Automations FAQ

Why isn't my automation working?

Changes on your subscriber list or steps in your automation may sometimes affect the way subscribers go through a workflow. They could get removed from the queue or even not be triggered at all. Read ahead to find out why this happens and how to fix it.

You can add new steps to the beginning, middle and end of an existing workflow, even if it already has subscribers that are queued or have completed it.

The workflow must be turned off to edit it, which means that it won’t be triggering any new subscribers or executing any queued steps until the workflow is turned on again.

When a new step is added in the middle of a workflow, it is executed only for the subscribers who haven’t yet reached the step before it. Those who are already past this step will not execute the new step. 

For example, if you add a new step between steps 3 and 4 of a 6-step email sequence, only those who haven’t yet reached step 3 will execute the new step. Those who are already queued for the 4th, 5th, or 6th step will not execute the new step. 

If a new step is added as the last step in a workflow, it will then be executed for all subscribers. This includes those who have already completed the workflow sequence as they will be automatically re-added.

To edit a workflow and add a new step:

1. Head to the Automations page and click Edit on the workflow you wish to work on.

2. Turn it off to have your workflow in edit mode.

3. Click on the plus (+) sign to add a new step wherever you want.

While you are making edits to your workflow, please note:

• No new subscribers will be added to the workflow while it is turned off. To manually add these new subscribers into the sequence, read the section What happens if you get new subscribers while your workflow is turned off below. 

• No emails are sent while it is turned off. These emails will also not be automatically sent once it has been turned back on.
  
  This happens because each step is given a specific timestamp on when it should be executed, based on the delay that you set up (if any). You can see the timestamp of any queued step under the Date and Time columns in the Queued folder of the Activity tab of the workflow.

If a workflow is turned back on and the date of the time stamp has passed, these subscribers will be kicked out of the workflow’s queue and sent to the Canceled folder.

To reinsert the canceled or failed subscribers back in the workflow sequence:

1. Head to the Automations page and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the Completed button and select Canceled or Failed from the dropdown menu.

4. Click on the checkbox next to the email address to select the subscriber.

5. Click on Actions above and select Re-add to the sequence. 

6. Add the subscriber to the step they failed (the site knows which step they failed) or to any other step, and click Confirm.

To make edits to a new or existing automation workflow, it must first be turned off. While it is off, new subscribers will not be added and steps will not be executed.

It is possible to manually add the new subscribers to the sequence, but only for automations with the trigger When subscriber joins a group. It is not possible to manually add subscribers to other types of automation, such as e-commerce purchases, link clicks, or when a subscriber completes a form. 

To add new subscribers to the automation workflow:

1. Turn the workflow on.

2. Click on Add subscribers to workflow button.

3. Choose whether you would like to add the subscribers to the first step or from a specific step in the workflow.

Yes! You can easily view an active automation without making any changes. Just hover over the automation’s thumbnail and click Preview to open the workflow in a non-editable format.

You’ll see all relevant stats, workflow step details, and a clear visual overview—no more switching modes or worrying about unintended edits. We’ve also added a “Preview workflow” button directly in the Automation Overview to give you quick access whenever you need it.

In order to be active in an automated workflow with the trigger when subscriber joins group, the subscriber must be a member of the trigger group. If a subscriber is removed from the trigger group, they will be automatically removed from the workflow’s queue. 

To add them back to the queue, they first need to be re-added to the trigger group.

To re-add a subscriber to the trigger group:

1. Head to the subscribers page and search for the subscriber’s email address.

2. Select the subscriber you wish to re-add to a group and click Actions.

3. Click Add to group and select the group you wish to re-add the subscriber to.

Sometimes, subscribers who complete a signup form may simultaneously receive both the confirmation email and the first email of an automation workflow.

If you have any steps in the workflow that aren’t finished, you’ll see them listed at the top when you attempt to save the automation. Clicking on a listed step will highlight and open it in the sidebar, making it easy to review and complete right away.

When confirmation emails are sent

Confirmation emails are sent when someone signs up on a form that has double opt-in enabled. 

If you are using a form built within MailerLite, confirmation emails will always be sent to new subscribers if double opt-in is enabled.

