This article provides a comprehensive guide on automating processes in the People module of EFS. It covers the basics of automation and presents three practical scenarios for implementing automated workflows in different panel types.

Automation Basics

The basis for the automation of processes in the People module are groups and grouping filters as well as update rules. All automated emails or processes can ultimately be traced back to these features. In the following, we will guide you through the creation of a group, a grouping filter and an update rule, and we will create an example mail template for one of the emails that are to be sent out automatically through the configured automation rules.

The results already serve as preparation for scenario 1 and are either used without any further editing for this scenario or adapted accordingly.

Groups

Groups, or so-called subpanels, are very easy to create in EFS. You can use groups to categorize panelists based on certain characteristics. In preparation for scenario 1, we will create the “New employees” group. To do this, proceed as follows:

• Open the People module.
• Select the Groups menu item from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Click on the Create group button.

• Select default as the category.
• Enter the name for the new group under Internal group title. In our case: “New employees”.
• Enter a description if required.
• Click on Create group.

Your new group has now been created. In the group itself, you have various options for adding panelists manually. However, as we want to automate the group creation, the next two steps are to combine various filter conditions in a grouping filter and to set up an update rule using those conditions and our newly created group.

Grouping Filters

By means of grouping filters you can define the conditions under which panelists are assigned to a group. In preparation for scenario 1, we have already created the “New employees” group. Now we use a new grouping filter to specify that all panelists who are newly added to the panel are assigned to the “New employees” group. New panelists usually have the panel status “Admitted temporarily”. To do this, follow the steps below:

• Select the Grouping filters menu item from the menu on the left.
• Click on Create filter condition.

• Enter a name for your grouping filter. In our case: “New employees”.
• If necessary, enter a filter description.
• In the Filter condition area, select the variable “pstatus (Panel status)” from the Variable drop-down menu.
• From the Condition drop-down menu, select the equal option.
• From the Value drop-down menu, select the option Admitted Temporarily (1).

Update Rules

Update rules ensure that the grouping works automatically. All panelists that match the filter condition defined above are automatically added to the group. You can also use update rules to define further actions that should be automated for the panel group in question. For example, you can add panelists to a sample, assign bonus points, change their panel status or send them an email – completely automatically. To create a new update rule, simply follow the steps below:

• Select the Update rules menu item from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Click on the Create update rule button.

• A new page for creating an update rule is displayed.
• First enter a name for your rule. In our case: “New employees”.
• Select “default” as the Group category from the drop-down menu.
• Under Panel group to be updated, select the New employees group that you created in the previous step from the drop-down menu.
• Activate the checkbox for the option Execute rule automatically?.
• Set the start period.
• Select an interval from the Interval type drop-down menu. As an example, we select Day.
• Enter a value in the Interval value field. We enter the value 1, so the rule will be executed once a day.
• Now we need to select the action to be performed as part of the update: From the Create new action drop-down menu, select the Apply grouping filter option.
• Click on Save.
• The selected action must now be configured in detail: Select the grouping filter to be applied in the drop-down menu under Value. In our case, “New employees“.
• Then select the filter operation to be performed from the drop-down menu below. In our case: “Add panelists that match condition“.
• Click on Save.

If the update rule is now executed once a day, all panelists with the status “Admitted temporarily” are added to the “New employees” group.

Important Note: This will add more than 100K panelists to your group. Make sure that the
automatic execution of the update rule is unchecked and you don’t manually run the update rule
triggering 100K welcome emails to the panelists.

Mail Templates

Automated mail processes generally use mail templates that you only need to create once and can then reuse as often as you like. Mail templates are managed centrally under System > Libraries > Mail templates. In the following, we will guide you through the creation of a template for a welcome email for new employees.

• Mouse over System and select Libraries.
• Select Mail templates from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Click on the + New template button.

