'Countdown Event Delay' Step - Delay Actions Based on Countdown Events

The “Countdown Event Delay” step in ClickFunnels workflows allows you to delay actions based on a specific countdown event time. This is especially useful for sending reminders or follow-ups relative to a countdown event time. In this article, you are going to learn how to configure the “Countdown Event Delay” step and effectively use it in your automation.

---

Requirements

• An active ClickFunnels account

• A workflow created in the workspace

• The workflow trigger step contains the “Countdown Event - Contact Registered” event

---

Overview of the “Countdown Event Delay” Step

The “Countdown Event Delay” step in ClickFunnels workflows is designed to automate actions based on specific countdown events. Unlike a standard delay step that waits for a set duration, the “Countdown Event Delay” step dynamically adjusts its timing relative to a countdown event. This step works by automatically identifying the event associated with a contact, based on the trigger set at the beginning of the workflow. Once the workflow is triggered by a “Countdown Event - Contact Registered” event, the “Countdown Event Delay” step calculates when to execute the next action in relation to that countdown event.

What makes the “Countdown Event Delay” step unique is that you don’t need to select any specific countdown event within the step itself. The step intelligently detects the relevant countdown event tied to the contact that started the workflow, ensuring the workflow actions are perfectly aligned with the event schedule. This capability allows you to automate precise, timely communications and follow-ups, providing a more sophisticated approach compared to regular delay steps that operate on fixed time intervals.

Note:

To register a contact for a countdown event from inside a workflow — instead of waiting for them to opt in on, or view, a page the event is attached to — use the “Register for Countdown Event” step. That step lets you pick the event yourself, so it does not depend on the workflow trigger.

---

Adding the “Countdown Event Delay” Step to Your Workflow

1. Open Your Workflow:

   • From your ClickFunnels dashboard, navigate to Automations and select Workflows.

   • Open an existing workflow or create a new one.

2. Set Up the Trigger:

   • For the “Countdown Event Delay” step to function properly, you must set up a trigger based on a countdown event. Select Countdown Event - Contact Registered as the event type.

   • Choose the appropriate Funnel and Page where the countdown event is linked, and then select the specific Calendar Event (e.g., “Virtual Event: Funnel Hacking 101”).

3. Add the “Countdown Event Delay” Step:

   • Click on the Plus Icon (+) in your workflow editor.

   • Select the “Countdown Event Delay” option under the “Countdown Funnels” category. (This step used to be listed under “Workflow”; it now sits in the “Countdown Funnels” category next to the “Register for Countdown Event” step.)

     

Note:

The “Countdown Event Delay” step will be disabled or cannot be included in the workflow unless the “Countdown Event - Contact Registered” event is added into the workflow trigger. If you later delete the last Countdown Event - Contact Registered trigger in the workflow, ClickFunnels asks you to confirm, because the workflow’s Countdown Event Delay steps are deleted too.

Important:

A contact is only held by the “Countdown Event Delay” steps when their workflow run started from the “Countdown Event - Contact Registered” trigger in that same workflow. If you add the contact manually or in bulk instead, every Countdown Event Delay step is skipped for them and the steps after those delays run immediately. ClickFunnels warns you before the run:

Calendar delay steps will be skipped
When manually adding contacts to workflows, calendar event delay steps will be skipped. To include calendar delays, re-register the contact for the calendar event instead.

Re-registering is what the “Register for Countdown Event” step does from inside a workflow: it creates a normal registration, which fires the “Countdown Event - Contact Registered” event — and that trigger, not a manual run, is what starts this workflow with its delays intact.

---

Configuring the “Countdown Event Delay” Step

Once you’ve added the “Countdown Event Delay” step to your workflow, you can configure it to fit your specific needs:

1. Set the Delay Timing:

   • Choose when the delay should end relative to the countdown event. The setting reads “Wait until [number] [interval] [before / after / the start of] the calendar event.” and defaults to 1 minute before. Intervals are minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months; choose before or after the event, or the start of to wait until the event starts (the number and interval are then hidden). A delay after the event must be less than 1 year. This flexibility allows you to schedule actions that align perfectly with your event timeline.

2. Skip Communication Steps:

   • Turn the Skip communication steps until the next Calendar Event Delay Step or the Event itself. toggle on or off. When it’s on, this option will skip any communication steps (e.g., “Send Email”) that fall between the current date and the selected delay date. Non-communication steps (e.g., Tag contact, Add note) will still be executed in order.

     Example Scenario:

     Suppose you have a countdown event scheduled for the 15th of the month. You set up a workflow to send a series of reminder emails:

     

     1. Email 1 - Event Basic Info
        (Wait until 7 days before the event)

     2. Email 2 - Event Topics
        (Wait until 3 days before the event)

     3. Email 3 - Final Reminder
        (Wait until 1 day before the event)

     Here’s how the “Countdown Event Delay” step behaves:

     • If a contact joins the workflow on the 9th (after the delay period for 7 days before the event), the workflow will skip past the “Wait till 7 days Before calendar event” step because that waiting period has already passed.

       • If “Skip communication steps” is off, the contact will still receive Email 1 - Event Basic Info immediately when they reach that step, even though the delay period has passed.

       • If “Skip communication steps” is on, the contact will skip Email 1 - Event Basic Info and move directly to the next waiting step or email.

     This setup ensures that if a contact joins the workflow after some reminder times have already passed and the “Skip communication steps” option is enabled, they will only receive the emails that are still relevant to them before the event. This approach provides a more targeted and timely communication strategy.

3. Save Your Settings:

   • After configuring the delay and other options, click the Create button to save your settings and return to the workflow editor.

Important:

• Communication Steps: Only “Send Email” steps are classified as skippable communication steps. Other steps like “Send MessageHub message” or “Send asset” will not be skipped.

• Non-Communication Steps: Steps such as “Tag contact,” “Add note,” or “Grant community access” will execute in the order they appear, regardless of the “Skip communication steps” option.

• Standard Delay Steps: Regular delay steps are not affected by the “Skip communication steps” option. They will always execute as configured.

• Conditional Split Paths: If a “Countdown Event Delay” step is within a split path, the wait applies only to contacts in that branch. However, if “Skip communication steps” takes effect, “Send Email” steps stay skipped even after the branches rejoin, until the contact reaches another “Countdown Event Delay” step.

Note:

If a Conditional goal step comes later in the contact’s path, it can pull a contact who is waiting on a Countdown Event Delay step forward to the goal before the delay ends.