> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.openloyalty.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.openloyalty.io/campaigns/campaigns/automation-campaigns/creating-automations.md).
# Creating Automations
In this article, you will learn how to create automation campaigns.
Automation campaigns in Open Loyalty allow you to automatically reward members based on scheduled triggers - daily, weekly, monthly, birthdays, or membership anniversaries.
## π οΈ Step-by-Step Setup
Go to **Campaigns βΊ Automation** and click **Add automation campaign** (or use the βΌ to **Import** an existing automation configuration). The form has six sections:
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Trigger
Select when the automation campaign runs:
* **Daily** β runs every day
* **Weekly** β runs every week, on the days you select
* **Monthly** β runs every month, on the schedule you set
* **Member's birthday** β runs once a year, on each member's birthday
* **Membership anniversary** β runs once a year, on each member's registration date
{% hint style="danger" %}
Automation campaigns run just after 00:00, according to the configured tenant timezone.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Basic settings
* **Name and description** β choose a distinctive campaign name and optionally add a description. If you added another language in the settings, use **Add translation**.
* **Start and end date** β the start date is required; the end date is optional but must be after the start date.
* **Target** β who the campaign applies to: **Everyone**, a **Segment** or a **Tier**. Who actually qualifies depends on the conditions in **Rules**.
* **Visibility** β who sees the campaign.
* **Display order** (optional) β where the campaign appears in the list; lower numbers show first.
{% hint style="warning" %}
**Campaign visibility** only determines to whom the campaign is presented. If you want to target a given audience, the condition must be specified in the rules.
* **Visibility** - displaying the campaign, e.g. for a given segment or tier
* **Conditions** - being able to earn points, e.g. for a given segment or tier
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Rules
Rules decide who qualifies for the campaign and what they get. You can add more than one.
* Click **Create rule** (or **Add new rule** for the next ones).
* **Conditions** β click **Add condition** and pick one from **Popular conditions** or **Member details** β for example membership tier, custom attributes, or **Days since registration** (see [below](#rewarding-members-for-time-in-the-program)).
* **Effects** β click **Add effect**, e.g. add units (10 points), issue a coupon, or deduct units.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Custom attributes
Optionally define **custom attributes** (key:value pairs) to store extra campaign details that the standard fields don't cover, e.g. to tag or filter the automation campaign in the API and the UI. Click **Create attribute**.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Limits and budget
Control how often a member can receive the automation campaign's reward:
* **Campaign limit** β **Completions per member**: how many times each member can complete this campaign (in total or per period).
* **Campaign budget** β total units issued, and a per-member units cap.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Campaign status
The campaign only runs while its status is **Active**. Switch it on, then click **Create campaign**.
{% hint style="info" %}
Only **active** automation campaigns count towards your tenant's limit of automation campaigns, and the limit is checked when you activate one. Inactive automation campaigns don't count.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
***
## π Rewarding members for time in the program
The **Days since registration** condition rewards members when their time in the program reaches a specific number of days β for example onboarding milestones (30, 60 or 90 days) or membership anniversaries (365 or 730 days).
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Choose the Daily trigger
The condition is available only for automation campaigns with the **Daily** trigger.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Add the condition
In a rule, click **Add condition**, open **Member details** and choose **Days since registration**. Type a whole number of days between **0** and **7305** (20 years). The only operator is *equals*.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Choose the effect
Choose the reward, e.g. add points. To reward each tier differently, add a separate rule per tier with the tier condition.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Limit it to once per member
Set **Completions per member** to 1, so a member can't receive the milestone twice.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
**How it works**
* Tenure is counted in full calendar days between the member's registration date and the day of the run, in the tenant's timezone; the hour of registration doesn't matter. `0` is the day of registration.
* A member qualifies **only on the day** their tenure equals the number you set.
* **Forward-only:** members who passed the milestone before the campaign was activated are not rewarded retroactively.
* Running the same day again doesn't create a second reward.
* There is no months/years selector: one year is 365 days, two years 730. Because of leap years, 365 days can be one day off the calendar anniversary for some registration dates.
{% hint style="warning" %}
* The condition isn't available for Weekly, Monthly, Member's birthday or Membership anniversary triggers, nor for other campaign types. If you change a campaign's trigger away from **Daily**, the condition is removed from its rules.
* Avoid editing a tenure campaign while its nightly run is in progress β part of the audience could be processed with the old configuration and part with the new one.
* [Campaign simulation](/campaigns/campaigns/campaign-simulation.md) doesn't support automation campaigns, so the condition can't be previewed there.
{% endhint %}
***
## β Best Practices
* Prefer longer-term triggers for special events (birthday, anniversary)
* Use **Target** for the audience and rule conditions for eligibility
* Scale gradually - fine-tune limits and budgets as you assess performance
***
## π Troubleshooting Tips
* **No effect?**\
Check campaign status, scheduling, and rule conditions
* **Zero units issued?**\
Review your per-member limits and global budget caps
* **Birthday/anniversary misfires?**\
Validate member data - missing or future dates wonβt trigger at 00:00
* **Tenure reward missing for a member?**\
The member qualifies only on the exact day; members who passed the milestone before activation aren't rewarded
---
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