What is Journey Builder?
Journey Builder helps you create personalized, multi-message campaigns that respond automatically to guest behavior. Instead of sending a single message and manually tracking who responds, Journey Builder lets you build complete customer journeys with automated follow-ups, behavioral decisions, and progressive incentives.
With Journey Builder, you can:
Build sophisticated marketing campaigns that adapt to each guest's actions.
Transform manual, time-consuming campaign workflows into automated journeys that maximize engagement while saving significant time.
Create branching paths that route guests through different experiences based on whether they clicked, viewed, redeemed, or visited. For example, Journey Builder can:
Automatically send a second message with a better offer when a guest does not open the first message/offer.
End the email sequence with a thank you after they visit your location
Prerequisites
Before you can create journey campaigns, you need:
An active Paytronix account with Campaign Center access
Access ID credentials configured (single sign-on authentication system through Access Evo)
At least one message created in Paytronix (email, SMS, or push notification)
At least one segment in Paytronix
Journey Builder enabled for your account (contact your account manager to confirm)
If you haven't yet set up Access ID, contact your solutions consultant or customer success manager to configure your credentials before using Journey Builder.
Create a journey campaign
This section explains how to convert a standard campaign into a journey campaign and access the Journey Builder canvas.
Start in Campaign Center
Journey campaigns begin exactly like regular campaigns in Campaign Center. The only difference is checking a single checkbox to convert your campaign into a journey.
Steps
Click Marketing Tools in the main navigation
Click Campaign Center
Click Create New Campaign
Enter your campaign name
Add a wallet or remove perks if desired (optional)
If adding a wallet, set your expiration date and select where to attribute the cost
Scroll to the bottom of the page
Check the checkbox labeled This campaign is journey based
When you check this checkbox, the Schedule tab becomes inactive. You'll schedule your journey in the Journey Builder canvas instead. This checkbox is the only way to create a journey campaign - there is no separate button to create journeys.
Select your first message and segment
After checking the journey-based checkbox, configure your starting message and audience.
Steps
Click the Message tab
Select your first message from your Paytronix message library
Click the Segment tab
Select your starting segment from the dropdown
Configure control group settings if desired
Click Save and Review
Review your campaign settings
Click Confirm All
The button now says Configure Journey instead of Activate or Publish.
Open the Journey Builder canvas
The canvas is where you build your complete journey with multiple messages, delays, and decisions.
Steps
Click Configure Journey
The Journey Builder canvas opens. Your starting segment appears in an orange box on the left, with your first message connected to it. The journey flows from left to right across the canvas.
Build your journey on the canvas
This section explains how to add components to your journey and create branching paths based on guest behavior.
Navigate the canvas
The Journey Builder canvas provides intuitive controls for building your journey.
Canvas controls:
- Use your mouse wheel to zoom in and out
- Click and drag on the canvas background to move your view
- Drag components from the left panel onto the canvas
- Click on any component to edit its settings
- Connect components by dragging between connection points
Add delays
Delays control the timing between steps in your journey. Every message must have a delay after it.
Steps
Drag a Delay component from the left panel onto your canvas
Position it after your message
Click and drag from the message to connect it to the delay
Click on the delay component to edit it
Enter the delay duration
Select the time unit (minutes, hours, days, or years)
Click Save
Most journeys use delays of one to seven days between messages. The delay creates time for guests to take action before you evaluate their behavior in the next step.
Add decision points
Decisions create branching paths based on whether guests took a specific action. Each decision has two paths: yes (they took the action) and no (they didn't).
Steps
Drag a Decision component from the left panel onto your canvas
Position it after a delay
Click and drag from the delay to connect it to the decision
Click on the decision component to edit it
Select the action to evaluate:
- Clicked - Guest clicked a link in the preceding message
- Viewed - Guest opened the preceding message
- Redeemed - Guest redeemed the reward from the preceding message
- Visited - Guest visited any location since the message was sent
- Segment Member - Guest is a member of a specific pre-built segment
Click Save
The decision evaluates whether guests took the specified action during the time period defined by your delay. For example, with a three-day delay and "visited" selected, the system checks if guests visited within three days after receiving the message.
Each decision creates two branches on the canvas:
- Yes branch - Guests who completed the action
- No branch - Guests who didn't complete the action
Connect additional components to each branch to continue the journey.
Add follow-up messages
Add messages to continue the journey on either branch of a decision.
