---
title: Understand campaign configuration basics
slug: data-platform/docs/understand-campaign-configuration-basics
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-08-10T12:05:15.000Z
---

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

The terms *audiences* and *segments* are interchangeable. Optimizely has updated all *segments* to *audiences* on the **Audiences** page and is updating the UI on other pages. See  [Understand audiences](docId\:v-gHiL9jfINBey-4QNtFM) to get information on audiences.
:::

In Optimizely Data Platform (ODP), you can create, run, and manage campaigns through multiple channels to boost customer engagement, enhance brand visibility, and increase sales conversions. To create a campaign, go to **Activations > Overview > Create New Campaign**.

## Campaign types

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

Email and SMS channels are legacy features and not offered to new customers.
:::

You can choose from the following four types of campaigns:

- **One-Time** – Send personalized communications to your audience just once. 
- **Behavioral** – Contact customers on an ongoing basis when they trigger an event, like signing up for a newsletter, or meet certain criteria, like three days after placing an order. You can send the campaign immediately after the event is triggered or on a recurring (daily or weekly) or continuous (hourly) basis.   
- **Transactional** – Create a transactional email for business transactions such as order receipts, account updates, and shipping confirmations. For information, see [Create a transactional email](docId\:ptJz6Ea7Wc4TCRsXs5c1a).    
- **Web** – Show a message to website visitors or send it to customers in a real-time audience. For information, see [Manage web embeds](docId:8i1ZbHcx42xsQjPS4yvyY) or [Manage pop-up modals and forms](docId\:ZPWVeFCknpj8Uz0OG6HdJ). 

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/a8u9w-j97W-uLDqwU9Eb--20260720-145625.png" size="60" isUploading="false" width="456" height="512" darkWidth="456" darkHeight="512" showCaption="false"}

## Campaign name

When managing campaigns, ensure you use unambiguous names for easy recognition in other app areas, such as reporting. After creating a campaign, click **Untitled Campaign** and enter the campaign name. 

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Vnc8SD8GCNUZawbqy17Mt-20260720-145626.png)

## Campaign tags

Tags make it easier to identify campaigns.

1. Click **Add Tags**.
2. Select an existing tag or create one by entering a name and pressing Enter.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/36ZwXIyBWM-FXUhV5uE9H-20260720-145626.png" size="70" isUploading="false" width="519" height="280" darkWidth="519" darkHeight="280" showCaption="false"}

## Campaign enrollment

You can enroll customers in a campaign in the following three ways:

- **Match an audience** – Target customers that match a [standard](docId\:NANHdxpeOJqww6o4qGffi) or [real-time audience](docId\:chCPcgJQ5k5t6nUgnnd43) and click **Apply** to add the audience. Standard audiences are available for one-time and behavioral campaigns. Real-time audiences are available for web campaigns.
- **Match an event (for behavioral campaigns)** – Target customers when they trigger an event by interacting with your brand. For example, you can send welcome emails to customers when they sign up for your website. 
- **API** – Send customers in-app push notifications by issuing HTTP requests with your credentials, campaign identification, message, and customer ID to an ODP endpoint.

### Enrollment rules

You can also configure [enrollment rules](https://support.optimizely.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407269366541#h_01HGZWX0TA1G3A8VAG5HDK1ZX8) to select the target customer more precisely. Analyze the reachable audience when applying an enrollment rule, as it may change.

## Schedule a campaign

To schedule a campaign, expand **Touchpoints > Select start time and schedule**. Scheduling options vary depending on the type of campaign. You cannot schedule campaigns immediately after an event is triggered. However, you can schedule additional touchpoints after the initial send for all campaign types.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

ODP does not collect a customer's time zone by default. You must provide it with the [API](docId\:AG2AAmfi-lqBG6sOp0eTu) or a third-party integration and import it in the customer time zone field using the [IANA format](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_database_time_zones).
:::

### One-time

Use a one-time campaign to send communications only once. You can set the following scheduling options in one-time campaigns:

- **Send Date** – Select a date to send the campaign.
- **Send Time** – Select when to send the campaign.
- **Time Zone** – Select the time zone to start sending the campaign.

  ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/12MbemutWtkwLj0UJ-6Qc-20260720-145626.png" size="50" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="337" height="219" darkWidth="337" darkHeight="219"}

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

The time zone feature is only available in accounts with time zone data. If you have time zone data for your customers and want to enable this feature, contact [Optimizely Support](docId\:bdIN0-xeyJqQDBKgW0eBV).
:::

### Behavioral (recurring)

Use recurring behavioral campaigns to send communications on a daily or weekly basis. Select **Recurring** when expanding **Touchpoints > Select start time and schedule.** You can set the following scheduling options in recurring behavioral campaigns:

- **Start Date** – Select a date to start the campaign.
- **End** – Select a date to end the campaign.
  1. **Never** – Select **Never** to send the campaign for an undefined period of time.
  2. **On Date** – The communication ends on the date you enter in the **End Date**. If you select **Use recipients timzeone when available**, the last time zone ODP sends the communication is the last time zone of the end date. If you select 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada) as the time to send your last communication and the end date is set to January 1, 2024, then the last day to send will start at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US and Canada) on January 1, 2024. The customers received their last communications 24 hours later, on January 2, 2024. 
  3. **After Occurrences** – The communication ends after ODP completes the number of occurrences you entered in the **Occurrences**.
- **Repeats** – Select the frequency of the communication.
  - Select **Daily** to send your communication daily and choose the number of days after which it repeats.
  - Select **Weekly** to send your communication weekly and choose the number of weeks after which it repeats. You can also select specific times on specific days of the week.
  - Select **Monthly** to send your communication monthly. You can select the number of months after which it repeats and a specific **Day of Month** or **Day of Week** on which ODP sends the communication.
- **Timing** – Choose when to send the campaign.
- **Time Zone** – The time zone to start sending the campaign. The default time zone is the one selected in **Settings > Localization**.

  ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/nbiqDZe_znyAXhy2Ue3xa-20260720-145626.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1003" height="268" darkWidth="1003" darkHeight="268"}

### Behavioral (continuous)

Use recurring continuous campaigns to send communications continuously as customers qualify for the audience. Select **Continuous** when expanding **Touchpoints > Select start time and schedule**. You can set the following scheduling options in continuous behavioral campaigns:

- **Start Date** – Date to start the campaign.
- **Timing** – Time to send.
- **Time Zone** – Select the time zone to start and stop sending the campaign.
- **End** – Select a date to end the campaign.
  1. **Never** – Select **Never** to send the campaign for an undefined period of time.
  2. **On Date** – The communication ends on the date you enter in **End Date**.

## Campaign touchpoints

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

Email and SMS channels are legacy features and not offered to new customers.  
:::

1. Go to **Activations > Overview**.
2. Select an existing campaign or click **Create New Campaign** and select the campaign type. 
3. Expand **Touchpoints** to edit **Touchpoint 1**. Select a channel and configure the touchpoint settings. Click **Add a touchpoint** to create additional touchpoints.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/UgMUoiv_0oJs9JM7BXCDW-20260720-145626.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1517" height="455" darkWidth="1517" darkHeight="455"}
4. Clone or delete a touchpoint by clicking **Touchpoint actions > Clone** or **Delete**. You can disable any touchpoint except the first by clicking **Touchpoint actions > Disable**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/xPZ6IL961ntf9XgXUbA3P-20260720-145626.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1079" height="131" darkWidth="1079" darkHeight="131"}

### Schedule additional touchpoints

After setting the first touchpoint, you can schedule additional touchpoints. For recurring or continuous campaigns, ODP assesses each customer individually based on when they received the last touchpoint. To schedule another touchpoint, click **Schedule next touchpoint**.

- **Delay** – Set a delay of hours, days, or weeks between the first and the second touchpoint. If ODP sends the previous touchpoint late, ODP uses the *actual* send time when scheduling the next touchpoint. For example, a delay of two days requires 48 hours to pass before ODP sends the next touchpoint.
- **(Optional) Send Time** – You can also set a time when the campaign is sent by clicking **Send Time**. If the time entered in **Delay** expires after the **Send Time** has passed, the touchpoint is sent the next day.
- **Use recipients timezone when available** – ODP sends the communication at the specified time in the time zone selected in **Settings > Localization**. If a customer's time zone is unknown, they receive the message in the default time zone.

  ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/zt13i7Ii_wqJV2vOcbt4v-20260720-145626.png" size="50" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="370" height="262" darkWidth="370" darkHeight="262"}

**Example**

- ODP sends a campaign at 12:00 p.m. Monday.
- The next touchpoint is scheduled for two days later (**Delay**) at 11 a.m. (**Send Time**).
- Two days (or 48 hours) later is 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, which is already past 11 a.m., so the campaign waits until the next day (11:00 a.m. Thursday) and sends the touchpoint.
- Setting a delay longer than one day and shorter than two days (such as 30 hours) along with the time when ODP sent the campaign ensures ODP sends the touchpoint at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday. This means 30 hours later, it is 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, and ODP sends the touchpoint at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.

## Preview, test, activate, and pause campaigns

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

You must have the PII Viewer role to preview and test a campaign.
:::

### Preview a campaign

1. Click **Preview**.
2. Enter the **email address** or **customer ID** of someone in the campaign's reachable audience to preview their version of the content.
3. Click **Preview**.

### Test a campaign 

1. Click **Test**. 
2. Enter the test email's recipients (separated by commas) in the **Recipient Email Address**.
3. Expand **Render Template with Customer (Optional)** and search for the email address or name of someone in the campaign's reachable audience to preview their version of the content. Leave the field blank to preview the email as an unspecified customer.
4. Click **Send**.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/lJrUaUGAaEbWMJmFGmpwq-20260720-145625.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1188" height="684" darkWidth="1188" darkHeight="684"}

### Activate a campaign

1. Go to **Activations > Overview**.
2. Edit a campaign or create a campaign.
3. Click **Save** to ensure the touchpoints are updated.
4. Click **Go Live** > **Yes, Go Live** to confirm and resume a campaign.

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/8M-1pNk2WsrmIelqOLhxO-20260720-145626.png" size="100" isUploading="false" showCaption="false" width="1551" height="85" darkWidth="1551" darkHeight="85"}

### Pause a campaign

1. Go to **Activations > Overview**.
2. Select the campaign you want to edit and click **Pause**.
3. (Optional) Select **Mark as complete** if you do not expect to relaunch the campaign. 
4. Click **Resume** to resume the campaign at any time.

### Emulate a campaign

You can use **Emulate** to test campaigns and determine which customers receive campaign communications on specific days without sending notifications. For information, see [Emulate a campaign.](docId\:tz_lmkyKIJKufLYVTaoTB)

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

The emulate mode requires an opt-in. If you want this functionality, contact [Optimizely Support](docId\:bdIN0-xeyJqQDBKgW0eBV).
:::