In the wait field, enter a time interval before the message is sent to the contact and click on the dropdown next to it to select a time unit.
  • Toggle on the Custom recipient option if you want the Email message to be sent to a different contact; otherwise, leave it off. Enter an email address to send the email from in the From field, and the recipient's email address in the To field.
  • Next, compose your message in the message box, or click on the template icon to insert a template.
  • Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, the contacts will be sent the saved Email.
• Exit from Sequence Select this option if you want contacts to be exited from the sequence once the specified event occurs. To configure this option follow these steps
  • Select Exit from Sequence from the action dropdown
  • Click on the dropdown to select a campaign to exit the contact from.
  • Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, the contacts will be removed from the selected sequences.
• Add to DNC
  • To select this option, click Add to DNC from the Select Action dropdown.
  • Next, check the appropriate box to add the contacts to your DNC or Blocklist.
  • Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, the contacts will be added to your DNC or blocklist.
• Add to Campaign Select this option if you want contacts to be added to a different sequence when the specified event occurs. To configure this option follow these steps
  • Select Add to campaign from the action dropdown
  • Click on the dropdown to select a campaign to add the contact to.
  • Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, the contacts will be added to the selected campaign.

• Create Task

  1. To select this option, click Create Task from the Select Action dropdown and fill in the following fields.
     • Title- In this field, give the task a name. The name should reflect the purpose of the task in a few words.
     • Priority- Click on this dropdown to select the task's level of importance.
     • Task Type-Click on the Task type dropdown and select the task type that best fits the task you are creating from the dropdown.
     • Assigned To- By default, a task is assigned to the user who created it. If you want to change the assignee, click on the Assigned to dropdown and choose a different member of your team to assign the task to.
     • Notification Preference- click on the notification preference dropdown to select a time you wish to be reminded of the set task.
     • Receive Notification- Here select how you would like to be notified about the task. Check the box next to your preferred option. Note: You can select multiple options.
     • Note-If there’s any additional information worth noting, include it here.
  2. Click Save. Once the rule is triggered and your set filters are met, the set task will be automatically created.

If you have additional questions regarding creating rules in a sequence, do not hesitate to contact us at [e-mail]; a member of our team will be happy to respond to your questions and resolve any issues you might be experiencing.

Happy selling!