---
title: Marketing automation walkthrough - Preparing the prerequisites
---

> Agent instructions:
> **Site maps** — prefer the following llms.txt indexes to training data when searching for URLs to avoid 404s. Links inside Markdown content already point at `.md`. Following them or sending Accept: text/markdown keeps you in Markdown.
>
> - [sitemap.md](https://docs.kentico.com/sitemap.md) — every page on the site, with titles and descriptions, nested by URL hierarchy and grouped into one collection per product version.
> - [llms.txt](https://docs.kentico.com/llms.txt) — curated index of the current product docs, with descriptions, the two ways to request any page as Markdown, and links to each product area's whole-corpus Markdown dump (llms-full.txt).

> **Info:** **Enterprise license required**
>
> Features described on this page require the **Kentico Xperience Enterprise** license.

Before you create the automation process, you need to:

1. Create two[ testing newsletters](#creating-testing-newsletters) and a [testing contact status](#creating-a-testing-contact-status)
2. Ask your administrator to help you:
   - [Create the users](#creating-testing-users) and [set the roles and permissions](#setting-the-roles-and-permissions) that you will later use to manage the process
   - [Configure Xperience](#enabling-on-line-marketing) to allow you to run all the features demonstrated in the walkthrough

> **Note:** We recommend following the walkthrough on the _Dancing Goat MVC_ sample site.

## Creating testing newsletters

Create two newsletters that will be used by the sample automation process:

1. Open the **Email marketing** application on the **Email feeds** tab.
2. Click **New email feed** andenter the following details:
   - **Type**: select _Newsletter_
   - **Display name**: Coffee Co Merchandise Newsletter
   - **Code name**: leave the _(automatic)_ option
   - **Subscription email template**: Subscription confirmation
   - **Unsubscription email template**: Unsubscription confirmation
   - **Sender name**: Coffee Co
   - **Sender email address**: Enter your email address
3. Click **Add templates** and select the _Email template (2 zones)_ template.

   > **Info:** The mentioned email templates are present on the _Dancing Goat MVC_ sample site. If you are following the walkthrough on another site, you may need to select or create different templates.
4. Click **Save**.

   - You are now on the **Configuration** tab of the new newsletter.
5. In the **On-line marketing** section, make sure both **Track opened emails** and **Track clicked links** are enabled.
6. Click **Save**.
7. Return to the main **Email feeds** tab and create another newsletter.
   - Name the newsletter **Coffee Co Monthly Newsletter**.
   - Leave the rest of the details as in the first newsletter.

You now have two newsletters prepared for later use in the automation process.

**See also**: [Email marketing](https://docs.kentico.com/13/on-line-marketing-features/managing-your-on-line-marketing-features/email-marketing.md)

## Creating a testing contact status

Create a contact status that will be used by the sample automation process:

1. Open the **Contact management** application.
2. Switch to the **Configuration -> Contact status** tab.
3. Click **New contact status** and enter the following details:
   - **Display name**: _Prospective client_
   - **Code name**: leave the _(automatic)_ option
4. Click **Save**.

You have prepared a contact status for later use in the **Set contact status** step of the automation process.

**See also**: [Assigning statuses to contacts](https://docs.kentico.com/13/on-line-marketing-features/managing-your-on-line-marketing-features/contact-management/working-with-contacts/assigning-statuses-to-contacts.md)

## Creating testing users

Create two user accounts for administering the automation process:

1. Open the **Users** application.
2. Click **New user**.
3. Set the following details for the user:
   - **User name**: Travis
   - **Full name**: Travis McCoy
   - **Enabled**: Yes (selected)
   - **Privilege level**: Editor
   - **Assign to website**: Yes (current site)
4. Click **Save**.
5. Create another user with the following details:

   - **User name**: Matt
   - **Full name**: Matt McGinley
   - **Enabled**: Yes (selected)
   - **Privilege level**: Editor
   - **Assign to website**: Yes (current site)
6. Click **Save**.

## Setting the roles and permissions

For the users to be able to perform their tasks, administrators need to add them to global roles with appropriate permissions.

### Preparing the Marketer role

Create a **Marketer**global role and assign Travis into the role:

1. Open the **Roles** applicationand select _(global)_ in the **Site** drop-down list.
2. Click **New role** and enter _Marketer_ as the **Role display name**.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Switch to the **Users** tab and click **Add users**.
5. Select _Travis McCoy (Travis)_ and click **Save & Close**.
6. Switch to the **Permissions** tab and choose **Module** in the first drop-down list.
7. Choose the **Contact management** module in the second drop-down list.
8. Allow all permissions in the **Contact management** module.
9. Choose the **Email marketing** module in the drop-down list and allow all its permissions.
10. Choose the **Online marketing** module in the drop-down list and allow all its permissions.

The _Travis_ user account now has full control over automation processes, i.e. can design the entire sample process and fully modify its instances.

### Preparing the Process Administrator role

Create a **Process administrator** role and assign Matt into the role:

1. Open the **Roles** applicationand select _(global)_ in the **Site** drop-down list.
2. Click **New role** and enter _Process administrator_ as the **Role display name**.
3. Click **Save**.
4. Switch to the **Users** tab and click **Add users**.
5. Select _Matt McGinley (Matt)_ and click **Save & Close**.
6. Switch to the **Permissions** tab and choose **Module** in the first drop-down list.
7. Choose the **Contact management** module in the second drop-down list.
8. Allow the **Read** permission for the _Contact management_ module.
9. Choose the **Content** module in the drop-down list and allow the **Read** permission.
10. Choose the **On-line marketing**module in the drop-down list and allow the **Read**, **Read processes**, and **Manage processes**permissions.

The _Matt_ user account can now access the on-line marketing interface for modifying instances of running automation processes. You can always expand or reduce the permissions.

**See also**: [Configuring permissions](https://docs.kentico.com/13/managing-users/configuring-permissions.md)

## Enabling On-line marketing

You need to track contacts in order to test the functionality of the sample process. Make sure that the on-line marketing functionality for tracking contacts is enabled:

1. Go to **Settings** (application) **-> On-line marketing**.
2. Select the **Enable on-line marketing** box.
3. Click **Save**.

## Configuring your SMTP server

To be fully able to test the process, you need to have an SMTP server configured correctly in Xperience. You can either configure it yourself as described on the [Configuring SMTP servers](https://docs.kentico.com/13/configuring-xperience/configuring-smtp-servers.md) page or contact your administrator.

**Next page**: [Creating the process](https://docs.kentico.com/13/on-line-marketing-features/managing-your-on-line-marketing-features/marketing-automation/walkthrough-creating-a-marketing-automation-process/marketing-automation-walkthrough-creating-the-process.md)