Exit conditions remove contacts from Automation workflows when specific events occur, such as placing an order or entering a segment. Contacts exit immediately when the condition is met, regardless of their position in the workflow.
In this guide, you'll learn how to set up exit conditions for different automation use cases.
Before You Begin
By default, contacts exit after receiving all automation messages.
You can add up to 4 exit conditions per workflow, with up to 5 filters per condition.
Exit conditions apply only to contacts who enter the workflow AFTER you set them up. Contacts already in the workflow when you add or change an exit condition will continue based on the original settings.
Exit Conditions vs. Audience Filters
Audience filters (in the trigger block) are checked once, when a contact enters the workflow. If they meet the filter at entry, they enter the workflow.
Exit conditions are checked continuously while contacts are in the workflow. Use exit conditions to stop contacts mid-workflow (e.g., after they make a purchase or join a segment).
Example:
Audience filter: "Contact is NOT in VIP segment" → Checked at trigger time only.
Exit condition: "Entered VIP segment" → Checked throughout workflow; contact exits if they join VIP mid-sequence.
💬 Learn more: Filters in Automation | Workflow Settings.
Set Up Exit Conditions
Step 1: Access Exit Conditions
To change or add exit conditions:
Open your Automation Workflow in the editor.
Click the Trigger block.
Navigate to Exit conditions.
Step 2: Choose an Exit Condition
Click Add condition and select the event that should stop the workflow. Common examples:
Order Placed – Contact makes a purchase
Order Canceled – Contact cancels their order
Entered Segment – Contact joins a specific segment
Message Clicked – Contact clicks a specific email
Step 3: Add Filters to Narrow the Exit Condition (Optional)
You can add up to 5 filters per exit condition. After adding your second filter, click the AND or OR operator button to choose how filters combine.
When to add filters:
Exit only for specific products (Product ID, Product Title, Collection)
Exit based on order value (Order Total is greater than $X)
Exit based on customer location (Country is...)
Exit based on custom fields or tags
Example: Exit only when a contact places an order for Product ID 12345 OR Product ID 67890:
⚠️ Important: When using AND between filters, all filters must be true simultaneously. For example, if you use AND between two different product IDs, the contact would need to purchase both products in the same order to exit.
Step 4: Add More Exit Conditions (Optional)
You can add up to 4 exit conditions per workflow. When you have multiple exit conditions, contacts exit when ANY condition is met (OR logic).
Example: Exit when a contact cancels their order OR refunds their order:
💡 Each exit condition can have its own filters with their own AND/OR logic.
Exit Contacts Manually Using Segments and Tags
After you launch an automation, it’s not possible to cancel it for selected customers only. To address this, plan ahead by creating a segment with a tag rule and adding it to your workflow's exit conditions. Later, you can tag specific contacts to remove them from the workflow.
⚠️ Important: You cannot remove individual contacts who are already in an active workflow. The method below only works for contacts who enter after you set it up. To remove contacts already in a workflow, disable the automation, select "Exit all current contacts," then re-enable it.
Step 1: Create a Tag-Based Segment
Go to Audience → Contacts and select any contact.
Add a new tag (e.g., "Exit Workflow").
Go to Audience → Segments → Create Segment.
Set the rule: Tag is "Exit Workflow" → Save the segment.
After creating the segment, you can remove the tag from the test contact.
Step 2: Add Segment-Based Exit Condition
Open your Automation → Trigger block → Exit conditions.
Select Entered segment.
Choose your tag-based segment (e.g., "Exit Workflow").
Save.
💡 Tip: Segments update every 1–2 minutes, which can delay exits. Tag-based segments are faster because tags are applied instantly.
Step 3: Tag Contacts to Exit Them
When you need to remove contacts:
Go to Audience → Contacts and select the contacts.
Add the exit tag (e.g., "Exit Workflow").
The tagged contacts will enter the segment.
Once in the segment, they'll exit the workflow immediately and stop receiving further messages.
After contacts exit (wait 15 minutes), you can remove the exit tag to keep your segments clean. Removing the tag won't re-add them to the workflow – the exit is permanent.
Stop Workflows for Unconsented Contacts
Marketing automations should send only to consented contacts to comply with GDPR or TCPA. Create a segment of unconsented contacts and use it as an exit condition.
GDPR-Based Segment Example:
TCPA-Based Segment Example:
Add Segment as Exit Condition:
Go to Trigger block → Exit conditions.
Select Entered Segment.
Choose your unconsented segment.
Save.
💡 Alternative: Limit non-subscribed contacts via Workflow Channel Settings, where you choose which contact statuses are eligible to receive your automation.
FAQ
Can I remove a specific contact already in a workflow?
No. You cannot remove individual contacts once they've entered a workflow. You must either:
Disable the entire automation and select "Exit all current contacts," then re-enable it, or
Manually unsubscribe the contact (this affects all automations they're in, not just this one).
The tag-based exit method only works for contacts who enter after you set it up.
I added an exit condition, but contacts already in the workflow didn't exit. Why?
Exit conditions apply only to contacts who enter the workflow after you set them up. Contacts already in the workflow when you add or change an exit condition will continue based on the original settings.
To remove contacts already in a workflow: Disable the automation, select "Exit all current contacts," then re-enable it.
Why aren't contacts exiting even though they entered the exit segment?
Possible causes:
Segment delay: Segments update every 1–2 minutes. For faster exits, use a tag-based segment (tags are applied instantly).
Wrong exit trigger: Verify the exit condition is set to "Entered segment" (not "Exited segment").
Segment name mismatch: Confirm the segment name in the exit condition matches exactly.
Retroactive limitation: If you added the exit condition after contacts entered the workflow, it won't affect them.
How can I check if a contact exited the workflow?
Go to your automation and click Show stats or View full report. Check the "Currently in" and "Exited" numbers – these update faster than individual contact profiles.
What's the difference between audience filters and exit conditions?
Audience filters (in the trigger block) check conditions once – when a contact enters the workflow.
Exit conditions check conditions continuously while contacts are in the workflow.
Use exit conditions to stop contacts mid-workflow (e.g., after they make a purchase or join a segment). Use audience filters to prevent specific contacts from entering in the first place.
Why did a contact receive the workflow even though they're in my excluded segment?
Audience filters are checked at the exact moment the workflow triggers. If the contact wasn't in the excluded segment at that moment – even if they entered it seconds later – they'll continue through the workflow.
Solution: Add an exit condition (e.g., "Entered segment [your excluded segment]") to handle contacts who join the segment mid-workflow.
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