Play steps are the individual actions that make up a ChurnZero Play. Each step performs a specific task—such as sending an email, creating a task, updating account data, or directing records through workflow logic.

By combining multiple play steps, you can automate engagement with customers, coordinate internal work, and trigger actions based on lifecycle events or product usage.

Plays help teams proactively engage contacts and accounts at the right time. For example, a play might send onboarding emails, create follow-up tasks for a Customer Success Manager, or update account data based on customer activity.

This article provides a high-level overview of the types of play steps available in ChurnZero and the types of automation they support.

How Play Steps Work

When a record (such as an account, contact, or custom table record) enters a play, it moves through the configured steps in sequence.

Each step can include:

• Timing rules that determine when the step executes relative to the previous step

• Conditions or logic that guide how records move through the workflow

• Actions that communicate with customers or update data

Steps can execute immediately or after a defined wait time. For example, a play might send a welcome email immediately, wait three days, and then create a follow-up task for a CSM.

Because plays run automatically once activated, they help ensure consistent customer engagement and reduce manual work for your team.

Types of Play Steps in ChurnZero

Play steps fall into four categories based on the type of action they perform.

AI Automation

AI Automation steps use artificial intelligence to draft and send communications on your behalf, reducing manual effort for common outreach tasks.

• Email: Draft and send a personalized email using AI-generated content.

Customer Outreach

Customer Outreach steps send messages and announcements directly to customers and contacts.

• Email: Send a templated email to customers or contacts from this play.
• In-App Announcement: Display a targeted announcement inside your customer's product experience.

Team Actions

Team Actions steps coordinate internal work, route assignments, and keep your team aligned on account activity.

• Rotate Record Assignment: Reassign account or contact ownership using round-robin or custom routing rules.
• Send Internal Email: Send an email to a teammate or group to flag an account update or coordinate next steps.
• Task: Assign a task to the right team member with a due date and account context.

Data Updates

Data Updates steps modify records, manage tags, and trigger integrations with external systems as part of an automated workflow.

• Add to Journey: Enroll the account into a journey.
• Add to Play: Enroll the record into another play.
• Remove from Journey: Remove the account from a journey.
• Remove from Play: Remove the record from this play.
• Update Account: Modify field values on an account record.
• Update Custom Table: Modify field values on a custom table record.
• Update Tags: Add or remove tags on accounts or contacts to keep segmentation current.
• Webhook: Send data to an external system via webhook to trigger actions in your broader tech stack.

When to Use Play Steps

Play steps are used whenever you want to automate actions triggered by customer behavior, lifecycle stages, or account conditions.

Common use cases include:

• Automating onboarding programs

• Delivering customer communications

• Creating follow-up tasks for CSMs

• Updating account or contact data automatically

• Assigning ownership across teams

• Coordinating multi-step customer engagement workflows

By combining multiple play steps into a single play, teams can build structured workflows that guide customer engagement and operational processes from start to finish.