Frequency capping

Overview

Frequency capping (FC) lets you control your campaign's communication frequency with users. This significantly prevents customers from receiving bursts of communication from multiple channels simultaneously and improves user engagement and brand value in the market.

You can configure Frequency capping in two ways,

Channel and Campaign Delivery: You can configure frequency capping for your campaign's communication based on delivery types, such as one-time, event-triggered, etc., from any channel.
Tag-based Frequency capping: You can configure frequency capping for your campaign's communication with tags such as promotional, engagement, etc., which allows you to control the communication of your campaigns that have the tags you selected.

Channels Supported for Campaign Delivery Type-based FC and Tag-based FC

Channel name	Campaign Delivery types	Supported for Delivery type FC	Supported for Tag-based FC
Push	One time/Periodic Event triggered Device triggered Location triggered Flows Push API	Yes	Yes
SMS, MMS & RCS	One time/Periodic Event triggered Flows (SMS only)	Yes	Yes
Email	One time/Periodic Event triggered Flows	Yes	Yes
WhatsApp	One time/Periodic Event triggered Flows	Yes	Yes
Connector	One time/Periodic Event triggered Flows	Yes	Yes
In-App	On Session start On Screen load On Custom Event Flows	Yes	Yes
On-Site Messaging	On Page load On Exit Intent On Custom Event	Yes	Yes

Configure Frequency Capping

The Frequency Capping settings page is divided into Outbound Channels and Inbound Channels. You can configure FC for multiple channels and delivery types within their respective sections.

info	Information The frequency capping you configure applies only to the upcoming campaigns and does not affect existing ones.

Log in to the MoEngage dashboard.
On the left navigation menu in the MoEngage dashboard, select Settings > Channels.
In the Channels section, select Delivery controls.
On the Delivery controls page, click the Frequency capping tab.
The page is divided into Outbound Channels (Push, SMS, Email, etc.) and Inbound Channels (In-App, On-Site Messaging). Navigate to the desired section to configure the rules.

You can set frequency capping values for outbound channels either globally using cross-channel configuration or for individual channels. Inbound channels have their own dedicated configuration sections.

Configure FC in Outbound Channels

For outbound channels, you can configure FC globally or for each channel specifically. Cross-channel configuration only applies to outbound channels.

Cross-channel configuration: Turn on the All channels toggle and specify the limit for the number of communications that must be sent to users from all channels. This is the maximum limit for the total number of communications that must be sent to a customer within the specified number of days. For example, if you set the cap at four communications in 6 days, you can send only four communications in total from all the channels in the next 6 days. This is performed on a first-come, first-served basis.

To enable Frequency capping for the Push notifications:

Turn on the Push toggle.
Enter the maximum number of communications you wish to send over a specified number of days (for example, two push notifications in one day). This configuration applies to all Push campaigns by default. For example, if the FC for Push is set as six communications for the next 6 days, a maximum of six communications are sent in the next 6 days. This is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
To set FC based on the campaign's delivery type, add a rule below by clicking the plus sign (+) at the end of each configuration and configure the delivery type to one time/periodic, event triggered, etc.
You can configure FC based on tags by adding another rule with the option, select from campaigns with any/all of the selected tags and select the tags to send communications accordingly.

Example: To send only six Push communications to your users in the next 6 days from all push campaigns and send only two push notifications in the next 6 days from campaigns with all the selected tags (Tags: all users, engagement, and promotion) and not more than twice to the users from location-triggered campaigns in the next 6 days, you can set frequency capping as follows.

1. Send a maximum of 6 Web and App push from all push campaigns to a user in 6 days.
2. Send a maximum of 2 Web and App push from all campaigns with all the selected tags (Tags: all users, engagement, promotion) to a user in 6 days.
3. Send a maximum of 2 Web and App pushes from location-triggered campaigns to a user in 6 days.

Working of FC in Push

Frequency capping limits the number of push notifications a user receives within a specified timeframe, based on the platform they are using. This capping operates at the user and platform level, not at the individual device level.

For example, consider a frequency cap set at two notifications over two days, the configuration will be:

Android: 2 notifications
iOS: 2 notifications
Web: 2 notifications

Scenario:

If a campaign targets Android, iOS, and Web, a user receives 1 notification per platform on Day 1. The frequency cap for each platform then reduces to 1.
If a subsequent campaign targets only Android and iOS on Day 2, users receive 1 notification per platform, assuming the two-day cap hasn't been reached for those platforms from other campaigns.
If a campaign later targets Android and Web, only Web users receive a notification if the Android frequency cap for that user was already met by previous campaigns within the two-day window.

info	If a user has multiple devices on the same platform (e.g., three Android devices) and the frequency cap is one per day, each of their Android devices may still receive one notification.

