Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) Automation Studio is a powerful tool, but it comes with certain limitations and prerequisites that users should be aware of before setting up automations.

Prerequisites for Using Automation Studio

Before using Automation Studio, ensure the following conditions are met:

1. SFMC Account & Permissions

 You must have an SFMC account with access to Automation Studio.
 Required permissions:

• Administrator or User Role with Automation Studio access.
• Permissions to access Data Extensions, SQL Queries, File Transfers, Email Sends, etc.

2. Data Prerequisites

               Data Extensions (DEs): Ensure the required Data Extensions are created before setting up data-related automations.
               FTP Setup: If using File Drop Automations, set up the Enhanced FTP account and verify folder permissions.
               SQL Queries: Queries must be optimized to prevent timeouts or errors.

3. Email & SMS Prerequisites

                 Email Templates: Ensure email templates and content blocks are created before adding a Send Email activity.
                 Sender Profiles & Delivery Profiles: Set up sender details to prevent errors.
                 MobileConnect Setup: If using SMS, configure MobileConnect and obtain required short/long codes.

Limitations of SFMC Automation Studio:

While Automation Studio is a powerful tool, it has certain limitations that should be considered:

1. Execution & Performance Limitations

•  No Real-Time Processing – Automations are batch-based, meaning they run at scheduled intervals, not instantly.
•  SQL Query Execution Time – Queries must finish within 30 minutes; otherwise, they will timeout.
•  Sequential Processing – Activities run one after another; no parallel execution is supported.

2. File Transfer & Import Limitations

        No Direct API Data Transfer – Automation Studio does not support direct API-based data imports.

 File Size Limitations:

• CSV files must be under 200MB for import.
• Extracted ZIP files must not exceed 4GB.
   File Drop Automations:
• Cannot monitor subfolders within Enhanced FTP.
• Only supports specific file formats (CSV, TXT, ZIP).

3. Email & Messaging Limitations

 Email Send Limitations:

• Cannot send more than 100 emails per transactional send.
• Cannot personalize content using AMPscript or SSJS in Automation Studio.
   No SMS Logic Customization:
• SMS sends are limited to predefined templates.
• No dynamic personalization within Automation Studio.

4. Error Handling & Monitoring Limitations

•  Limited Logging – No detailed error messages; logs show only success/failure.
•  No Built-in Alerts – No automatic email notifications for automation failures.
• No Rollback Feature – If an automation fails, it does not revert previous steps.

Workarounds for SFMC Automation Studio Limitations

Use Journey Builder for real-time triggers (e.g., API-based interactions).
Optimize SQL queries using proper indexing and data filters.
Monitor automation failures manually using Error Logs.
Use SSJS (Server-Side JavaScript) for more flexible processing