How to run a batch looking back exactly 7 days ago | Community
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Matt_Rodriguez
Matt_Rodriguez
New Participant
August 22, 2018
Solved

How to run a batch looking back exactly 7 days ago

  • August 22, 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 7742 views

Hello Marketo community,

We are trying to set up a drip email campaign (using a default program type) that looks at the date of an activity, and then sends an email exactly one week after that activity took place. We're currently using the 'in past before = 7 days' operator on the filter but it's not quite what I'm looking for because in past before is an open window that looks back to everyone who did an activity 7+ days ago. Is there anyway to structure the smart list in order to look back exactly 7 days ago? For example, activity happens on Wednesday, August 15, 2018. On Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018, we'd like to send them an email. If the activity happens on Thursday, 8/16/18, then we'd want to send them an email on Thursday 8/23/2018 etc. Because in past before is looking at anyone who did an activity on 8/15/18 or before, it's grabbing too many people.

Thanks.

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    Best answer by Devraj_Grewal

    Matt,

    The best course of action here is to use the filter "in past 7 days". This will include those 7 days ago, but also those 3 or 4 days ago. So then you add an additional filter to exclude those "in past 6 days". This can be accomplished by creating a separate smart list ("In past 6 days") with the filter "in past 6 days". Then bring that "member of smart list: not in 'In past 6 days'" in as another filter along with "in past 7 days".

    Essentially you are including all those in the past 7 days, but this smart list is going to exclude all those in the past 6 days, leaving only those exactly 7 days ago.

    4 replies

    G
    gsende
    New Participant
    July 3, 2022

    The Easiest way is to have 2 filters:

    1. In past before 6 days

    2. In past 8 days

     

    That would basically give you all the people that their date is at least before 6 days AND the ones that have in the last 8 days = 7 days ago

    Michael_Florin-2
    Michael_Florin-2
    New Participant
    August 23, 2018

    Marketo tried to explain its own somewhat confusing language here:

    Smart List Filter Operators Glossary - Marketo Docs - Product Documentation

    But actually the combination of

    In past 7 days

    AND

    In past before 6 days

    nails exactly today -7 days.

      Matt_Rodriguez
      Matt_RodriguezAuthor
      New Participant
      August 23, 2018

      Hey Michael, I've seen that graphic before and had to reference it many times before I fully understood what the logic was doing. I wonder why they don't have an operator that simply says happened x days ago. They're already doing all the calculations for looking at that time range, seems silly.

        Devraj_Grewal
        Devraj_GrewalAccepted solution
        New Participant
        August 22, 2018

        Matt,

        The best course of action here is to use the filter "in past 7 days". This will include those 7 days ago, but also those 3 or 4 days ago. So then you add an additional filter to exclude those "in past 6 days". This can be accomplished by creating a separate smart list ("In past 6 days") with the filter "in past 6 days". Then bring that "member of smart list: not in 'In past 6 days'" in as another filter along with "in past 7 days".

        Essentially you are including all those in the past 7 days, but this smart list is going to exclude all those in the past 6 days, leaving only those exactly 7 days ago.

          Matt_Rodriguez
          Matt_RodriguezAuthor
          New Participant
          August 22, 2018

          Hi Devraj,

          Thank you, I think this is exactly what I needed. I have the batch running daily and used the 6 day exclusion list to accomplish what I'm trying to do.

          Best,

          Matt

            Jim_Thao7
            Jim_Thao7
            New Participant
            August 22, 2018

            Idea: If you set this to run on a recurring daily basis, you can just add a wait step for 7 days in the flow and the email to send after that.  They will qualify on their first day, but have to wait 7 days before the email is sent.

              Matt_Rodriguez
              Matt_RodriguezAuthor
              New Participant
              August 22, 2018

              Hi Jim,

              Thanks for responding! While I totally understand the approach you took, I think the issue lies with the smart campaign and not necessarily with the flow action. Marketo doesn't have an operator that looks at "activity happened x number of days ago" and so you either grab everyone who took an action 0-7 days ago or you grab everyone who took an action 7+ days ago.

              SanfordWhiteman
              SanfordWhiteman
              New Participant
              August 22, 2018

              In Jim's scenario, the SC filters on interesting actions that occurred that day, then the email goes out to those folks 7 days later, so the effect is the same.

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