If you are using an external or third-party form that was not built within MailerLite, confirmation emails will be sent only once at the first sign-up. 

Before a person confirms their subscription to your list, they are considered unconfirmed subscribers. Apart from confirmation emails, no other emails are sent to unconfirmed subscribers. Once they confirm their subscription, they will be active subscribers and will be able to receive any email.

To learn how to set up a confirmation email for forms built within MailerLite, click here. To set up confirmation emails for all API sign-ups, click here. Make sure you authenticate your domain to maximize your deliverability.

Getting a confirmation email and an automation email at the same time

After completing a form with double opt-in, a subscriber may receive both the confirmation email and the automation email at the same time. This means that the subscriber has already confirmed their subscription before they filled out the form. In other words, they are already active on your list. 

Everyone, including existing subscribers, will receive a confirmation email upon sign up. 

New subscribers will never receive both the confirmation email and the automation email at the same time. They will first need to confirm their subscription before they can receive any emails.

Yes. You can add A/B split testing steps throughout existing workflows. All you have to do is pause the workflow, click the + icon where you want to add a split test, and select the A/B split testing step.

Keep in mind that subscribers who have already completed the workflow won't be included in the split test data. Only new subscribers entering the workflow will participate in the A/B split test.

Why isn't my automation working?

Changes on your subscriber list or steps in your automation may sometimes affect the way subscribers go through a workflow. They could get removed from the queue or even not be triggered at all. Read ahead to find out why this happens and how to fix it.

You can still add new steps in the middle and at the end of a workflow, even if it already has subscribers that are queued or have completed it.

The workflow must be turned off to edit it, which means that it won’t be triggering any new subscribers or executing any queued steps until the workflow is turned on again.

When a new step is added in the middle of a workflow, it is executed only for the subscribers who haven’t yet reached the step before it. Those who are already past this step will not execute the new step. 

For example, if you add a new step between steps 3 and 4 of a 6-step email sequence, only those who haven’t yet reached step 3 will execute the new step. Those who are already queued for the 4th, 5th, or 6th step will not execute the new step. 

If a new step is added as the last step in a workflow, it will then be executed for all subscribers. This includes those who have already completed the workflow sequence as they will be automatically re-added.

To edit a workflow and add a new step:

1. Head to Automations and click on Edit for the workflow you wish to work on.

2. Turn it off to have your workflow in edit mode.

3. Click on the plus (+) sign to add a new step wherever you want.

While you are making edits to your workflow, please note:

• No new subscribers will be added to the workflow while it is turned off. To manually add these new subscribers into the sequence, read the section What happens if you get new subscribers while your workflow is turned off below. 

• No emails are sent while it is turned off. These emails will also not be automatically sent once it has been turned back on.
  
  This happens because each step is given a specific timestamp on when it should be executed, based on the delay that you set up (if any). You can see the timestamp of any queued step under the Date and Time columns in the Queued folder of the Activity tab of the workflow.

Any steps that were meant to be executed while the workflow was turned off will not automatically trigger. These subscribers will be kicked out of the workflow’s queue and sent to the Canceled folder.

To reinsert the canceled subscribers back in the workflow sequence:

1. Head to Automations and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the green Completed button and select Canceled from the dropdown. Those who were supposed to go to another step, while the workflow was turned off, will show up with the reason Delay time has passed.

4. Click on the checkbox next to the email address to select the subscriber.

5. Click on Actions above and select Re-add to the sequence. 

6. Add the subscriber to the step they failed (the site knows which step they failed) or to any other step, and click Confirm.

To make edits to a new or existing automation workflow, it must first be turned off. While it is off, new subscribers will not be added and steps will not be executed.

It is possible to manually add the new subscribers to the sequence, but only for automations with the trigger When subscriber joins a group. It is not possible to manually add subscribers to other types of automation, such as e-commerce purchases, link clicks, or when a subscriber completes a form. 

To add new subscribers to the automation workflow:

1. Turn the workflow on.

2. Click on Add subscribers to workflow text.

1. Choose whether you would like to add the subscribers to the first step or from a specific step in the workflow.

If you don’t want to add new subscribers to the workflow, then simply select Cancel.

