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This guide walks you through building jobs in Trig—from defining your goal to launching and measuring results.

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Job fundamentals

Every job needs three things:

Goal

What do you want customers to do?

Audience

Who should receive this intervention?

Intervention

What messages will you send?

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Step 1: Define your goal

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What makes a good goal?

Goals should be:
  • Single action — One clear thing you want them to do
  • Measurable — Based on an attribute or event you can track
  • Achievable — Something the customer can realistically complete

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Goal examples

Job TypeGoal
Onboarding nudgeprojects_created >= 1
Feature adoptionfeature_X_used >= 1
Expansionupgrade_completed = true
Churn preventionengagement_restored = true
Avoid compound goals. If you need multiple actions, create separate jobs.

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Step 2: Define your audience

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Targeting options

Using attributes directly: 
sign_up_date > 1 day ago
AND sign_up_date < 7 days ago
AND invoices_created = 0
Using cohorts: 
Member of cohort "New Self-Serve Users"
Using Trig metadata: 
last_completed_Onboarding_Stage has any value
AND last_completed_First_Invoice_Job has no value

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Exclusions

Always consider who should NOT receive this job: 
Audience:
- sign_up_date > 3 days ago
- invoices_created = 0

Exclusions:
- last_entered_[this_job] has any value  (already been through)
- currently_member_of_[other_job] = true  (prevent overlap)

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Organisation vs people

TargetWhen to Use
OrganisationAccount-level decisions, commercial actions
PeopleIndividual behaviour, specific user needs to act

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Step 3: Set duration

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Auto-exit timing

Every job should have an auto-exit duration:
Action ComplexityDuration
Simple (click, view)3 to 7 days
Moderate (setup step)7 to 14 days
Complex (invite team, integrate)14 to 30 days
Err shorter. If someone hasn’t responded in 14 days, another email in the same job probably won’t help—try a different approach.

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Step 4: Configure entry actions

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Send initial email

The entry email is your first touch. Make it count. Configuration:
  • Sender: A real person (e.g., “Lee at FreshBooks”)
  • Subject: Specific and actionable
  • Body: Plain text, contextual, with clear steps
Example: 
Subject: Quick tip to send your first invoice

Hi {first_name},

I noticed your team at {organization_name} signed up recently
but hasn't sent an invoice yet.

Here's how to send your first one—takes about 5 minutes:

1. Click "Create Invoice" in the left menu
2. Add your client's email
3. Click Send

If you run into any issues, just reply to this email.

Thanks,
Lee

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Best practices for entry emails

Be specific

Reference what they have and haven’t done. Show you know their situation.

Be actionable

Give 1 to 3 clear steps. Include links where helpful.

Be brief

3 to 5 sentences for simple actions. No long paragraphs.

Be human

Plain text, from a real person, with a personal sign-off.

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Step 5: Configure follow-up actions

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Adding reminders

If customers haven’t completed after the initial email, send a follow-up: 
Wait 3 days → Send follow-up email
Wait 7 days → Send second follow-up (optional)

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Follow-up email strategy

First follow-up (Day 3 to 5):
  • Reference that you’ve reached out before
  • Try a different angle
  • Shorter than the original
Subject: Re: Quick tip to send your first invoice

Hi {first_name},

Following up on my earlier email—I wanted to make sure you
saw the steps to send your first invoice.

If you're running into any issues, just reply and I'll help.

Thanks,
Lee
Second follow-up (Day 7 to 10):
  • Acknowledge they might be busy
  • Offer help or a call
  • This is often your last automated touch
Most jobs use 1 to 2 follow-ups. More than that often means your job is too broad or goal is too ambitious.

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Step 6: Configure completion actions

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What happens on success

When a customer achieves the goal: Options:
  • Send congratulations message
  • Notify your team (Slack)
  • Update CRM field
  • Route to next job
Example: 
Completion Actions:
├── Message Customer: "Great job sending your first invoice!"
├── Notify Team: "#wins - {organization_name} completed onboarding"
└── Update Attribute: completed_onboarding_job = true

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Silent completion

Not every job needs a completion message. For feature adoption jobs, silent completion is often appropriate.

