Branching Troubleshooting

When Branching doesn’t work as expected, it can be hard to determine the cause. If this is your first time creating a branching automation, read Automation Branching and Branching Best Practices first for information on setting up branches.

If you’ve set up branching and had a mishap, you’re in the right place! Here are some common branching mistakes and how to determine your next move.

Common Branching Issues

Missing a Wait Step / Wait Time is not Long Enough

Bullhorn Automation automatically adds a wait step before each branch step. We recommend keeping the wait step in place with a wait time of at least one hour in order to make your branching flow better. Bullhorn Automation syncs with Bullhorn roughly every hour, so this wait step ensures that the record has all applicable data synced before selecting a branch.

All Survey Responses Going Down the Same Branch

If you want a branching automation to send a survey, followed by a branch step to filter based on the survey responses, we recommend having two separate automations for this process: One to send the survey, and another supporting automation with the branch step based on the contact response. This allows time for the contact to review and respond to the survey, then once their answers are logged they will enter the supporting automation and be branched accordingly.

For your supporting automation, try using the Taken or Submitted Survey list criteria to target only those records that have responded to the survey.

No Records Visible in Branches when Viewing Advanced Stats

If you don't see anyone in your branches when you view Advanced Stats, it usually means all records have filtered to your default branch. We recommend adding a wait step under your default branch to give you visibility under the Advanced Stats, so you can determine the records that have entered your default branch along with the time stamps.

Records Meeting Multiple Branch Criteria but Only Going Down One Branch

Bullhorn Automation branches are numbered in priority and ordered from left to right. If a record matches multiple branches, it will go down the first matching branch. For example, if you have Branches 1, 2, and Default, and the record matches Branches 1 and 2, it will flow down Branch 1 as it’s the leftmost matching branch. If you need to take action for multiple criteria matches, we recommend using multiple automations in place of branching.

Record no Longer Matches Branch Criteria, but has not been Removed from the Automation

Branch criteria does not fall under the same rules as automation settings. Once a record meets and enters a branch, that record will continue under the same branch until the automation is completed. Records would only be removed/paused within an Automation if the record no longer met the main Enrollment Criteria, based on the Settings.

Record's Data Changed to meet Another Branch Criteria, but it didn't Move Branches

Records cannot change branches once they’ve been funnelled down a particular branch. If you have a branch with criteria based on opening an email or completing a survey, and the action takes place after the branching step has occurred, the updated action will not change the branch path of the record.

Branch Criteria Shows More Records than Exist in the Enrollment List

The number on the branch criteria reflects the total of matched records in your database, but only records in the enrollment list will enter the automation. For example, if there are 100 records on your enrollment list and your branch criteria shows 50,000 records, only the records on your enrollment list that are also within the 50,000 of the branch criteria will enter the automation.

We do not recommend using the In List criteria in your branches to filter only records on your enrollment list. Despite the number shown, only records from the enrollment list will actually complete the automation. Doubling up the criteria from your original list into the branching criteria is not only unnecessary, but can occasionally lead to incorrect branching.