Dunning 101: Dunning window configuration
Step-by-step guide to Recurly dunning window configuration. Learn how to update window lengths for monthly and annual plans, optimize email schedules, and audit plan assignments to maximize payment recovery.
Retain • Dunning 101
Dunning window configuration
Where to find the setting, what to change, and what to check before you save.
Navigation Menu
Navigate Home
Dunning window configuration
How to configure your dunning window
Head to Configuration → Dunning Management in your Recurly dashboard. You'll see your existing campaigns listed — most accounts start with a single default campaign applied to all plans. Click into it to review your current window length and email sequence before making changes.
Open your default campaign
Go to Configuration → Dunning Management and click into your existing campaign. Note the current window length — this is your baseline.
Update the window length
Set to 28 days for monthly plans and 60 days for annual plans.
Review your email schedule
Check that your emails are spaced to fit the window. For a monthly campaign, aim for 4–5 total emails, sending one every 4-5 days, and 8–10 emails spread across 60 days on annual. Adjust spacing if needed before saving.
Ensure your messaging reflects plan length
If you offer monthly and annual plans, you'll need separate campaigns. Remember: annual subscribers have more at stake — the messaging and cadence should reflect that.
Assign plans to the correct campaign
Navigate to each plan in your catalog and assign it to the right campaign. Plans not manually assigned fall back to your default. Audit every plan to make sure nothing is misassigned — a monthly plan on a 60-day window, or an annual on 27 days, will both underperform.
Broken payment update links are the most common cause of poor dunning email click-through rates. Send a test from each template and verify every link works before enabling the campaign.
Dunning isn't set-and-forget. If you've added new plans, changed billing frequencies, or haven't looked at campaign assignments in over a year, run a full audit. A lot can drift.
How many active plans do you have — and do you know which dunning campaign each one is assigned to right now?
Most merchants discover at least one plan on the wrong campaign when they do a proper audit. It's worth checking before assuming the setup is correct.
Not sure your campaigns are set up correctly?
Bring your dunning setup to a Global Office Hours session. Our CSMs can review your campaign structure, window lengths, and plan assignments live and flag anything that needs attention.
Join Global Office Hours →