• A screen for creating a new mail template opens in a new tab.
• Under Language version, select the desired language version from the drop-down menu.
• Under Type, select Standard mail from the drop-down menu.
• Under Description, enter a short internal description in the free text field, e.g. “Welcome email for new employees”.
• Under Delivery, select the E-mail option from the drop-down menu.
• Under Mail sender, select yourself or the person you want to specify as the mail sender. If no mail sender is displayed in the drop-down menu, you must first add one. You can find detailed instructions on how to do this here.
• Under Mail format, select the HTML only option from the drop-down menu and click on Apply mail format.
• Under Subject, enter a subject for your email, e.g. “Welcome”.
• Draft the text of the welcome email in the visual editor. You want content like the panelist’s name to be dynamically replaced in the actual mail you send out. In order to archive that, you need to use placeholders. A list of all available placeholders can be displayed by clicking the question mark symbol below the field Subject. In the example below, the placeholder #u_firstname# will be replaced by the panelist’s first name and the placeholder #u_name# will be replaced by the last name.
• Click on Save.

You now know the basics for automating processes in the People module. In the following, we will present you with 3 scenarios in which these are applied in practice.

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Scenario 1

In the first scenario that we will present to you, we assume the following use case:

You are a larger company and have a correspondingly large employee panel. New employees are added to this panel. The following processes are to be automated as part of the onboarding process after an employee has been added: The employee receives a welcome email on the day they are added to the panel. This is phase 1. Two months later, the same employee automatically receives a survey in which they are asked about the progress of their onboarding process. This is phase 2. Four months later, another survey should be sent automatically at the end of the onboarding process. This is phase 3.

In order for all these processes to be carried out automatically, you need to complete several tasks in preparation. We have already covered some of these in the previous points under Automation Basics.

Create groups

You have already created the “New employees” group. However, we now need two more groups, into which new panelists will be added after 2 months on the job and after an additional 4 months. Therefore, create the groups “New employees – phase 2” and “New employees – phase 3” as described under Groups.

Create Email Templates

We have already created the email template for the welcome email that employees receive after being added to the panel. Now create two email templates for the survey invitation that employees should receive after 2 and 6 months respectively. Enter #code_complete# as the placeholder for the link to the survey. Below you can see two examples of what the emails could look like.

Create Master Data Record

Create a master data record in which the current phase of the panelist is recorded. To do this, proceed as follows:

• In the People module, select the Master data menu item from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Click on Create master data.

• Enter the name of the variable in the Variable name field. It should begin with “m_” or “md_” and be a maximum of 20 characters long. We chose “md_phase” as the name for our master data record.
• Enter the name of your master data record in the Title field. In our case: “New employee – phase”.
• Select Integer (-128 to 127) as the type.
• By default, you can only chose the option (default) as a category. If you would like to create further categories and sort your master data in these categories, you can find more information on this topic here.
• Keep the default setting for the other two points.
• Click on Create.
• The newly created master data record is now displayed in the list of master data.
• Select it by clicking on the link under Variable or Title.
• Under Answer categories, click on the Edit answer categories button.

• Enter the value 1 under Code and the category Phase 1 under Answer categories.
• Click on Save.
• Enter the value 2 in the new empty field under Code and the category Phase 2 under Answer categories.
• Click on Save again.
• Enter the value 3 in the new empty field under Code and the category Phase 3 under Answer categories.
• Click on Save one last time.

Create Surveys

In the EFS Projects module, create the two surveys that employees will receive after 2 and 4 additional months in the job. To do so, select “Panel survey” as the survey type. If you need help creating a survey project, you can find useful tips in our step-by-step guide “My first survey” and a comprehensive description of the Projects module in our online documentation.

Create Grouping Filter

We have already created the first grouping filter for the “New employees” group. Now we need two more filters for the groups “New employees – phase 2” and “New employees – phase 3”.

New employees – phase 2

First – as described under Grouping filters – create the “New employees – phase 2” grouping filter in the People module under Groups > Grouping filter. Afterwards, we will configure the following filter criteria:

• We specify that panelists who were added to the panel 2 months ago should be added to the group. To do so, we select penter_date (Date of entry) as the Variable and less as Condition. We enter #NOW-2m# as Value. This stands for the current date minus 2 months.

Note: Click on the question mark symbol to the right of Value to display an overview of all placeholders you can use in the Value column. You can also find an example of the syntax for performing individual date calculations there.

• We also specify that panelists who are in phase 2 of the workflow for new employees should be added to the group. To do this, we select the master data record md_phase that we created in the previous step as the variable, with the condition equal and the value 2.

