Campaign vs Automation: What's the difference?
The difference between a Campaign and an Automation is mainly based on how and when emails are sent. Use campaigns when you want to communicate a specific message at a specific time. Use automations when you want to create personalized, ongoing communication without manually sending each email.
You’ll find a side-by-side comparison between Campaigns and Automations here.
Campaign | Automation | |
|---|---|---|
Purpose | Send a planned email to a group of contacts | Send emails automatically based on triggers or subscriber actions |
When it runs | You choose when to send it (immediately or scheduled) | Runs automatically when a condition is met |
Audience | Usually a selected list or segment | Individual contacts enter the flow when they meet the trigger |
Best for | Newsletters, announcements, promotions, product updates | Welcome emails, follow-ups, lead nurturing, customer journeys |
Example | Send our Black Friday offer to all subscribers on Friday | When someone subscribes, send a welcome email, then follow up 3 days later |
In short:
- Campaign - A planned, one-time message sent to an audience.
- Automation - A continuous process that sends messages automatically based on subscriber actions or conditions.
Updated on: 31/08/2026
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