Steps
Drag a Message component from the left panel onto your canvas
Position it after a decision branch
Click and drag to connect the branch to the message
Click on the message component to edit it
Select a message from your Paytronix message library
Click Save
You can select any message type at any point in your journey. Switch from email to SMS or push notifications to reach guests through different channels.
Add downstream rewards
Add rewards to any message in your journey, not just the first one. Use downstream rewards to sweeten the deal for guests who didn't respond to earlier offers.
Steps
Click on a message component in your canvas
Click Edit Message Settings
Click Add Reward
Select a reward from your Paytronix rewards library
Configure the reward settings:
- Set expiration date
- Select location restrictions if needed
- Configure any other reward parameters
Click Save
Downstream rewards are most common in second or third messages when guests haven't engaged with earlier touchpoints.
End journey branches
Every branch in your journey needs an endpoint. Guests who reach an end component stop receiving messages from that journey.
Steps
Drag an End component from the left panel onto your canvas
Position it where you want that journey path to conclude
Click and drag to connect your last action to the end component
You can have multiple end components in a single journey - one for each possible path guests might take.
Build complex journeys
Create sophisticated journeys by repeating the delay-decision-message pattern. After a decision's no branch, add another delay, another decision, and another message with a better offer.
Example journey flow:
Segment (starting audience)
First email with small reward
Delay (three days)
Decision (did they redeem?)
Yes branch → End
No branch → Second email with larger reward
Delay (two days)
Decision (did they visit?)
Yes branch → Thank you email → End
No branch → Push notification → End
Build journeys as simple or complex as your campaign strategy requires.
Schedule and activate your journey
After building your journey on the canvas, activate it to start sending messages to guests. You can choose a one-time schedule for a specific campaign or a recurring schedule for ongoing journeys.
Activate your journey
Steps
Review all components on your canvas
Verify all branches connect to end components
Click Activate in the Journey Builder canvas
Choose your schedule type:
- One-time schedule: Set a specific activation date and time for guests to enter once
- Recurring schedule: Set a frequency (daily, weekly, monthly) for new guests to continuously enter the journey
Configure your selected schedule settings
Confirm activation
For one-time schedules, guests who match your starting segment enter the journey at the activation time you set. For recurring schedules, new guests who match your segment criteria enter at each scheduled interval.
Configure recurring schedules
For ongoing journeys where you want new guests to continuously enter, select the recurring schedule option during activation.
Steps
When activating your journey, select **Recurring schedule**
Set the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)
Set the entry time
Confirm activation
New guests who match your segment criteria enter the journey at each scheduled interval.
Manage journey campaigns
This section covers viewing performance, editing active journeys, and organizing your campaigns.
View journey performance
Journey reports show the overall campaign performance and break down results for each individual message within your journey.
Steps
Navigate to Campaign Center
Scroll to the Results section
Locate your journey campaign in the list
Click on your journey campaign to view performance
Journey reports display:
High-level campaign metrics for the overall journey
Individual performance for each message within the journey (opens, clicks, redemptions, visits)
Expandable view to see all messages that are part of the journey
Edit running journeys
You can modify journey campaigns while they're active. Changes apply to guests who reach edited steps after your changes, but don't affect guests who already passed those points.
Steps
Navigate to your campaign in Campaign Center
Click on your journey campaign
Click Configure Journey
Make your changes on the canvas
Click Save
The updated journey takes effect immediately for guests who haven't yet reached the modified steps.
View journey campaigns in Campaign Center
Journey campaigns appear in Campaign Center alongside regular campaigns.
Steps
Navigate to Campaign Center**
Locate journey campaigns by the journey icon or label
You can expand journey campaigns to see all underlying messages and their individual performance metrics.
Organize your journeys
Use clear naming conventions to keep your journey campaigns organized.
Naming best practices:
Include campaign purpose: "Winback Journey" or "Birthday Campaign Journey"
Add launch date: "Q4 2024 New Member Journey"
Specify segment: "Lapsed Guests Nurture Journey"
Search for journeys by name using the search function in Campaign Center.
Best practices
Start simple: Begin with two-message journeys before building complex multi-branch campaigns
Allow adequate delays: Give guests at least one to three days between messages to take meaningful action
Test decision actions: Verify your decision criteria align with what you're actually measuring (don't select "clicked" if you're evaluating visits)
Use progressive incentives: Start with smaller rewards and increase value for guests who need extra motivation
Switch channels strategically: If guests ignore emails, try SMS or push notifications for follow-up messages
Monitor and iterate: Review journey reports regularly and adjust based on performance data
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Journey Builder and regular campaigns?
