Hello - I can't track down documentation for this, and I'm trying to understand how listeners and step timing interaction. I am also receiving an error when I try to set the listener for less than 24 hours (it seems) between automated steps.
Question 1:
- Is this a known limitation that you need 24 hours between automated email steps?
- If it's manual step (call or email) can you use less than 24 hours?
Question 2 (which is my main workflow/question):
- Using the example workflow/scenario below, how do I need to setup the listener and follow step timing?
- Do I need to set the next step to "immediately" or should it be set to "12 hours" as per the following example?
- Example
- Step 1: Automated Email immediately after added to cadence
- Step 2: Listen for "email link clicked" for 12 hours and proceed to next step after 12 hours
- Step 3: Send automated email directly after listener expires if link is NOT clicked, otherwise end cadence if it was after time expires.
This is a false example, as the case I am trying to get after is actually 24 hours; however, when I was trying to test via an expedited test cadence using 2 through 12 hour timing, I received the 24 hour error, hence the test example I am using, and the additional question above.
Hi @Dana Breakstone,
Based on my experience with Sales Engagement Cadences:
Question 1
The 24-hour restriction generally applies when you have consecutive
automated email steps. Salesforce enforces sending limits and cadence timing rules to prevent back-to-back automated emails within a short period. Manual steps (such as Call, Custom Task, or Manual Email) are typically more flexible and don't always have the same restriction, although other cadence rules may still apply.Question 2
For your workflow, the listener duration and the next step timing work together. If your listener is configured to monitor
Email Link Clicked for 12 hours, then the follow-up automated email should generally be configured to occur immediately after the listener expires, rather than adding another 12-hour wait.For example:
- Automated Email (Immediately)
- Listener: Email Link Clicked (Wait 12 hours)
- If clicked → End Cadence (or branch accordingly)
- If not clicked after 12 hours → Continue
- Automated Email (Immediately after listener expiration)
This avoids introducing an unnecessary additional delay. If you set Step 3 to "12 hours," the prospect would actually wait approximately 24 hours (12-hour listener + another 12-hour delay).
If you're seeing the 24-hour validation even during testing with shorter intervals, it may be due to the platform's minimum interval requirement between automated email actions rather than the listener itself. I'd be interested to know if anyone has found an official Salesforce document that explains this validation in detail.