It will become obvious how important it is that you create your own Custom Fields when you discover that among the available trigger types, there is one called "When a specific day is reached". As its name implies, this trigger reacts by setting your automation design in motion when a specific date is reached and can be used in conjunction with any Custom Field of the DateTime variety.
This type of trigger has six parameters that you need to set:
1. You will need to define when you want the automation to start running, in relation to the DateTime custom field chosen further below.
Tip: using zero (0) in the fill-in area will work as the same date as your custom field choice.
2. The second parameter has you choose between days / months / years, as a measure of time for the number you typed.
3. You will need to choose between Before / After, to define whether your automation will run before or after the date set on the DateTime field.
Tip: if you filled in zero (0) on the first step, choosing Before or After on this step won't matter; the date will be the same as the DateTime field you set on the fifth step.
4. On the Mailing List drop-down menu, you will have to select the email list where your DateTime custom field is used.
5. You will need to select a DateTime custom field, from the list of available options.
Your automation will start running in relation to the custom field chosen here.
6. You will also need to define how often your automation will run, in relation to your DateTime field choice, from the available options in the drop-down menu.
You can choose between:
- Every year on that day and month
The automation will run every year, on the day and month defined by the DateTime custom field. - Every month on that day
The automation will run every month, on the day defined by the DateTime custom field. - Once on that day
The automation will only run one time, on the day and month defined by the DateTime custom field.
Clicking on the Save button will place your trigger inside your workflow so that you can continue with its design. This trigger will start your automation on the date of the custom field, at 00:00, which is itself determined by the timezone you have set on your account's Time & Date settings.
Remember that any changes in your Email lists and/or your Custom Fields may affect your automation when using this type of trigger, so make sure that you take this under consideration when you make such changes. To move ahead with your current design you should learn how to use the Conditional / Control steps and how to use Actions.