Blog
In Perfect Order: Marketo Executable Campaigns.
April 23, 2025
As we all know, in Marketing Ops, controlling the order of operations is so important. Sometimes, actions need to occur in a specific sequence. That’s the beauty of Executable Campaigns. They give you control over your operations, ensuring steps are executed in the correct order, without overlaps.
For example, imagine a new lead fills out a contact form. You need to set the lead source, enrich the data with company information, and then route the lead to the appropriate rep before syncing the data to Salesforce. Without the proper sequence, you risk incorrectly routing the lead based on incomplete or inaccurate data. Instantly, theres a break down in your operations.
Executable campaigns break your process into distinct steps, each executed in the right order. When triggered by the Execute Campaign flow step, the parent campaign pauses and waits for the executable to finish before continuing. This guarantees that every task is completed in the correct sequence, every time.
So what's the difference between executable campaigns and requested campaigns?
While both Executable Campaigns and Requested Campaigns are invoked by a parent campaign, they differ in how they manage task execution. A Requested Campaign runs asynchronously. This means the parent campaign doesn’t pause to wait for the requested campaign to finish. Instead, it triggers the request and continues executing other tasks. This can lead to parallel processes, which, while useful in some cases, can result in some pretty painful timing issues or tasks running out of order.
Executable Campaigns, on the other hand, ensure strict sequencing. When triggered, the parent campaign pauses and waits for the executable to complete before moving on to the next step. This makes executable campaigns ideal for processes where you need to guarantee tasks like data enrichment, routing, or CRM syncing are completed in a very specific order, without overlap or risk of error.
Some considerations when using executable campaigns
While Executable Campaigns are incredibly useful, there are a few important caveats to keep in mind:
Immutable Setting
Once a campaign is marked as Executable, it can’t be changed later. If you forget to select this option at creation, you’ll have to recreate or clone the campaign to fix it. Not the end of the world, but worth noting.
No Waits or Webhooks Inside
Executable campaigns run straight through. If you need any pauses or external API calls (webhooks), those need to be handled in the parent campaign or via a custom flow action.
Same Workspace Requirement
Both the parent and executable campaigns must reside in the same workspace. You cannot invoke an executable campaign across different workspaces, so make sure your campaigns are organized accordingly.
Three-Level Nesting Limit
You can chain up to three levels of executable campaigns (parent → child → grandchild). Going beyond this limit won’t trigger further executions, so structure your campaigns with this in mind.
Careful with "Remove from Flow"
If you use the Remove from Flow action inside an executable, it removes the lead from all active campaigns in the chain, not just the current one. Double-check this action to ensure you’re not unintentionally pulling leads out of other campaigns.
Have any questions on executable campaigns? email david@martechulate.com