When someone unsubscribes from your list, all of their information (groups, segments, fields, and activity) is still saved. Because of this, subscribers are not removed from groups or segments when they unsubscribe. They are still members of their respective groups or segments, just not marked as active. 

If a subscriber who is in the middle of a workflow unsubscribes from your list, they will be removed from the workflow’s queue and be sent to the Canceled folder. 

Since the subscriber has technically never left the trigger group, they will not be automatically retriggered in the workflow if they later resubscribe to your list because they are not being added back to the group. 

To re-add the subscriber back to the workflow once they resubscribe:

1. Head to Automations and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the green Completed button and select Canceled from the dropdown. Those who unsubscribed will show up with the Reason Not active.

4. Click on the empty square box next to the email address to select the subscriber.

5. Click on Actions above and select Re-add to the sequence. 

6. Add the subscriber to the step they failed or to any other step, and click Confirm.

You may come across a subscriber that fails to go through one of the workflow’s steps with the reason Failed. 

To re-add the subscriber back to the workflow:

1. Head to Automations and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the green Completed button and select Failed from the dropdown. Those who unsubscribed will show up with the Reason Not active.

4. Click on the empty square box next to the email address to select the subscriber.

5. Click on Actions above and select Re-add to the sequence. 

6. Add the subscriber to the step they failed or to any other step, and click Confirm. 

In order to be active in an automated workflow with the trigger when subscriber joins group, the subscriber must be a member of the trigger group. If a subscriber is removed from the trigger group, they will be automatically removed from the workflow’s queue. 

To add them back to the queue, they first need to be re-added to the trigger group.

When a subscriber is removed from a workflow, they will be moved to the Canceled folder. To reach this folder:

1. Head to Automations and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the green Completed button and select Canceled from the dropdown (this will only show up if you have any canceled subscribers).

Any subscribers that were removed from the trigger group will show up here with the reason Subscriber no longer belongs to group.

To re-add a subscriber to the trigger group:

1. Head to Subscribers and search for the subscriber’s email to access their profile.

2. In the Groups section, type and select the name of the trigger group

Another way to re-add a subscriber to a trigger group is:

1. Head to Subscribers and search for the subscriber’s email using different conditions.

2. Find the email address and click on the white check box.

3. Click on Actions and then Add to group.

4. Select the trigger group and click Add.

Once the subscriber has been re-added to the trigger group:

1. Head to Automations and click on the Overview button of the workflow.

2. Select the Activity tab.

3. Click on the green Completed button and select Canceled from the dropdown (this will only show up if you have any canceled subscribers).

4. Click on the white checkbox next to the subscriber’s email address to select them.

5. Click on Actions and select Re-add to the sequence.

1. Select to add the subscriber to the step they failed, or select any other step of your choice to add them to.

2. Click on Confirm.

Sometimes, subscribers who complete a signup form may simultaneously receive both the confirmation email and the first email of an automation workflow.

When confirmation emails are sent

Confirmation emails are sent when someone signs up on a form that has double opt-in enabled. 

If you are using a form built within MailerLite, confirmation emails will always be sent to new and existing subscribers if double opt-in is enabled. Even if an existing subscriber submits their information on a MailerLite form, they will always receive the confirmation email.

If you are using an external or third-party form that was not built within MailerLite, confirmation emails will be sent only once at the first sign-up. 

Before a person confirms their subscription to your list, they are considered unconfirmed subscribers. Apart from confirmation emails, no other emails are sent to unconfirmed subscribers. Once they confirm their subscription, they will be active subscribers and will be able to receive any email.

To learn how to set up a confirmation email for forms built within MailerLite, click here. To set up confirmation emails for all API sign-ups, click here. Make sure you authenticate your domain to maximize your deliverability.

Getting a confirmation email and an automation email at the same time

After completing a form with double opt-in, a subscriber may receive both the confirmation email and the automation email at the same time. This means that the subscriber has already confirmed their subscription before they filled out the form. In other words, they are already active on your list. 

Everyone, including existing subscribers, will receive a confirmation email upon sign up. 

New subscribers will never receive both the confirmation email and the automation email at the same time. They will first need to confirm their subscription before they can receive any emails.