Conditional outcomes let you split an automation into named branches so that different contacts follow different paths depending on conditions you set. This is the key to routing — for example, sending different emails depending on a form answer, the rating a contact gave, or the state or branch they selected. On the automation canvas this action is listed as Add conditions under Paths and timing ("Split the path based on rules you set."); its configuration panel is headed Add conditions (If/Then) ("Split the automation path based on specific rules.").
How branching works
- Add an Add conditions (If/Then) action to the journey.
- Create one or more outcomes (branches). Each outcome is a named path with its own set of conditions.
- Each contact follows the branch whose conditions they match, and you place the relevant actions (such as an email) underneath each branch.
- Beneath the step, the canvas also shows an Otherwise path alongside one path per outcome, for anything that matches none of the outcomes. You can add actions under it too.
Setting up conditional outcomes
- Click Add action and choose Add conditions in the Add an action panel. The settings open straight away; give the step a Step name if you want something other than the default.
- Click Add Outcome for each branch you need (for example, Branch A, Branch B, Branch C).
- For each outcome:
- Enter an Outcome Name so it is easy to identify.
- Choose the matching logic under Apply outcome when — All conditions are met (every condition must be true) or One condition is met (any single condition is enough).
- Under Add conditions, add one or more conditions. Each condition is a Field, a Modifier, and a Value (or Value(s) for select-type fields). The fields offered depend on the trigger: for a Form submitted trigger they are the form's fields (Form title, First name, Last name, Email, Mobile and each question on the form); for a Receipt trigger they are the receipt fields listed in Receipt-triggered automations. Where the Field list offers custom fields, it also includes Linked Fields, so an automation can branch on a linked field's value just like any other custom field.
- Click Add action to create the branches.
To change the step later, open its ⋮ (Settings) menu and choose Edit (or Delete). The panel reopens with your outcomes, and its button reads Save action.
All conditions vs one condition
- All conditions are met — the contact must match every condition you listed for that outcome.
- One condition is met — the contact follows the outcome if they match at least one of its conditions.
Condition modifiers
Each condition compares a Field against a Value using a Modifier. The modifiers offered depend on the field type.
Text fields (for example, a receipt's Line comments) offer:
- is — the field's value matches the specified value exactly.
- contains — the field's value contains the specified value.
- does not contain — the field's value does not contain the specified value.
Select-type fields (for example, a form question with set answers, or a receipt's Status or Subscription category) offer include or exclude — the field's value is, or is not, among the values you choose. The Value(s) are chosen as chips rather than typed.
Date and time fields (for example CurrentDateTime) offer before, after, is exactly, on or before, on or after and between, and the Value accepts relative dates such as @today or @today(+7d) as well as a fixed date.
Date fields, and many other field types, also offer is empty and is not empty, which need no Value — use them to branch on whether a field has been filled in at all.
Use Add Condition to stack more conditions on the same outcome.
Adding actions under each branch
- Under each branch, add the actions you want for contacts on that path — most commonly a Send an email action with content tailored to that branch.
- Typically you create one outcome (and one email) per branch.
- Insert the merge field values relevant to that branch in each email.
Common uses for branching
- Survey routing — send a different follow-up depending on whether a rating was positive or negative.
- Geographic routing — send different content or notify a different team depending on the state, branch or region a contact selected.
- Form-based routing — direct submitters down different journeys based on any answer they gave on the form.
- Receipt routing — send different messages for successful versus failed payments (see Receipt-triggered automations).