Marketing automation with make.com and ActiveTrail

Marketing teams use make.com to visually connect apps and automate complex customer journeys without code. When you pair make.com with ActiveTrail, you can build powerful, data-driven email and SMS campaigns that react in real time to subscriber behavior across your entire tech stack.

This how-to guide is based on the original ActiveTrail integration tutorial from Integromat (now make.com). You will learn exactly how to recreate and extend those automation flows in today's interface.

Why combine make.com with ActiveTrail?

ActiveTrail is a customer communication platform focused on email, SMS, and marketing automation. By connecting it to make.com you can:

• Trigger campaigns automatically from events in your CRM, webshop, or landing pages.
• Synch subscriber data across multiple systems.
• Score and segment leads in real time.
• Eliminate manual imports and error‑prone copy‑paste work.

Instead of building isolated automations inside a single tool, make.com lets you orchestrate complete marketing journeys that span your entire stack.

Prerequisites for using make.com with ActiveTrail

Before building your first automation, prepare the following:

• An active make.com account.
• An ActiveTrail account with API access.
• Access credentials (API key or token) from ActiveTrail.
• At least one list or group in ActiveTrail ready to receive contacts.

Optional, but recommended:

• Access to your CRM or webshop that will provide contact and event data.
• A simple flowchart of the journey you want to automate.

Step 1: Plan your marketing automation scenario in make.com

Before clicking anything, map the process you want to automate between ActiveTrail and make.com. Typical examples include:

• Adding new customers from your webshop into an ActiveTrail list.
• Sending a welcome sequence when someone submits a form.
• Triggering a win‑back campaign when a contact becomes inactive.

Write down:

• Which app or system will start the scenario.
• Which actions ActiveTrail should perform (add contact, update, send campaign, etc.).
• Any filters, delays, or conditions.

Step 2: Create a scenario in make.com

Now you can build the workflow in the visual scenario editor inside make.com.

1. Log in to your make.com dashboard.

2. Click Create a new scenario.

3. On the canvas, click the big plus icon to add your first module.

4. Select the app that should trigger the scenario (for example, your form tool, CRM, or webshop).

5. Choose a Trigger type, such as "Watch new records" or "Watch events."

Configure the trigger with the correct connection and data source. This event will start the flow that leads to an action in ActiveTrail.

Step 3: Connect ActiveTrail to make.com

When the trigger is ready, you can add an ActiveTrail module to your scenario.

1. Click the small plus icon next to your trigger module.

2. Search for ActiveTrail in the app list and select it.

3. Choose the action you need, for example:

   • Add Subscriber
   • Update Subscriber
   • Add to List
   • Remove from List

4. Click Add or Create a connection to link ActiveTrail with make.com.

5. Enter your ActiveTrail API key or token and confirm.

Once connected, make.com can read and update subscriber data inside your ActiveTrail account according to the scenario logic you define.

Step 4: Map data fields between make.com and ActiveTrail

The next step is to map values from your trigger app into the ActiveTrail fields in make.com.

1. In the ActiveTrail module, click inside a field such as Email, First name, or Phone.

2. Use the panel on the right to insert variables coming from the trigger module (for example "Customer email" or "Form field: First Name").

3. Map any additional fields needed for segmentation, such as city, language, or product category.

4. Save the module once all fields are mapped.

This mapping ensures that every time the scenario runs in make.com, the correct subscriber data will be created or updated in ActiveTrail.

Step 5: Add filters and conditions in make.com

In many cases, you only want some events to reach ActiveTrail. Use filters and conditional branching to control this behavior.

Using filters in make.com

1. Click the small wrench icon between two modules.

2. Enable a Filter and define conditions such as:

   • Only if "Email" is not empty.
   • Only if "Consent" equals "true".
   • Only if "Country" equals a specific value.

3. Save the filter.

Filters help you keep your ActiveTrail lists clean and compliant.

Using routers in make.com

If you need different actions for different contacts, use a router module.

1. Add a Router after your trigger or after a key processing step.

2. Create multiple branches with their own filters, for example:

   • Branch 1: New subscribers → Add to Welcome List in ActiveTrail.
   • Branch 2: Existing subscribers → Update profile only.
   • Branch 3: VIP customers → Add to special campaign list.

3. Place the appropriate ActiveTrail modules on each branch.

Step 6: Test and schedule your make.com scenario

Before going live, always test your automation.

1. Use the Run once button in make.com to execute the scenario with sample data.

2. Check the execution details to ensure all modules show green check marks.

3. Verify that the right contacts appear or are updated inside ActiveTrail.

4. Adjust mappings or filters if something is missing or incorrect.

When you are happy with the result:

1. Turn the scenario ON.

2. Choose an appropriate scheduling mode (instant webhooks, intervals, or specific times) depending on the trigger type.

Best practices for make.com and ActiveTrail automations

• Keep lists organized: Plan which lists or groups in ActiveTrail will receive data from each scenario.
• Use clear naming: Name scenarios in make.com by purpose, such as "Webshop → ActiveTrail New Customers."
• Log key events: Add logging modules (for example, Google Sheets) when debugging complex flows.
• Respect consent: Always filter based on opt‑in or subscription status before adding contacts to campaigns.

Expanding beyond a single make.com scenario

Once your first automation is stable, you can scale your setup.

• Build separate make.com scenarios for welcome flows, re‑engagement, birthday campaigns, and more.
• Pull campaign results from ActiveTrail back into your CRM or data warehouse.
• Trigger transactional messages based on purchases, renewals, or support interactions.

If you prefer expert help designing a complete automation architecture, you can work with a specialist agency such as Consultevo.

Where to learn more about make.com and ActiveTrail

This guide is built on the original Integromat tutorial for ActiveTrail, now hosted on the official automation platform website. For deeper reference on modules, options, and practical examples, visit the original article on make.com's how‑to guide.

By following the steps above, you can reliably connect ActiveTrail to make.com, keep your subscriber lists synchronized, and launch fully automated, event‑driven campaigns that save time while improving customer engagement.

Need Help With Make.com?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.

Get Help