Once you've created a drip campaign, you need a way to get contacts into it. SendX offers three methods for subscribing contacts to a drip: direct triggers via automations, bulk actions for manual enrollment, and workflow nodes for multi-step sequences. This article explains each method and when to use them.
Overview of Trigger Types
There are two categories of triggers for drip campaigns:
Direct Triggers – Automations that subscribe contacts to a drip automatically when a specific event occurs. These are event-driven and work continuously in the background.
Indirect Triggers – Manual methods like bulk actions and workflow nodes. These give you more control over when and how contacts enter a drip.
Method | Best For |
Automations | Automatic, ongoing enrollment based on contact behavior |
Bulk Actions | One-time enrollment of existing contacts |
Workflows | Adding contacts to drips as part of a larger multi-step sequence |
Method 1: Automations (Direct Triggers)
Automations are the most common way to subscribe contacts to a drip campaign. When a specific event happens, such as a contact receiving a tag, the automation immediately adds them to the drip.
How Automations Work
An automation is a simple trigger-to-action setup:
Trigger: An event that starts the automation (e.g., tag added, list subscribed)
Action: Subscribe the contact to a specific drip campaign
Automations run continuously. Every time the trigger event occurs for any contact, that contact gets added to the drip.
Setting Up an Automation Trigger
Go to Automate in the main navigation
Click Automations
Click Create Automation
Select a trigger from the list
SendX offers many native triggers, and you can also use triggers from external integrations like Shopify, Stripe, Paypal, etc,. if you have them connected. Some example triggers include:
Contact gets a specific tag added
Contact subscribes to a list
Contact submits a form
Contact clicks a link in an email
Events from connected integrations (Shopify purchase, etc.)
Configure the trigger details (e.g., select which tag or which list)
Select the action: Add to Drip Campaign
Choose the drip campaign
Click Start Automation
Once started, the automation is active. Any contact who meets the trigger criteria will be subscribed to the drip automatically.
Verifying the Automation is Connected
After creating an automation, go back to your drip campaign. You'll see the automation trigger listed on the drip's overview screen, confirming contacts can now be added through that trigger.
Testing an Automation
To verify your automation works:
Go to Contacts and select a test contact
Edit the contact and trigger the event (e.g., add the tag you specified as trigger)
Save the contact
Go to the contact's Timeline tab
You should see two events: the trigger event (tag added) and the drip subscription
Method 2: Bulk Actions (Indirect Trigger)
Bulk actions let you manually subscribe a group of existing contacts to a drip campaign all at once. This is useful for one-time enrollments, migrating contacts to a new drip, or running special campaigns for a specific audience.
When to Use Bulk Actions
You want to add an existing list, tag or segment subscribed to a drip
You're launching a new drip and need to enroll current contacts
You want to manually control exactly who enters the drip and when
Setting Up a Bulk Action
Go to Automate in the top navigation
Click Bulk Actions
Click Create Bulk Action
Select the source for contacts. You can choose from:
List – All contacts in a specific list
Tag – All contacts with a specific tag
Segment – All contacts matching segment criteria
Select the action: Subscribe to Drip Campaign
Choose the drip campaign
Name your bulk action (e.g., "Add Q1 leads to onboarding drip")
Click Run to execute the bulk action
Monitoring Bulk Action Progress
After running a bulk action, click the bell icon in the top navigation to see notifications. You'll see confirmation that the bulk action started and updates as it processes contacts.
Depending on how many contacts you're enrolling, bulk actions may take a few minutes to complete.
Method 3: Workflow Nodes (Indirect Trigger)
Workflows are multi-step visual sequences where you can add contacts to a drip as one step among many. Unlike automations, which are simple trigger-to-action setups, workflows let you build complex paths with delays, conditions, emails, and other actions before or after drip enrollment.
When to Use Workflows
You want to send an email first, then add contacts to a drip
You need delays or conditions before drip enrollment
The drip is part of a larger customer journey with multiple steps
You want to add logic (if/else branches) around drip enrollment
Adding a Drip Node to a Workflow
Go to Automate in the main navigation
Click Workflows
Create a new workflow or edit an existing one
Set up your workflow trigger (e.g., contact subscribes to a list)
Add any steps you want before the drip (delays, emails, conditions, etc.)
Click the + button to add a new node
Select Drip as the node type
Choose the drip campaign from the dropdown
Save the node and continue building your workflow
Activate the workflow when ready
When a contact flows through your workflow and reaches the drip node, they get subscribed to that drip campaign. The contact then continues through the workflow while also progressing through the drip independently.
Example Workflow with Drip
Here's a common pattern:
Trigger: Contact subscribes to "Newsletter" list
Delay: Wait 10 minutes
Email: Send welcome email
Condition: If opened welcome email
Drip Node: Subscribe to "Onboarding Drip"
This way, contacts get an immediate welcome email, then enter the drip for ongoing nurture content.
Removing Contacts from a Drip
Just as you can add contacts to drips through various methods, you can also remove them:
Manual removal via Bulk Action:
Go to Automate > Bulk Actions
Select your contact source (list, tag, or segment)
Choose the action: Remove from Drip Campaign
Select the drip and run the bulk action
Automatic removal via Automation:
Create an automation with your desired trigger
Select the action: Remove from Drip Campaign
Choose the drip and start the automation
Removal via Workflow:
In your workflow, add an action node
Select Remove from Drip Campaign
Choose the drip
This is useful for scenarios like: if a contact makes a purchase, remove them from the promotional drip so they stop receiving sales emails.
How Duplicate Enrollment is Handled
Once a contact has been enrolled in a drip campaign, they cannot be added to the same drip again. This applies whether the contact is currently mid-drip or has already completed the sequence. If an automation, workflow, or bulk action tries to subscribe a contact who was previously enrolled, the trigger is ignored.
This means each contact can only go through a given drip campaign once.
Choosing the Right Method
Scenario | Recommended Method |
Ongoing enrollment based on contact actions | Automation |
One-time enrollment of existing contacts | Bulk Action |
Drip enrollment as part of a larger sequence | Workflow |
Enrollment after specific delays or conditions | Workflow |
Immediate enrollment when an event occurs | Automation |
Enrolling contacts from an imported list | Bulk Action |
You can also combine methods. For example, use an automation for ongoing new subscribers while using a bulk action to backfill existing contacts into the same drip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have multiple automations pointing to the same drip?
Yes. You can set up as many automations as you need, each with different triggers, all subscribing contacts to the same drip campaign.
What happens if a contact meets the automation trigger multiple times?
If the contact has already been enrolled in the drip (whether currently active or previously completed), the trigger is ignored. Each contact can only go through a drip campaign once.
Can I use external integration triggers?
Yes. If you have integrations connected (like Shopify), those triggers appear in the automation trigger list alongside SendX native triggers.
Do contacts know which trigger added them to the drip?
You can see drip subscription events in a contact's timeline, which shows when they were added. The specific trigger that caused it may be visible in their activity history.
Can I pause an automation without deleting it?
Yes. You can stop an automation at any time. While stopped, no new contacts will be added, but contacts already in the drip will continue receiving emails.
What if I want to test the drip without adding real contacts?
Use a test contact. Add a tag or trigger the event manually for that contact, then check their timeline to confirm enrollment. You can also use the drip's preview feature to send test emails to yourself.