> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.talentmap.com/knowledge-base/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.talentmap.com/knowledge-base/survey-design-and-deployment/scheduling-emails-quick-start/lifecycle-surveys-complete-guide.md).
# Lifecycle Surveys - Complete Guide
### What is a Lifecycle Survey?
A Lifecycle survey is designed for surveys that run continuously throughout the year, with participants entering at different times. Each participant follows their own timeline based on when they're added to the survey.
**Perfect for:**
* Exit surveys (sent when employees leave)
* Onboarding surveys (sent to new hires)
* Anniversary surveys (sent on work anniversaries)
* Promotion feedback (sent after promotions)
* Any survey tied to individual employee milestones
**Key characteristic:** each participant has their own independent timeline starting from when they're added.
***
### Setting Up Your Email Campaign
The Schedule Survey page is where you configure how invites, reminders, and the optional thank you email send to participants. The cards on the left represent the email sequence in order.
**Step 1: Add Your First Participants**
Unlike Point in Time surveys, Lifecycle surveys don't require you to schedule a specific date and time. The system manages timing for you.
**How it works:**
1. Add participants to your survey.
2. Invites send automatically the next day at **7:00 AM EST (noon UTC)**.
3. OR click **Send Now** to send immediately.
4. OR click **SCHEDULE** to defer the invite by a set number of days, with the option to count weekdays only.
**Automatic Send Schedule:**
```
Monday 3:00 PM EST: You add 5 participants
Tuesday 7:00 AM EST: Those 5 participants receive invites
```
**Manual Send with Send Now:**
```
Monday 3:00 PM EST: You add 5 participants
Monday 3:01 PM EST: You click "Send Now"
Monday 3:01 PM EST: Those 5 participants receive invites immediately
```
> 💡 **Best Practice:** if your survey is time-sensitive (e.g., exit survey on employee's last day), use **Send Now** to send immediately rather than waiting until 7:00 AM EST the next day.
**Defer the Initial Invite (Days After Respondent Added)**
You can also configure the Initial Invite to wait a set number of days after a participant is added, with the option to count working days only.
**How to set it up:**
1. On the Initial Invite card, click **SCHEDULE**.
2. In the **Schedule Initial Invite** dialog, enter the number of days in **Days After Respondent Added**.
3. Toggle **Weekdays only** on if you want weekends excluded from the wait period.
4. Click **OK**.
**Example: Friday upload, Monday morning send**
```
Friday 4:00 PM EST: Add 5 participants with Days After Respondent Added = 1 and Weekdays only = ON
Saturday: Skipped (weekend)
Sunday: Skipped (weekend)
Monday 7:00 AM EST: All 5 participants receive the invite
```
> 💡 **Best Practice:** use **Days After Respondent Added** with **Weekdays only** when you upload participants on Friday and want the first email to land on Monday morning instead of Saturday.
**What you'll see on the Initial Invite card:**
* No scheduled time displayed (unlike Point in Time)
* Wait time displayed if **Days After Respondent Added** is set (e.g., "Wait 2 days")
* Queued count showing participants who haven't received the invite yet
* Sent count showing participants who have received it
**Invalid Emails:**
* If a participant's email is already in the invalid email list, they're automatically moved to the bounce list.
* They won't receive the invite or any reminders.
***
**Step 2: Configure Reminder Intervals**
Instead of scheduling specific dates, Lifecycle reminders work on intervals. They send X days after the previous email.
**How to set up reminders:**
1. Click the **Add Reminder** button.
2. On the reminder card, click **SCHEDULE** and set the wait time (e.g., "Wait 3 days").
3. The reminder will automatically send 3 days after the previous email for each participant.
**Interval Timing:**
* Measured from when the PREVIOUS email was sent to that specific participant.
* Each participant follows their own timeline.
**Example Timeline for One Participant:**
```
Day 0: Participant added
Day 1 (7:00 AM EST): Initial invite sent
Day 4 (7:00 AM EST): Reminder 1 sent (Wait 3 days after invite)
Day 7 (7:00 AM EST): Reminder 2 sent (Wait 3 days after Reminder 1)
Day 9 (7:00 AM EST): Reminder 3 sent (Wait 2 days after Reminder 2)
```
**Multiple Participants Example:**
```
Participant A added Monday → Invite Tuesday 7 AM → Reminder Friday 7 AM
Participant B added Wednesday → Invite Thursday 7 AM → Reminder Sunday 7 AM
```
> ⏰ **All emails send at 7:00 AM EST** regardless of when the participant was added or when the interval completes.