To configure Frequency capping for the SMS,MMS & RCS:

Turn on the SMS, MMS & RCS toggle.
Enter the maximum number of SMS,MMS & RCS you wish to send over a specified number of days (for example, one message in one day).
If the FC for SMS, MMS & RCS is set to three for the next 7 days, a maximum of three communications can be sent in those 7 days. This is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
This configuration applies to all SMS, MMS & RCS campaigns by default. By adding a rule below by clicking the plus sign (+) at the end of each configuration, you can configure FC based on campaign delivery type, such as one time or event triggered.
While configuring the SMS, MMS & RCS campaign, you can set FC based on tags by adding another rule with the option to select from campaigns with (any/all) of the selected tags and select the tags to send communications accordingly.

Example: To send SMS, MMS & RCS to your users thrice a week and only twice from the campaigns with all the selected tags (Tags: engagement, promotion), you can set frequency capping as follows.

1. Send a maximum of 3 SMS, MMS & RCS from all SMS, MMS & RCS campaigns to a user in 7 days.
2. Send a maximum of 2 SMS, MMS & RCS from the campaign with all the selected tags (Engagement, promotion) to a user in 7 days.

To configure Frequency capping for the Email:

Turn on the Email toggle.
Enter the maximum number of Emails you wish to send over a specified number of days (for example, five Emails in 6 days).
If the FC for Email is set to five for the next 6 days, a maximum of five communications can be sent in those 6 days. This is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
This configuration applies to all Email campaigns by default. By adding a rule below by clicking the Plus sign (+) at the end of each configuration, you can configure FC based on campaign delivery type, such as one time, event triggered, etc.

Example: To send five Email communications to the users from all email campaigns and not more than three Email communications to the users from an event triggered campaign in the next 6 days. You can set the frequency capping as follows.

1. Send a maximum of 5 Emails from all email campaigns to a user in 6 days.
2. Send a maximum of 3 Emails from an event-triggered campaign to a user in 6 days.

To configure Frequency capping for the WhatsApp:

Turn on the WhatsApp toggle.
Enter the maximum number of WhatsApp messages you wish to send over a specified number of days (for example, one message in 2 days).
If the FC for WhatsApp is set to four for the next 6 days, a maximum of four communications can be sent in those 6 days. This is done on a first-come, first-served basis.
This configuration applies to all WhatsApp campaigns by default. By adding a rule below by clicking the plus sign (+) at the end of each configuration, you can configure FC based on campaign delivery type, such as one time, event triggered, etc.

Example: To send a maximum of four WhatsApp communications from all WhatsApp campaigns in the next 6 days, two from one time/periodic campaign, you can set the frequency cap as follows.

1. Send a maximum of 4 WhatsApp messages from all WhatsApp campaigns to a user in 6 days.
2. Send a maximum of 2 WhatsApp from one/time periodic campaign to a user in 6 days

To configure Frequency Capping for Connectors:

Turn on the Connector toggle.
Enter the maximum number of messages you wish to send over a specified number of days (for example, three messages in 2 days).
If the cross-channel FC is set to three for the next 5 days, a maximum of three communications can be sent in those 5 days. This would be done on a first-come, first-served basis.
This configuration applies to all connector campaigns by default. By adding a rule below by clicking the Plus sign (+) at the end of each configuration, you can configure FC based on campaign delivery type such as one time, event triggered, etc.
While configuring the Connectors, you can set FC for campaigns based on delivery types. By adding another rule with the option select form campaigns with (any/all) of the selected tags, you can send communications to the selected tags.

Example: To send a maximum of six communications from all Connector campaigns, two communications from one-time/periodic campaigns, and two communications from campaigns with any of the selected tags (activation, engagement, promotion) in the next 6 days, you can set the frequency cap as follows.

1. Send a maximum of 6 Connector requests from all Connector campaigns to a user in 6 days.
2. Send a maximum of 2 Connector requests from an event-triggered campaign to a user in 6 days.
3. Send a maximum of 2 Connector requests from campaigns with any of the following tags. (Tags: activation, engagement, promotion) to a user in 6 days.

Configure FC in Inbound Channels

Frequency capping for inbound channels (In-App and On-Site Messaging) helps you control how often users see messages in your app or on your website. You must configure the rules for each channel, based on trigger types and tags.

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To configure Frequency Capping for In-App messages:

In the Inbound Channels section, turn on the In-App toggle.
A default rule is present to cap messages from all In-App campaigns. You can set the maximum number of messages a user receives in a given session, hour(s), or day(s). The duration uses a rolling window (for example, "in the last 7 days").
You can add multiple rules, which are combined using an AND condition. Click the plus sign (+) to add a new rule.
You can create rules based on:
- Trigger Type: Limit messages for specific triggers like On Session start, On Screen load, or On Custom Event. You can only use each trigger type once in your set of rules.
- Tags: Limit messages from campaigns that have any or all of the selected tags.

Example: To show a user a maximum of five In-App messages in 3 days, but ensure they see no more than one message per session that is triggered on a screen load.

