Open the automation and look for the person in the Enrolled Contacts table. Whether they're listed tells you where to look.

They aren't in Enrolled Contacts

They were never enrolled. Check these:

  • The automation isn't Active. A Draft enrols nobody, and while it's Paused, trigger events are ignored, not saved for later. Activate it. Events from before that won't be replayed.
  • They aren't subscribed. Only contacts whose status is Subscribed are enrolled. Unsubscribed, bounced and complained contacts never are. On a double opt-in list, Joined a list fires only once the person confirms.
  • It happened before you activated. Triggers don't fire retroactively. People already on a list when you turned on a Joined a list automation stay where they are. To include them, see the tip in Triggers.
  • They came in through an import. Imported contacts start automations only if Run automations for these contacts was ticked on the import. It's off unless you tick it.
  • An "Only if" rule leaves them out. Read the trigger's Who this enrols line, then check the rule against their details.
  • They've been through it before. Someone who finished the automation doesn't enter again unless the trigger lets a contact go through more than once.
  • Nothing actually changed. A field-change trigger fires only on a real change. Saving the same value again does nothing.

They're listed as active

They're part-way through.

  • Next action due shows when their next step runs. Waits and date triggers are picked up about once a minute, so allow a minute or two.
  • Starting later means many people enrolled at once and their starts are spread out. Nothing is dropped.
  • If the automation is Paused, they're held at their current step and carry on when you activate it again.

They're listed, but no email arrived

  • The automation shows a problem. If a step couldn't run (a template was deleted, a send was refused), the automation's page shows the reason for seven days, it gets a Needs attention badge, and admins are emailed. The person moves on past that step, so fix the cause and the next person gets the email.
  • Sending is paused for your workspace. Automation emails stop with everything else. Your dashboard says why. See My campaign hasn't sent.
  • The email was sent but didn't arrive. Open Reports → Log and filter by Automations to see the send, then follow Some contacts didn't receive my campaign. The same delivery reasons apply.