**Setting Wait Times**
To set an interval:
1. Click **SCHEDULE** on the reminder card.
2. Enter the number of days.
3. Toggle **Weekdays only** on if you want weekends excluded.
4. Click **OK**.
**Important rules:**
* ✅ You can set any number of days (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, etc.).
* ✅ Different reminders can have different intervals.
* ✅ The **Weekdays only** toggle is set per reminder, not per survey.
* ❌ You CANNOT change the interval after the reminder has been sent to any participant.
> ⚠️ **Once sent equals locked.** After a reminder is sent to even one participant, the interval cannot be changed. This keeps timing consistent for everyone in the campaign.
**Weekdays-Only Reminder Timing**
Reminders can be configured to count only working days when calculating the wait period.
**Difference in behavior:**
* **Calendar days (default):** a 3-day wait sends 3 calendar days after the previous email, even if 2 of those days fall on a weekend.
* **Weekdays only:** a 3-day wait skips Saturday and Sunday, so the email sends 3 working days after the previous email.
**Example with Weekdays only enabled:**
```
Wednesday 7:00 AM EST: Initial invite sent
Thursday: Day 1
Friday: Day 2
Saturday: Skipped
Sunday: Skipped
Monday: Day 3, Reminder 1 sent at 7:00 AM EST
```
> ⏰ **The 7:00 AM EST send time still applies.** Weekdays only changes the day count, not the time of day.
**Reordering Reminders**
You can change the order of reminders before they're sent.
**What you CAN do:**
* ✅ Drag unsent reminders to any position.
* ✅ Add new reminders (always added to the end).
**What you CANNOT do:**
* ❌ Move a reminder that has been sent to any participant.
* ❌ Place a reminder before one that has already been sent.
**Example:**
```
Before: Reminder 1 (sent to 5 people) → Reminder 2 (unsent) → Reminder 3 (unsent)
You can: Swap Reminder 2 and Reminder 3
You cannot: Move Reminder 2 or 3 before Reminder 1
```
> 💡 **Why?** once participants start receiving reminders, we maintain their sequence to avoid confusion.
**Deleting Reminders**
**You can delete:**
* ✅ Any reminder at any time.
* ✅ Even reminders that have been sent to participants.
**What happens when you delete:**
* The reminder is removed from the sequence for all future participants.
* Participants who already received it keep it in their history.
* Participants waiting for it skip to the next reminder in sequence.
**Example scenario:**
```
You have: Invite → Reminder 1 → Reminder 2 → Reminder 3
You delete: Reminder 2
Result: Invite → Reminder 1 → Reminder 3
- Future participants skip Reminder 2
- Participants who received Reminder 2 keep it in their history
```
***
**Step 3: (Optional) Add a Thank You Email**
Thank you emails work identically to Point in Time surveys.
**How it works:**
* Sends automatically when a participant completes the survey.
* No interval or timing configuration needed.
* Always the last email (cannot be moved).
* Shows completed survey count on the card.
**Special properties:**
* Cannot be dragged or reordered.
* Can be deleted at any time, even after sending.
* No **Send Now** option (only triggers on completion).
***
**Step 4: Continue Adding Participants**
The strength of Lifecycle surveys is continuous enrollment.
**Ongoing Process:**
1. When a triggering event happens (employee gives notice, new hire starts, etc.).
2. Add the participant to your survey.
3. They automatically enter the email sequence.
4. They follow the timeline you configured.
No additional setup needed. Just keep adding participants as they become relevant to your survey.
***
### Managing Active Campaigns
**Using the Send Now Button**
Send Now works differently for Lifecycle surveys compared to Point in Time.
**For the Initial Invite:**
* Sends to all participants who haven't received an invite yet.
* Sends immediately (does not wait for 7:00 AM EST or any deferred wait period).
* Use when you want to send the invite right away instead of waiting.
**For Reminders:**
* Only sends to participants who are queued for that specific reminder.
* Queued means they received the previous email, but not this one.
**Understanding "Queued" for Reminders:**
Example with 3 reminders:
* Participant A: received invite, received Reminder 1, not Reminder 2 → queued for Reminder 2.
* Participant B: received invite only → NOT queued for Reminder 2 (must get Reminder 1 first).
