Create a Recurring Whiteboard Plan

Recurring whiteboards allow you to automate tasks at set intervals.

Prerequisites

1. System Setup: Ensure whiteboards are enabled in your system.

2. Permissions: Verify that you have the following permissions:

   • 1600: View all whiteboards.

   • 1602: View and edit all whiteboards.

   • 356: Activate or deactivate whiteboards.

3. Preparations: Prepare required resources such as segments or messages. These must be created in their respective areas before setting up the whiteboard.

General Information

General rules for recurring whiteboards

• Minimum Interval: The default minimum time between recurrences is one hour.

• Start Job: The first task begins at a specified date and time, enrolling contacts into the plan.

• Specific Times: You can schedule tasks to start at precise times.

• Import Start: Starting with an import automatically sets the audience to the imported target group.

• Enrollment Rules:

  • Contacts in the audience can enter the whiteboard with each recurrence unless restricted.

  • Use "Only Once" settings to prevent multiple enrollments in the same recurrence.

Procedures

A) Create the Whiteboard

1. Navigate to Automations​ > ​Whiteboards.

2. Click Create, then select Recurring in the New Whiteboard window.

3. Provide a unique Name (up to 100 characters) and, optionally, a Description (up to 1000 characters).

4. Click Create.

5. Click Setup to configure details:

   • Select Recur on scheduled dates and times and configure:

     • Activation: Define the date and time when the Whiteboard starts.

     • Recurrence rules:

       • Period: Select Hourly, Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.

       • Frequency: Specify the recurrence rate (e.g., every 4 hours, 2 days, or every 3rd Sunday of the month).

     • Deactivation: Set an end date or number of repetitions.

     • Whiteboard Goal: Select the Goal Event. This event defines when contacts end their journey on your whiteboard.

       Note:

       • All standard whiteboard events can be defined as a goal event.

       • Goal events cannot be split.

       • If the same event is specified as a goal event and also placed on the whiteboard plan, the goal event has priority. Journey after the same standard event that is placed on your whiteboard canvas is not continued.

6. Click ​Apply.

B) Configure Whiteboard Steps

Note:

• The ​Whiteboard Audience​ start job is mandatory.

• The ​Import Contacts​ start job is optional.

• If you select the ​Import Contacts​ start job, add it as the first step on your plan, followed by the ​Whiteboard Audience​ job as the second step. This is to allow us to add a Wait step to the Whiteboard, which in turn ensures that all contacts have been synced into the system before the next job (e.g. Delete Contact) is carried out.

1. Click the ​Add First Step button on the whiteboard canvas.

2. Add the jobs:

   • ​Import Contacts

     This function adds contact data stored on an FTP server to an existing Mapp Engage group. By default, the group you import the contacts into becomes your whiteboard audience group. For more information, see Import Contacts.

   • Whiteboard Audience
     This defines when the plan starts and who can enter it. Only contacts who are active members of the whiteboard audience group when the first step begins can enter the plan. The whiteboard does not enroll contacts who join the group after the plan's first step begins.

   • Click ​Apply.

3. Click the Add Next Step button on the whiteboard canvas to add more steps to the plan. The steps you choose guide your contact through selected marketing interactions.

4. Continue to add steps to the whiteboard until your whiteboard plan is complete.

C) Validation, Activation and Remaining Settings

1. In the Whiteboard Settings window, define settings for your recurring whiteboard:

   • Sendout Settings: Select specific days of the week and hours to exclude them from the whiteboard sendout.

   • Notifications: Select whether an expiry notification is sent 30 days before the whiteboard plan deactivates.

   • Whiteboard Time Zone: Defines the time zone the system uses to calculate automations on the whiteboard.

2. To check your whiteboard plan, click ​Validate ​in the ​Actions​ menu.

3. To execute the automations on your recurring whiteboard one time, click ​Run Once​ in the Actions menu.

   • Execution occurs immediately. Clicking the Run Once option does not change the automation's status or schedule.

   • A system message confirms that the automation was executed. If there are any processing errors, the system sends an information email to the whiteboard's owner.

4. To save your whiteboard plan, click Save. The system saves the new plan and sets its status to inactive. The steps on an inactive plan are not executed and can be edited.

5. To activate your recurring whiteboard plan, click ​ Activate.

   Note:

   • Activation is only possible when the whiteboard is logically correct and all necessary fields are filled. If the system detects errors in the whiteboard, you receive a notification with information about the problem.

   • You can't edit an active recurring whiteboard. If you need to edit the steps or recurrence rules of your whiteboard, deactivate it.

   • When you deactivate a whiteboard, all contacts who are in the plan exit immediately.