Overview
Automation is where DirectoryEasy really shines. It lets you set up workflows that automatically manage your listings - from publishing delays to featured placement - all based on subscription plans.How Automation Works
When someone submits a new listing, it’s automatically assigned to the Starter plan. Here’s something important to understand: Once you’ve approved a listing, you have two paths:- Manual control: Manage everything manually for complete control
- Automatic processing: Let the system take over and automatically publish listings based on configured rules
Processing Schedule
The system runs checks every hour to update listing statuses. However, if you don’t want to wait, you’ll see “Process” buttons that let you trigger immediate processing. This is handy when you’ve just approved a batch of listings and want them processed right away.Both the Publishing Delay and Featured Listing rules work together during processing, and they’re applied based on each listing’s subscription plan.
Setting Up Publishing Delays
The Publishing Delay feature is useful when you want a waiting period before listings go live.Common Use Case
The typical workflow is:- Don’t publish free listings until a certain period passes (e.g., one or two months)
- Submit immediately if users upgrade their listings to a paid plan
Configuration Steps
- Navigate to the automation settings for each plan (e.g., “Starter”)
- Toggle the Enable switch on
- Set the number of days you want listings to wait
- Click Save Changes
Immediate Processing
If you need to push things through faster, click “Process Delayed Listings Now” and the system will immediately publish any listings that are ready.Configuring Featured Listings
Featured Listing rules control how long listings get premium placement in your directory. Featured listings appear at the top of search results, in slider sections, or both.Setup Process
- For each plan, toggle the rule on
- Set the number of days for featured placement
- Save your changes
Monetization Example
Let’s say you set 7 days for a Premium plan - when those listings publish, they’ll automatically be featured for a full week before returning to normal status. You can inform users that after they upgrade their plan, their listings will be featured for 7 days.
Immediate Processing
The “Process Featured Listings Now” button works the same way as with publishing delays. Click it when you want to update featured statuses immediately instead of waiting for the hourly check.Practical Example
Here’s how it all flows together:1
Listing Submission
A restaurant owner submits their listing. It starts on the Starter plan and goes into Under Review status.
2
Approval
You approve the listing, changing its status to Approved.
3
Publishing Delay (if configured)
If you’ve set a 2-day publishing delay for Starter, it waits 2 days then automatically publishes.
4
Featured Period (if configured)
If you’ve also enabled a 5-day featured period for Starter, it stays featured for 5 days after publishing, then drops back to a regular listing.
Premium Plan Example
Imagine you have a Premium plan with:- No publishing delay (0 days)
- 30-day featured period
Getting Started
Remember to click “Save Changes” after you’ve configured your rules for each subscription plan.
Best Practices
- Start simple: Begin with basic rules for your Starter plan, then customize for premium tiers
- Test thoroughly: Use the “Process Now” buttons to test your automation rules immediately
- Monitor regularly: Check the hourly processing results to ensure automation is working as expected
- Communicate clearly: Make sure your users understand the benefits of upgrading (immediate publishing, longer featured periods, etc.)
Automation Benefits
Time Savings
Eliminate manual listing management tasks
Monetization
Create clear upgrade incentives with different automation rules
Consistency
Ensure all listings follow the same rules based on their plan
Scalability
Handle hundreds of listings without manual intervention