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GoTab: Automations, blasts & SMS tips

Goal: Better email, SMS, automations, and blasts with GoTab purchase data, without duplicating GoTab’s own order texts.

SMS tips

GoTab does not tell Patch whether a guest opted in to marketing SMS or email. Patch manages consent on its own.

GoTab may already text guests for order updates (confirmation / ready). Keep those in GoTab. Use Patch for marketing journeys after opt-in.

Do

  • Confirm mobile + SMS opt-in in Patch before journey go-live.
  • Keep marketing texts short; lead with your venue name and one clear CTA.
  • Use quiet hours. Purchases can land up to about 6 hours after the tab closes (sooner with webhooks).
  • Cap frequency (for example, once per week per journey family).

Don’t

  • Assume GoTab order-update SMS opt-in means Patch marketing opt-in.
  • Fire SMS on every Contact Updated without filters and cooldowns.
  • Rebuild “order ready” texts in Patch: GoTab already owns that.
  • Message the wrong location’s audience in a multi-location setup.

Automations

Build for GoTab signals

  • Prefer Order Finished and Order Refunded when you can.
  • Add a short delay after Order Finished so late syncs still feel natural.
  • Filter on menu items, spend, or location when it helps.
  • See Orders & refunds: which trigger to use.

Recommended Patch journeys

  • Consent first: after Order Finished / Contact Created, collect Patch SMS and/or email opt-in before offers.
  • Item or spend follow-ups: when you want Patch (not only Klaviyo) to own the journey.
  • Win-back: ordered before, not since X days (Patch Automations or blasts).
  • GoTab + another system: e.g. tab spend after a membership check-in from your primary integration.

Before you turn something on check that

  1. Trigger matches the real guest moment (they closed a settled tab / were refunded).
  2. Location / account scope is correct for multi-location brands.
  3. Test contacts have Patch consent and the right venue.
  4. Eject rules prevent loops.
  5. Your team knows some updates arrive on a schedule (~6 hours), not always instantly.

Blasts

Use blasts for one-time news.
Use automations for ongoing journeys.

Useful GoTab-powered audiences

  • Ordered in the last X days
  • Spent above a threshold
  • Bought a specific menu item
  • Haven’t ordered since X date (win-back)

Multi-location tips

  • Build after Patch has finished mapping locations: see Multi-location venues.
  • Most GoTab automations should live on the child account that owns that location’s data.