In Spotler Activate, the External Messages feature allows you to send emails created in Spotler Mail+ through a journey using the Spotler Connect integration. This feature enables you to select and trigger Mail+ messages directly within an Email node in Journey Builder, as long as the message is in Final status.
What is an External Message?
An External Message is an email created and managed in Spotler Mail+ that is triggered from within Spotler Activate journeys via Spotler Connect.
This setup separates email creation from journey orchestration:
- Spotler Mail+ is used to build and manage the email content.
- Spotler Connect handles the connection and message delivery.
- Spotler Activate controls when the message is sent within a journey.
On this page, the following topics are covered:
- When is the External Message option available?
- How do I select an External Message in a journey?
- What are the requirements for using External Messages?
- Why would I use External Messages instead of Automations?
- How do Automations differ from External Messages?
- How does an External Message behave?
When is the External Message option available?
The External Message option is available in Journey Builder when you add an Email node configured to use Spotler Connect.
Within the Email node, you can choose between:
- Automation
- Campaign
- External Messages (Direct)
The External Message option appears alongside the existing options when the Spotler Connect integration is active.
How do I select an External Message in a journey?
You can select an External Message directly within the Email node in Journey Builder.
- Open Journey Builder in Spotler Activate.
- Add or edit an Email node.
- Choose External Messages (Direct) as the message type.
- Select a message from the list.
What are the requirements for using External Messages?
To use External Messages, the following conditions must be met:
- The Spotler Connect integration must be configured.
- The email must be created in Spotler Mail+.
- The message status in Mail+ must be set to Final.
Message availability
Only messages with status Final in Spotler Mail+ are available for selection in Spotler Activate.
Why would I use External Messages instead of Automations?
External Messages allow you to send a single email from a journey without creating an automation in Spotler Mail+.
Previously, if you wanted to send one email from a journey, you needed to:
- Create an automation in Spotler Mail+
- Add a single email step inside the automation
- Set the automation to Final and publish it
- Copy the external trigger code to that automation
- Use the external trigger code in the Email node in Spotler Activate
With External Messages:
- You can select any Mail+ message that is in Final status
- You no longer need to create and publish a separate automation for single-message use cases
- You reduce setup time and complexity
Automations in Spotler Mail+ are still useful when you want to send multiple emails or build more complex email flows triggered from a journey.
How do Automations differ from External Messages?
Automations and External Messages both allow you to send emails from a journey, but they differ in setup and use case.
| Type | Setup in Mail+ | Use case |
| External Message | Single message set to Final | Send one email from a journey |
| Automation | Automation set to Final and published with external trigger | Send multiple emails or create flows |
How does an External Message behave?
Once selected in a journey, the message behaves as an External Message.
This means:
- The content is managed in Spotler Mail+.
- The message is triggered from Spotler Activate.
- Delivery is handled via Spotler Connect.
After a message is used as an External Message, it becomes available in Spotler Mail+ under the External Messages overview, where you can also view its results.
Frequently asked questions
The message must be set to Final status in Spotler Mail+. Only messages with this status are available for selection.
No, not for single emails. You can directly use External Messages. Automations are only needed for multi-step email flows.
Once a message is used as an External Message, it can be found in Spotler Mail+ under the External Messages overview, where its results are available.
Yes, Spotler Connect is required to use External Messages within journeys, as it handles the integration between Activate and Mail+.
Result
You can use External Messages to trigger Mail+ emails directly from Spotler Activate journeys via Spotler Connect, without needing to build and publish separate automations for single-message use cases.