Webinar Automations Tab

The Automations tab is where you create webinar-specific rules that react to attendee behavior, scheduled webinar timing, replay behavior, chat messages, offers, polls, and connected integrations.

Open it from Dashboard -> Webinars -> select a webinar -> Automations.

Previous tab: Webinar Replay Tab.

For the broader automation strategy guide, see Automations. This page focuses on the editor tab itself: what every visible control does, how the rule sheet works, what saves immediately, and how to use each action type.

What The Automations Tab Controls

The Automations tab controls automation rules for the selected webinar.

Area	What You Control	Where It Saves
Rule list	Existing rules, enabled state, action type, edit controls, and delete controls.	Toggle saves immediately. Delete is confirmed before removal.
New Automation sheet	Creates a new rule.	Uses Save Automation in the sheet footer.
Edit Automation sheet	Updates an existing rule.	Uses Save Automation in the sheet footer.
Trigger settings	The attendee behavior, schedule moment, chat event, offer, poll, branch, segment, threshold, or delay that starts the rule.	Saved with the rule.
Conditions	Optional AND-only filters that must all pass before the action runs.	Saved with the rule.
Action settings	Email, webhook, integration, or SMS action configuration.	Saved with the rule.
Delivery history	Webhook and SMS delivery logs for existing rules.	Read-only except re-fire controls on eligible failed rows.

The Automations tab does not control account-level provider connections. Connect email delivery, SMS, and ESP integrations from Settings first, then use them inside rules.

Save Behavior

Automations do not use the webinar editor’s sticky Save changes bar. Automation rules save through their own rule controls.

Control	Save Behavior
Add automation	Opens the New Automation sheet. The rule is not created until you click Save Automation.
Edit automation	Opens the Edit Automation sheet. Changes are not saved until you click Save Automation.
Discard	Closes the sheet without saving changes made in that sheet session.
Enabled toggle in the rule list	Saves immediately for that rule.
Enabled toggle inside the sheet	Saves when you click Save Automation.
Delete automation	Shows a browser confirmation, then permanently deletes the rule if confirmed.
Webhook secret copy	Copies the saved secret only. It does not change the rule.
Re-fire delivery	Sends a new delivery attempt for an eligible failed webhook or SMS delivery. It does not change the rule definition.

Saving an automation requires an active account subscription. If an account is inactive, saving a new or edited rule is blocked and the app prompts you to choose a plan.

Rule List

The rule list is the first thing you see on the tab.

Each row shows:

Row Element	Meaning
Rule name	Internal name for your team. Attendees do not see it.
Trigger label	The trigger that starts the rule, such as Registered, Watched at least X%, Completed the video, or Sent a chat message.
Provider indicator	Integration rules can show the connected provider, such as Kit.
Action badge	The action type: Email, Webhook, Integration, or SMS.
Enabled toggle	Turns the rule on or off immediately.
Edit button	Opens the Edit Automation sheet.
Delete button	Starts permanent deletion after confirmation.
Disabled reason badge	Appears when a rule has been disabled by a dependency problem, such as a disconnected provider.

The list is sorted in webinar lifecycle order rather than simple creation order. Registration rules appear first, then in-session behavior rules, time-based rules, branch and segment rules, chat rules, before-session rules, after-session rules, and no-show rules.

Use the list to quickly answer:

• Which automations are active?
• What does each rule react to?
• What channel does each rule use?
• Which provider does an integration rule update?
• Which rules are paused or disabled?

Empty State

If the webinar has no automation rules, the Automations card shows an empty state and an Add automation button.

Use this state to create the first rule for the webinar. A common first rule is a registration confirmation email.

New Automation Sheet

Click Add automation to open the New Automation sheet.

A new rule starts with:

Default Field	Default Value
Rule Name	Blank.
Enabled	On.
Trigger	Registered.
Conditions	Empty.
Action Type	Email.
Email template	Blank.
Email delay	0 minutes for event-driven email rules.

The rule does not exist until you click Save Automation. If you close the sheet or click Discard, no rule is created.

Edit Automation Sheet

Click the pencil icon on an existing row to open the Edit Automation sheet.

