If you change the workflow, the behavior may vary for each lead because not all leads start the workflow at the same time. Each Lead can be at different steps depending on when they entered the workflow. If a lead hasn’t yet reached a newly added step, it will be eligible for that step. However, if a lead has already passed a modified step in the workflow, it won’t impact the lead.
Here we have explained the entire process in details with an example from MailBluster Automation.
Each delay step counts the days from the previous step. If you modify the workflow, the behavior may vary for each lead, as they don’t all start at the same time and different leads will be at different steps based on when they started the workflow. A lead who hasn’t yet reached a newly added step will still be eligible for that step.
Here is an example of a workflow from MailBluster Automation:
Step 1. Start
Step 2. Send campaign 1
Step 3. Delay 3 days
Step 4. Send campaign 2
Step 5. End
The Cases are as follows:
– Lead L1 started the workflow and finished it.
– Lead L2 started the workflow and is waiting in Step 3 (Delay 3 days).
– Lead L3 did not start the workflow yet.
And then add two new steps ‘with delay’ and ‘new campaign’ at the end of the workflow resulting in:
Step 1. Start
Step 2. Send campaign 1
Step 3. Delay 3 days
Step 4. Send campaign 2
Step 5. Delay 4 days <– this is a new step
Step 6. Send campaign 3 <– this a new step
Step 7. End
Then,
– Lead L1 won’t be eligible for Steps 5 and 6 because the lead already finished the workflow (or passed the step).
– Lead L2 will be eligible for Steps 5 and 6 as the lead hasn’t passed the step.
– Lead L3 will be eligible as well.
This example shows the complete timeline of a lead who successfully progressed through every step of the automation workflow:
Step 1. Jan 2, 9:00 AM runs – Start
Step 2. Jan 2, 9:00 AM runs – Send campaign 1
Step 3. Jan 2, 9:00 AM starts – Start
Jan 2, 9:00 AM ends – Delay 3 days
Step 4. Jan 5, 9:00 AM runs – Send campaign 2
Step 5. Jan 5, 9:00 AM starts – Start
Jan 9, 9:00 AM ends – Delay 4 days
Step 6. Jan 9, 9:00 AM runs – Send campaign 3
Step 7. Jan 9, 9:00 AM runs – End
* it might take some time to send campaign, so there might be some delay to process step
Here, you can see all the existing leads have fully completed the workflow, so any changes made to the workflow won’t affect them. But anyone new who starts the workflow will receive the changes made.