Learning and Avoiding Race Conditions

What Are Race Conditions?

Race conditions arise when two servers attempt to update a contact's status almost simultaneously. This near-simultaneous action can result in one server's update being overwritten by the other's, leading to unintended outcomes.

Common Triggers of Race Conditions:

• Setting multiple triggers for the same action.

• Executing actions concurrently on the same contact.

• Similar timing of actions within an automation sequence for a single contact.

Examples of Race Conditions:

1. Trigger Conflicts: Using both "Appointment Status" and "Customer Booked Appointment" triggers for identical actions can cause issues.

2. Simultaneous Triggering: When opportunity changes and appointment triggers fire at the same moment within the same workflow.

3. Tagging Conflicts: Adding a tag to a contact at the same time in different workflows.

Identifying Race Conditions

To identify race conditions, examine the workflow's execution history and timing. Look for:

• Repeated messages.

• Workflow history showing an unintended trigger.

• Tags not appearing on the contact as expected.

• Unusual behavior due to closely timed triggers.

Strategies to Prevent Race Conditions

Consider the following strategies to mitigate race conditions:

• Introduce a Wait Step: Insert a 2-minute wait before actions that could be affected by race conditions, giving the system time to process correctly.

• Utilize Unique Triggers: Avoid using identical or similar triggers for the same actions across different workflows.

• Use Specific Filters: Customize your filters based on the actions a lead might take, reducing the risk of simultaneous triggers.

• Pass Trigger Parameters: When adding a contact to another workflow, use the "Pass Input Trigger Parameters" feature with the "Add To Workflow" action to ensure accurate data transfer.

Troubleshooting and Best Practices

If you encounter unexpected behavior, take these steps:

• Review Enrollment History and Logs: These can offer insights into timing issues and trigger conflicts.

• Analyze Multiple Workflows: Identify workflows that might be triggering simultaneously due to customer actions.

• Implement Unique Trigger-to-Action Workflows: Avoid using multiple workflows for the same actions to prevent conflicts.

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