New employees – phase 3

First – as described under Grouping filters – create the “New employees – phase 3” grouping filter in the People module under Groups > Grouping filter. Afterwards, we will configure the following filter criteria:

• We specify that panelists who were added to the panel 6 months ago should be added to the group. To do so, we select penter_date (Date of entry) as the Variable and less as Condition. We enter #NOW-6m# as Value. This stands for the current date minus 6 months.
• We also specify that panelists who are in phase 3 of the workflow for new employees should be added to the group. To do this, we select the master data record md_phase that we created in the previous step as the variable, with the condition equal and the value 3.

Create Update Rules

We have now made all the preparations and can start creating the update rules for our three groups. We have already created an update rule for the “New employees” group at the beginning. We will now edit this group and configure it in detail.

Update Rule for the “New Employees” Group

Proceed as follows to edit the group and configure it in detail:

• Open the People module and select the Groups menu item from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Select the sub-item Update rules.
• Click on the corresponding link to select the “New employees” update rule you have created from the list.
• So far, you have only defined one action: the “New employees” grouping filter you defined should be applied and panelists who meet the condition should be added to the group. Now we will add a few more actions:

1. Empty group

To ensure that the “New employees” group is always updated with newly added panelists, the group must be emptied in the first step:

• In the Create new action line, select the Empty group option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• The action should be applied before the grouping filter is applied. Therefore, enter 1 in the Order field for the Empty group action and 2 for the Apply grouping filter action.
• Click on Save.

2. Send mail

Next, the employee should receive an automated welcome email:

• In the Create new action line, select Send mail from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the mail template you created in the previous step from the drop-down menu under Value. The default setting for When to send is Immediately. However, you can also select a certain point of time.
• Click on Save.

3. Modify master data

To be able to track in which phase the employee is in, the last step is to modify the master data you created in the previous step:

• In the Create new action line, select Modify master data from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the master data variable “md_phase” you created from the drop-down menu under Value.
• Enter the new value for the master data variable in the empty field below. The employee should move to phase 2 after the welcome email has been sent. So we enter 2.
• Click on Save.

Update Rule for the “New Employees – Phase 2” Group

We will now create the update rule for the “New employees – phase 2” group.

As described under Update rules, create a new update rule with the name “New employees – phase 2” under People > Groups > Update rules.

Specify that the update rule should be executed automatically once a day.

• Now define the required actions:

1. Empty group

• Proceed as described above.

2. Apply grouping filter

• In the Create new action line, select the Apply grouping filter option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the created grouping filter New employees – phase 2 from the drop-down menu in the Apply grouping filter line, and in the Filter operation line, select the option Add panelists that match condition.
• Click on Save.

3. Add to sample

In phase 2, the employee should receive the survey on the progress of their onboarding you have created. They must therefore be automatically added to the sample of this survey.

• In the Create new action line, select the Add to sample option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Under Value in the Project/Sample row, select the survey that the employee should receive after 2 months in the job.
• For Mail template for invitation mail (optional), select the invitation to the survey that you have created.
• Keep the default settings for all other points and click on Save.

4. Modify master data

• Proceed as described above and select 3 as the new value.

Update Rule for the Group “New Employees – Phase 3”

Now we create the update rule for the “New employees – phase 3” group.

• As described under Update rules, create a new update rule with the name “New employees – phase 3” under People > Groups > Update rules. Apply the same settings as for the update rule “New employees – phase 2”.
• Now define the required actions:

1. Empty group

• Proceed as described above.

2. Apply grouping filter

• Proceed as described above and select the created grouping filter New employees – phase 3 in the Apply grouping filter line.

3. Add to sample

In phase 3, the employee should receive the survey relating to the end of their onboarding. They must therefore also be automatically added to the sample for this survey.

• Proceed as described above and select the survey that employees should receive after 6 months in the job under Value in the Project/Sample line. Then, for Mail template for invitation mail (optional), select the invitation to the survey that you have created.

By defining the update rules you have completed the preparations for your automated workflow for new employees. As soon as you add a new employee to your panel, they will automatically receive the welcome email you have created and will be invited to take part in a survey after 2 and additional 4 months in the job. This allows you to keep track of your employees’ satisfaction with the onboarding process in your company and – thanks to automation – you can archive this with far less effort.

