Automation20% of the exam
Journey entry, settings, versions and testing
How entry source schedules and processing options, API events, journey settings, versions, pause and testing decide which contacts enter a journey, how they're messaged and how a change reaches a running journey safely.
Given a customer scenario, design complex automations using Journey Builder and Automation Studio.
~7 min read · 19 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Choose the data extension entry schedule (Run Once, Recurring, Automation) and processing option that match how the source data changes.
- Design API event entry and mid-journey API waits, and keep repeated entries apart with a transaction key.
- Configure journey settings: contact entry mode, default email address and mobile number, SMS fallback and Google Analytics domains.
- Plan versions, pauses and bulk actions so that a running journey changes without losing contacts or data.
- Pick the right test mode and know what testing doesn't exercise.
- Key terms: processing option (Evaluate new records only or Evaluate all records on a repeating schedule); contact entry mode (when a contact may enter again); current version (the version admitting new contacts); transaction key (a unique identifier per entry for custom events); classic test mode (a simulation you start by firing the entry event).
Key facts
Automation entry schedule
- Detail
- Automation must import, filter or query into the entry data extension
Filtered data extension refresh
- Detail
- Overwrites all records; avoid Evaluate new records only
Wait Until API Event
- Detail
- Minimum one day; no more than 10 events across all journeys
Transaction Key
- Detail
- Custom events only, set in config.json
No re-entry
- Detail
- Can't be changed after activation
Draft versions
- Detail
- Only one at a time
Event keys
- Detail
- Carry across versions
Bulk actions
- Detail
- Up to 10 journeys and 50 versions
Pause length
- Detail
- Up to 14 days, in 1-day increments
Pause with Evaluate All Records
- Detail
- Entering contacts dropped, not queued
Journey testing
- Detail
- Ignores waits, entry settings and custom activities
Sources for this section (8)
- Data Extension Entry Sourcehelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Process Entry Source Datahelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Wait Until API Eventhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Journey Settingshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Journey Versionshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Bulk Actionshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Journey Pausehelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Journey Testinghelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Why might a recurring data extension entry run admit nobody on schedule?
- When does an Automation-scheduled entry source evaluate every record each time?
- Which entry schedule types can't a Single Send journey use?
- Why can the Record Count on a data extension entry tile differ from the number evaluated?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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