How To Run An Automation On Related Contacts

You can configure automation workflow steps to run against related contacts instead of only the contact that originally triggered the automation.

This is useful when working with linked contact records, such as:

• Membership organisations.
• Businesses with company and individual contact records.
• Automations that need to update both company and staff contacts.

Advanced settings are available on each workflow step within an automation.

To learn more about configuring contact relationships, see the Managing Relationships help article.

Accessing Advanced Settings

To access advanced settings for a workflow step:

• Go to Dashboard > Marketing > Automations.
• Open an existing automation or create a new automation.
• Add a workflow step.
• Click the Settings cog icon.
• Select Advanced Settings.

You can then choose how that workflow step should behave when related contacts exist.

Available Advanced Settings Options

Run this step on original contact

This is the default option.

The workflow step runs only on the contact that triggered the automation.

Use this when:

• The automation should only affect the original contact.
• No related company or individual records are required.

Try to run this step on an individual, fall back to original contact

If the original contact is an individual, Oncord tries that contact first. Otherwise, or if that attempt fails, it looks for a related individual.

With fallback enabled, Oncord can try the original contact if no suitable related individual is found or the action on that related contact fails.

Use this when:

• The automation may be triggered by a company record.
• You want communications or updates sent to an individual where possible.

Try to run this step on an individual, don't run on companies

The step runs only on individuals. If the original contact has that type, Oncord tries it first; a related individual can be tried if needed.

If the workflow is triggered by a company and no related individual is available, the step is skipped.

Use this when:

• The workflow step should only apply to people.
• Company records should not receive emails, SMS messages, or updates.

Try to run this step on a company, fall back to original contact

If the original contact is a company, Oncord tries that contact first. Otherwise, or if that attempt fails, it looks for a related company.

With fallback enabled, Oncord can try the original contact if no suitable related company is found or the action on that related contact fails.

Use this when:

• Individual contacts are linked to a business or organisation.
• You want updates applied to the company where possible.

Try to run this step on a company, don't run on individuals

The step runs only on companies. If the original contact has that type, Oncord tries it first; a related company can be tried if needed.

If the workflow is triggered by an individual without a linked company, the step is skipped.

Use this when:

• The workflow step should only apply to company records.
• Individual contacts should not receive the workflow action.