Flows and Channel Actions: How They Work

To use channel actions at their full power, you must understand how channel actions function when used inside different Flows. Flow types have specific goals. Some perform clear functions, like sending one time blasts. Others are for broader goals, like keeping audiences in sync between two systems.

As a result, flow types inherently determine what a channel action can accomplish. This logic varies depending on the flow.

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When you choose a channel action, think about how you'd like to use it and verify in the table below that it will work as expected in your chosen flow type.

Flow Type	Function	Data Handled	Logic
One Time	Sends data once at send time	Messages or contacts	Doesn't update or remove data
Triggered	By segment membership: Sends data, when a newly added contact joins a segment By an event: Sends data, once when a contact performs a specific event	Messages or contacts	Doesn't update or remove data
Stream	Adds or removes data, when your Data PipeData Pipe - A Simon component that regularly syncs your data from an external source into Simon, usually on a regular schedule. updates for all newly added or removed contacts	Contacts only	Doesn't update data
Recurring	For messages: Sends on a schedule, for all newly added contacts For contacts: Adds, updates, or removes contacts and their content on a schedule for all newly added, updates, or removed contacts	Messages or contacts	For messages: Doesn't update or remove messages

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