1. Set the default rule to: Send a maximum of 5 In-App messages from all In-App campaigns to a user in 3 Days.
2. Add a new rule: Send a maximum of 1 In-App message from On Screen load campaigns to a user in 1 Session.

To configure Frequency Capping for On-Site Messaging:

In the Inbound Channels section, turn on the On-Site Messaging toggle.
A default rule is present to cap messages from all On-Site Messaging campaigns. You can set the maximum number of messages a user receives in a given session, hour(s), or day(s).
Add more granular rules using the plus sign (+). All rules are combined with an AND condition.
You can create rules based on:
- Trigger Type: Limit messages for specific triggers like On Page load, On Exit Intent, or On Custom Event. Each trigger type can only be used once.
- Tags: Limit messages from campaigns associated with specific tags.

Example: To show a maximum of 3 on-site messages per day, and ensure that promotional messages are only shown once per week.

1. Set the default rule to: Send a maximum of three On-Site messages from all On-Site Messaging campaigns to a user in 1 Day.
2. Add a new rule: Send a maximum of 1 On-Site message from campaigns with any of the selected tags (Tag: promotion) to a user in 7 Days.

Applying FC in Different Scenarios

Scenario

Configuration

Scenario 1: Outbound, based on campaign delivery type

Let's assume you want to send a maximum of six communications from Push for an upcoming week. Not more than three communications from one time/periodic campaigns and not more than three communications from event triggered campaigns via Push.

The configuration for scenario 1 is as follows,

Enable push and set a maximum of 6 communications from all push campaigns to a user in 7 days
Add a rule with a maximum of 3 communications from Web and App Push from one time/periodic campaign to a user in 7 days.
Add another rule with a maximum of 3 communications from Web and App Push from event triggered to a user in 7 days.

Scenario 2: Outbound, based on tags

Let's assume you want to send a maximum of 10 communications for an upcoming week. Not more than four communications from One time/periodic campaigns and not more than two communications from campaigns with all the selected tags (Tags: engagement, promotion) via Email notification.

The configuration for scenario 2 is as follows,

Enable Email and set a maximum of 10 emails from all email channels to a user in 7 days.
Add a rule with a maximum of 5 communications from one time/periodic campaign to a user in 7 days.
Add another rule with a maximum of 5 communications from all the selected tags (Tags: engagement, promotion) to a user in 7 days.

Scenario 3: Outbound, FC for cross channel configuration

Let's assume you want to configure a frequency cap limited to 10 communications across all channels in 7 days. Not more than four communications should be sent from campaigns with all the selected tags (promotion, engagement).

The configuration for scenario 3 is as follows,

Set a cross channel configuration limit to a maximum of 10 communications from all campaigns/flows to a user in 7 days.
Add a rule under cross channel configuration with a frequency cap of 4 communications campaigns with all the selected tags (Tags: promotion, engagement). Remaining communications are sent from any other campaign delivery types which are processed on first-come first-serve basis.

Scenario 4: Inbound, based on trigger type

Let's assume you want to limit In-App messages to a maximum of 6 per week to avoid overwhelming users. However, messages triggered by loading a specific screen are very common, so you want to limit those to only 2 per day.

The configuration for scenario 4 is as follows:

In the Inbound Channels In-App section, set the default rule to a maximum of 6 communications from all In-App campaigns to a user in 7 days.
Add a new rule with a maximum of 2 communications from On Screen load campaigns to a user in 1 day.

Editing FC Rules

If you try to edit the tags in your frequency cap setting once it is saved, it resets the existing FC configuration, and the new FC setting is applied to the communication.

For example,

You have configured a frequency cap with a limit of four SMS & RCS communications and not more than two SMS & RCS from campaigns with any of the selected tags(Tags: activation and promotion) in the upcoming week. On the third day, If you try to add or remove any tags from the configuration, It resets the communication setting to zero, and the campaigns with any of the selected tags(Tags: activation and promotion) are eligible to receive more than two SMS & RCS communications.

Refresh setting

Refresh setting helps you reset the frequency cap daily based on a defined timezone.

You can reset the Frequency Cap daily at 00:00 based on your app's or user's timezone for all supported channels. By default, it refreshes at 12 AM in the app's timezone for every user. This is especially useful if you are capping messages on a daily basis.
Click Save

Delivery Controls

In Step 3 (Schedule and Goals) of campaign creation for any channel (including In-App and On-Site Messaging), you can configure the delivery controls for your frequency capping.

Ignore frequency capping:

To send important communications (for example, a service outage announcement) irrespective of your frequency cap setting, turn on the Ignore frequency capping toggle under the Delivery Controls section.

Count for frequency capping:

When a campaign is set to ignore frequency capping, you can still have it count towards the cap for other campaigns. Turn on the Count for the frequency capping toggle to ensure this message is included when calculating the frequency cap for subsequent messages.