This article explains how to set up date or birthday fields in Mail+, detailing the difference between date fields (specific dates with year) and birthday fields (month and day only). It guides you through creating these fields, populating them via import, forms, or syncing with external systems, and preparing for automation triggered by these dates.
On this page, the following topics are covered:
- Step 1: Choose your field type: date field or birthday field
- Step 2: Create the database field in Mail+
- Step 3: Populate your data
Step 1: Choose your field type: date field or birthday field
Mail+ supports two types of date fields, each designed for different use cases:
- Date field: stores a specific calendar date with year (for example: January 15, 2025). Use this when the year matters — such as purchase dates, account anniversaries, contract renewal dates, or other milestones tied to a specific date. A date field will trigger an automation once on that exact date.
- Birthday field: stores only the month and day, ignoring the year (for example: January 15). Use this when you want to trigger an automation every year on the same calendar date — such as customer birthdays, work anniversaries, or any recurring annual milestone. The year doesn't matter.
How to choose: Ask yourself: "Does this date repeat every year, or is it a one-time milestone?" If it repeats every year, use a birthday field. If it's a specific date where the year matters, use a date field.
Step 2: Create the database field in Mail+
Once you've decided which type you need, create the field in your Mail+ database, via Settings > Settings > Databasefields. See Database fields for full details on field setup and the exact format Mail+ expects for dates (YYYY-MM-DD for date fields, MM-DD for birthday fields).
Step 3: Populate your data
After creating the field, you need to fill it with data. There are three main ways to do this:
Import your data
Upload your contacts and their dates directly into Mail+ via a CSV import or database connector. When you import, make sure the date column matches the format Mail+ expects: YYYY-MM-DD for date fields (for example: 2025-01-15) and MM-DD for birthday fields (for example: 01-15). This is the fastest way to get data in place if you already have it in a file or external system. Read our full information on Preparing the file.
Collect data via forms or profile enrichment
Ask your contacts to provide the date directly — for example, by adding a birthday field to your signup form, or by using profile enrichment to gather data when a contact interacts with your brand. This approach works well for new data collection or when you want to keep data current over time. Read our guide on profile enrichment.
Sync data from external systems
Connect Mail+ to an external system (such as your e-commerce platform, CRM, or subscription service) so that dates flow automatically into your Mail+ database. For example, sync purchase dates from your e-commerce platform, subscription renewal dates from your billing system, or appointment dates from your booking tool. This ensures your date data stays up to date without manual import. Visit our API & Developer section for the integration options.
Next steps
Once your date or birthday field is set up and populated, you're ready to create an automation. Introduction to Automations explains how to build your first automation, and the Birthday campaign and Loyalty program articles walk through real-world examples.