Dunning 101: Campaign configuration
Configure and assign new dunning campaigns in Recurly. Learn how to set custom retry windows, structure email schedules, and audit subscription plan mapping to maximize revenue recovery.
Retain • Dunning 101
Campaign configuration
How to create a new campaign, configure it correctly, and make sure every plan is pointed at the right one.
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Campaign configuration
How to build and assign a new campaign
Go to Configuration → Dunning Management. You'll see your existing campaigns listed. Create a new one for each billing frequency that needs its own window length and messaging — starting with annual if you only have one campaign today.
Create a new campaign
Click Create Campaign and give it a descriptive name — "Annual subscribers" or "Monthly - consumer" makes it easy to identify later. Avoid generic names like "Campaign 2" that lose meaning over time.
Set the window length and email schedule
Configure the window to match the billing frequency — 28 days for monthly, 60 days for annual. Then build out the email sequence with appropriate spacing: 4–5 days apart for monthly, 8–10 days apart for annual. Each email needs distinct copy — reusing templates reduces effectiveness across the sequence.
Audit and assign every plan
Navigate to Plans and open each plan in your catalog. Find the dunning campaign assignment field and point it to the correct campaign. Plans not manually assigned fall back to your default campaign — which means an annual plan on a 28-day window if you haven't updated the default. Check every plan without exception.
Update your default campaign
Whatever plans remain on your default campaign should be intentional. Update the default window length to match your most common billing frequency, and make sure the email sequence is fully branded and current — any plan that slips through plan-level assignment will land here.
Every time you add a new plan to your catalog, it is automatically assigned to the default campaign — not to the most relevant existing campaign. Build a habit of checking the dunning assignment when you create or modify any plan, not just during a periodic audit.
Campaign names appear throughout your dunning reports and plan settings. Descriptive names like "Monthly — consumer 28d" and "Annual — 60d" make it immediately obvious which campaign is which when you're reviewing performance or assigning new plans months later.
If you created a new annual campaign today, how many of your plans would you need to reassign — and do you know which ones they are?
Most merchants discover several plans still pointing at the default after creating targeted campaigns. Running a plan audit before and after any campaign change is the only way to be sure the setup is correct.
Want help auditing your campaign structure?
Bring your plan catalog and dunning setup to Global Office Hours. Our CSMs can walk through your campaign assignments, flag any mismatches, and recommend a segmentation structure based on your plan mix.
Join Global Office Hours →