Audience-based entry

Audience-based entry launches a journey for a pre-built segment of your app’s users. A segment includes subscribers who meet specific conditions.

For more information on Audience segments, refer to the Segments guide.

To set up the Audience-based entry, drag the Audience-based entry element onto the canvas and select an Audience Source (i.e., a pre-built segment of app subscribers).

You can manage segments directly from this element:

• To edit the selected segment, click the Edit icon next to the Audience Source dropdown.
• To create a new segment, click Create Segment.

You can also upload a CSV file to create a segment and then start a journey for it. Learn more

Once the journey is activated, all users from the segment selected will enter the journey.

Entry schedule

Entry schedule defines how users enter the journey.

In the element configuration, choose between two entry types:

• One-time entry: users enter the journey once – at launch or on a scheduled date.
• Recurring entry: users enter the journey repeatedly based on the selected schedule.

One-time entry

When One-time entry is selected, choose when users enter the journey:

• Immediately: users enter as soon as the journey is activated.
• Schedule for a specific day: users enter on the date and time you set.

Immediately

Users enter the journey as soon as it is activated.

No timezone sensitivity

Users’ timezones are not considered. All users in the segment enter at once. To control when users enter and use timezones (e.g. subscriber’s device timezone), set Schedule for a specific day or use Recurring entry with time and timezone.

Schedule for a specific day

If you choose Schedule for a specific day, set the date, time, and timezone.

Timezone options:

• Subscriber’s device timezone (default): entry uses each subscriber’s device timezone. If timezone is missing, a fallback (e.g. GMT+01:00) is used. Click Change fallback to change it.
• Specific timezone: pick a timezone from the dropdown for a fixed entry time.

Choose what happens when a user’s scheduled time has already passed

Choose what happens when a user’s scheduled entry time (in their local timezone) has already passed:

• No, exclude them from this campaign: the user will not enter the journey. An informational message reminds you that users whose local time (e.g. 10:00) is already in the past will not enter the campaign.
• Yes, let them enter immediately: the user is added to the campaign right away.

Add users when they start matching the segment later

Enable Allow users who match the segment later to enter the journey if you want users who start matching the segment after the journey is activated to enter automatically. Users will be added when their attributes or tags match the segment criteria, even while the journey is running.

Segment types and dynamic entry

• Automatic entry is not supported for event-based and static segments. If your segment uses events, a warning is shown. Select a different segment or disable this option.
• With RFM segments, users enter only after you refresh their data. Go to Audience > RFM Segmentation and click Recalculate for the segment periodically. That updates each user’s RFM tags (Recency, Frequency, Monetary). Anyone who then matches the segment enters the journey. If you never recalculate, no new users enter.
• For segments created by CSV import, the list is static. No new users are added to the segment, so only users who were in it at journey launch will enter. Turning on dynamic entry for such segments does not change this.

Use cases

• Welcome series. Build a segment on tag Registered (set when the user completes registration). With dynamic entry, everyone who gets the tag after the journey is live enters and gets the welcome sequence.
• Win-back. Build a segment on tag Returned (set when the user opens the app again after a period of inactivity). With dynamic entry, they enter the win-back journey as soon as the tag is set.
• Post-purchase. Build a segment on tag FirstPurchase. With dynamic entry, anyone who gets the tag after the journey start enters and gets the follow-up (e.g. review request, cross-sell).

Note

In the active journey view, when the dynamic entry option is on, the entry details show “Users enter: once on [date] and when matching the segment”.

Recurring entry

When Recurring entry is selected, users enter the journey repeatedly.

Choose the schedule:

• On specific dates: users enter on the dates you pick.
• Periodically: users enter at a fixed interval (e.g. every 1 day).

Note

The segment is recalculated before each scheduled entry, so users who joined the segment after the last entry also enter at the next scheduled time. Users already in the journey at the moment of the next start do not enter again.

On specific dates

Users enter the same journey on the dates you choose (e.g. the same reminder or signup flow runs on each scheduled webinar or training date).

1. Select On specific dates and pick the dates in the calendar. Click + Add Date to add more dates.
2. Set the time.
3. Set the timezone the same way as for Schedule for a specific day.

If a subscriber’s scheduled time has already passed, they are included on the next scheduled date.

Periodically

Users enter the journey at a fixed interval on the days you choose (e.g. a fitness app runs the same daily 8 AM reminder journey every day).

1. Select Periodically.
2. In ENTRY EVERY, set the interval (e.g. every 1 day, every 2 weeks).
3. Pick the days (of the week or month, depending on the interval).
4. Set the time and the timezone the same way as for Schedule for a specific day.

If a subscriber’s scheduled time has already passed, they are included on the next scheduled day.

Note

RFM segments do not update automatically; they must be calculated in the RFM Segmentation tab first.

Before starting a journey with an RFM segment:

• Go to Audience > RFM Segmentation and calculate the segment.
• For recurring journeys, recalculate the segment before each scheduled entry so new users are included.

Example: for a journey based on the RFM segment Champions that runs every Monday, calculate the segment and start the journey. Before each Monday, recalculate the segment in the RFM Segmentation tab so new users who meet the criteria are added.