Work With Legacy Autoresponders

Work With Legacy Autoresponders

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Autoresponders were built for you to send a single email based on a contact's action. Mailchimp's newer marketing automation flow feature offers many more options, including the ability to schedule multiple emails based on many trigger activities. Although we strongly recommend you take advantage of this powerful tool, you can continue to use legacy autoresponders in your account.

In this article, you'll learn your options for working with your legacy autoresponders.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

Legacy autoresponders are only available to paid accounts that have previously created a legacy autoresponder.
Mailchimp developed automation flows to provide features and functionality to better meet our customers’ marketing needs. You’ll be able to accomplish the same goals in an automation flow that you can in a legacy autoresponder, plus you’ll have the extra benefits of more features. Learn more about our marketing automation flows.

Convert to a classic automation

We've created a tool to help you quickly move your legacy autoresponder content and settings into a classic automation. Any time you convert an autoresponder to a classic automation, the original autoresponder will remain active. To make sure contacts don't receive duplicate emails, pause or delete your autoresponder before you start a classic automation.

To turn an autoresponder into a classic automation, follow these steps.

Click Campaigns.
Click All campaigns.
Click the drop-down menu next to the autoresponder you want to work with, and choose Replicate to Automation.
The Automation Builder will open to the Emails step. Continue through the Automation Builder to create your automation.

We're only able to move the email content, audience, and original trigger settings into the classic automation builder. After you convert to an automation, you won't be able to edit your audience or automation workflow settings. It's possible to change a classic automation into an Automation Flow. To learn more, check out Change a Classic Automation to a Marketing Automation Flow.

Import content to automated email

To import legacy autoresponder content into an automation, follow these steps.

Navigate to the Emails step of the Automation Builder.
Locate the Add Another Email link, and click Or import Autoresponder content.
Check the box next to each autoresponder you want to import as an email, and click Import Autoresponders.
Continue through the Automation Builder to create your automation.

Your email content and subject line will appear in the new automation email. You'll need to make additional changes to your triggers, segments, and other settings on the Emails step of the Automation Builder.

Save an autoresponder as a template

If one of your autoresponders uses a layout or includes content you like, you can save it as a template to reuse with other campaigns and automations. To save an autoresponder as a template, follow these steps.

Click Campaigns.
Click All campaigns.
Click Edit next to the autoresponder you want to work with.
Navigate to the Design step and click Save as Template.
In the Save as Template pop-up modal, type in a name for your template, and click Save.
Click Return To Campaign.

Your new template will appear as a Saved Template in the Campaign Builder and on the Templates step of the Automation Email Designer.

Edit a legacy autoresponder

You can edit legacy autoresponders in your account, but some of the options are limited. To change the audience you're sending to, you'll need to create a new automation to replace your autoresponder.

To edit legacy autoresponders, follow these steps.

Click Campaigns.
Click All campaigns.
Click Edit next to the autoresponder you want to work with. Your autoresponder will open to the Recipients step.
Continue through the builder to edit and send your autoresponder.

Troubleshooting autoresponders

Here are some legacy autoresponder issues you might find, and how to fix them.

My autoresponder doesn't show who will get it next.

The Who will get this next? link only shows subscribers who are scheduled to receive an autoresponder on that day. A time zone issue can sometimes cause your queue to appear as zero.

Autoresponder queues are based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is often different from your account's default time zone. Contact actions are also coded in UTC, so they may trigger the autoresponder to send on a different day than you expect.

Don't worry! No one will ever be skipped by an autoresponder. We'll send to each contact who meets the criteria specified in your send settings.

I can't convert multiple autoresponders to an automation.

It's not possible to combine multiple autoresponders into a single automation. However, you can convert a single autoresponder into a custom automation.

To create a new automation with existing autoresponder content, import your content into new automated emails.