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Step 7: Configure exit actions

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What happens on failure

When a customer exits without completing: Options:
  • Notify team for manual follow-up
  • Update attribute for tracking
  • Route to alternative job
Example: 
Exit Actions:
├── Notify Team: "@{csm_email} - {organization_name} failed onboarding, needs follow-up"
└── Update Attribute: failed_onboarding_job = true

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Chaining to alternate jobs

Use exit actions to create branching journeys: 
Job: Onboarding Nudge v1
├── Completed → Route to "Feature Adoption" job
└── Exited → Route to "Onboarding Nudge v2" (different approach)

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Step 8: Review and launch

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Pre-launch checklist

Goal is clear and measurable
Audience returns expected customers
Duration is appropriate for the action
Entry email is specific, actionable, and human
Follow-ups are spaced appropriately
Completion and exit actions configured
Exclusions prevent re-entry and overlap

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Launch the job

1

Review configuration

Double-check all settings
2

Check audience size

Verify the number of customers who will enter
3

Launch

Click Go Live
4

Monitor

Watch the first few days for issues

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Job chaining patterns

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Success path

After completing Job 1, move to Job 2: 
Job 2 Audience:
- last_completed_Job_1 has any value
- [next action criteria]

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Failure path

After failing Job 1, try Job 1B: 
Job 1B Audience:
- last_exited_Job_1 has any value
- last_completed_Job_1 has no value

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Progressive journey

Welcome → Onboarding → Feature Adoption → Expansion
   ↓           ↓              ↓
Retry A    Retry B        CSM Outreach

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Measuring job effectiveness

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Key metrics

MetricFormulaTarget
Completion rateCompleted / (Completed + Exited)20 to 40%
Time to completionAvg days to completeAs fast as possible
Entry to exit rateExited / Total enteredLower is better

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What to optimise

If…Then…
Low completion rateAdjust messaging, timing, or goal
Long time to completionIntervention may be too early
High exit at specific pointFocus messaging there
Certain segments complete moreTarget them specifically

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Common job patterns

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Onboarding nudge

Goal: first_project_created >= 1
Audience: signup 1 to 7 days ago, no project created
Duration: 10 days
Entry: Plain text email with steps
Follow-up: Day 3, Day 7
Completion: Notify team
Exit: Route to "Onboarding Stalled" job

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Feature adoption

Goal: feature_X_used >= 1
Audience: Premium plan, never used feature X, 30+ days old
Duration: 14 days
Entry: Email highlighting feature value
Follow-up: Day 5 with different angle
Completion: Silent
Exit: Flag for CSM

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Churn prevention

Goal: engagement_restored = true
Audience: renewal in 90 days, no login in 30 days
Duration: 30 days
Entry: Personal outreach from CSM
Follow-up: Week 2, Week 3
Completion: Notify sales
Exit: Escalate to sales

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Troubleshooting

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”Job isn’t sending emails”

  • Is the job live (not paused)?
  • Are there customers matching the audience?
  • Is email integration configured?
  • Is the sender verified?

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”Wrong customers entering”

  • Review audience criteria
  • Check for typos in attribute names
  • Verify date logic (before/after)

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“Low completion rate”

  • Is the goal achievable?
  • Is messaging specific enough?
  • Is timing right (too early? too late?)
  • Are you targeting the right audience?

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Summary

Building effective jobs:
  1. Clear goal — Single, measurable action
  2. Right audience — Specific targeting with exclusions
  3. Appropriate duration — Time-bounded, err shorter
  4. Human messaging — Plain text, specific, actionable
  5. Strategic follow-ups — 1 to 2 max, vary the angle
  6. Complete the loop — Actions on both completion and exit
  7. Chain thoughtfully — Build progressive journeys
Well-designed jobs turn insight into action and create measurable impact on customer success.