Can I override the Communications Limit on a Per-Email Basis?

[Anonymous]

Hi Community!

Our company has set up Communication Limits as shown below allowing for people to only be contacted twice in one day and three time within a week. We have a campaign where we would like to ignore those Communication Limits. Can someone please share how best to do this?

I know that in a single email program in the Setup section, that the Communication Limit Settings can be edited to Uncheck the "Block non-operational emails." Would this allow for overriding the Communication Limit settings to send more than 2 emails/day and more than 3/emails a week?

Thank you,

Laura

[Veronica_Holme4]

Hi Laura

You're on the right track, but the way to go is the opposite of what you've shown above. I'd recommend you set the global admin setting to "Block Non-Operational Emails" to YES. That way campaigns are obeying the communication limits by default. Then, authorised people are able to build smart campaigns that override the comms limits like you're showing, so at the smart campaign level exactly where you are in your second screenshot, untick "Block non-operational emails".

That way you are choosing for this smart campaign alone to override comms limits set in the admin.

(The other way obviously is to make the email operational which always ignore comms limits, but you should only do that if this email truly is an operational email, which in this case I assume it is not.)

[Anonymous]

Hi Veronica!

So, are you saying that the way the Communication Limits are set up in the Admin area that our non-operational emails (where Non-Op emails are Marketing emails and Operational emails are those used for more critical/non-marketing communications–see article Make an Email Operational - Marketo Docs - Product Docs). are not restricted from being sent to people only 2xs/day and 3xs/week?

Thank you,

Laura

[Veronica_Holme4]

Yes that's what I'm saying. Communication limits are actually switched OFF by default. It says "Block non-operational emails = No". So communication limits in the image above are currently not being applied, unless somebody is switching it on at the campaign level, which pretty much nobody does.

And Josh is correct - the override setting at the campaign level is restricted by premissions in the user role.

[Anonymous]

Hi Veronica,

Thanks so much for your help. Can you help me understand a little more, what exactly is this Communication Limits configuration saying? Is it saying holistically that all people (whether included in campaigns or email programs to receive operational or non-operational emails) can only receive emails twice a day and no more than 3 times in 7 days? Or is it saying that only operational emails are limited to receiving emails twice a day and no more than 3 times in 7 days while non-operational emails are not restricted to the 2x/day 3x/week maximum touchpoints and can receive an unlimited number of communications? It's a bit confusing because we are seeing numbers decrease from one campaign to the next for non-operational emails, which gives us the impression that the non-operational emails are restricted to the 2x/day 3x/week communication limits.

Best regards,

Laura

[Dan_Stevens_]

What you are doing here is defining the DEFAULT behavior for your email programs, engagement programs and send campaigns within default programs in Marketo.  Essentially, communication limits are disabled.  But, you have defined the limits per day/week when communication limits are ACTIVATED at the program/campaign level. 

I agree with Veronica, you're better off activating comms limits by default and then giving specific folks the ability to disable them at the program/campaign level.

[Anonymous]

Dan Stevens​

To confirm, what you are saying is that as it stands right now, all email programs, engagement programs, and campaigns are set up to NOT LIMIT email communications--therefore all people will receive as many emails as we want them to UNLESS someone actively limits communications at the program or campaign level. That is, someone would need to go into an email program, for example, and physically check the "Block non-operational emails" box for someone to be limited to receiving only 2 emails/day or 7/emails a week, correct?

I'm somewhat confused though, because, if it's the case that according to our current Admin Communication Limit setting non-operational emails are not limited to receiving only 2 emails/day and 7/emails a week, why is that when I create a new default email program, the "Block non-operational emails" box is already automatically checked? Is this just how Marketo defaults all communication settings at the default email program level, or is this setting tied to the Admin Communications Limit setting?

Thanks,

Laura

[Dan_Stevens_]

Laura - Apparently, this default setting only applies to smart campaigns in default programs.  Communication limits will always be turned on for Email Programs and Engagement Programs (regardless of whether the checkbox is checked/unchecked in Admin).

[Veronica_Holme4]

Oh see Dan that last thing here I did not know. My assumption was always that you couldn't use the override on email and engagement programs, but all programs understand the default setting in the admin the same way. I'm going to go off and test that one now.

[Dan_Stevens_]

Veronica - For email programs, the override is found within the Settings (unlike the Schedule tab of smart campaigns).  This checkbox is "checked" regardless of the setting in Admin:

For EPs, there is no setting - so additional testing will need to be completed to see if comm limits act the same way here.  For us, we use nested programs within our EPs - and can disable this within the smart campaigns if necessary (we always leave it enabled).

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dan! Really appreciate your help

Laura

[Josh_Hill13]

I believe you can only edit the override at the campaign level if you are an Admin or have that setting in your Role.