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Contact Updated Trigger Block

The Contact Updated trigger starts an automation when an existing contact record changes in Patch. It includes contact data plus the previous value and the new (final) value, so you can build automations that only run when a contact changes in a specific way (like opt-in status, lifecycle stage, tags, or custom fields).

What’s in This Article

 

 

What This Trigger Does

The Contact Updated trigger fires when:

  1. A contact already exists in Patch, and

  2. One or more contact fields are updated (by an integration, import, automation, or manual edit), and

  3. Patch passes the updated contact into your automation

What makes this trigger different: it can include both:

  • Previous value (what it was before), and

  • Final value (what it changed to)

In simple terms:
“Run this automation when a contact changes—and let me target the exact change.”

 

 

When to Use This Trigger

Use Contact Updated when you want to trigger based on a change in the contact record, such as:

  • SMS opt-in or email consent changes

  • Lifecycle stage changes (Lead → Member, Active → At-Risk, etc.)

  • Tags being added or removed

  • A custom field updating (lead score, interests, location, birthday, waiver status, etc.)

  • A contact being marked as do not message / unsubscribed

  • Updates coming from integrations that should kick off a workflow

This is the best trigger for “if this changed from X to Y” automations.

 

 

When Not to Use This Trigger

Don’t use Contact Updated when the automation should be tied to a real-world event. Use behavior-based triggers instead:

  • Check-In Finished → when someone visits / checks in

  • Order Finished → when someone purchases (revenue + product data)

  • Calendar Event → when you need reminders before/after an appointment or booking

  • Membership Start/End → when membership begins, ends, or renews (if available in your account)

A simple rule:

  • Contact Updated = “Something about them changed.”

  • Behavior triggers = “They did something.”

 

 

Contact Updated vs Other Triggers

Use Contact Updated when…

  • You care about a field change (opt-in, tags, lifecycle stage, custom fields)

  • You want to run only when a change is meaningful (example: No → Yes)

  • Your data is coming in from an integration and you want to react when Patch updates the contact

Use Check-In Finished when…

  • You want follow-ups or messaging tied to a visit/check-in event

Use Order Finished when…

  • You want messaging tied to a purchase, including revenue and product details

Use Calendar Event when…

  • Your message must happen before/after a scheduled time (lessons, court bookings, party reservations)

Use Membership Start/End when…

  • Your automation is based on membership lifecycle timing (start date, end date, renewal, expiration)

 

 

Why “Previous vs New Value” Matters

Many automations should only run when a change hits a specific transition.

Examples:

  • Run only if Lifecycle Stage changes from Lead → Member

  • Run only if the VIP tag was added (not just “tags changed”)

  • Run only if Total Spend is not greater than $xx.xx

This helps you avoid:

  • Duplicate messages

  • Automations firing every time a contact is edited

  • Infinite loops when automations update fields

 

 

Block Settings Explained

Details (Info Panel)

This section explains:

  • How the block is triggered

  • When to use this block

It’s informational only—no settings here change behavior.

Add Conditions

Use Add Conditions to control which updates should trigger the automation.

Common examples:

  • Only run if Email is not blank

  • Only run if Lifecycle Stage is now “Member”

  • Only run if Tag contains “VIP”

  • Only run if a specific custom field equals a value (example: Interest = “Pickleball”)

Tip: When available, use conditions that check the previous value and new value so the automation runs only on the change you care about.

 

 

Common Automations Using Contact Updated

1) Lifecycle Stage Change Campaigns

Use this trigger to start campaigns when a contact moves into a new stage.

Examples:

  • Lead → Prospect: send booking links, intro offers, or key FAQs

  • Prospect → Member: start onboarding messages and membership tips

  • Active → At-Risk: send a save/win-back sequence (use tags)

  • At-Risk → Active: send a “welcome back” message and re-engagement offers (use tags)

Tip: If possible, target the exact transition using previous → new values (example: Lead → Member).

2) Tag-Based Journeys (Segments and Interests)

Use this trigger when tags are used to segment contacts.

Examples:

  • Tag added: “Birthday Lead” → start party nurture

  • Tag added: “Pickleball Interested” → start trial/membership info flow

  • Tag added: “VIP” → start VIP perks and priority messaging

  • Tag removed: “Active Member” → start retention/recovery flow

 

 

What Data This Trigger Has Access To

Contact Updated includes:

  • Contact data (standard + custom fields)

  • Change context for updated fields:

    • Previous value

    • New (final) value

It does not inherently include:

  • Order revenue/product line items (Order Finished does)

  • Check-in context (Check-In Finished does)

  • Booking start/end timing (Calendar Event does)

 

 

Important Things to Know

  • Contact Updated can fire often if your team or integrations update contacts frequently. Use conditions to narrow it down.

  • Some integrations sync in batches, so updates may not happen instantly.

  • If an automation updates a contact field, it can trigger Contact Updated again. Avoid loops by:

    • Triggering only on specific transitions (previous → new), and/or

    • Adding conditions that exclude automation-made updates (if your setup supports it)

 

 

Example Automations


Example 1: Lifecycle Stage Changed to “Member” → Onboarding

  1. Trigger: Contact Updated

  2. Condition: Lifecycle stage is now Member

  3. Send email: “Welcome to membership” + perks + how to book

  4. Delay: 2 days

  5. Send SMS (if opted in): “Want a quick guide to your benefits? Reply GUIDE.”

  6. Message Reply Block -> If reply is "GUIDE" then send the link to the guide

Example 2: VIP Tag Added → VIP Perk Flow

  1. Trigger: Contact Updated

  2. Condition: Tag contains VIP (or tag was added)

  3. Add tag: “VIP Onboarding Started”

  4. Send SMS/email: “VIP unlocked 🎉 Here’s your perk for next time…”

 

 

Best Practices

  • Trigger on specific updates, not “any update,” whenever possible.

  • Use previous vs new value logic to prevent duplicates.

  • Add safeguards to prevent automation loops.

  • If the automation should be tied to an event (visit, purchase, booking), use the matching behavior trigger instead.