Test and troubleshoot custom actions
Check a custom action in two ways before launch: confirm the logic is right, then confirm the output looks right. Not built one yet? See Build a campaign with a custom action.
Check the logic
Ask Marketing agent to walk you through the custom action before you look at any content. Useful questions:
- "Which data does this custom action use, and where does it come from?"
- "Walk me through what happens for a customer with no bookings in the last year."
- "Which branch does a Gold-tier customer go down, and why?"
- "What happens if the integration doesn't respond?"
Check edge cases, not just the typical customer. Customers with missing data, no purchase history, or unusual values are where logic most often goes wrong.
Check the output
| Method | Runs the custom action? | Use it to |
|---|---|---|
| Email preview in Marketing agent | No | Check layout and static content. |
| Test email | No | Check rendering across devices and email clients. |
| Test run of the scenario on yourself or an internal audience | Yes | See the real results of the custom action with live data. |
To do a test run, ask Marketing agent to set up the scenario for a small internal audience, or follow Testing campaigns on yourself.
WarningIf your custom action writes data to an external system, a test run writes real data there for every profile in the test, and it stays there after the test ends. Test with profiles whose data can safely be written, and check with the system owner before you test.
Common issues
| Issue | What to do |
|---|---|
| Marketing agent builds the campaign without a custom action. | Standard scenario features may already cover your logic. If you need a custom action, describe the external data or the step the logic needs more precisely. |
| Marketing agent says it can't reach an external system. | Check that an integration for that system exists in Marketing. If it does, tell Marketing agent which system holds the data. |
| The scenario preview doesn't load. | Custom actions can sometimes prevent the scenario preview from loading. Check the logic in the conversation instead, and report the issue with the thumbs-down button under the agent's response. |
| A customer got unexpected content. | Check the message in the customer's campaign events, then ask Marketing agent to explain the logic for that customer's data. To see the exact data behind each decision in future, ask the agent to record the custom action's results as an event. |
Best practices
- Test the edge cases. Ask about customers with unusual or missing data, not just the typical customer.
- Bring in a technical reviewer for high-stakes logic. For campaigns that affect pricing, vouchers, or eligibility, ask Marketing agent for the full logic and share it with a developer or technical consultant before launch.
Related
- Custom action limitations: what previews and explanations can't show, and other boundaries.
Updated about 1 hour ago