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Migrating Automations to XM Directory Workflows

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About Migrating Automations to XM Directory Workflows

Workflows is the new and improved way to integrate with XM Directory and automate tasks, and will eventually fully replace automations. To get ahead of this change, we recommend following the instructions on this page to recreate common automations as workflows.

Qtip: In addition to replacing the functionality of automations, workflows allow you to create more types of automated jobs for your XM Directory. You can schedule workflows to run based on changes to XMD contacts with the Experience ID Change Event, create Workflows Based on XM Directory Segments, and more.

Workflows in XM Directory

The Workflows tab of the XM Directory is where you can create, edit, and manage your directory workflows. For more information, see Workflows in XM Directory.

Highlights the workflows tab in XM Directory

Scheduled Workflows to Replace XM Directory Automations

All XM Directory automations are scheduled at regular intervals. A Scheduled Workflow will achieve the same functionality as an automation.

Qtip: Workflow notifications are replacing run reporting in Automations. Follow the instructions on the linked page to be notified when your workflow succeeds or fails.
  1. Navigate to XM Directory.
  2. Go to the Workflows tab.
    create a workflow from the workflows tab of xm directory
  3. Select Create a workflow.
  4. Select Started at a specific time (scheduled).
    Set up a scheduled workflow
  5. Select the Frequency from the dropdown menu.
  6. Enter the Start days, Start times, Time zone, Start, and End fields. For more information, see Scheduled Workflows.
  7. Select Save.

Tasks to Replace Contact Import Automations

Contact Import Automations allow you to set a schedule for importing files that are posted in a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) server, in the Qualtrics File Service, or in Google Drive. This same functionality can be achieved by using Data Extraction Tasks.

  1. Set up a scheduled workflow.
    Click the plus sign under the scheduled workflow and add a task
  2. Click the ( + ) sign.
  3. Select Add a task. 
  4. Create one of the following Data Extraction tasks:
    Highlighted data extraction tasks from step 4

    Qtip: Workflows also supports other import sources, like Amazon S3, Snowflake, and Salesforce. Dropbox is not currently supported. For more information, see Building ETL Workflows.
  5. Click Add a data destination.
    Add a data destination button highlighted
  6. Select the Add contacts and transactions to XMD task.
    XMD Contact Import task highlighted
  7. Choose the directory to map data to.
    Fields in the task set up
  8. Select a mailing list to map data to. You can also choose to create a new mailing list for this directory each time this workflow runs.
  9. Select a data source. This should be the data extractor task you set up in step 4.
  10. If desired, you can click Choose file and import a mapping file instead of manually mapping fields.
  11. Manually map your fields to the XM Directory fields.
    Fields for mapping XM Directory sources and fields

    Qtip: To map field values, see Mapping Field Values.
  12. Add a transaction data field, if you want.
    Attention: When mapping transactional data, you must map at least one contact field. The Transaction Date field is required.

    Qtip: Transaction dates are the dates that a transaction occurred. Dates will be assumed to be in UTC unless the time zone is included in the date value. See Date Format Syntax for more information. The following time formats are compatible:

    • ISO-8601 (2006-01-02T15:04:05+07:00)
    • ANSIC (Mon Jan _2 15:04:05 2006)
    • UnixDate (Mon Jan _2 15:04:05 MST 2006)
    • RFC822 (02 Jan 06 15:04 MST)
    • RFC850 (Monday, 02-Jan-06 15:04:05 MST)
    • RFC1123 (Mon, 02 Jan 2006 15:04:05 MST)
  13. Click Save. 
Qtip: You can add a Basic Transform Task to your workflow to modify the values of the input data before importing it into your XM Directory.

Tasks to Replace Survey Distribution Automations

Survey Distribution Automations allow you to set a scheduled survey distribution to a mailing list or a sample of a mailing list. This same functionality can be achieved with the XM Directory task, Email task, or Send Survey via Text Message (SMS) task.

  1. Set up a scheduled workflow.
    Click the plus sign under the scheduled workflow and add a task
  2. Click the ( + ) sign.
  3. Select Add a task. 
  4. Select a distribution task:
    highlighted a distribution task

  5. Follow the steps from the linked pages above.

Tasks to Replace Linked Contact Import and Survey Distribution Automations

In automations, users can link Contact Import and Survey Distribution automations together to send survey distributions to the contacts that were most recently imported. In Workflows, users can perform the import and distribution tasks in a single unified job.

  1. Follow the steps from the Tasks to create Contact Import Automation section.
  2. Click the plus sign ( + ).
  3. Select Add a task.
    click the plus sign then select add a task
  4. Select a distribution task:
    highlighted a distribution task

  5. Follow the steps from the linked pages above.

Distributing with XM Directory Tasks

If you’re using an XM Directory task to distribute your survey, you must add specific IDs to ensure that the survey is sent to the correct mailing list.

  1. Select the Dynamic Contact list distribution type.
    Dynamic contact list distribution type selected
  2. Complete the Distribution Method, Link Type, and When fields.
  3. Click the ( {a} ) next to the Mailing List Field.
    click piped text symbol and highlighted transaction batch ID
  4. Select the contact import task you created.
  5. Click the Transaction batch ID.
    Qtip: If you’re distributing to a sample population, select SampleID instead.Highlights the Sample ID
  6. Complete the Library Field, Survey, and other distribution fields. For more information, see XM Directory Task.

Qtip: To create and distribute to a sample population, add the Create an XM Directory Sample task after your contact import task. Select Use a transaction batch generated from a previous task as the sample source.
Highlights the sample source and the transaction batch ID

Tasks to Replace People Import Automations

People Import Automations allow you to set a schedule for Qualtrics to pick up files that are posted in a Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) server, in the Qualtrics File Service, or in Google Drive and upload contacts to XM Directory. This same functionality can be achieved using Workflows.

  1. Set up a scheduled workflow.
    Click the plus sign under the scheduled workflow and add a task
  2. Click the ( + ) sign.
  3. Select Add a task. 
  4. Create one of the following Data Extraction tasks:
    Highlighted data extraction tasks from step 4

    Qtip: Workflows also supports other import sources, like Amazon S3, Snowflake, and Salesforce. For more information, see Building ETL Workflows.
  5. Click Add a data destination.
    Add a data destination button highlighted
  6. Select the Load Users into EX Directory task.
    Select the task
  7. Select the directory where you would like to save your data.
  8. Choose the data loader task you set up in step 4 from the dropdown.
  9. Upload the mapping file. For more information, see Load Users into EX Directory Task.
    Qtip: The maximum file size for the file in the data loader task is 1 GB.
  10. Map the source fields to your destination fields.
  11. Add more fields, if you’d like.
  12. Click Save.

FAQs