The Edit Automation sheet uses the same layout as the New Automation sheet, but it loads the saved rule fields:

Section	What You Can Change
Rule Name	Rename the internal label.
Enabled	Enable or disable the rule after saving.
Trigger	Change when the rule fires.
Trigger-specific settings	Change thresholds, offer selection, poll selection, keyword, timing, branch, or segment settings.
Conditions	Add, remove, or change AND-only filters.
Action Type	Switch between Email, Webhook, Integration, or SMS.
Action fields	Update the selected action configuration.
Delivery History	Review webhook or SMS delivery attempts on existing rules.

Changing an existing rule does not rewrite past delivery history. The new definition applies to future trigger evaluations and future scheduled work.

Rule Name

Rule Name is the internal name for the automation.

Detail	Behavior
Required	Yes.
Maximum length	200 characters.
Visible to attendees	No.
Best use	Describe the audience, trigger, and outcome.

Good names:

• Email - registration confirmation
• SMS - 1 hour reminder
• Webhook - watched 75% and clicked offer
• Kit - add webinar registrants
• Email - no-show follow-up

Avoid vague names such as Automation 1, Follow up, or Test.

Enabled State

The Enabled toggle controls whether the rule is active.

Location	Behavior
Rule list toggle	Saves immediately.
Sheet toggle	Saves only when you click Save Automation.
Enabled rule	Can run when the trigger happens and conditions pass.
Disabled rule	Is skipped by future trigger evaluation.

Disable a rule when:

• You are drafting copy.
• The destination webhook is not ready.
• A provider connection is being tested.
• You want to pause a rule without deleting it.
• You want to keep the rule as a template for later.

Disabling a rule is not always a retroactive cancel button for work that has already been queued. For scheduled reminders and delayed follow-up, disable rules before launch when possible.

Trigger

The Trigger section answers: “When should WebinarStack consider this rule?”

Triggers are grouped in the picker.

Trigger Group	Options
Attendee behavior	Registered, Joined webinar, Left webinar, Didn’t show up, Watched at least X minutes, Watched at least X%, Completed the video, Clicked an offer, Responded to a poll, Sent a chat message.
Time-based	Before session, After session, Time elapsed after event.
Branch triggers	Branch taken, Segment completed. These appear for adaptive webinars.

The trigger only starts evaluation. Conditions can still prevent the action from running.

Behavior Triggers

Behavior triggers fire from attendee activity.

Trigger	Meaning	Common Uses
Registered	The attendee registers for the webinar.	Confirmation email, calendar invite, CRM add, SMS opt-in reminder.
Joined webinar	The attendee enters the watch experience.	Attendance tag, internal alert, engagement scoring.
Left webinar	The attendee exits or stops watching.	Recovery follow-up, abandoned-session webhook.
Didn’t show up	The attendee misses the session.	No-show follow-up, replay link, no-show tag.
Watched at least X minutes	The attendee reaches a minimum watch duration.	Mid-webinar engagement follow-up.
Watched at least X%	The attendee reaches a percentage of the video.	High-intent tagging, completion-based follow-up.
Completed the video	The attendee reaches video completion.	Completion email, sales handoff, integration update.
Clicked an offer	The attendee clicks a CTA/offer interaction.	Sales webhook, offer-click tag, checkout follow-up.
Responded to a poll	The attendee answers a poll.	Segmenting by poll response.
Sent a chat message	The attendee sends a chat message.	Keyword follow-up, sales alert, SMS callback.

Watch Thresholds

For Watched at least X minutes and Watched at least X%, the sheet shows a threshold field.

Trigger	Extra Field	Meaning
Watched at least X minutes	Minimum minutes watched	The attendee must reach at least this many minutes of watch time.
Watched at least X%	Minimum percentage watched	The attendee must reach at least this percentage of the webinar video.

When the rule is saved, WebinarStack stores the threshold as a condition using the corresponding watch field.

Use watched-percentage rules when video length can change or when the completion ratio matters more than exact minutes. Use watched-minutes rules when a specific content moment matters.

Offer Trigger

For Clicked an offer, the sheet shows an Offer picker.

Option	Meaning
Any offer	The rule can match any CTA/offer click in the webinar.
Specific offer	The rule only matches clicks for the selected offer.