Regular campaigns send a single message to a segment at one specific time. Journey campaigns create automated sequences with multiple messages that adapt based on guest behavior over time. Journey campaigns can span days or weeks with branching paths, while regular campaigns are one-time sends.
Can I duplicate a journey?
Journey duplication is currently in development. This feature will let you copy an entire journey and modify specific elements without rebuilding from scratch. Check with your account manager for current availability.
Do I need separate login credentials for Journey Builder?
You'll use Access ID to authenticate when accessing Journey Builder. Access ID is a single sign-on (SSO) system that requires a one-time password setup. Once configured, you'll use your Access ID credentials to access both Paytronix and Journey Builder seamlessly. Contact your solutions consultant or customer success manager to set up Access ID if you haven't already.
Where does my message content come from?
All message content comes directly from your Paytronix message library. When building journeys, you select existing emails, SMS, and push notifications. You don't need to recreate content in Journey Builder.
Can I use my existing segments?
Yes. Journey Builder uses your existing Paytronix segments. Select them from the dropdown when creating your campaign. You don't need to rebuild segmentation logic.
What happens if a guest unsubscribes mid-journey?
Guests who unsubscribe are automatically removed from all future messages in the journey. They won't receive any subsequent communications from that journey or any other campaigns.
How many messages can I include in a journey?
There's no strict limit on journey length, but most effective journeys use two to five messages. Longer journeys risk losing guest attention or becoming outdated before completion.
Can I send the same message multiple times in one journey?
Yes. You can reuse messages within a journey. For example, you might send the same reminder email on both the three-day and seven-day branches if guests haven't taken action.
Troubleshooting
My guests aren't entering the journey
Cause: The journey isn't published, your segment is empty, or guests don't meet entry criteria.
Solution: Verify journey status and segment membership.
Steps:
Navigate to your journey in Campaign Center
Check that status shows Active not Draft
Click on your segment name
Verify the segment contains eligible guests
Check that entry conditions match your intended audience
Decision actions aren't splitting as expected
Cause: The delay period is too short for guests to take meaningful action, or the decision action doesn't match what you're measuring.
Solution: Increase delay duration and verify decision settings.
Steps:
Open your journey in the canvas
Click on the decision component showing unexpected results
Verify the action type matches what you're measuring
Click on the preceding delay component
Increase the delay to at least one to three days for most actions
Click Save
Monitor results after guests pass through the updated delay
Messages aren't sending
Cause: Messages don't exist in Paytronix, have inactive status, or the journey is paused.
Solution: Verify message status and journey state.
Steps:
Navigate to Campaign Center
Check your journey status isn't Paused
Click Configure Journey to open the canvas
Click on each message component
Verify the message still exists in your library
Navigate to your message library
Confirm each message has Active status
Check journey reports to confirm guests are reaching that step
I can't access Journey Builder
Cause: Access ID isn't configured for your account or Journey Builder isn't enabled.
Solution: Contact your account manager.
Journey Builder requires Access ID authentication (a single sign-on system) and must be enabled for your account. If you haven't set up Access ID, you'll need to configure your credentials and set a password. Contact your solutions consultant or customer success manager to set up Access ID and confirm Journey Builder is enabled.
The Configure Journey button doesn't appear
Cause: The journey-based checkbox wasn't checked during campaign creation, or Journey Builder isn't enabled for your account.
Solution: Check the checkbox on the Offer tab.
Steps:
Navigate to your campaign in Campaign Center
Click Edit
Scroll to the bottom of the page
Verify the checkbox This campaign is journey based is checked
Click Save and Review
Click Confirm All
The Configure Journey button should now appear. If you still don't see the checkbox, contact your account manager to confirm Journey Builder is enabled for your account.
Guests are stuck at one step in the journey
Cause: A component isn't properly connected, the delay is too long, or a decision action isn't evaluating correctly.
Solution: Check connections and timing.
Steps:
Open your journey in the canvas
Verify all components have visible connection lines
Click on each component to verify settings
Check the delay duration isn't unreasonably long
Review decision criteria to ensure they're achievable
Check journey reports to see where guests are stopping
For additional assistance, please contact your solutions consultant or customer success manager.