1. Automations Work on a Go-Forward Basis
When you turn on an automation (e.g., a "We Miss You" campaign), it does not retroactively apply to past customers.
Instead, it begins monitoring customer activity from that moment forward.
2. Example: “We Miss You” Automation (90-Day No Purchase)
Trigger: Last purchase date.
Condition: Customer has not shopped in 90 days.
Action: Send a message.
➡️ If a customer shopped 89 days ago, they’ll enter the automation tomorrow, when they hit the 90-day threshold.
➡️ If a customer shopped 95 days ago, they will not receive the message, since they’ve already passed the 90-day mark before the automation was turned on.
3. Automations Only Apply to Future Activity
This same principle applies to all automation types:
New Customer automations only trigger for customers added after activation.
Birthday, VIP, or Other Event-based automations work the same — they don’t look backward in your database.
4. How to Include Past Customers
To reach customers who would have qualified before the automation was enabled, use a manual broadcast.
Steps:
Go to Broadcasts → Create Basic or Advanced Broadcast.
Use filters to find customers who:
Haven’t shopped in 90+ days
Or meet any criteria that would have triggered the automation
Send the message as a one-time campaign to catch those past users.
5. Best Practice
Turn on automations as early as possible, and supplement with one-time broadcasts to backfill older segments and ensure no customer is missed.