When creating a program, you may wonder how often the contact data gets updated and when new contacts that enter a program are actually visible in the system. This article explains how contact data updates work in your programs.

How often does my program run?

Your program can run multiple times throughout the day. The frequency of program runs can vary from one program to another. There are several factors to consider as your program runs:

• The number of contacts in the program
• The size of the database or query
• The complexity of the program
• Network quality

and many others.

If your program enrols contacts continuously while it is active, it requires at least 20 minutes after the last import job before the new contacts are enrolled. Also, make sure you are aware of any import processes to that database both through the Acoustic Campaign UI and API because these processes might need to be adjusted for program efficiency.

Can contacts participate in a program after their data changes?

You have a program that uses a query as the contact source. A contact's data in the program changes due to a list import update or a manual change. Can it still participate in the program even though they no longer meet the program criteria?

Entrance queries only evaluate who enters the program. If your contact has met these criteria once, it continues through the program, even after their data changes and doesn't match the entrance criteria anymore. However, if you allow repeated entries in the program, the contact won't reenter unless it meets the entrance criteria again after the exit. To validate data changes and exit contacts if needed, you can create additional rules within the program flow.

Will my contacts duplicate after I start a program?

Each contact in your database possesses a unique recipient ID, and the program uses this unique identifier to build a separate, unique program participant ID once a contact enters into the program. Apart from that, you can set a unique identifier for every database, e.g. email address or phone number. If a recipient ID already exists within your program, it becomes impossible for a single recipient ID to be added into the program multiple times throughout the day. Your contact is added into the program once.

If you want the same recipient ID to be added into a program multiple times, go to Edit settings page and select the option Allow contacts to repeat program. Make sure the contacts meet the program entrance criteria.

Check entry criteria for an active program

After you activate a program, it's not possible to edit entry criteria without deactivating it. If you want to check the entry criteria while the program is running, you can make a copy of the active program and view its entry criteria in the Inactive tab.

Deactivating a program is similar to making a pause. This means your contacts are held in their current position. When you reactivate, the contacts continue their flow from that point forward.

Once you deactivate an event-triggered program, all events that take place during the deactivation period will not be captured.

Avoid losing contacts when your program is deactivated

Deactivating a program might result in losing contacts who would meet the entry criteria. To avoid this, create a query based on a web form submission as the criteria. Set the program to Add all contacts from the contact source: Continuously while the program is active.

Note: We do not support use of child relational tables, universal behaviors, aggregate relational tables, or in-queries for entrance queries.