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Scenario 2

The second scenario we will present to you, is suitable for any type of panel – whether employee or research panel. It is quick and easy to implement and still offers an effective way of increasing panelist satisfaction. Cause let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to receive a congratulatory email on their birthday? So in this scenario, we’ll take you through all the steps required to automatically send a birthday email to your panelists.

Create Master Data

In order to send a birthday email to panelists, you must of course know their date of birth and save it in the corresponding master data so that we can use it to automatically form a group and in turn automatically send a birthday email. We therefore first create the master data record “md_day_of_birth”, which will be used to save the day of birth of a panelist. We then create the master data record “md_month_of_birth”, which will be used to save the month of birth of a panelist.

md_day_of_of_birth

• In the People module, select the Master data menu item from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Click on Create master data.
• Enter “md_day_of_birth” as the variable name.
• Enter “Birthday” as the title.
• Select -128 to 127 as the type from the drop-down menu.
• Select default as the category from the drop-down menu.

For the other options, retain the default settings and click on Create.

• Select the master data record you have just created from the list of master data.
• Click on Edit answer categories.
• Enter the value 1 in the Code field and also enter the value 1 as answer category.
• Click on Save.
• Repeat the process for all numbers up to 31. (see note below to mass import)

Note: You can click mass-import answer categories and paste the content below to mass create them:

1;1;1
2;2;2
3;3;3
4;4;4
5;5;5
6;6;6
7;7;7
8;8;8
9;9;9
10;10;10
11;11;11
12;12;12
13;13;13
14;14;14
15;15;15
16;16;16
17;17;17
18;18;18
19;19;19
20;20;20
21;21;21
22;22;22
23;23;23
24;24;24
25;25;25
26;26;26
27;27;27
28;28;28
29;29;29
30;30;30
31;31;31

md_month_of_birth

• In the People module, create the master data record “md_month_of_birth” as described above.
• Select the newly created master data record from the list of master data and click on Edit answer categories.
• Enter the value 1 in the Code field and also enter the value 1 as answer category.
• Click on Save.
• Repeat the process for all numbers up to 12.

When importing new panelists, always remember to enter the panelist’s day and month of birth in the master data fields “md_day_of_birth” and “md_month_of_birth” in the import template. If you have not yet saved the corresponding master data for your existing panelists, you can easily do this using the Update data option for all your panelists or any number of panelists. If this point is not relevant for you, simply continue with thepoint Create Mail Template.

Update Data

To update your panelist data with the information on the master data “md_day_of_birth” and “md_month_of_birth”, we first create an export of all your panelist data. To do this, proceed as follows:

• In the People module, open the Export menu item on the left-hand side.
• Keep the default setting Panel data (master data, participant data) and click Continue.

• Keep all default settings and select the option Participant and master data under Which export template shall be used?.
• Click on Export.
• Your export is created. Click on Copy file to local PC.
• Open the export file and delete all cells except for the columns u_firstname, u_name, u_email, md_day_of_birth and md_month_of_birth.
• Now enter the corresponding data of your panelists in the columns “md_day_of_birth” and “md_month_of_birth”.
• 
• Save the file.

You can now update your panelist data using the saved file:

• Open the Panelist administration under People > Panelist administration.
• Click on the Update data button.

• Click on Select file and select the file that you saved in the previous step.
• Click on Send file.
• On the next page, the columns of the import file are assigned to the corresponding fields in the database. As your file only contains the columns u_firstname, u_name, u_email, md_day_of_birth and md_month_of_birth, only these are assigned.
• Select the u_email option at the bottom of the page under Linking variable.
• Then select the u_email variable from the drop-down menu under Which column in the import file contains the linking variable?.
• Click on Save allocation and then on Proceed to preview.
• An import preview is displayed. Click on Import to complete the process.

Create Mail Template

Create a new mail template for a birthday email as described under Mail templates. You can find an example email below:

Create Group

Now create the new “Birthday” group as described above under Groups.

Create Grouping Filter

We will now create the grouping filter for the “Birthday” group. To do this, follow the steps below.