* Participant C: received all emails → NOT queued for anything.
**When Send Now is Enabled:**
* The reminder must have a "Wait X days" interval configured.
* The button checks ONLY if the interval is set, not the participant queue.
> 💡 **Send Now respects the sequence.** You can't skip ahead. Participants receive emails in order.
**Adding Participants Continuously**
This is the primary workflow for Lifecycle surveys. You'll be adding participants regularly.
**Process:**
1. Triggering event occurs (employee resignation, new hire, etc.).
2. Add the participant to the survey.
3. They're automatically queued for the initial invite.
4. The invite sends at next 7:00 AM EST, after the deferred wait period if set, or immediately if you click Send Now.
**Multiple additions:**
```
Monday 9 AM: Add Participant A → Queued for Tuesday 7 AM
Monday 2 PM: Add Participant B → Queued for Tuesday 7 AM
Tuesday 7 AM: Both receive invites
Tuesday 3 PM: Add Participant C → Queued for Wednesday 7 AM
```
**Invalid Emails:**
* If the email is in the invalid list, the participant goes straight to the bounce list.
* They won't receive any emails.
* Remove and re-add with a corrected email if needed.
**Removing Participants**
When you remove a participant:
**What happens:**
* ✅ Removed from all future sends.
* ✅ Removed from queued and sent counts.
* ✅ Removed from statistics.
* ❌ NOT removed from the invalid email list.
**Effect on their timeline:**
* Their independent email sequence stops immediately.
* They won't receive any more emails from this campaign.
* Historical logs may show previous emails they received.
**Example:**
```
Participant received: Invite, Reminder 1
Participant queued for: Reminder 2
You remove them: No more emails sent
```
**Resending the Invite**
From the Participants page, you can resend the initial invite to individual participants.
**Important difference from reminders:**
* Only resends the initial invite email.
* Does NOT affect their reminder queue or timeline.
* They continue receiving reminders on their original schedule.
**Example scenario:**
```
Participant's timeline:
- Day 1: Received invite
- Day 4: Received Reminder 1
- Day 7: Waiting for Reminder 2
Day 5: You click "Resend Invite"
Result:
- Day 5: Receives another invite immediately
- Day 7: Still receives Reminder 2 (not Reminder 1 again)
```
**When to use:**
* Participant says they didn't receive the original invite.
* Participant deleted the email.
* Participant needs another copy of the survey link.
**What you'll see:**
* Participant appears multiple times in detailed send logs.
* Email card shows unique participant count.
* Stats page shows each individual send.
***
### Understanding Participant Timelines
**How Individual Timelines Work**
Each participant has their own independent timeline based on when they were added to the survey.
**Single Participant Journey:**
```
Day 0 (Monday): Added to survey
Day 1 (Tuesday 7 AM EST): Initial invite sent
Day 4 (Friday 7 AM EST): Reminder 1 sent (Wait 3 days)
Day 7 (Monday 7 AM EST): Reminder 2 sent (Wait 3 days)
Day 9 (Wednesday 7 AM EST): Reminder 3 sent (Wait 2 days)
OR: Complete survey → Receive thank you email immediately
```
**Multiple Participants, Staggered Start:**
```
Participant A:
- Added Monday → Invite Tuesday → Rem 1 Friday → Rem 2 next Monday
Participant B:
- Added Wednesday → Invite Thursday → Rem 1 Sunday → Rem 2 next Wednesday
Participant C:
- Added Friday → Invite next Monday → Rem 1 next Thursday → Rem 2 next Sunday
```
> 📊 **This creates a continuous flow** of emails rather than everyone receiving emails on the same days.
**Early Completion**
**What happens if someone completes early:**
* They receive the thank you email immediately upon completion.
* They're removed from the queue for all future reminders.
* Their timeline stops. No more reminder emails.
**Example:**
```
Timeline: Invite → Rem 1 (Wait 3 days) → Rem 2 (Wait 3 days)
Participant receives: Invite
Day 2: Completes survey → Receives thank you immediately
Day 4: Does NOT receive Reminder 1 (already completed)
```
**Email Timing Consistency**
**All emails send at 7:00 AM EST:**
* Morning timing increases visibility.
* Consistent across all participants.
* Exception: thank you emails (send immediately on completion).
**Time zone handling:**
* The system sends at 7:00 AM EST regardless of participant time zone.
