Campaign Steps

Steps are the individual messages in your campaign. Each step defines what to send, how to send it, and when.

Adding a Step

1. Open your campaign
2. Click Add Step or Add First Step
3. Configure the step details
4. Click Save

Step Configuration

Channel

Choose how to deliver the message:

Channel	Best For	Requires
Email	Detailed content, links, images	Customer email address
SMS	Urgent messages, quick reminders	Customer mobile number

Timing

Configure when the step sends relative to the trigger event or previous step:

Option	Description	Use Case
Immediately	Sends right away (0 delay)	Welcome emails, confirmations
Minutes	Delay in minutes (e.g., 30 minutes)	Quick follow-ups
Hours	Delay in hours (e.g., 2 hours)	Same-day reminders
Days	Delay in days (e.g., 3 days)	Follow-up sequences

Timing Example

For a 3-step campaign:

• Step 1: Immediately after trigger
• Step 2: 2 days after Step 1
• Step 3: 5 days after Step 2 (7 days total from trigger)

Email Step Fields

Field	Description	Required
Subject	Email subject line	Yes
Body	Email message content	Yes

SMS Step Fields

Field	Description	Required
Body	SMS message content (160 characters optimal)	Yes

Writing Message Content

Using Tokens

Personalise messages with customer data using tokens. Click the Insert Token dropdown to see available options.

Common tokens:

{contact.first_name} - Customer's first name
{contact.full_name} - Customer's full name
{company.name} - Your company name
{portal.link} - Link to customer portal

See Tokens Reference for the complete list.

Formatting Email Bodies

YardPilot automatically formats your email content:

Paragraphs: Separate text with blank lines to create paragraphs.

Hello {contact.first_name},

Thank you for choosing {company.name}.

We look forward to serving you!

Bullet Lists: Start lines with -, *, or • for bullet points.

Here's what you can expect:
- Professional, uniformed team
- On-time arrival
- Quality workmanship

Numbered Lists: Start lines with 1., 2., etc.

Next steps:
1. We'll confirm your appointment
2. Our team will arrive on schedule
3. We'll send a completion summary

Call-to-Action Buttons

The {portal.link} token renders as a styled button in emails:

Click below to view your account:

{portal.link}

This creates a centred, branded button linking to your client portal.

Reordering Steps

Change the sequence of steps in your campaign:

1. Use the up/down arrows on each step card
2. Steps execute in order from top to bottom
3. Timing is relative to the previous step

Editing Steps

1. Click the pencil icon on the step card
2. Make your changes
3. Click Save

Active Campaign Edits

You can edit steps on draft or paused campaigns. Active campaigns must be paused first to edit steps.

Deleting Steps

1. Click the trash icon on the step card
2. Confirm the deletion

Deleted steps cannot be recovered. If you need the content, copy it before deleting.

Best Practices

Email Tips

• Keep subject lines under 50 characters
• Use the customer's first name for personalisation
• Include a clear call-to-action
• Test on mobile devices

SMS Tips

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include your company name
• Get to the point quickly
• Reserve SMS for time-sensitive messages

Step Spacing

Campaign Goal	Recommended Spacing
Welcome sequence	Immediately, then 3-5 days
Review request	2-3 days after service
Re-engagement	7-14 days between messages
Urgent reminders	Hours, not days