Trigger Automations When a Note Template Is Applied – Keap Max Classic

This article covers how to create and configure a Note Template Goal in the Keap™ automation builder, including how to set up the note title and action type, configure optional user attribution and email notifications, and apply a note template to a contact record. This article does not cover how to build a full automation campaign. For help building campaigns, see how to create a campaign in the Keap automation builder.

Why Note Template Goals Help You Automate Based on Personal Interactions

Not every customer interaction happens through a web form or automated touchpoint — phone calls, in-person meetings, and appointments are personal interactions that still need to be recorded and can still trigger follow-up automation. A note template in Keap is a reusable template for recording a specific type of interaction on a contact record. Note Template Goals in the Keap automation builder allow a note to satisfy a campaign goal, which then triggers the connected sequence automatically when the note is applied to a contact record. This means a sales rep can log a phone call using a note template and automatically trigger a follow-up email sequence — without any additional manual steps.

How Note Template Goals Work in Keap

Note templates record personal interactions on a contact's history with a date stamp and a description of the interaction. The following rules apply to Note Template Goals:

Each note includes a date stamp and a description of the interaction.
Applying a note template to a contact record can satisfy a goal in an automation campaign.
If a personal interaction has more than one possible outcome, create a separate goal for each outcome with a unique note template assigned to each goal.
A note template can satisfy a purchase goal for businesses that do not process purchases online.
Note templates that satisfy a goal only become available to users after the goal is configured and the automation campaign is published.
A note template can be assigned to only one goal — the same note template cannot be reused across multiple goals.

Warning: Note Template Goals are satisfied whenever the assigned note template is applied to a contact record — even if the contact is not currently enrolled in the automation. When the note is applied, the connected sequence begins running for that contact immediately. Train all users to clearly identify which note templates are assigned to automation goals and to understand how Note Template Goals work before using them on contact records.

How to Create a Note Template Goal in the Keap Automation Builder

Follow these steps to add and configure a Note Template Goal in the Keap automation builder.

Drag a Note Applied goal block from the goals panel onto the campaign canvas in the Keap automation builder.

The screenshot above shows the Keap automation builder campaign canvas with the Note Applied goal block being placed onto the canvas. The goals panel on the left displays the available goal types. The Note Applied goal block appears on the canvas after being dropped into position.
Optional — Rename the goal: Double-click the name displayed below the goal icon on the canvas to enter a custom name. The name entered here is the name that appears when the note template is applied to a contact record, so choose a name that clearly identifies the interaction the note records.

The screenshot above shows the Note Applied goal block on the Keap automation builder canvas with the goal name selected for editing. Double-clicking the name below the icon allows a custom name to be entered. The name entered here is the label users will see when selecting the note template from the dropdown on a contact record.
Configure the note template settings by double-clicking the Note Applied goal block to open the configuration panel. Enter the following details:
- Title — Enter a title for the note template.
- Action Type — Select the type of interaction the note records — for example, a phone call, appointment, or meeting.
- Notes — Enter the default note text. Users can add custom comments to the note before saving it to the contact record.
The screenshot above shows the Note Template goal configuration panel in the Keap automation builder. The panel displays the Title field, Action Type dropdown, and Notes text field. Users applying the note template to a contact record can add additional custom comments to the Notes field before saving.
Optional — Attribute the note to a user. By default, the note is attributed to the logged-in user who applies the note to the contact record. To attribute the note to a specific user regardless of who applies it, select that user in the attribution settings.
Optional — Set up email notifications. Select one or more users to receive an email notification each time the note template is applied to a contact record. Select each user's name in the notifications settings to add them to the notification list.

The screenshot above shows the email notification settings in the Note Template goal configuration panel. User names appear in the list and can be selected to add them to the notification recipients. Selected users receive an email notification each time the note template is applied to a contact record.
Apply the note template to a contact record after the automation has been published. Open the contact record, scroll down to the Notes section, and select the note template from the dropdown menu. Selecting the note template applies the note to the contact record and satisfies the Note Template Goal, triggering the connected sequence automatically.

The screenshot above shows the Notes section on a Keap contact record with the note template dropdown menu open. The dropdown displays the available note templates configured in the automation builder. Selecting a note template from the dropdown applies the note to the contact record and triggers the connected automation sequence if the Note Template Goal is satisfied.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to create and configure a Note Template Goal in the Keap automation builder, including how to set up the note title and action type, configure optional user attribution and email notifications, and apply a note template to a contact record. This article does not cover how to build a full automation campaign. For help building campaigns, see how to create a campaign in the Keap automation builder.

Will a Note Template Goal trigger even if the contact is not enrolled in the automation?

Yes. Note Template Goals are satisfied whenever the assigned note template is applied to any contact record — regardless of whether the contact is currently enrolled in the automation. When the note is applied, the connected sequence begins running immediately. Train all users to understand which note templates are assigned to automation goals before using them on contact records to prevent sequences from triggering unintentionally.

Can the same note template be assigned to more than one goal?

No. A note template can only be assigned to one goal. To trigger different sequences based on different outcomes of the same interaction type, create a separate note template and a separate Note Template Goal for each outcome.

When do note templates become available to apply on contact records?

Note templates assigned to a Note Template Goal only become available in the note template dropdown on contact records after the automation campaign has been published. Note templates from unpublished campaigns will not appear in the dropdown.

Can a note template be used to satisfy a purchase goal?

Yes. A note template can be configured to satisfy a purchase goal for businesses that do not process purchases online. This allows a sales rep to manually record an offline purchase by applying the note template to the contact record, which then triggers the connected sequence as if a purchase had been made online.