Automated Messages are for automatically sending push notification to users once they join a segment. They are commonly used for drip campaigns like re-engaging inactive users or congratulating players on reaching a certain level.

Creating an automated message campaign

Dashboard > Messages > Automated

Before creating an automated message, be sure to go to Templates and Segments to create the template and segment(s) you wish to use in your automated message.

1. Name your Automated Message Campaign
   This lets you identify the automated message among others.
   Examples: '3 Days Inactive', 'level 3 completed'

2. Select the template you would like to use
   You will need to have created a template for automated messages.
   We suggest dedicating one template per Automated Message to see delivery statistics in Templates. Also, name the template something recognizable for the automated message.

3. Add segment(s) to target
   You will likely want to create specific segment(s) for automated messages. Pro tip: name the segment, automated message and template the same thing to easily associate all 3.

4. Choose your delivery options

   • Send immediately: sends the notification as soon as the user joins the segment.
     • On the free plan, this may take a couple hours.
     • Paid Plan users get automated messages sent within a few minutes.
   • Intelligent Delivery: sends the notification at the same time of day as the user's last session.
     • This is the recommended delivery option, because it is personalized to the user's activity.
   • Optimize by user time zone: sends the notification at the specified timezone.
     • This is a Paid Plan feature only.

5. Deliver only once to a user, unless
   Automated messages will only be sent to a device 1 time. Even if the user leaves a segment and returns to it. If you want to resend the notification to the user if they are still in the segment or re-join a segment, you can select one of the following options:

   • The user returns to the app. Then the user will get the notification again some time after they re-open the app.
   • X Hours have elapsed. Then the user will get the notification again after X hours have passed.

How automated messages work

On the Free plan, automated messages go out roughly every couple hours.
Paid Plan users get automated messages sent within a few minutes.

However, users who have not been active for over 3 months will be excluded from all automated notifications.

Also, if a user is in the included segment and excluded segment, then leaves the excluded segment but is still in the included segment, they will get the notification.

By default, users will never receive an automated notification twice, even if they leave a segment and come back to it. If you want to change this default, you can select one of the "Deliver once unless..." options.

You can track the notification's performance from Templates.

Automated messages are sent out in batches of 10,000 notifications. This means if you are sending automated notifications to 36,000 users, you would see four distinct notifications in Sent Messages - three with 10,000 users, and the fourth with 6,000 users.

If you want to schedule recurring notifications for an exact time, please see our Zapier integration docs.

Using Automated Messages

Re-engagement Campaigns

Some OneSignal customers use automated messages to re-engage users that have lapsed in their usage of the app. Typically this is done by creating one or more automated messages that target users that have been inactive for a length of time. Below is an example of three automated messages that could be used together:

For "Inactive 1 day" and "Inactive 3 days" automated messages, the Delivery boxes should not be checked to ensure users only receive a single message:

For "Inactive 7 days" automated message, you can check the "Hours have elapsed" box and add 168. This will send the same notification every week that the user remains in the "Inactive 7 days" segment:

Additionally, when sending more than one re-engagement message, we recommend using Message Collapsing or Message Replacement in the template so that the user will only have the latest re-engagement message (rather than a list of all previous ones).