Reaching customers at the right moment is key to driving engagement and loyalty. Optimove’s Live Formulas make this possible by turning real-time customer behavior into actionable triggers.

Live Formulas allows campaigns to be triggered when a calculation based on recent customer actions meets a defined condition within a set time period. For example, a campaign can launch when a customer deposits more than $1,000 within a 12-hour window.

This guide walks through how to set up a Live Formula trigger from start to finish, using that example throughout.

Note: You can use up to 20 live formulas. Each formula will use the most recent 1,000 events for its calculation.

Step-by-Step: How to Set Up a Trigger Based on Live Formulas

Step 1: Define the Live Formulas

First, we need to define the behavior we want to track, in this case, the total value of deposits made by a customer within 12 hours.

Why this matters:

We want to identify high-value customers as soon as they qualify so we can immediately respond with a relevant reward or recognition. Instead of waiting for end-of-day processing, we can detect when a customer’s deposit activity exceeds the VIP threshold. In this example, that means depositing more than $1,000 within 12 hours.

Instructions:

1. Go to Data Studio → Live Formulas
   
   
2. Click “Create new” → “Formula”
3. Name the formula something descriptive, such as total_deposits_12_hours
4. Configure the aggregation as follows:
   • Event: Deposit
   • Parameter: Amount
   • Aggregation: sum
   • Time window: Last 12 hours

What this does:

This Formula will calculate, in real time, the total deposit amount for each customer during the last 12 hours. This value will be updated automatically every time a customer makes a deposit.

Step 2: Create the Formula-based Event

Once we’ve defined the formula, we need to set up a Formula-based Event. This system-generated event is triggered right after the original event (in this case, a deposit) and contains both the original event parameters and the current value of all Live formulas.

Why this matters:

Without this step, the live formula is just a calculation. The Formula-based event is what makes the formula actionable—it’s the bridge between the behavior and your ability to trigger a campaign in real time.

Instructions:

1. Go to Data Studio→ Formula-based Events
    
2. Click “Create new” → “Formula-based Events”
3. Select the original event after which the formula-based event will be sent: OOTB deposit and click “Save”
   
   
    

4. You can see the newly added Formula-based Event in the table: OOTB Deposit_formulas. This event will include all defined live formulas as event parameters.

   
    

What this does:

Every time after deposit is made, the OOTB Deposit_formulas event will fire. It carries both the deposit information and the current value of total-deposits-12-hours, so you can use that data to trigger a campaign.

Note: All formulas are being sent in all Formula-based events.

Step 3: Set Up the Trigger

With the Live formula and Formula-based Event in place, we’re ready to define the trigger logic, the condition that causes Optimove to launch the campaign.

Why this matters:

This is the moment when the real-time evaluation pays off. Customers who hit the defined threshold will immediately receive a campaign.

Instructions:

1. Go to Realtime Triggers
2. Click “Create New Trigger”
3. Select the Formula-based Event: deposit_made_formula
4. Define the trigger condition:
   • total-deposits-12-hours > $1000
5. Select this trigger in your desired campaign:
   • For example, launch High-Roller VIP Campaign

What this does:

This trigger will evaluate the condition each time a deposit is made. When a customer’s total deposits over the last 12-hours exceed $1,000, the system will immediately launch the VIP campaign. You can personalize the message to thank them, invite them to an exclusive offer, or highlight a premium reward.

Full Example Recap

Summary

This step-by-step example shows how you can identify and respond to valuable customer behavior the moment it happens. In this use case, a high-value depositor receives a timely and relevant campaign, increasing satisfaction and loyalty.

The same framework can be applied to many use cases, such as:

• Identifying customers with a losing streak
• Triggering alerts for potential fraud
• Rewarding players who refer multiple friends in a short period

To start using Live formulas in your Optimove account, contact your Customer Success Manager.