FAQs About Custom Date Triggers In HighLevel

published on 18 April 2025

Custom date triggers in HighLevel automate actions tied to important dates like birthdays, renewals, or anniversaries. This means no more manual tracking or missed follow-ups. Here’s what you need to know:

  • What They Do: Automate workflows based on specific dates (e.g., send reminders, launch campaigns, or send personalized messages).
  • How They Help: Save time, ensure timely communication, and streamline tasks.
  • Setup Steps: Add a date trigger, choose a date field, set offsets (e.g., days before/after), and assign actions like emails or SMS.
  • Tips: Test workflows, check time zones, and organize fields for smooth automation.

Start using custom date triggers to simplify your workflows and maintain consistent engagement with your clients.

What Custom Date Triggers Do

Basic Definition and Purpose

Custom date triggers activate workflows based on specific date fields like contract renewals, birthdays, or subscription deadlines. These triggers can automate tasks, such as sending notifications or starting follow-up campaigns, without requiring manual input. For instance, a renewal trigger might automatically send reminders or initiate a campaign as the date approaches.

Here are some common examples:

  • Membership renewals: Automating reminder emails 30 days before a membership expires.
  • Client birthdays: Sending personalized messages or special offers on their birthday.
  • Service anniversaries: Launching appreciation campaigns to celebrate client milestones.
  • Subscription deadlines: Starting renewal discussions before the subscription ends.

Main Advantages

Using custom date triggers helps simplify workflows by:

  • Ensuring timely communication: Automating reminders ensures you reach out at the right moments.
  • Saving time: Removes the need for manually tracking dates, allowing your team to focus on more important tasks.

Next, we’ll go through the steps to set up these triggers effectively.

Custom Date Reminder Workflow Trigger: Automate Your ...

How to Set Up Date Triggers

Here's how you can configure your first date-based trigger to automate key touchpoints. This approach helps you save time and ensures your outreach happens exactly when it should.

Setup Instructions

  • Open your workflow in the builder.
  • Click "+ Add Trigger" and select "Custom Date Trigger".
  • Pick the relevant contact date field (e.g., contract_end_date).
  • Set the offset for either days before or after the chosen date.
  • Link the appropriate action (email, SMS, task, etc.).

Example Applications

Here are some practical ways to use date triggers:

  • Send a membership renewal reminder 30 days before the renewal_date field.
  • Automatically send a birthday greeting on the date_of_birth field.
  • Schedule an anniversary thank-you email for one day after the signup_date field.
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Limits and Tips

Once your setup is complete, it's important to check system limits and follow best practices to ensure your triggers work smoothly.

System Restrictions

  • HighLevel limits the number of custom fields per account. If you hit the maximum, consider deleting unused fields to make space.
  • Date triggers allow offsets of up to 365 days before or after the specified date field.

Tips for Success

Here are some practical tips to help you create reliable and efficient date triggers:

Organize Your Fields

  • Use consistent naming for custom fields and triggers. Regularly check your field count to stay within system limits.

Test Thoroughly

  • Run tests with different dates and times using test contacts. This helps confirm your triggers are working as expected.

Account for Time Zones

  • Make sure your trigger schedules match the time zones of your contacts for accurate execution.

Common Questions

Here are answers to some frequent questions about date triggers.

Trigger Not Working

Q: Why isn't my date trigger working?
A: Check that your custom date field contains valid values and falls within the trigger's offset range. Make sure your workflow is active, and confirm that test contacts use the correct date format and time zone.

Setting Time Offsets

Q: How can I set a time offset for a trigger?
A: Go to the Custom Date Trigger settings and choose either days before or after the date field. Use a positive number for days after or a negative number for days before (e.g., enter "-7" for seven days before). Don’t forget to save and publish your workflow.

Annual Reminder Setup

Q: Is it possible to automate annual reminders?
A: Absolutely. Select your date field, set the offset to zero, and enable the "Repeat every 365 days" option. Test it with a contact whose date has already passed to ensure the recurrence works as expected.

Conclusion

Custom date triggers let you automate personalized interactions like birthdays, renewals, and anniversaries without needing to track them manually. To get the most out of these triggers, set clear goals, test workflows in different scenarios, and regularly evaluate their performance. Using these automations helps maintain consistent customer engagement, lightens your workload, and streamlines your marketing efforts.

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