* If the participant is in a different time zone, they receive it at 7:00 AM EST (their local time may differ).
**Weekday-Counting Behavior**
When **Weekdays only** is enabled on an email, Compass counts only Monday through Friday in the wait period.
**How weekday counting works:**
* Day 0 is the day the wait begins (the day the participant was added, or the day the previous email was sent).
* Saturday and Sunday do not count as days.
* Public holidays are not currently considered.
**Mixed weekday and calendar configuration:**
You can mix the two within the same survey. The toggle is set per email.
```
Initial Invite: Weekdays only ON, 1 day wait
Reminder 1: Weekdays only OFF, 3 day wait
Reminder 2: Weekdays only ON, 5 day wait
```
This setup defers the invite to the next working day, sends the first reminder on a calendar-day cadence, then resumes weekdays-only spacing for the second reminder.
> 📊 **The toggle is independent for every email.** Initial Invite, every Reminder, and the Thank You email each have their own setting.
***
### Email Card Information
**Status Indicators**
**Initial Invite Card:**
* Wait time displayed if **Days After Respondent Added** is configured.
* Queued count: participants waiting for next 7:00 AM EST send.
* Sent count: participants who received the invite.
**Reminder Cards:**
* Wait time displayed (e.g., "Wait 3 days").
* Weekdays-only indicator if the toggle is on.
* Queued count: participants who received the previous email but not this one.
* Sent count: participants who received this reminder.
**Thank You Card:**
* Completed count: participants who finished the survey.
* No wait time (sends on completion).
**Understanding Queued Counts**
**For Initial Invite:**
* Anyone added who hasn't received the invite yet.
* Updates when you add or remove participants.
* Resets to 0 after 7:00 AM EST send (or Send Now).
**For Reminders:**
* Only participants who are next in line for this specific reminder.
* Must have received the previous email but not this one.
* Updates as participants progress through the sequence.
**Example with 3 reminders:**
```
Reminder 1 queued: 5 participants (received invite, waiting for Reminder 1)
Reminder 2 queued: 3 participants (received Reminder 1, waiting for Reminder 2)
Reminder 3 queued: 2 participants (received Reminder 2, waiting for Reminder 3)
```
**Email States**
**Unsent:**
* Has a wait interval configured.
* No participants have received it yet.
* Can be edited, reordered, or deleted freely.
**Partially Sent:**
* Some participants have received it.
* Some participants are still queued for it.
* Cannot change wait interval or reorder.
* Can still delete.
**Fully Sent (to current participants):**
* All current participants received it or skipped it.
* New participants will still receive it.
* Cannot change wait interval or reorder.
***
### Stats and Reporting
**Viewing Send History**
**Email Card Level:**
* High-level counts (queued vs sent).
* Wait intervals.
* Quick status overview.
**Stats Tab:**
* Participant-level detail.
* Individual send timestamps.
* Complete timeline for each participant.
**Participant-Specific Timelines**
In the Stats tab, you can view each participant's email history:
* When they were added.
* When each email was sent to them.
* Which emails they're queued for.
* Whether they completed the survey.
**Example participant view:**
```
John Smith (added March 1)
✓ Initial Invite - Sent March 2, 7:00 AM EST
✓ Reminder 1 - Sent March 5, 7:00 AM EST
⏳ Reminder 2 - Queued for March 8, 7:00 AM EST
```
\\\\\
**Understanding Staggered Send Times**
**Why emails send on different days:**
* Each participant has their own start date.
* Wait intervals are calculated from their previous email.
* This is normal and expected for Lifecycle surveys.
**Viewing sends by cohort:**
* Group participants by add date to see cohorts.
* Track completion rates by cohort.
* Identify which reminder intervals work best.
***
### Permissions
| Role | Can edit Lifecycle schedules |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| HR Admin / Org Admin | Yes |
| Project Manager | Yes |
| Survey Creator | Yes |
| Report Viewer | No |
| TalentMap Admin / Consultant | Yes |
***
### Frequently Asked Questions
**Can I change the 7:00 AM EST send time?**
No, this is system-wide for all Lifecycle surveys. The consistent timing helps with predictable send times, email deliverability, and morning visibility for recipients.
**What if I want to send to everyone at once?**
Then you want a **Point in Time survey**, not a Lifecycle survey. Point in Time lets you schedule a specific date and time for everyone.
