# How can I use goals effectively in my automations?

I've tried using goals in our automations, but haven't been able to make them work effectively

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: over 6 years ago
- Author title: Transformando vidas a través de la educación y la capacitación. ¡Crea, diseña e imparte cursos inolvidables!
- Net upvotes: 2


## Comments
### Comment 1

I use goals to have a customer exit an automation.  For example, the goal is to purchase the product.  Once purchased, they are removed from the automation.  If not purchased, the continue along the email sequence.  This avoids sending emails about a product that the customer already purchased.

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: about 6 years ago
- Net upvotes: 1

#### Reply 1

That's essentially how I use them, as well – the GOAL being they finally get TAGGED in AC with a "CUSTOMER" tag (because they purchased something). This then exits them out of the automation, so they don't continue getting those sales emails.

##### Reply Metadata
- Posted at: about 6 years ago
- Author title: Transformational Life & Relationship Coach


### Comment 2

Goals help marketers to exit contacts from workflows. 

Examples include: Form Submission, Email engagement, scheduling a meeting, page views, enrolment in another workflow ​etc.

Please contact me if you need help.

Regards,
Ravi Jasti.

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: over 5 years ago



### Comment 3

Depends on what the goal is. Some focus only on selling, some only on branding, etc. I focus only on getting attention. It's why I use the RSS triggered email function. I know that if I get the same message out there, the same way, on the same schedule consistently, I'll eventually get the sale on my website  and the followers I want on my whole social media platform., which are my two primary objectives.

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: about 6 years ago
- Author title: The Leadership Consortium



### Comment 4

Hi Max -  I'll paste the official AC definition here and then comment with an example:

"a Goal action is a way to move a contact to another location within an automation as soon as they meet specific conditions, which are configured in the Goal action. Once a contact meets these conditions, they will immediately jump from their current location to the Goal, skipping all steps in between. They will then proceed to the next action in your automation. "

For example, the automation trigger is "Submits a form (in this example, a "keep me informed"  list."   The automation:  1) sends a thank you to the Contact Email  2) adds Contact to the "Keep Me Informed List  3) adds the Contact to a new "nurture" automation that sends a series of pre-made emails.  But you prefer to send the text messages if possible, and skip the "nurture" automation entirely.  

So you set a GOAL called "TEXT CONTACT" which checks if contact has a mobile phone number (could be a custom field you added to the form or a check box asking if they would like to receive text messages).  If this condition is TRUE, the automation jumps to the TEXT CONTACT goal,  thereby bypassing the START NURTURE automation.

This can also be accomplished by IF/THEN branching. But GOALS have more flexibility and are multi-directional. So you can move anywhere in the automation at any time.  

If you'd like more help with this, please contact me.  

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: over 6 years ago
- Author title: Artist, Poet, Parent, Partner, Friend.




## Related Product
[ActiveCampaign](https://www.g2.com/products/activecampaign/reviews)

## Related Category
[Marketing Automation](https://www.g2.com/categories/marketing-automation)

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