Automation
CHEAT SHEET
Pardot sometimes seems overwhelming, especially when going through Trailhead and noticing multiple tools in Pardot that all seem to do the same thing. We know the feeling, that’s we put together this handy infographic on what each one does and when to use them.
Automation Rule
Allows you to continually run certain action items that you want. For example, every time someone with an open opportunity in “proposal” stage has not opened an email in 15 days, notify the account owner and create a Salesforce task for them to call. Something to keep in mind is that Automation rules are retroactive (very important to keep in mind) and you have the option to have the rule repeat every time the option meets the criteria or just the first time.
Pardot Prodigy Tip: Always run a “preview” of your ruleset, even some automations that seem simple on the surface, might end up pulling in or leaving out unintended prospects.
Segmentation Rule
Need to create a one-time list of all your prospects that are in “Texas” ? Segmentation rules are going to be your go-to answer. You might be saying “well cant I just create a “Dynamic List” to do that? Yes, you can, but the key difference is that your dynamic list is going to run on a continus basis, a segmentation runs as a short of “snap-shot” of your current environment.
For example, you want to create a suppression list of everyone who has ever filled out your form up to today, and use it in all email sends moving forward. This would be a great example of when to use a Segmentation rule to create your static list. If you were to use a “Dynamic List” this list would keep growing, but with a Segmentation Rule you could use automation but still keep it static. Other things you can do with Segmentation Rules: Bulk add/remove tags, Add to Salesforce Campaign, Add to an existing list, Add to a new list, Remove from a list.
Completion Actions
These are great to add to assets in Pardot ( Form, Form Handlers, Files, Custom Redirects and Page Actions, etc. ) The key difference here is that they only fire immediately after the asset is used and are not retroactive so they will only apply to prospects who use the asset after you apply it.
Here is an example of the difference between a Completion Action and an Automation rule and when to use them. You want to send an email when someone fills out a form: If you set up an Automation Rule, everyone who has ever filled out the form would get the email. If you set up a Completion Action only those who fill out the form moving forward would receive the email.
Dynamic Lists
The key to Dynamic Lists is that they apply entrance and exit criteria. These are absolutely amazing for Engagement Studio Drips if you want an easy way for prospects to automatically match and go into a drip. A popular example would be to build a Segment for all current customers and another one for current prospects.
Since these are ever-changing you could create a dynamic list to make sure that when a prospect opens has a new closed-won opportunity they are automatically removed from the prospect list and added to the customer list, this would be done automatically with no work on your part.
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