Timing decides what "day 2" means: two days after that person joined, or two days before a date on the calendar.
#Relative to enrolment
The default. Step 1 sends when a contact is enrolled, and each later step follows its delay from the one before.
| Enrolled | Gets step 1 | Gets step 2 (delay 2 days) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Monday | Wednesday |
| Friday | Friday | Sunday |
Everyone gets the same experience regardless of when they arrive. Right for evergreen sequences, welcome series, nurtures, re-engagement.
#Event-based
The whole campaign is anchored to a specific date, a closing, a settlement, an open house. Each step is set before, on, or after that date, by days, hours or minutes.
| Step | Offset | Sends |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | 7 days before | A week ahead of the date |
| Reminder | 1 day before | The day before |
| On the day | On the date | That morning |
| Follow-up | 2 days after | Two days later |
Add someone three days before the event to a campaign whose first step is seven days before, and they do not get that step, the moment for it has gone. They pick up at the next one due.
#Choosing
| Choose relative when | Choose event-based when |
|---|---|
| People join at different times | Everyone is oriented around one date |
| The content is evergreen | The content refers to the date itself |
| Example: a buyer nurture | Example: a closing-week sequence |
#What stays consistent
Pausing, resuming, enrolling mid-campaign and editing steps all keep their timing correctly, in both modes. Pausing for a week does not compress the remaining schedule.