Automation triggers overview
Edit in CMSA trigger defines when an automation series runs. Pick the trigger that matches the subscriber action or lifecycle event you want to respond to. The names below match the trigger cards you’ll see on the automation canvas. For everything else the Automations area can do, see Working in Automations.
New subscriber
Section titled “New subscriber”Fires when an audience member subscribes to your newsletter.
Use it for welcome series — greet new readers and introduce your best content.
Subscriber status change
Section titled “Subscriber status change”Fires when a subscriber’s status changes to a status you choose.
Use it for follow-ups tied to lifecycle changes beyond the initial signup.
Subscriber tagged
Section titled “Subscriber tagged”Fires when a subscriber receives a specific tag.
Use it for follow-up content targeted at tagged groups — people who bought a product, attended an event, or were tagged by another automation’s tag step.
New curation item
Section titled “New curation item”Fires when a new item lands in a specific curation or collection.
Use it for automatically sending curated content as a digest or notification.
Email opened
Section titled “Email opened”Fires when a subscriber opens your emails — either any of your recent published emails or specific editions you select, with a minimum (and optional maximum) number of opens. Setting the maximum to 0 flips it into a did-not-open trigger, and you can require a minimum number of emails received so you’re only counting subscribers who actually had the chance to open.
Use it for follow-ups to engaged readers — or, with a zero maximum, gentle nudges to readers who missed recent editions.
Link clicked
Section titled “Link clicked”Fires when a subscriber clicks a link in your email. You can fire on any link or narrow the trigger to specific links, so it only runs when someone clicks a particular article or call to action. A zero maximum flips it into a did-not-click trigger.
Use it for related content, upsells, or nurture flows based on what a reader clicked.
Date & time
Section titled “Date & time”Fires on a specific or recurring date and time.
Use it for birthday messages, anniversaries, or seasonal campaigns.
Subscriber inactivity
Section titled “Subscriber inactivity”Fires when a subscriber becomes a Ghost — they’ve opened none of your last 10 emails.
Use it for win-back campaigns. See Build a re-engagement series.
Next steps
Section titled “Next steps”Still can’t find what you need? Contact support.