**Can I add participants in bulk?**
Yes. Upload a list of participants. They'll all be queued for the next 7:00 AM EST send (or you can send immediately with Send Now).
**How far in advance should I add participants?**
For automated sends: add by 7:00 AM EST the day before you want them to receive the invite. Example: add by Tuesday 7:00 AM EST for Wednesday 7:00 AM EST delivery.
For immediate sends: add anytime and click Send Now.
**What's the maximum wait time I can set?**
There's no system maximum, but practical limits apply. Consider survey relevance (a 30-day wait may be too long for an exit survey) and participant engagement (longer waits mean lower response rates). Typical: 3 to 7 days between emails.
**Can I see who's receiving emails this week?**
Check the Stats tab and filter by upcoming send dates. You'll see which participants are queued for which emails and when each email will send based on their individual timeline.
**What if someone was re-hired or their status changed?**
Three options:
1. Remove them from the original survey instance.
2. Add them fresh (they start a new timeline).
3. Leave them in their original position if that makes sense.
There's no "restart" function. Removal and re-adding creates a fresh timeline.
**Can I pause a Lifecycle survey?**
Not directly, but you can:
* Stop adding new participants (existing ones complete their timelines).
* Remove wait intervals from all reminders (emails stop sending, but timelines pause).
* Delete future reminders (only affects participants who haven't received them).
**How do I handle time-sensitive situations like last-day exit surveys?**
**Best practice:**
1. Add the participant as soon as you know their exit date.
2. If it's their last day, click **Send Now** immediately.
3. Set short reminder intervals (1 to 2 days) to complete before they leave.
**Alternative:** consider a Point in Time survey for more control if you know exit dates in advance.
**What counts as a weekday?**
Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday are skipped when **Weekdays only** is enabled. Public holidays are not currently considered.
**Can I mix calendar days and weekdays in the same survey?**
Yes. **Weekdays only** is set per email. The Initial Invite can use weekdays only while reminders use calendar days, or any other combination.
**Does the wait period start from when I upload the participant or from when the previous email sent?**
For the Initial Invite, the wait starts from when the participant was added. For each reminder, the wait starts from when the previous email was sent to that specific participant.
***
### Troubleshooting Common Issues
**"Why didn't my participant get the invite today?"**
**Check if:**
1. They were added after 7:00 AM EST today. They'll get it tomorrow at 7:00 AM EST.
2. Their email is in the invalid list. Check the bounce list.
3. The invite was already sent to them. Check the sent count and stats.
4. The Initial Invite has **Days After Respondent Added** set, which is delaying the send.
**Solution:** click **Send Now** if you need to send immediately.
**"Can I change the wait time on my reminder?"**
**Check reminder status:**
* ✅ Not sent to anyone yet. Yes, change the wait time freely.
* ❌ Already sent to at least one participant. No, the wait time is locked.
**Why locked?** to keep timing consistent for all participants. Participants who already received the reminder based on the old timing should not get different timing applied retroactively.
**"I need to send the invite immediately, not wait until tomorrow"**
**Solution:** click **Send Now** on the Initial Invite card. Queued participants receive the invite immediately.
**Use cases:**
* Employee's last day is today (exit survey).
* Time-sensitive feedback needed.
* Testing the survey flow.
**"Why is Send Now disabled on my reminder?"**
**Likely reason:** the reminder doesn't have a "Wait X days" interval set.
**Solution:** set the wait interval first, then Send Now will be enabled.
**"What happens if I delete a reminder that some people already received?"**
**Effect:**
* Future participants skip that reminder.
* Participants who received it keep it in their history.
* No impact on those participants' progression.
* The next reminder (if any) continues as scheduled.
**"A participant needs a later start date. Can I schedule them individually?"**
**Workaround:**
* Don't add them until the date you want them to start.
* OR add them now and accept that they'll get the invite tomorrow at 7:00 AM EST.
Lifecycle surveys don't support individual participant scheduling. Everyone follows the same interval pattern from their add date.
**"My reminder sent on a weekend even though I set Weekdays only"**
**Check:**
1. Confirm the toggle is set on that specific reminder. It is configured per email, not per survey.
2. Confirm the wait timer started from the previous send to that participant, not the survey start date.
3. Check the participant's individual timeline in the Stats tab to see the calculated send date.
**Solution:** if the toggle is off, edit the reminder, toggle **Weekdays only** on, and click **OK**. The change applies to participants who have not yet received that reminder.
---
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