Learn how to send an automated email journey to your existing subscribers. This guide explains three simple methods: deleting and re-adding subscribers, using a "plug" segment, or adding specific send dates to trigger your journey for contacts already on your email list.

Overview

By default, new email journeys only trigger for new subscribers who join your list through your CRM. If you want to send a journey to contacts already on an email list, you have a few options:

• Delete & Re-add Subscribers: This is the simplest method and works best when you want to trigger a journey for all active subscribers on your list.

• Segment with a "Plug": This method lets you create a specific segment of your list to trigger a journey for a select group of contacts. It's a great way to send a one-time journey to a group of people.

• Add Send Dates: This option is ideal when you need to send a journey to different subscribers on different days. You can schedule the journey to send on a specific date you set.
  

Option 1: Delete & Re-add Subscribers

This method is the quickest way to send a journey to all active subscribers on an existing list.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Activate your journey. If your desired journey isn't already active, turn it on.

2. Export subscribers. From your Email Lists dashboard, export your active subscribers for the list connected to your journey.

3. Copy email addresses. Open the exported file and copy the email addresses.

4. Bulk remove subscribers. Go back to your email list, open the menu, and select Bulk remove subscribers.
   

5. Delete from this list only. Choose Delete from this list only and paste the email addresses you copied.
   

6. Add subscribers back. After the system moves the emails to the deleted folder, go back to the list and add the same subscribers again. Be sure to select the Add new subscribers to the related journey checkbox for the journey you want to trigger.
   

Tip: You can either paste the email addresses again or upload the entire exported file. For more information on importing subscribers, see how to Import Email Subscribers From a File.

7. Check the journey status. Give the system a few minutes to add your subscribers to the active group. Then, check your journey to confirm your subscribers have started the email sequence.

Option 2: Segment with a "Plug"

This method allows you to trigger a journey for a specific segment of your list.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a new segment. From the Email Lists dashboard, select the email list you want to use. Then, select Create a new segment.
   

2. Set up the "plug" rule. Build a new segment with the rule “Email address” does not contain “@”. This prevents anyone from being on the list initially.
   

3. Name and save the segment. Give the segment a clear name and save it. At this point, the segment should show zero contacts.

4. Create or duplicate a journey. Go to the Automation tab and either create a new journey or duplicate an existing one.

5. Choose the segment trigger. Select the Subscriber enters a segment trigger and choose the segment you just created. If you duplicated a journey, you can click on the first block to change the trigger.
   

6. Turn on the journey. Make sure your journey is ready and then turn it on.

7. Remove the plug. When you're ready to send the journey, open the segment you created and update the rule to “Email address” contains “@”. Click Save. The journey will now trigger for all existing subscribers in the segment.

Note: It may take a few minutes for the journey to send if your list is large.

Option 3: Add Send Dates

This option is perfect for scheduling a journey to send to different subscribers on different days.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a custom date field. Go to your Email Lists dashboard, find the desired list, and select Add custom field. 
   

2. Click Add custom field to add a new one. Name the field after the journey and “Send Date” to help keep your custom fields organized. When prompted to select a field type, select Date.
   

3. Create or duplicate a journey. Go to the Automation tab and create a new journey or duplicate an existing one.

4. Choose the date trigger. Select the A date trigger and choose the custom date field you just created.
   

5. Add a delay step. Since date-triggered journeys activate at midnight, add a Delay step immediately after the trigger. Set the delay to the time of day you want the journey to send.
   

   Example: A delay of 18 hours will send the email at 6 p.m.

6. Turn on the journey.

7. Export the list. Go back to the Email Lists dashboard, find your list, and export it. You only need the emails, but keeping the names helps with organization.
   

8. Add send dates. In a spreadsheet editor, add a date column and fill it with the specific date(s) you want the journey to send. The date must be a future date.

9. Import the spreadsheet. Go back to the email list dashboard and click Add new subscribers. Import the spreadsheet and select the custom date field you created in the first step.
   

10. Confirm the import. Check to make sure the import was successful. At this point, you can leave the journey to send on the scheduled date. It’s always a good practice to check that the journey sends as expected.