Build an automatic email journey
Send a series of emails when someone joins a list or gets a tag, with waits and branches based on what they do.
The written steps below are complete. The Video script tab shows exactly what the video will cover.
A journey is an automated email series for subscribers. The classic first one is a welcome series: someone joins your list and receives three emails over a week. People who unsubscribe leave the journey automatically.
By the end you can
- Create a journey with a trigger
- Add emails, waits and a branch
- Activate and pause a journey
Steps
- 1
Open Journeys
On: /email/journeysOpen the Marketing hub and choose the Journeys tab in Email.
You should see: A page titled "Journeys".
- 2
Start a journey
On: /email/journeysPress New journey and type a Name, for example "Welcome series".
You should see: The journey editor.
- 3
Choose the trigger
On: Journey editorUnder Trigger choose Contact joins a list and pick the List, or Tag is added to a contact and type the Tag.
You should see: The trigger is set.
- 4
Add the emails and waits
On: Journey editorUnder Steps add an email with its Subject and content, then a Wait of a number of days, then the next email. Use the up and down controls to reorder.
You should see: Emails with waits between them.
- 5
Add a branch
On: Journey editorAdd a condition such as If they opened the last email. The Yes → and No → paths can each continue with different steps or end the journey.
You should see: Two paths after the condition.
- 6
Activate
On: Journey editorPress Save & activate. Save draft keeps it without sending.
You should see: "Journey is live." New people who match the trigger start receiving it.
Tips
- Tick Exit contacts when they place an order (goal) for journeys that sell something, so buyers stop getting the pitch.
- Pause stops new sends; Activate resumes. Deleting a journey removes active contacts from it at once.
Troubleshooting
- "A journey needs at least one email step."
- Add an email before you activate the journey.
- A contact stopped receiving the journey.
- Contacts who unsubscribe or whose address is suppressed leave automatically. If the goal box is ticked, a buyer leaves when they order.
One row per shot, in the same order as the guide. Estimated length 2:14, recorded signed in as Owner. Use made-up data only. How to record
Say: Build an automatic email journey. Send a series of emails when someone joins a list or gets a tag, with waits and branches based on what they do.
Hold until you see: Lesson title on screen for three seconds.
Say: Open the Marketing hub and choose the Journeys tab in Email.
Hold until you see: A page titled "Journeys".
Say: Press New journey and type a Name, for example "Welcome series".
Hold until you see: The journey editor.
Say: Under Trigger choose Contact joins a list and pick the List, or Tag is added to a contact and type the Tag.
Hold until you see: The trigger is set.
Say: Under Steps add an email with its Subject and content, then a Wait of a number of days, then the next email. Use the up and down controls to reorder.
Hold until you see: Emails with waits between them.
Say: Add a condition such as If they opened the last email. The Yes → and No → paths can each continue with different steps or end the journey.
Hold until you see: Two paths after the condition.
Say: Press Save & activate. Save draft keeps it without sending.
Hold until you see: "Journey is live." New people who match the trigger start receiving it.
Say: That is build an automatic email journey. The written steps are on this lesson's page in the ItzSEO course.
Hold until you see: End card with the lesson link.
Mark it complete to keep your place in the course.
Related lessons
Verify who your emails come from, create a mailing list and add people to it with the right consent setting.
Define a group by rules, such as tag, stage or recent activity, and use it as a campaign audience.
Set who can enter a workflow and how often, stop it when a person replies, and limit sending hours and speed.