Understanding Pause Specs

When setting up a Journey in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, pause specs are used to temporarily halt the journey for a specified period. This can be useful for various scenarios, such as waiting for a CRM update or avoiding sending emails during holidays.

The ‘Do Not Extend’ option means that if the pause period has already passed, the journey will resume immediately, without adding the pause duration to the wait period. On the other hand, the ‘Extend’ option will add the pause duration to the wait period, ensuring that the journey waits for the full duration before resuming.

Implications for Birthday Journeys

In the context of a Birthday Journey, using ‘Do Not Extend’ could result in the final email being sent before the customer’s actual birthday, if the pause period has already passed. In contrast, using ‘Extend’ ensures that the journey waits for the full duration, including the pause period, before sending the final email.

The root cause of the confusion is the subtle difference in how ‘Do Not Extend’ and ‘Extend’ handle the pause duration. Understanding this difference is crucial to designing effective journeys that meet specific business requirements.

It’s also important to note that pauses in Journey Builder only stay paused for 14 days and then will restart on their own, as mentioned by a community member.

Best Practices

Journey Builder Code

// Example code for setting up pause specs in Journey Builder
// Using 'Do Not Extend'
PauseSpec pauseSpec = new PauseSpec();
pauseSpec.setDuration(2); // 2-day pause
pauseSpec.setExtend(false);

// Using 'Extend'
PauseSpec pauseSpec = new PauseSpec();
pauseSpec.setDuration(2); // 2-day pause
pauseSpec.setExtend(true);

Heads up: When designing journeys, it’s essential to carefully consider the pause specs to ensure that the journey behaves as intended.

Checklist

Designing Effective Journeys

• Understand the difference between ‘Do Not Extend’ and ‘Extend’ in pause specs
• Consider the business requirements for the journey
• Test the journey to ensure it behaves as intended
• Use ‘Do Not Extend’ when the journey should resume immediately after the pause period
• Use ‘Extend’ when the journey should wait for the full duration, including the pause period
• Be aware of the 14-day limit for pauses in Journey Builder

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of pause specs in Journey Builder?

Pause specs are used to temporarily halt a journey for a specified period, allowing for scenarios such as waiting for a CRM update or avoiding sending emails during holidays.

What is the difference between ‘Do Not Extend’ and ‘Extend’ in pause specs?

‘Do Not Extend’ means the journey will resume immediately after the pause period, while ‘Extend’ adds the pause duration to the wait period.

How long do pauses stay paused in Journey Builder?

Pauses in Journey Builder only stay paused for 14 days and then will restart on their own.

What happens if the pause period has already passed when using ‘Do Not Extend’?

The journey will resume immediately, without adding the pause duration to the wait period.

What happens if the pause period has already passed when using ‘Extend’?

The journey will add the pause duration to the wait period, ensuring that the journey waits for the full duration before resuming.