The picker uses offer names from the Experience tab. When available, internal names make automation setup easier because your team can identify the right offer without relying only on attendee-facing copy.

Poll Trigger

For Responded to a poll, the sheet shows a Poll picker.

Option	Meaning
Any poll	The rule can match any poll response in the webinar.
Specific poll	The rule only matches responses for the selected poll.

Use a poll trigger by itself when any answer should start the action. Add a condition for Poll answer value when only a specific answer should qualify.

Chat Trigger

For Sent a chat message, the sheet shows chat-specific fields.

Field	Meaning
Only when message contains	Optional keyword or phrase. Leave blank to match any chat message.
Fire on every matching message	When off, the rule fires once per attendee per session. When on, the rule can fire for every matching message event.

Keyword matching is case-insensitive. Use this for focused actions, such as:

• Send a sales webhook when a chat message contains pricing.
• Send an SMS follow-up when a viewer asks for replay.
• Trigger a CRM task when someone mentions demo.

Be careful with Fire on every matching message. It is useful for true per-message workflows, but it can send multiple actions for a talkative attendee.

Time-Based Triggers

Time-based triggers use schedule or delay fields.

Trigger	Timing Field	How It Works
Before session	Amount plus unit	Fires before the scheduled session starts.
After session	Amount plus unit	Fires after the webinar content ends.
Time elapsed after event	Delay in minutes plus After field	Fires after registration or after session end.

Before Session

Use Before session for reminders.

Examples:

• 24 hours before the session.
• 1 hour before the session.
• 15 minutes before the session.

The sheet shows:

Field	Meaning
Amount	Number of minutes or hours.
Unit	Minutes or Hours.

Before-session triggers require scheduled sessions. If a webinar only uses just-in-time scheduling, the app warns that before-session triggers do not fire for JIT registrations.

After Session

Use After session for post-webinar follow-up.

Examples:

• 30 minutes after the webinar content ends.
• 2 hours after the webinar content ends.
• 1 day after the webinar content ends, expressed in hours.

After-session timing is based on the session start plus the webinar video duration, then the configured delay.

Time Elapsed After Event

Use Time elapsed after event when the delay should be relative to registration or session end.

Fields:

Field	Meaning
Delay (minutes)	How long to wait.
After	Whether the delay starts after Registration or Session end.

Use this when you want a general timed sequence that is not tied to a fixed “before session” or “after session” reminder format.

Adaptive Triggers

Adaptive webinars can show branch-specific trigger options.

Trigger	Meaning
Branch taken	The attendee followed a selected branch in the adaptive webinar flow.
Segment completed	The attendee completed a selected adaptive segment.

These triggers depend on adaptive webinar setup from the Flow tab. Rules with branch or segment scoping may require a plan that includes adaptive webinar capabilities.

Conditions

Conditions answer: “Even if the trigger happened, should this rule actually run for this attendee?”

Conditions are optional. If no conditions are added, the rule runs for every matching trigger event.

All conditions use AND logic. Every condition must pass.

Available condition fields:

Condition Field	Value Type	Meaning
Watch time (minutes)	Number	Current accumulated watch time in minutes.
Watch percentage	Number	Current accumulated watch percentage.
Clicked Offer (ID)	Text	Whether the attendee clicked a specific offer interaction ID.
Answered poll (ID)	Text	Whether the attendee answered a specific poll interaction ID.
Poll answer value	Text	The answer value from the triggering poll event.
Joined	Boolean	Whether the attendee joined the webinar.
Left	Boolean	Whether the attendee left the webinar.
No show	Boolean	Whether the attendee is considered a no-show.
Completed video	Boolean	Whether the attendee completed the video.

Operators:

Field Type	Operators
Number	=, !=, >=, <=, >, <
Text	=, !=, >=, <=, >, < in the generic builder; use equality for IDs and answer values.
Boolean	is, is not
Chat keyword	Uses a case-insensitive contains condition created from the chat trigger keyword field.

