How to use pre-built automation recipes in ActiveCampaign

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With the ActiveCampaign Marketplace, you can browse, import, and share automation recipes with the ActiveCampaign community. You may want to use automation recipes from the Marketplace if you're looking to automate repeatable tasks or if you created an automated solution that you wish to share with the ActiveCampaign customers. Marketplace recipes are also a good resource for customers who are new to automation and are looking for quick ways to get started.

Take Note

The availability of features in the automation recipe depends on your ActiveCampaign plan. If you import a recipe with unavailable features on your plan, an alert will show after the import

What is an automation recipe?

An automation recipe is a template of an automation. You can import any template into your account and customize it to suit your needs. ActiveCampaign has over 200 automation recipes to download for free. The ActiveCampaign Marketplace features automation recipes created by ActiveCampaign and from ActiveCampaign customers. Some automation recipes created by customers are free while others can be purchased directly from the creator for a fee. This fee is set by the customer who created the recipe.

Automation recipes include:

  • Automation framework
    All the steps will be laid out in the same way as the source recipe.
  • Campaigns (automation emails)
    Any designed campaigns will transfer over the design and copy to your account. You can change any element of the campaign including the removal of all design choices.
  • Automation logic
    Each automation has its own logic and workflow. When you import an automation, this logic will be copied over to your account. Examples of this can include timed wait steps and conditional wait steps. The Automation Import Wizard will also walk you through a series of steps to update the imported automation so that it references lists, segments, email names, tags, forms, and events that apply specifically to your account.

How do automation recipes work?

You can customize any automation recipe once it's imported into your account. For example, you may want to build out more actions or conditions that work for your business. Automation recipes are stepping stones that you can use to get started.

All automation recipes created by ActiveCampaign are located in your ActiveCampaign account. To view them, navigate to the Automations Overview page and click the “Create new automation” button. A modal with all ActiveCampaign recipes will appear. From here, you can scroll through recipes and find the one you want to use. You can also type keywords to narrow your search or browse recipes by category.

In addition, all recipes created by ActiveCampaign and our customers are located in the ActiveCampaign Marketplace.

How to import a recipe from the ActiveCampaign Marketplace

Once you find the automation recipe from the Marketplace, you can import it into your ActiveCampaign account. Once imported, it will be available in the “Create an Automation” modal under the “Purchased” section. This modal appears when you click the “Create an automation” button on the Automations overview page.

  1. Visit the ActiveCampaign Marketplace and search for the recipe you wish to use.
  2. Click the recipe name. This will bring you to a page where you can read more information about the recipe.
  3. Click the “Login to import recipe” button.

    A modal will open. Here you can log into your ActiveCampaign Marketplace account with your ActiveCampaign account credentials or create a free ActiveCampaign trial account.

    Modal_to_log_in_to_or_create_a_new_ActiveCampaign_account.png

    After you provide your login credentials, the recipe will be added to your ActiveCampaign account. The recipe page will reload and a confirmation message will appear. Here you can close the modal by clicking the “X” in the top right corner or you can view the automation recipe in your account by clicking the “Go to your automations” button.

    Modal_confirming_that_the_automation_recipe_has_been_added_to_your_account__click_Go_to_your_automations.png

    Clicking on the automation from the “Create an automation” modal will open the Automation Import Wizard. This wizard will walk you through each step needed to customize the automation for your account. This can include adding your sending information into an email, specifying a custom deal field used in a goal or IF/Else action, and more. Each step provided by the wizard has a section for author notes. These notes can include helpful directions on the step itself, what content is needed, or will outline ways to adjust the step to meet your needs.

    Once you are done with inputting the information needed via the import wizard, you will be able to access the automation. The automation is yours to further customize and make it fit your business.

How to submit a recipe from the ActiveCampaign Marketplace

If you’ve created a recipe and wish to share it with other ActiveCampaign customers, you can submit it to ActiveCampaign’s Automation Recipe Marketplace.

  1. Visit the ActiveCampaign Marketplace.
  2. Click “Manage my recipes” on the top right corner.
  3. A modal will open. Here you can log into your ActiveCampaign Marketplace account using your ActiveCampaign account credentials or create a free ActiveCampaign trial account.

    Modal_to_log_in_to_or_create_a_new_ActiveCampaign_account.png

  4. Click “Submit a recipe” on the top right of the page.
  5. Complete the fields on the “Submit a recipe” page:
    • Automation Share URL
      The link generated when you click the "Share" options from your automation dropdown. The sharing link saves the automation as it exists at that moment. If you edit the automation, you’ll need to create a new link and add the new link here by editing the product in order to update the version you are offering. In other words, changes you make to the automation in your account will not be reflected here until you create and add a new sharing link to the product listing.
    • Automation recipe title
      The title of the automation recipe
    • Automation recipe description
      This is the body of your automation listing. It should explain what your automation does and why it’s useful.
    • Documentation and installation instructions
      Explain the Import Wizard process with step-by-step instructions to give context to each step in your automation. Include guidance that might be useful to get the most out of the automation such as ways to customize it or how to integrate it into marketing processes.
    • Price
      You can choose to set a price for your automation or make it available for free.
    • Industry
      Use the dropdown to select the industry your automation recipe is meant for. If it isn't tied to a specific industry, choose "Any."
    • Use case
      Use the dropdown and select if the automation recipe is for Sales, Marketing, or Ops.
    • Features
      Use the dropdown to select up to three main features that the automation recipe uses.
    • Automation Image
      This image will be shown on the individual product page. The image should be a screenshot of your automation. Must be at least 1,000px wide, and any height. 16:9 aspect ratio images work best.
  6. Click the "Submit Automation" button.

    Once the recipe is submitted, it will go through our testing and approval process. If the automation isn’t ready for the Marketplace, we'll reach out with detailed notes about what changes are needed. Please implement those changes and submit the recipe again.

    After a recipe is approved, it will be accessible in the Marketplace. If you need to make any changes to the recipe, you can do so in the "Product Listings" section of "Manage My Recipes.
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