Skip to main content
Welcome Journeys are automated multi-step sequences triggered when contacts join your lists. Onboard new subscribers with a series of timed messages.

​
What is a Welcome Journey?

A Welcome Journey is an automated workflow that:
  • Triggers when a contact joins a list
  • Sends messages at defined intervals
  • Can branch based on contact behavior
  • Runs independently of scheduled campaigns
Contact joins list
      ↓
Immediate: "Welcome! Here's 10% off..."
      ↓
Wait 24 hours
      ↓
"Did you see our bestsellers?"
      ↓
Wait 3 days
      ↓
Check: Did they click?
    ↓ Yes          ↓ No
"Thanks!"    "Last chance: 15% off"

​
Key Concepts

​
Enrollment

When a contact meets trigger conditions, they’re enrolled in the journey:
  • Creates a JourneyEnrollment record
  • Tracks their progress through steps
  • One enrollment per contact per journey

​
Steps

Journeys consist of sequential steps:
Step TypePurpose
Send MessageDeliver a creative
WaitPause for a duration
Wait UntilWait until a specific time of day
ConditionBranch based on behavior
Set Custom FieldSet a custom field value on the contact
UnsubscribeUnsubscribe the contact from the list
ExitEnd the journey

​
Triggers

Define when contacts enter the journey:
  • list — Contact is added to a specific list
  • custom_field — A custom field on the contact matches a condition
  • any — Any new contact (no additional conditions)

​
Priority

Journeys have a priority field that determines execution order when multiple journeys could apply to the same contact. Higher numbers take precedence — a journey with priority 10 wins over priority 5.

​
Safety Limits

The journey executor enforces safety limits:
  • 1,000 max step executions per enrollment
  • 30-day max enrollment duration — enrollments older than 30 days are automatically expired

​
TCPA Compliance

Journey messages respect TCPA quiet hours (8 AM - 9 PM local time) for US numbers. Messages scheduled outside the window are delayed to the next valid send time. Transactional messages can be exempt.

​
Start Step

Journeys have a configurable start_step_id that determines which step the contact begins at. This does not have to be the first step in the list, allowing you to reuse journey definitions with different entry points.

​
Creating a Journey

  1. Go to Journeys
  2. Click New Journey
  3. Configure trigger conditions
  4. Add steps
  5. Activate the journey
Journey Builder

​
Journey States

StateMeaning
DraftBeing edited, not active
ActiveEnrolling new contacts
PausedStopped, existing enrollments continue
ArchivedDisabled and hidden

​
Use Cases

Onboarding

Welcome new subscribers and introduce your brand

Education

Teach contacts about your products over time

Re-engagement

Win back contacts who haven’t purchased

Nurturing

Build relationship before asking for a sale

​
Example: 3-Message Welcome

Step 1: Send "Welcome" creative
        ↓
Step 2: Wait 24 hours
        ↓
Step 3: Send "Shop bestsellers" creative
        ↓
Step 4: Wait 3 days
        ↓
Step 5: Condition - Clicked any link?
        ↓ Yes          ↓ No
Step 6a: Exit    Step 6b: Send "Special offer" creative
                        ↓
                  Step 7: Exit

​
Journey vs Campaign

FeatureJourneyCampaign
TriggerContact joins listScheduled time
TimingRelative to enrollmentFixed schedule
PersonalizedPer-contact timingSame time for all
RecurringContinuousOne-time or recurring
Use caseOnboarding, nurturingPromotions, announcements

​
Best Practices

Begin with 2-3 steps. Add complexity as you learn what works.
Space messages appropriately. 1-3 days between sends is typical.
What action do you want? Click, purchase, engagement? Design toward it.
Review journey performance and optimize underperforming steps.

​
Next Steps

Building Journeys

Step-by-step guide

Conditions

Add branching logic

Wait Steps

Configure timing

Examples

Common patterns