In this article you’ll learn how to create a Journey and what options are available within the Journey builder:
To find more detailed information on how to edit each step within your Journey, read the articles about Journey steps.
Create a Journey
Select Journeys from the main menu and hit the Create new button.
First you select whether you want to use a Journey template or if you want to start from a blank sheet. Move forward to select which project you want to save your Journey in. The settings from the selected project will be applied when creating new messages within the journey (e.g. sender address, available templates, unsubscribe page, engagement filter etc.). If you use permission groups, only the permitted users can view and/or edit the journey.
Then select the list you want to connect your journey to, give your journey a name and save your settings.
The Journey builder will open and you can start edit your Journey version.
Edit Journey
On Edit you can add messages and other steps to your Journey. Learn about all the steps and how to edit them here.
The only step that has a dedicated adding area is the starter. The starter can only be added first in your Journey. Click on Select and pick starter you want for your Journey. Get to know the starters.
You can add steps to your Journey by clicking on the + (plus) icon.
When you click to add a step, a dialogue will appear where you select what type of step event you want to add, a message, a wait or a split.
If you have previously disconnected steps, these will also be available to re-add to your flow.
Note that most steps must be edited to work properly.
Content or settings missing
When there are crucial settings missing, you will see a red pulsating dot in the corner which needs to be resolved before you can activate you Journey version.
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No published message content
Why? When you add a message step, there is no message active for sendout.
How to solve this: click on the message step to create, edit and publish the actual message that each contact will receive when reaching this step. -
Missing date in a wait
Why? When you've forgotten to add dates in the Wait.
How to solve this? Simply add the dates for when the wait should release contacts to the next step. -
Passed date in a wait
Why? You have added a specific date that has passed. This orange warning can also be shown after activating the Journey version (note that contacts will run straight through the wait in this case).
How to solve this? Are contacts still entering the Journey? If so, you might want to change the date or replace it with some other Wait option. If not, you can ignore it and why not close the Journey? -
No engagement setup
Why? If an engagement split is added before you add a message step or if you have deleted a message step that was connected to an engagement split.
How to solve this: click to edit the engagement split and in the dropdown connect the engagement split to the message you want. -
Ghost waits
Why? Journey will suggest you to add waits between some steps. You must confirm or delete these ghost waits.
How to solve this: click on the wait step and select to keep or delete it. -
Missing segment
Why? A segment split with no added segment won't do you any good.
How to solve this: add the segment you forgot to add.
Delete and disconnect steps
Each step can be deleted by clicking Delete on the selected step. By deleting the selected step will be (*drum roll*) deleted.
You can also disconnect a single step by clicking on the step and select Disconnect.
Disconnected steps can be re-added to the flow at a later point if wanted. These will be available in the bottom of your canvas (steps without any edits will be deleted).
If you want to delete or disconnect a step with several connecting paths you need to decide which path you want to keep in your flow.
You can also disconnect steps by clicking on any minus (-) on a path. You'll then get to decide if you want to disconnect
- next step only
- all steps from here
- select end step
When selecting an end step, you'll see visualization of all steps that will get disconnected when confirmed.
Disconnecting and crossing e.g. a split step (with several connecting paths) will disconnect all paths from that split step.
Move a step
Simply click on the step you want to move or re-add, select Move and find the space in your journey where you want to move it and click the circle.
Join paths
If you have included a split in your Journey, you also will have the option to join the different paths. Joins are available from the Exit step on each path. Click on the Exit step and select the step you want the path to continue on.
You can only select to join a step which has not previously been crossed by this path.
In the example below the Exit (marked yellow) on path C can be connected to the other paths after the split.
A joined path can be disconnected and will then return to it’s origin.
Journey settings
On Journey settings you can edit the overall rules for your Journey. Like project and the naming. But also some important details for re-entering the Journey.
Re-entering a Journey
Depending on the type of your Journey you need to decide whether your contacts should be able to join it more than once.
Re-entering is allowed by default, which means that each time a contact matches your starter conditions, the contact will enter your Journey. Note that a contact does not have to exit the journey to be eligible to join again. A contact can therefore be active in multiple steps in a journey at the same time.
By switching this off, the Journey will only open the entrance door once, even if a contact matches the Journey starter conditions a second time.
Sending speed
By default all messages are sent as soon as possible, but if you need to slow down the sending itself for a journey you can limit the speed under Settings. All message steps within the journey will then automatically release the messages at a slower pace.
Engagement filter
Depending on the nature of your journey you can choose to include the engagement filter or not. By enabling this option the settings saved on the project will be applied on the email sendouts.
Testing your Journey version
Before you activate your version you can test your starter and preview the flow. No messages will be sent by doing the preview test.
Click on the Test button and start your test. Your draft will change status to Testing and no editing can be done as long as the test mode is on.
Learn more about testing your Journey version.
Version activation
To activate your Journey, click on the Activate button in the top right. If you have already have an active version running, that version will automatically be set to Closing.
When activating a journey version, the version will run for the first time the following day.
Journeys with API Request starters will however be able to enter contacts immediately, but any following steps (after hourly or daily waits) will not be processed until the day after.