What happens when preferences conflict with automation logic?

When preferences conflict with automation logic, preferences win. If someone opts out of promotional emails but a behavioral trigger fires for an abandoned cart promotion, suppress the send. Consent and stated preferences override automation.

Build conflict resolution into your workflows. Add suppression checks that evaluate preference settings before every send. Most ESPs allow you to layer preference filters on top of behavioral triggers.

For example, if someone browses your pricing page and a trigger fires to send a demo invitation, check whether they've opted into sales emails. If not, suppress the message or route them to a different workflow that respects their preferences.

Document your hierarchy of rules. Decide whether transactional emails override frequency preferences, whether compliance suppression overrides engagement triggers, and how to handle edge cases. Make these decisions explicit in your automation setup.

Test conflict scenarios regularly. Send test profiles through workflows with conflicting settings and verify that the correct suppression logic applies.

Automation is the wind, but preferences are the anchor. When they pull in opposite directions, the anchor holds the ship in place.