Create a joined a segment journey

Joined a segment journeys trigger when a subscriber enters a specific segment that you specify. You can use joined a segment triggers to send welcome messages to subscribers who signed up for your VIP program and send them special offers or discounts, send new outfit drops to subscribers in product-specific segments, and much much more.

By default, prebuilt joined a segment journeys are very simple: when a subscriber joins a segment, the journey sends them a customizable message. And that's it! But you can go much further with joined a segment journeys, and add additional steps like actions, rules, and more, just like with other journeys.

Looking for the best ways to use joined a segment journeys for your brand? Check out Use cases: Joined a segment journeys.

You should know

• Subscribers enter a joined a segment journey only if they join the segment after you activate the journey. Activating a journey doesn't look backward — subscribers who were already in the segment when you clicked Turn on won't enter, and won't enter later based on that existing membership. Because of this, a segment's total size isn't a prediction of how many subscribers will enter your journey.
• We strongly recommend leaving Quiet Hours on for all messages sent in joined a segment journeys, especially for journeys that use dynamic segments. Because subscribers often enter segments at odd, non-business hours, joined a segment journeys have the potential to send subscribers multiple messages outside of business hours. When you leave Quiet Hours on, messages triggered during your Quiet Hours are held and sent once your Quiet Hours end.

• Segments used in journeys have specific rules for when you can edit or delete them, based on the status of the journey:
  • Active journeys: You can edit the segment, but not delete it.
  • Draft journeys: You can edit the segment, but not delete it.
  • Paused and inactive journeys: You can both edit and delete the segment.
• Subscribers trigger the journey each time they newly join the segment. If a subscriber falls out of the segment and then re-enters in the future, the journey triggers again, as long as the entry frequency allows.

Decide how to reach your audience

Before you build, confirm that a joined a segment journey is the right tool for the audience you have in mind.

Create a joined a segment journey

Before diving in and creating a joined a segment journey, you should decide which segment you want to create a joined a segment trigger for. Although you can create or select one while making the journey, you'll have an easier time framing messaging and subsequent steps if you decide on a segment ahead of time.

To create a joined a segment journey:

1. While signed in to Attentive, go to Journeys.
2. Click +Create journey.
3. Click the Joined a Segment journey tile, and then click Get started.
4. Click the Joined a Segment step to open the drawer on the right.

5. Click the Choose a segment dropdown, select which segment you want subscribers to join to trigger the journey, and then click Apply selection. If you haven't yet, you can also click + create a new segment to use for your joined a segment journey.
   
   Tip: You can use the search box to more easily find a specific segment.
    
6. Click Save in the lower right corner of the Joined a segment panel.
7. Click the entry frequency button in the upper left-hand corner. This controls how often a single subscriber can enter the same journey, and defaults to 24 weeks. Set a window longer than the time it typically takes a subscriber to leave and rejoin your segment, so subscribers who cycle in and out don't receive the message repeatedly. You can also add segment exclusions so subscribers who already received the message no longer qualify.
8. If you want to add any additional actions or rules, do so now.
9. Once you're finished, click Turn on to launch your journey. Subscribers enter as soon as they join the selected segment.

Reach subscribers who joined the segment before activation

If you need journey behavior — delays, branches, or a sequence of messages — for subscribers who already qualified, trigger the journey from an empty manual segment so that their membership is created after activation:

1. Create a manual segment and don't add any subscribers to it. See Create a manual segment.
2. Follow the steps above to build and turn on a joined a segment journey, selecting your empty manual segment in step 5.
3. Upload your subscribers to the manual segment. Because they join after activation, they enter the journey.

Before you upload: every subscriber in your file joins the segment at the same time, so the journey triggers for all of them at once. Confirm your entry frequency is set correctly for this send, and keep Quiet Hours on.

Check that subscribers are entering your journey

Entry counts and send counts measure different things and aren't expected to match one to one. Find your situation below, then see View a journey's performance for where each metric appears.