Configuring Automation Settings

Learn how to set up and optimize automation settings in Bullhorn Automation to create workflows that are precise, efficient, and tailored to your business needs. This guide provides an in-depth overview of all available configuration options, ensuring you understand how to best utilize them for your campaigns.

Once your settings are configured, you can begin adding steps to build a powerful, fully functional automation. For additional guidance, explore related articles on automation steps and workflow design. This resource is your go-to reference for making the most of Bullhorn Automation's flexibility and functionality.

Settings

To access an automation's settings open the Automation and select Automation Settings in the top right corner.

The following settings are available for any automation you create: 

• Name: Give your automation a descriptive name. We recommend using strong naming conventions to ensure you can easily find your automations later.
• What should happen to candidates if they no longer match the lists?: This allows you to determine what happens when people have been removed from your list or no longer match the criteria on a dynamic list. The following options are available:
  • Continue through automation: The contact will proceed through the automation as if they were still on the list.
  • Remove them from the automation (most common): This is the default option and the most common. As soon as a contact is no longer on the list, they will be removed from the campaign.
  • Pause contacts until they match again: If a contact is removed from the list, they will stay where they are in the campaign. If they are later added to the list, they will pick up right where they left off.
  • If you initially select Remove them from the automation, then update to Continue through automation later on, it will only take effect moving forward. Anyone previously removed from the automation will not be re-added.
• Sending Settings: See Send Emails or Text Messages in Your Contact's Time Zone for additional information about these settings. The options for this setting are:
  • Staggered start: This allows you to start your campaigns over a number of days. This can be useful if you are reaching out to large groups of contacts (1,000 or more). Rather than sending all of your emails at once, they will be equally distributed over the number of days you select. For example, if you start a re-engagement campaign with 10,000 candidates, you may want to set that number to 10, so that you’d send to 1,000 candidates each day, over 2 weeks.

    We cannot guarantee exactly equal numbers of contacts in groups, because the number of records in a list can change daily.

    How Staggered Start This feature allows you to stagger the start of your campaigns over several days. Instead of sending all your emails at once, they will be evenly distributed over the selected number of days. Works

    Staggered Start groups are created in the following way:

    Let’s say the staggered start is set at “20 even groups”. When a new candidate comes into the Start Step, we project the next possible 20 days they should complete based on the date window that was selected. We then pick a random date from those 20 days. We do this for every candidate that enters the Start Step, so over time the groups will be about equal, but there will be variations depending on the number of candidates entering the automation list.

  • Days to send: This allows you to specify the days of the week you want emails to go out.
  • Times to send: This ensures messages will only be sent during the times you approve. You can also specify if you would like messages to be sent according to the candidates time zone or your Bullhorn Automation time zone.
• Re-entry Settings: Re-entry settings allow you to control how often a contact can enter your automation. The options available vary based on the entity of your automation, and it can get a little confusing! For a detailed explanation of re-entry options, see Re-entry Settings.
• High-priority Automation Enabling this setting ensures that changes and step actions in this automation occur before other actions in your automation.: Enabling this setting will ensure that the changes and step actions on this automation will occur before others. If you select this option:
  • Emails & text notifications for this automation will be sent before others in the queue.
  • Newly added/edited records will process to the associated lists before others in the queue.
  • Records will flow through this automation before others.

• Allow Duplicates: This setting is unchecked by default. Enabling this setting will allow all duplicate Contacts that meet your list criteria to enter the automation. To read more on duplicates and how Bullhorn Automation handles them, see Duplicates Shown in Bullhorn Automation.

• Include Candidates who have Opted Out: Some clients have the automation setting “Include Candidates who have Opted Out”. Ticking this box will send communications to contacts even if they are opted out of Bullhorn Automation emails. View this article for more information.

  You can select the Include Candidates/Sales Contacts who have opted out option within your individual Automation settings. When this option is checked:

  • Bullhorn Automation will attempt to send email communications to all contacts completing the Send Email or Send Engagement via Email steps.

  • This includes those marked as Unsubscribed in their subscription settings.

  Important Considerations and Risks

  If you choose to use this feature, please note the following:

  • User Access: All users with access to Bullhorn Automation can turn this setting on within individual automations, so please ensure everyone understands its intended use.

  • Intended Use: This feature is designed strictly for essential, required communications and is not intended for marketing or other non-critical emails.

  • Legal Responsibility: Enabling this feature may increase the risk of legal repercussions if used improperly. We encourage you to use this option with caution and only for necessary notifications.

• Delete: This setting is displayed as a trash bin icon in the bottom left of your screen.This setting removes the campaign. There is no undo option, so be certain before you delete!

Once you’ve created your automation and configured the settings, it’s time to add some steps! See Adding Automation Steps and Automation Steps Overview for how to add steps and information on what each step does.