---
schema_version: "1"
id: 616b5afca21ef1881f186b282e90f30f54c20ba38a57025f319df77ee2e453bf
title: Automate with Custom Objects
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/pardot_custom_object_automate.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.pardot_custom_object_automate.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 733bc72a91d6bd8765f361607ac74c0d68fb31bd76dc0dbb9c2fd8b2d72e05f5
description: As with other objects in Account Engagement, you can use custom objects in automation rules. Because an automation matches prospects, a custom object automation rule matches prospects related to a custom object. Custom objects aren’t available as criteria in automation rule groups.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Marketing Cloud Account Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Automate with Custom Objects

As with other objects in Account Engagement, you can use custom objects in automation rules. Because an automation matches prospects, a custom object automation rule matches prospects related to a custom object. Custom objects aren’t available as criteria in automation rule groups.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
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        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
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            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d108677e41">User Permissions Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
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            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d108677e41 ">To create an automation rule:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d108677e41 ">
              <span>Account Engagement Administrator or Marketing
                role</span>
            </td>

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        </tbody>
      </table>

1. Open the Automation Rules page.
    - In Account Engagement, select **Marketing** | **Automation** | **Automation Rules**.
    - In the Lightning app, open the Automations tab and then select **Automation Rules**.
2. From the Match Type dropdown, select **Prospect custom object**.
3. Define the criteria that matches prospects to the custom object.
    
    - **Related** matches any prospects that are related to any instances of the selected custom object via the selected relation field.
    - **Not related** matches any prospects that aren’t related to any instances of the selected custom object via the selected relation field.
    - **Related with properties** matches any related prospects with any properties you define.
    
    ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-pardot-264-0-0-production-enus/5fef4d4f-9a34-45c6-8cd3-e3200b9eeba8/images/icon_note.png)
    
    Note Only custom objects that have a direct relation to leads, contacts, or accounts in Salesforce are available for selection.
4. Add more rules and actions as needed.