This article covers how to add and configure a Failed Purchase Goal in the Keap™ automation builder, including how to configure the goal to trigger on any failed purchase or on a specific product category, how to build and connect a sequence, and how to publish the campaign. This article does not cover how to set up products or subscription payments in Keap. For help setting up products, see how to set up products in Keap.

Why Automating Failed Purchase Follow-Up Recovers Lost Revenue

A failed credit card payment does not have to mean a lost sale. When a purchase fails — whether it is a one-time product purchase or a recurring subscription payment — the window to recover that revenue is short. Reaching out immediately with a follow-up email or a tag-based reminder increases the likelihood of the customer completing the purchase before they move on. The Failed Purchase Goal in the Keap automation builder triggers an automation sequence automatically whenever a failed credit card purchase occurs, including failed subscription payments. This means your follow-up process starts instantly without requiring manual monitoring of declined transactions.

How to Add and Configure a Failed Purchase Goal in Keap

Follow these steps to add a Failed Purchase Goal to a campaign, build the follow-up sequence, and publish the campaign in the Keap automation builder.

1. Drag the Failed Purchase goal from the goals panel onto the campaign canvas in the Keap automation builder.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Keap automation builder campaign canvas with the Failed Purchase goal being placed onto the canvas. The goals panel on the left displays the available goal types. The Failed Purchase goal appears as a block on the canvas after being dropped into position.

2. Open the Failed Purchase Goal settings by double-clicking the Failed Purchase Goal block on the canvas, or by single-clicking the block and selecting View and Edit.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Failed Purchase Goal block on the Keap automation builder canvas with the View and Edit option visible after single-clicking the block. Double-clicking the block opens the goal settings directly.

3. Configure which failed purchases will trigger the goal. Two options are available:

   • Any Purchase — The goal triggers whenever a failed credit card purchase occurs for any product in your account, including subscription payments.

   • Product in Specific Category Purchase — The goal triggers only when a failed credit card purchase occurs for a product in a specific product category. Select this option, then select the search box and choose the desired product category from the dropdown menu.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Failed Purchase Goal settings panel in the Keap automation builder. The two trigger options — Any Purchase and Product in Specific Category Purchase — are displayed. The product category search box appears below the Specific Category option when that option is selected. Select Save after configuring the trigger option.

4. Drag a Sequence block onto the campaign canvas to the right of the Failed Purchase Goal block.

5. Connect the Failed Purchase Goal to the Sequence by hovering over the Failed Purchase Goal block until the arrow symbol appears. Select and hold the arrow symbol, drag the connection line to the Sequence block, and release to create the connection.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Keap automation builder campaign canvas with the Failed Purchase Goal connected to a Sequence block. The connection line runs from the Failed Purchase Goal block to the Sequence block. The Sequence will run automatically each time the Failed Purchase Goal is triggered by a failed credit card payment.

6. Configure the Sequence by double-clicking the Sequence block to open the sequence editor. In the sequence editor, drag the automation items — Timer, Process, or Communications — from the left-hand sequence tools menu onto the canvas to the right of the Start icon. These items define what happens when the Failed Purchase Goal is triggered:

   • Timer — Sets a delay before the next action in the sequence runs.

   • Communications — Sends an email or other message to the contact.

   • Process — Applies a tag, updates a field, or runs another automated process on the contact record.

   Double-click each Timer, Communications, or Process item placed on the canvas to configure the settings for that item.

7. Verify all items in the sequence show a green Ready status. A green Ready status on each item indicates the item is fully configured and ready to run. Items that are not fully configured will display a non-green status and must be completed before the campaign can be published.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Keap automation builder sequence editor with all sequence items displaying a green Ready status. Each item on the canvas shows a green indicator confirming the item is fully configured. Items without a green Ready status must be opened and completed before proceeding.

8. Toggle the sequence status from Draft to Ready using the toggle in the upper right corner of the sequence editor. The sequence must be set to Ready before the campaign can be published.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Draft to Ready toggle in the upper right corner of the Keap automation builder sequence editor. Toggling from Draft to Ready marks the sequence as complete and ready to be included in the published campaign.

9. Select the back arrow in the upper left corner of the sequence editor to return to the campaign canvas.

   

   The screenshot above shows the back arrow button in the upper left corner of the sequence editor. Selecting the back arrow returns to the campaign canvas without closing the campaign.

10. Verify the Failed Purchase Goal and Sequence both show a green Ready status on the campaign canvas. Both blocks must display a green Ready status before the campaign can be published.

    

    The screenshot above shows the Keap automation builder campaign canvas with both the Failed Purchase Goal block and the Sequence block displaying a green Ready status. When both blocks show a green Ready status the campaign is ready to be published.

11. Select Publish in the upper right corner of the campaign canvas to make the campaign active. Once published, the Failed Purchase Goal will begin monitoring for failed credit card payments and trigger the connected sequence automatically when a failed payment occurs.

    

    The screenshot above shows the Publish button in the upper right corner of the Keap automation builder campaign canvas. Selecting Publish makes the campaign active. The Failed Purchase Goal will not monitor for failed payments or trigger the connected sequence until the campaign has been published.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to add and configure a Failed Purchase Goal in the Keap automation builder, including how to configure the goal to trigger on any failed purchase or on a specific product category, how to build and connect a sequence, and how to publish the campaign. This article does not cover how to set up products or subscription payments in Keap. For help setting up products, see how to set up products in Keap.

Does the Failed Purchase Goal trigger on failed subscription payments?

Yes. The Failed Purchase Goal triggers on failed credit card purchases including failed subscription payments. To trigger the goal on all failed purchases including subscriptions, select the Any Purchase option in the goal settings.

Can I trigger the Failed Purchase Goal only for a specific product category?

Yes. Select the Product in Specific Category Purchase option in the Failed Purchase Goal settings and choose the product category from the dropdown menu. The goal will only trigger when a failed credit card purchase occurs for a product in the selected category.

What does the green Ready status mean on the campaign canvas?

A green Ready status on a goal block or sequence block indicates the block is fully configured and ready to be included in a published campaign. Blocks that are not fully configured display a non-green status. All blocks on the campaign canvas must display a green Ready status before the campaign can be published.

Does the Failed Purchase Goal start monitoring payments before the campaign is published?

No. The Failed Purchase Goal only becomes active after the campaign has been published. Until the campaign is published, the goal will not monitor for failed payments or trigger the connected sequence. After publishing, the goal monitors credit card transactions automatically and triggers the sequence whenever a failed payment occurs.