[SalesForce] can i run an automation only when a data extension have data or records

I have an automation that runs periodically and email campaign begins with the data in a data extension.

In last step of my automation, i cam deleting the records in the data extension so that processed records do not come back again in next cycle of the automation.

But sometimes there is a situation in which there is no new data in the data extension to process but automation still triggers because it is a scheduled automation. Hence, I get error that data extract failed and automation failed.

Is there any way to ONLY run the automation when there are 1 or more records in a data extension. If data extension is blank then skip the automaton.

Best Answer

There is a new Verification Activity in Automation Studio. You can set this to verify if there are no subscribers in DE then stop the automation. This will prevent the error.

New Verification Activity

Add the new Verification activity to automation workflows to help increase confidence in running journeys and prevent unintended outcomes that may not otherwise result in an error. For example, a query activity resulting in 0 subscribers instead of the expected 50,000 can require verification.

Find the Verification activity in the Activities list when editing an automation’s workflow. You can include multiple Verification activities in a single step, but Verification activities may not exist in steps with other activity types. When run, the activity checks the current record count of a specified data extension. If the record count falls outside a defined range, the activity sends an email notification, stops the automation, or both.

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