Examples:

Goal	Trigger	Conditions
Follow up with high-intent viewers	Watched at least X%	Watch percentage >= 75 and Clicked Offer equals the offer ID.
Tag attendees who answered a poll a certain way	Responded to a poll	Poll answer value equals the target answer.
Send no-show replay email	Didn’t show up	No conditions needed, or No show is true.
Send offer follow-up only to people who stayed long enough	Clicked an offer	Watch percentage >= 50.

Keep conditions as simple as possible. If you need OR logic, create multiple rules.

Action Type

The Action Type field decides what WebinarStack does after the trigger and conditions pass.

Action Type	What It Does	Typical Use
Email	Sends a personalized automation email to the attendee.	Confirmations, reminders, replay links, no-show follow-up, sales follow-up.
Webhook	Sends signed JSON to a destination URL.	Backend workflows, CRM routing, Zapier Catch Hook workflows, internal lead scoring.
Integration	Updates a connected ESP/marketing provider.	Apply tags, add contacts, update fields, move subscribers into lists or groups.
SMS	Sends a personalized SMS through Twilio.	Opt-in reminders, urgent follow-up, short callback messages.

Each action type shows different fields.

Email Action

Email actions send personalized email to the attendee.

Email fields:

Field	Meaning
Start from template	Inserts starter content into the subject and body. Use Blank to write from scratch.
From name	Optional sender name for this rule.
From email	Optional sender email for this rule. Must be a valid email address.
Attach calendar invite (.ics)	Adds an .ics calendar invite to the automation email.
Subject	Email subject line. Supports personalization tokens.
Message	Rich text email body. Supports formatting, links, alignment, and token chips.
Preview	Shows how recipients will see the email with sample token values.
Test email	Sends a test email to the entered address.
Delay after trigger (minutes)	For event-driven email rules, waits this many minutes after the trigger before sending. 0 sends immediately.

The delay field is hidden for Before session, After session, and Time elapsed after event triggers because those triggers already define their own timing.

Email Tokens

Automation emails support personalization tokens, including:

Token	Meaning
{{attendee_name}}	Attendee name.
{{attendee_email}}	Attendee email.
{{webinar_title}}	Webinar title.
{{session_date}}	Session date.
{{session_time}}	Session time.
{{session_timezone}}	Session timezone.
{{host_name}}	Host name.
{{replay_link}}	Attendee replay link.
{{watch_link}}	Attendee watch link.
{{unsubscribe_link}}	Email unsubscribe link.
{{chat_message}}	Chat message that triggered a chat automation.

Use Email Delivery to connect SendGrid or Postmark so automation emails send through your own configured provider.

Webhook Action

Webhook actions send signed JSON to a destination URL.

Webhook fields:

Field	Meaning
Destination URL	The endpoint WebinarStack should call. Must be a valid URL.
Webhook Secret	Generated after the rule is saved. Use it to verify the X-WebinarStack-Signature header.
Copy secret	Copies the saved secret to your clipboard.
Delivery History	Shows recent delivery attempts for the rule.
Re-fire	Appears for failed deliveries and sends a new delivery attempt.

For a new webhook rule, the secret is not shown until after you save and reopen the rule.

Webhook delivery history shows:

Column	Meaning
Timestamp	When the delivery attempt was created.
Status	Pending, Success, or Failed.
Response	HTTP response code when available.
Attempts	Number of delivery attempts represented by that row.
Actions	Re-fire button for eligible failed rows.

Use Webhooks for the full setup guide, payload guidance, signature verification, Zapier ideas, and AI prompts for building receivers.

Integration Action

Integration actions update a connected marketing provider when the automation fires.

Integration fields:

Field	Meaning
Provider	Connected provider to update.
Action	Provider-specific operation.
Parameters	Tags, lists, groups, or fields required by the selected operation.

If no providers are connected, the sheet shows a link to Settings -> Integrations.

Supported providers in the automation editor:

Provider	Example Actions
Kit	Apply tag, Remove tag, Add/upsert subscriber, Set custom field.
ActiveCampaign	Apply tag, Remove tag, Add/upsert contact, Add to list, Set custom field.
Mailchimp	Add/update member, Apply tag, Remove tag, Add to audience, Set merge field.
MailerLite	Add/upsert subscriber, Add to group, Remove from group, Set custom field.