• Create the new grouping filter “Birthday” as described above under Grouping filters.
• Under Filter condition, select the master data variable “md_day_of_birth” that you have just created from the Variable drop-down menu. Select the equal option from the Condition drop-down menu and enter “#CURRENT_DAY_DAY#” in the Value field. With this filter criterion panelists whose birthday matches the current day will be added to the group.
• Click on Save.
• In the line below, select the master data variable “md_month_of_birth” that you have just created. Select the equal option from the Condition drop-down menu and enter “#CURRENT_DAY_MONTH#” in the Value field. This filter criterion will add panelists to the group whose birth month matches the current month.
• Click on Save.

Create Update Rule

In the next step, we will create the update rule that ensures that panelists are automatically added to the “Birthday” group and also automatically receive a birthday email.

• Create a new update rule with the name “Birthday” as described above under Update rules.
• Select default as the group category and the Birthday group as the panel group to be updated.
• Activate the checkbox for Execute rule automatically?.
• Under Start time, enter 8:00, for example.
• Select Day as the Interval type and 1 as the Interval value so that the update rule is executed once a day.
• Click on Save.
• Now define the required actions:

1. Empty group

To ensure that the “Birthday” group is always updated with panelists whose birthday is on the current day, it must be emptied in the first step:

• In the Create new action line, select the Empty group option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.

2. Apply grouping filter

• In the Create new action line, select the Apply grouping filter option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the created grouping filter Birthday from the drop-down menu in the Apply grouping filter line, and in the Filter operation line, select the option Add panelists that match condition.
• Click on Save.

3. Send mail

• In the Create new action line, select the Send mail option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the mail template that you created in the previous step from the drop-down menu under Value. The default setting for When to send is Immediately. However, you can also select a time.
• Click on Save.

You have now made all the necessary preparations for an automated birthday mail and your panelists or employees can look forward to a personalized message on their special day.

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Scenario 3

In our third and final scenario, we will now present a use case for research panels. In this scenario, we will show you how you can use the so-called PCI code to classify the reliability of your panelists in order to monitor and manage your panel quality. We will also describe the individual steps for taking automated measures if the reliability of a panelist falls below a defined threshold.

Panelist Compliance Index

With the Panelist Compliance Index (PCI) you can capture the reliability of panelists and store this information in a variable. By default, EFS contains the PCI codes “Green” to “Black”. However, you can change these codes as you wish by deleting existing codes and adding new codes. By default, new panelists start with the code “Green”.

PCI codes can be managed under People > Panel configuration > PCI configuration under the PCI codes tab.

Under the Calculation tab, you can configure the condition for the calculation of the PCI. The condition therefore determines in which case a panelist drops from the code “Green” to “Yellow”, for example.

Edit PCI Conditions

In the following, we will define under which conditions the PCI value of a panelist is increased and under which conditions it is decreased. To do so, follow the steps below:

• In the People module, select the Panel configuration menu item from the menu on the left and then PCI configuration.
• Click on the Calculation tab.
• Under Condition for increasing the PCI value, click on Edit condition.

We can now define the conditions for the increase of the PCI value of a panelist in the condition editor. This works best with tracking variables. Tracking variables are used to record tracking data such as the number of survey starts, the number of completed surveys or the number of incomplete surveys. We will specify that the PCI value is increased if a panelist has received at least 3 survey invitations in the last 4 weeks and has started at least 2 of these surveys. Proceed as follows:

• From the Variable drop-down menu, select track_num_invited1 (Number of invitations [Disposition code 12] (last 4 weeks)) and under Condition, select greater. Then enter 2 under Value.
• Click on Save.
• In the next line, select the option track_num_started1 (Number of survey starts [Disposition code 21,22] (last 4 weeks)) from the Variable drop-down menu and the option greater under Condition. Then enter 1 under Value.

As a condition for decreasing the PCI value, we will specify that panelists must have received at least 1 survey invitation in the last 4 weeks, but have not started any of them.

