When you create an email journey, you start by choosing a "trigger" that determines how and when the emails will send. The trigger could be based on subscriber activity, like an online purchase, or it could be associated with someone's birthday. When the specified activity or date takes place, the journey will be triggered to send.
To get started, click Automation in the top navigation, click Create an automation, then select Custom journey. You'll be prompted to name the journey, choose a list to send to, and select a trigger type, as explained below.
Choose this trigger to automatically send emails to new subscribers or customers. The journey will trigger to send when someone subscribes to your list through a signup form. It will not trigger for subscribers already on your list, or subscribers who are added manually or via a list import.
Beyond a standard "welcome email", this trigger could be used for purposes such as a monthly training course, guiding potential customers through a product trial, or to sending out chapters of an e-book.
There are two types of segment-triggered journeys: when someone enters a segment, and when someone exits a segment. If your subscriber list is not already segmented, you'll need to create a segment before you can use this trigger type.
When selecting either of the segment-based triggers, there is an option to manage the trigger frequency where you can allow the journey to trigger every time subscribers enter (or exit) the segment.
This journey will trigger when a subscriber's details match the rules set in a segment. It can be used to send timely, personalized emails based on subscriber behavior or custom field data. For example, a welcome package or a series of upsell emails when a lead converts into a customer.
This journey will trigger when subscriber details no longer match the rules set in a segment. This journey type can only be triggered once per email address. For example, you can use this trigger to re-engage with customers who haven't used your product in a while.
To use a date-based trigger for a journey, you first need to set up a date custom field for the list you're sending to. There are two types of date triggers: a "date" and "an anniversary of a date". In both cases you can set up the journey to begin on, or before, the trigger date.
Note: Date-based journey emails are sent at midnight in your account's time zone. This means the start of the day, not the end. The automation will not send a same-day email for newly entered dates since the trigger time has already passed.
To send a date-triggered email after the trigger date, add a "delay" step in the journey designer. For example, you can add a delay of 9 hours so emails arrive in the inbox at a few minutes past 9 a.m. instead of a few minutes past midnight.
Choose this trigger for customer journeys based on a specific date, such as a purchase date, an appointment due date, or the end date of a free trial period.
Date journeys can re-trigger each time a subscriber's date field is reached, as that value changes.
The "anniversary of a date" trigger will occur every year, including the first year, on the specified day and month recorded in a subscriber's "Date" custom field. This trigger can be used for birthdays, or for sending a reminder email to customers to book their first annual service.
Anniversary of a date journeys will re-trigger when a subscribers date field anniversay is reached.
At this time, this trigger only applies to those with Shopify stores. For non-Shopfiy orders, we recommend using your e-commerce's built-in confirmation and abandoned cart emails.
With the exception of date-based journeys, a subscriber can only trigger a journey once, even if they unsubscribe then resubscribe, or enter/exit a segment multiple times.
Up until the first time you turn on a journey, you can change its trigger type by clicking on the trigger step. After your journey has started, the trigger type cannot be changed.
The best way to change a trigger for a journey that has started is to copy the journey. Be sure to plan ahead when turning off the original journey, as any subscriber currently in that journey who has not completed it will stop receiving emails when you do.
If you want to prevent emails being sent to someone who triggers a "subscriber enters a segment" journey when they exit that segment:
When you select "Send to specific segments" for an email, the selected segments are checked immediately before the email is sent. Since the subscriber who exited the segment won't be there, they won't be sent the email.
Changing the date in a subscriber's custom field can affect their position in a date-based journey. It's possible that they may receive the same emails again, or skip emails as a result. You can also set a date in the past on a new subscriber to start them part way through a date-based journey.
Subscriber custom field dates for journeys are reassessed at midnight in your account's time zone, or when a journey is turned off and then on again.