Parameter fields depend on the action:

Parameter Type	How It Works
Tags	Search and select tags from the provider.
Lists	Search and select lists or audiences when the provider supports them.
Groups	Search and select MailerLite groups.
Fields	Choose provider fields and enter values.
No parameters	Some upsert actions need no extra fields.

Provider resources usually need to exist in the provider first. For example, create the tag, list, group, or custom field in the provider, then select it in WebinarStack.

Provider-specific guides:

• Kit Integration
• ActiveCampaign Integration
• Mailchimp Integration
• MailerLite Integration

SMS Action

SMS actions send personalized text messages through the account’s connected Twilio setup.

SMS fields:

Field	Meaning
Insert token	Adds a personalization token to the SMS body.
Message	Plain-text SMS body.
Character count	Shows current message length.
Segment count	Estimates SMS segment usage.
Encoding badge	Shows GSM-7 or UCS-2 encoding.
Worst-case token warning	Warns when replaced link tokens could increase segment count.
Send test SMS	Sends a test SMS to an E.164 phone number.
Delivery History	Shows SMS delivery attempts for existing SMS rules.

SMS body limit:

Detail	Behavior
Maximum body length	1600 characters.
Formatting	Plain text only.
Token support	Uses the same personalization token catalog as automation emails.
Twilio requirement	Twilio must be connected before production SMS sends can succeed.

SMS delivery history shows masked phone numbers, status, attempts, and re-fire controls for eligible failed rows. Permanent Twilio failures cannot be re-fired.

Use Twilio SMS Integration for full setup, consent, opt-out, delivery, and compliance guidance.

Delivery And Execution Model

The Automations tab creates the rule definition. The background automation system runs the rule when attendee activity or timing events occur.

For behavior triggers, the flow is:

1. An attendee event is recorded.
2. WebinarStack loads enabled automation rules for that webinar and trigger type.
3. WebinarStack loads the attendee’s current engagement state.
4. Conditions are evaluated with AND logic.
5. If the rule passes, WebinarStack writes an execution ledger row.
6. The action event is dispatched to the correct worker: email, webhook, integration, or SMS.
7. The action worker sends the message or external request.
8. Delivery status is logged where that channel has a visible delivery history.

Time-based triggers use dedicated scheduled paths:

Trigger	Scheduling Model
Before session	Runs relative to the scheduled session start.
After session	Runs relative to session start plus video duration.
Time elapsed after registration	Runs after the configured delay from registration.
Time elapsed after session end	Runs after the configured delay from session end.

The execution ledger prevents duplicate sends when background jobs retry. Chat automations can opt into per-message behavior with Fire on every matching message.

How This Tab Connects To Other Tabs

Related Area	Connection
Setup tab	Video duration and schedule setup affect watched thresholds, after-session timing, and before-session reminders.
Registration tab	Registration events start confirmation, reminder, CRM, and SMS opt-in workflows.
Experience tab	Offers, polls, chat messages, and adaptive transitions create the behavior automations can react to.
Replay tab	Replay viewing, replay offer clicks, replay poll responses, and replay completion can inform follow-up strategy.
Settings	Email delivery, Twilio, and ESP provider connections are configured at the account level.
Analytics	Automation history appears in attendee analytics and helps validate whether rules are firing.
Developer & AI	REST API and MCP tools can list, create, update, or delete automation rules.

Recommended Automation Setup Flow

Use this sequence when building automations for a launch:

1. Decide the automation goal: confirmation, reminder, high-intent follow-up, no-show recovery, CRM update, SMS reminder, or webhook routing.
2. Confirm the required account connection exists: Email Delivery, Twilio, or ESP integration.
3. Create any provider resources first, such as tags, lists, groups, or custom fields.
4. Open the webinar editor and go to Automations.
5. Click Add automation.
6. Name the rule clearly.
7. Choose the trigger.
8. Fill any trigger-specific fields.
9. Add conditions only when the rule should apply to a narrower audience.
10. Choose the action type.
11. Fill the action fields.
12. Use preview or test send controls when available.
13. Save the automation.
14. Trigger a test registration or test event.
15. Review delivery history, analytics, or provider updates.
16. Leave only production-ready rules enabled.

