Node limitation is an option that allows you to configure the conditions under which your nodes should not be triggered. You can use it to automatically pause nodes on a temporary or permanent basis to suit your strategy.
How to start
Create a new workflow in “Workflows > Create new workflow” or modify one of your existing workflows by clicking Edit.
Once you’re in the workflow, insert a launch or action node, click (Edit node configuration) and go to the Limitations tab.
The conditional nodes cannot be limited as they work on a filter basis.
Interface
The interface of the Limitations tab (where settings are configured) is divided into two sections:
1. Limitations: to delimit when the node should stop triggering, according to each contact, the total number of triggers, the time until it triggers again and/or to deactivate it following the first trigger.
Las opciones de la sección Limitaciones son distintas dependiendo del tipo de nodo utilizado.
- In trigger nodes, you can configure all the possible limitations.
- In action nodes, you can only limit by contact or the total number of triggers.
2. Limitation to other nodes: to delimit the action of other nodes after they trigger.
Limitations can be identified visually in nodes thanks to various icons.
- Deactivate after trigger: the node is deactivated for a contact after being triggered for the first time.
If a node has this limitation activated, it will take priority over the rest of the limitations.
It’s important to remember that this limitation has a peculiarity when applied to two consecutive trigger nodes (for example, the “When visiting page” nodes):
— If the limitation is only applied to the second trigger node, the contact will go through the workflow and when they return to it, will progress through it normally.
— If the limitation is applied to both trigger nodes, the contact will only go through the workflow the first time.
— If no limitation is applied, the contact will go through the first trigger node once and, once they go back into the flow, will always start from the second trigger node.
- Max. triggers by Contact / Contact: the node is deactivated for a contact after it has triggered a certain number of times.
- Deactivate temporarily after event: node is deactivated for a contact temporarily and is triggered again after a specified period of time.
- Max. total no. of triggers / Total limit: the node is deactivated after it has been triggered a certain number of times across all contacts, whether or not it has been triggered for the same contact or not.
How it works
Nodes work by executions. In other words, when a contact arrives at the corresponding node, this is executed (or triggered, in other words).
All nodes, except for conditional nodes and system action nodes, can be limited to determine when you don’t want them to execute. To configure them, all you need to do is complete the fields of the Limitations tab according to your preferences.
Once the node has been deactivated by the limitations set, it won’t be executed again according to the configuration, and the step to the rest of the flow will be paused, temporarily or permanently, for each contact.
All the possibilities described below can be mixed and matched to create limitations that perfectly match your strategy. For example: limiting the number of total triggers (to control content impressions) and limiting the number of triggers per contact (to avoid saturating the user).
In these cases, where limitations are combined, it’s important to remember that the most restrictive one will always have priority. Following the previous example, if there’s a temporary limitation of one trigger per day and three triggers by contact, the content will only be shown once a day to each contact and, when it is shown three times to the same contact, the node will be deactivated for them.
To remove a limitation, follow the steps indicated and complete the fields with “0”.
1. Limit number of triggers of a node for the same contact
If you want to add the limitation to a trigger node, add the maximum number of times you want it to trigger for the same contact in the “Max. triggers per Contact” field and click Update.
If the node is an action node, check the box for the “Limit by Contact” field, add the desired number and click Update.
In action nodes, you’ll need to configure the Settings tab in advance for the Update button to appear.
This limitation is very useful for pausing content that the contact hasn’t shown an interest in. For example, if they have seen an offer five times but not accessed it, they’re unlikely to be interested.
2. Limit total number of triggers for the node
For trigger nodes, add the total number of times you want the node to trigger, regardless of whether it is triggered for the same contact or not, in the “Max. total no. of triggers” field, then click Update.
For action nodes, check the box for the “Total limit” field, add the desired number and click Update.
Limiting the total number of triggers for a node is a good way to set the number of impacts for a special offer. For example, when you want to give a discount on the first 1,000 visits, whether these are from the same contact or not.
3. Deactivate node temporarily after being triggered for a contact
This limitation is only available for trigger nodes
Add the time in days, hours, minutes and seconds that you want to stop the node after it has been triggered for a single contact to the field “Temporarily deactivate after event”, then click Update.
This limitation is perfect if you don’t want to saturate users every time they visit your website. For example, so that pop-up type content, such as the newsletter subscription window, only appears once a day.
4. Permanently deactivate node after it triggers for a contact
This limitation is only available for trigger nodes
Check the box in the field “Deactivate after trigger” so that “Yes” appears and click Update.
Deactivating a node after the first trigger tends to be used, for example, to announce an update on the website that does not need to be viewed again.
5. Deactivate an earlier node after trigger
External limitations affect trigger nodes used previously, preventing a contact from progressing through workflows that the same contact can access several times, either temporarily or permanently.
In the Limitation to other nodes, select the relevant node in the first drop-down and the type of limitation in the second, either:
- Deactivate: to deactivate the selected node at the same time that the node in which the limitation has been added is executed.
- Deactivate temporarily: to deactivate the selected node for a set period of time. In this case, enter the time in days, hours and/or minutes that you want it to remain inactive.
Finally, click Add external limitation and Update.
This limitation is frequently used in the “On opening web content” node to guarantee that a piece of content has been shown, as the execution of a node does not necessarily mean that the content has been viewed by the contact. For example, when using a pop-up configured to appear five seconds after the contact accesses the website, you can be sure that the user has viewed said content. Adding an external limitation to the “On opening web content” node” that deactivates the “On visiting page” node, you can ensure that the content is not shown again to contacts who have opened it, either temporarily or permanently.
Congratulations!
You’ve reached the end of the tutorial.
Do you have questions?
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Keep learning!
To make the most of your Connectif account, we recommend reading these articles next:
- Copy and paste nodes, to duplicate previously configured and duplicated nodes.
- Show a full screen on visiting website, to put the limitations of the “On visiting page” node into practice.
- Sales announcement, to configure limitations in the full-screen “Send web content”.
- New offers announcement by device, to practice with external limitations.