Campaign vs flow
Campaigns are one-time batch sends. Flows are event-driven sequences. The distinction matters for monitoring because campaigns complete once, while flows run continuously and can fail silently over time.
Definition
What campaigns and flows are
A campaign is a one-time email sent to a static audience. You select a list, schedule a send time, and the platform delivers the message to every subscriber on that list within a defined window. Once the batch completes, the campaign is finished.
A flow is an automated sequence that triggers individually for each subscriber based on an event or condition. A welcome series starts when someone subscribes. An abandoned cart reminder fires when a cart sits idle for three hours. A re-engagement campaign triggers when engagement drops below a threshold. Flows run continuously. Each subscriber enters the flow on their own schedule, and the platform sends messages according to timing rules defined in the flow logic.
Key differences
How campaigns and flows differ in structure
Timing
Campaigns send at a scheduled time to everyone at once. Flows send individually when a subscriber meets the trigger condition, with delays and timing rules that control the sequence.
Audience
Campaigns target a fixed list that is static at send time. Flows target a dynamic audience that grows as new subscribers meet the entry criteria.
Lifespan
Campaigns run once and complete. Flows remain active indefinitely, processing new entrants as long as the flow is live.
Monitoring needs
Campaigns need spot-checking during the send window. Flows need continuous monitoring because a breakage can persist for days before someone notices.
Why the distinction matters for monitoring
Campaigns fail fast, flows fail silently
When a campaign fails, the signal is immediate. The send window arrives, the batch does not go out, and the team knows within minutes. The failure is bounded. The audience was fixed, the window was scheduled, and the absence is obvious.
When a flow fails, the signal is delayed or absent. A journey step stops firing, but the platform does not alert. New subscribers continue entering the flow, and each one hits the broken step silently. The flow might run for days or weeks in this state before someone checks the inbox or a customer complains.
I have worked with a content platform where the welcome flow stopped sending the second email in the sequence for three days. The first email went out normally. The second email, which contained the subscriber's login link, never arrived. The platform showed the flow as active. Every new subscriber received the first email, waited for the second, and saw nothing. The inbox stayed empty. The breakage surfaced when support volume spiked with people asking where their login link was. By then, hundreds of subscribers had entered the flow and hit the silent gap.
How monitoring differs
Campaign checks are one-time, flow checks are continuous
For campaigns, a single test send before the scheduled time is often enough. If the test arrives correctly, the batch send is likely to work. The content is static, the list is fixed, and the risk window is narrow.
For flows, one-time checks are insufficient. A flow that works today can break tomorrow when a merge tag references a field that gets renamed, or when a delay step fails to fire due to a platform-side issue. Telltide monitors enrol test identities into live flows and wait for each expected email to arrive. If a heartbeat is missed, the alert fires.
The check runs continuously. Telltide does not assume that a flow working yesterday will work today. It tests the full sequence, from trigger to final send, and alerts when any step in the chain fails to deliver.
Related terms
Concepts that travel with campaigns and flows
- Triggered flow: a flow that starts when a subscriber performs an action or meets a condition.
- Journey step: the individual units that make up a flow. Campaigns are single-step, flows are multi-step.
- Heartbeat monitoring: a method for detecting flow failures by checking that expected sends arrive at regular intervals.
- How to audit a lifecycle journey: practical steps for checking whether a live flow is working as expected.
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