Common Recipes

Registration Confirmation Email

Use this when every registrant should receive a confirmation email.

Field	Recommended Value
Trigger	Registered.
Conditions	Empty.
Action Type	Email.
Attach calendar invite	On when the session has a scheduled time.
Delay after trigger	0.

Include {{watch_link}}, {{session_date}}, {{session_time}}, and {{session_timezone}}.

High-Intent Sales Webhook

Use this when your sales system should receive only strong buying-intent signals.

Field	Recommended Value
Trigger	Watched at least X%.
Threshold	75.
Conditions	Clicked Offer equals the relevant offer ID.
Action Type	Webhook.
Destination URL	Your CRM, backend, or no-code workflow endpoint.

After saving, reopen the rule and copy the generated webhook secret.

Add Completers To Kit

Use this when attendees who complete the webinar should be added or updated in Kit.

Field	Recommended Value
Trigger	Completed the video.
Conditions	Empty, or add offer/poll conditions for a narrower audience.
Action Type	Integration.
Provider	Kit.
Action	Add/upsert subscriber or Apply tag.

Connect Kit in Settings before creating the rule.

SMS Chat Follow-Up

Use this when someone asks a targeted question in chat.

Field	Recommended Value
Trigger	Sent a chat message.
Only when message contains	A keyword such as pricing, demo, or replay.
Fire on every matching message	Off unless every matching message should send a separate SMS.
Action Type	SMS.
Message	Short, personalized message with a useful next step.

Make sure registration pages collect SMS consent before relying on SMS automations.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Likely Cause	What To Do
Rule does not fire	Rule is disabled, trigger did not occur, or conditions did not pass.	Check the rule list toggle, trigger choice, and conditions.
Rule fires for too many people	Conditions are empty or too broad.	Add conditions, or split broad rules into narrower ones.
Rule never saves	Required fields are missing or the account subscription is inactive.	Fill rule name, action fields, valid URLs/emails, then check billing status.
Webhook secret is missing	The webhook rule has not been saved yet.	Save the rule, reopen it, then copy the generated secret.
Webhook delivery failed	Endpoint returned an error, timed out, or rejected the signature.	Open Delivery History, inspect the response code/body, fix the endpoint, and re-fire if appropriate.
Integration provider is not listed	Provider is not connected.	Connect it from Settings -> Integrations.
Integration tag/list/group/field is missing	Resource does not exist in the provider or the provider lookup failed.	Create it in the provider, refresh the editor, and check the provider connection.
SMS action shows a Twilio warning	Twilio is not connected or has an error state.	Set up Twilio from Settings -> Integrations.
SMS sends are skipped	Recipient lacks SMS opt-in, phone is missing, quiet hours apply, or Twilio rejected the destination.	Check registration phone/consent collection and SMS delivery history.
Before-session rule does not run for JIT	Before-session triggers require scheduled sessions.	Use fixed/recurring sessions or use a time-elapsed trigger instead.
Chat automation sends more than expected	Fire-on-every-message is enabled or the keyword is too broad.	Turn off fire-on-every-message or use a more specific keyword.
Disabled provider rules appear	Disconnecting a provider can disable rules that depend on it.	Reconnect the provider, review each rule, and re-enable only the rules you want active.

Automations Tab Checklist

Before launch, confirm:

1. Every rule name is clear.
2. Only production-ready rules are enabled.
3. Registration confirmation exists if attendees should receive one.
4. Reminder timing matches the webinar schedule.
5. Before-session rules are not relying on JIT-only sessions.
6. Email Delivery is connected if email should send through SendGrid or Postmark.
7. Twilio is connected before SMS rules are enabled.
8. SMS consent is collected before SMS follow-up is used.
9. ESP integrations are connected and provider resources exist.
10. Webhook endpoints are reachable and verify signatures.
11. Conditions are intentionally broad or narrow.
12. Chat keyword rules use specific terms.
13. Test emails and test SMS messages have been sent where relevant.
14. Webhook or SMS delivery history has been reviewed after testing.
15. Analytics confirms automation activity during test registrations.

Next tab: Webinar Settings Tab.