Setting up a 4-Email Weekly Drip Nurture for Aging, Non-MQL Leads

Hello!

First of all, I wouldn’t use triggers here. Just filters in a recurring Smart Campaign that grabs all records that qualify daily is sufficient and easier to build and understand.

One question regarding your first trigger: Does MQL Date ever change to empty? Why would it? And if not, that trigger doesn’t make much sense.

I’d go with something like this:
 

Or do you have another field that also points to MQL Status, such as “Status”, which you could filter on with Status is not MQL.

Note also, that probably 99% of your database fall into “Created in past before 90 days”. I don’t know if you want that. If you just want to grab records that were created exactly 90 days ago, you would need this filter combination:
 

See also: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/core-marketo-concepts/smart-lists-and-static-lists/creating-a-smart-list/smart-list-filter-operators-glossary

Your current logic is too trigger-heavy for a true “always-on” nurture, and the historical lead portion will not work the way you expect.

For this use case, the cleanest setup is usually:

• a batch smart campaign with a recurring schedule, or
• a trigger campaign only for new qualifying changes, plus a backfill batch for historical leads

If you want a fully hands-off, always-on design, the batch + recurring schedule is usually the best fit.

What’s wrong with the current logic

1. Lead is Created does not backfill historical leads

Lead is Created only fires when a new lead is created.

So if you are trying to capture leads that were created 90+ days ago, that trigger will not enroll those existing records.

2. Data Value Changes -> MQL Date only works when the field changes

This trigger is good for new changes, but it won’t automatically catch older leads unless the MQL Date field changes again.

So it’s useful for ongoing automation, but not for historical qualification unless combined with a batch re-evaluation.

3. Your OR logic needs to be explicitly handled

You described:

• Created Date is older than 90 days
• AND MQL Date is older than 61 days
• OR MQL Date is empty

That logic should be grouped as:

• Created Date older than 90 days
• AND
  • (MQL Date is empty
  • OR MQL Date is older than 61 days)

Best Practice:

Batch campaign with recurring schedule

This is the most reliable for your case.

Smart list:

• Created Date before 90 days ago
• AND (MQL Date is empty OR MQL Date before 61 days ago)

Schedule:

• Run daily

Flow:

• Add to nurture program / set program status / send first email
• Then let the nurture program manage weekly cadence

This ensures:

• historical leads are picked up
• newly qualifying leads are picked up
• no manual list pulls

** Using smatlist will remove the newly created MQL automatically from the next launch

Only thing I would add to the comments below is that your Schedule should only allow people to run through the flow once. And that you might want a process to pause members who have “exhausted” all four emails.