Setup: Important Date Types

Why This Matters

Before you can track any annual dates for your contacts, you need to create your date types. This is where you define what kinds of dates you want to track, which workflow runs when those dates come around, and how far in advance the workflow fires. You only need to do this once per date type — after that, the system takes over automatically each year.

Before You Begin

  • If you're the only person using your account, you already have full access to this page. If your account has multiple team members, only account owners and administrators can access Important Dates settings.
  • Have at least one workflow ready to link to your date type. If you don't have one yet, you can create one directly from this page.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Go to Automation → Important Dates

From the main menu, click Automation and select Important Dates. This opens the Important Dates library, which lists all date types you've created for your account.

Step 2: Click Add New

Click the Add New button in the upper right corner. The Add Important Date Type form opens.

Step 3: Name Your Date Type

Enter a name for this date type in the Name field. Keep it clear and descriptive — this is what you and your team will see when applying dates to contacts. Examples: "Policy Anniversary," "House Anniversary," "Loan Closing Date." The name has a 50-character maximum.

The Notes field is optional. Use it for internal reminders about how this date type works or when to use it — contacts never see this.

Click the Workflow dropdown to select an existing workflow. When you select one, the form shows a summary above the picker indicating how many steps the workflow has and its approximate duration.

If you don't have a workflow ready, click the + button next to the dropdown to create one. The new workflow is automatically created in an Important Dates folder and linked to this date type. You'll be taken to the workflow editor to build it out, then returned to this form when you're done.

💡 Tip: Use day-based pauses in your workflows for the most predictable timing. Month or week-based pauses can shift by several days depending on when the anniversary falls. If your selected workflow uses month or week-based pauses, a warning appears on the right side of the form.

Step 5: Set the Timing

The Timing setting controls when the workflow fires relative to the anniversary date each year. Choose one of two options:

  • On the date — the workflow fires on the anniversary itself
  • Before the date — enter the number of days in advance you want the workflow to fire (up to 360 days)

If you want two different actions at two different times — for example, a reminder 14 days before and a personal call on the date itself — use a pause to delay the call to-do for 14 days from the start of the workflow.

Before saving, click Preview Timeline to see exactly when each step in your workflow will fire relative to the anniversary date. The preview opens in a popup showing a day-by-day breakdown of every workflow step.

You can adjust the timing directly inside the preview and click Update to see how changes affect the schedule. This is especially useful for multi-step workflows where you want to make sure nothing lands on the wrong side of the anniversary date.

Step 7: Save

Click Save. Your new date type appears in the library list and is immediately available to apply to contacts.

Managing Your Date Types

Editing a date type: Click the name of any date type in the list to open it for editing. If the date type is already applied to contacts, a yellow warning box shows how many contacts are affected. Changing the timing will recalculate the next run date for all contacts with that date type.

Deleting a date type: Click the delete icon next to any date type. The confirmation prompt tells you exactly how many contacts will have the date removed and whether any currently running workflows will be cancelled. A date type can only be deleted if you confirm this prompt — nothing is removed automatically.

Disabling a date type temporarily: Remove the linked workflow from the date type. Without a workflow assigned, the system skips that date type entirely when it runs each day. Reassign a workflow when you're ready to activate it again.

If a linked workflow is deleted: The date type shows a red warning — "Workflow not found." The system skips that date type until you assign a replacement. No contacts are affected in the meantime.

Questions and Answers

Q: Can I create a date type without linking a workflow?

A: Yes. You can save a date type without a workflow assigned. It will appear in the library with "No workflow assigned" and will be skipped by the daily engine until you add one.


Q: What happens if I change the timing on a date type that's already applied to many contacts?

A: The system automatically recalculates the next run date for all contacts with that date type. The edit form shows you how many contacts will be affected before you save.


Q: How many date types can I create?

A: There is no limit on the number of date types you can create.


Q: What does the contact count number in the list do?

A: Clicking the contact count for any date type opens the Contact List filtered to show all contacts who have that date type applied. It's a quick way to see exactly who is set up for a given date type.

Guide Type: Setup Task

Estimated Time: 10 minutes

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