To do this, follow the steps below:

• In the People module, under Panel configuration > PCI configuration, click Edit condition under Condition for decreasing the PCI value.
• From the Variable drop-down menu, select the option track_num_invited1 (Number of invitations [Disposition code 21,22] (last 4 weeks)) and under Condition, select the option greater. Then enter 0 under Value.
• Click on Save.
• In the next line, select the option track_num_started1 (Number of survey starts [Disposition code 21,22] (last 4 weeks)) from the Variable drop-down menu and the option equal under Condition. Then enter 0 under Value.

Set Update Interval

Finally, we need to define the interval for the automatic calculation of the PCI values. As the tracking data that we have used for the PCI conditions cover an observation period of 4 weeks, we will also define an interval of 4 weeks for the update. Proceed as follows:

• In the People module under Panel configuration > PCI configuration, click on the Update interval tab.
• Activate the checkbox for Enable automatic PCI calculation.
• Specify when the calculation should be performed for the first time.
• Select the Week option from the Interval type drop-down menu and enter 4 as Interval value.
• Click on Save.

The calculation of panelist’s PCI values will now be performed automatically. In the following, we will create an action that is taken automatically as soon as a panelist’s PCI value drops to “Red”.

Set up Automatic Action when PCI Value Drops to “Red”

Based on your individual PCI configuration, you can now track the reliability of your panelists. By setting up a group, a grouping filter and an update rule, we now want to ensure that panelists with a “Red” PCI value are automatically invited to take a survey on their satisfaction with the panel. This way, you can find out why their reliability has decreased over time and possibly encourage them to actively participate in the panel again. To do this, follow the steps below:

Create an email template

Create an email template for the survey invitation to be sent to panelists whose PCI value has been decreased to “Red”. Follow the instructionsunder Mail templates. Below you can find an example of what the email could look like.

Create Survey

In the EFS Projects module, create the survey that panelists should receive after their PCI value has decreased to “Red”. To do this, select the survey type “Panel survey”. Ask about the satisfaction with the content of the surveys in the panel, the frequency or other reasons for the decrease in activity in the panel, for example. If you need help creating a survey project, you can find useful tips in our step-by-step guide “My first survey” and a comprehensive description of the Projects module in our online documentation.

Create Group

Create the new group “PCI value Red” as described under Groups.

Create Grouping Filter

Create the new grouping filter “PCI value Red” as described under Grouping filters.

Create Update Rule

Create the new update rule “PCI value Red” as described under Update rules. Select the default option as the group category and the previously created PCI value “Red” group as the panel group to be updated. Activate the checkbox for the Execute rule automatically? option and specify the start period. Select the Day option from the Interval type drop-down menu. Enter the value 1 in the Interval value field so that the rule is executed once a day. Click on Save.

• Then define the required actions:

1. Empty group

To ensure that the “PCI value Red” group is always updated with panelists whose PCI value has been decreased to “Red”, the group must be emptied in the first step:

• In the Create new action line, select Empty group from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.

2. Apply grouping filter

• In the Create new action line, select the Apply grouping filter option from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Then select the created PCI value “Red” grouping filter from the drop-down menu in the Apply grouping filter line, and in the Filter operation line, select Add panelists that match condition.
• Click on Save.

3. Add to sample

The panelist should now automatically receive the survey you created regarding their satisfaction with the panel. They must therefore be automatically added to the sample of this survey.

• In the Create new action line, select Add to sample from the drop-down menu.
• Click on Save.
• Under Value in the Project/Sample line, select the created survey that the panelist should receive.
• For Mail template for invitation mail (optional), select the invitation to the survey that you have created.
• Keep the default settings for all other points and click Save.

This completes all tasks. Your panelists will now be automatically classified according to their reliability over time and will automatically receive a survey regarding their satisfaction with the panel when their PCI value is decreased to “Red”.

FAQ

What is the Panelist Compliance Index (PCI)?

The Panelist Compliance Index (PCI) is a measure of panelist reliability in EFS. It uses color codes (e.g., Green, Yellow, Red) to classify panelists based on their participation and behavior in surveys.

How often should I update PCI values?

The frequency of PCI updates depends on your panel’s activity level. For most panels, updating every 4 weeks is sufficient, but you can adjust this based on your specific needs.

Can I customize the automated email templates?

Yes, you can fully customize all email templates used in automated processes. This allows you to maintain your brand voice and tailor messages to your specific audience.