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40 changes: 20 additions & 20 deletions src/engage/journeys/faq-best-practices.md
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---
title: Journeys Best Practices and FAQ
title: Journeys Best Practices and FAQs
plan: engage-foundations
redirect_from:
- '/personas/journeys/faq-best-practices/'
Expand All @@ -13,11 +13,11 @@ When you create a multi-branch split, do not create overlapping conditions that

For example:
- In the case where a multi-branch split is based on the conditions `registration form submitted` and `webinar attended`, a user may satisfy both conditions, and therefore is eligible for both paths.
- To set a priority, branch 2 should then be `who performed registration form submitted and did not perform webinar attended` to ensure mutual exclusivity
- To set a priority, branch 2 should then be `who performed registration form submitted and did not perform webinar attended` to ensure mutual exclusivity.

### Add time windows whenever possible

Add time windows when defining conditions to enforce funnel constraints in a Journey, rather than using an unbounded event condition which operates on the entire history of the user profile. For example, to check if a user has completed an order since receiving an email triggered 7 days ago, use the condition “Order Completed at least 1 time within 7 days.”
Add time windows when defining conditions to enforce funnel constraints in a journey, rather than using an unbounded event condition which operates on the entire history of the user profile. For example, to check if a user has completed an order since receiving an email triggered 7 days ago, use the condition “Order Completed at least 1 time within 7 days.”

### Suppress targeting with journey lists

Expand All @@ -26,17 +26,17 @@ Unlike lists associated with Engage Audiences, users who are added to a journey
2. Create additional journey steps to model the conditions where a user should be removed from targeting. Create a second send to destination step for the removal list.
3. When configuring targeting conditions in the destination interface, use boolean logic to include only those users who are in the initial list AND NOT in the removal list.

### Review your Journey in drafts first
### Review your journey in drafts first

Save your Journey in a draft state so that you can review before you publish it. Once you publish a Journey, you cannot edit select portions of a Journey and Journeys sends data to destinations.
Save your journey in a draft state so that you can review before you publish it. Once you publish a journey, you cannot edit select portions of the journey and Journeys sends data to destinations.

### Know how to incorporate historical data

Aside from the entry condition, all Journey step conditions are triggered by future events and existing trait memberships. Event-based conditions only evaluate events that occur *after* the Journey is published.
Aside from the entry condition, all journey step conditions are triggered by future events and existing trait memberships. Event-based conditions only evaluate events that occur *after* the journey is published.

When you [include historical data](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/#using-historical-data-for-the-entry-step) in a Journey's entry condition, Unify identifies users who previously satisfied the entry condition and adds them to entry. For example, to evaluate if a user has ever used a discount code mid-Journey, create and configure a [Computed Trait](/docs/engage/audiences/computed-traits/#conditions) to select for `discount_used = true` to use in your Journey.
When you [include historical data](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/#using-historical-data-for-the-entry-step) in a journey's entry condition, Unify identifies users who previously satisfied the entry condition and adds them to entry. For example, to evaluate if a user has ever used a discount code mid-journey, create and configure a [Computed Trait](/docs/engage/audiences/computed-traits/#conditions) to select for `discount_used = true` to use in your journey.

Including historical data doesn't impact any additional Journey steps, however. To include historical data in post-entry conditions, use the following table to identify which conditions will automatically include historical data:
Including historical data doesn't impact any additional journey steps, however. To include historical data in post-entry conditions, use the following table to identify which conditions will automatically include historical data:

| Condition Type | Automatic Historical Data Inclusion |
| ------------------ | ----------------------------------- |
Expand All @@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ Including historical data doesn't impact any additional Journey steps, however.
| Custom Trait | No |


To include historical data based on custom traits or events that predate the Journey, first build an Audience that includes the targeted data by following these steps:
To include historical data based on custom traits or events that predate the journey, first build an Audience that includes the targeted data by following these steps:

1. Create a standard Engage Audience **outside of the Journeys builder**.
2. Add conditions that include the historical event or custom trait you want to include in the Journey.
2. Add conditions that include the historical event or custom trait you want to include in the journey.
3. After you've created the Audience, return to Journeys and create a **Part of an Audience** condition that references the audience you created in Step 2.

For example, to include `custom trait = ABC` in a Journey, create an Audience called `ABC` that includes that custom trait, then add the Journey condition **Part of Audience** `ABC`.
For example, to include `custom trait = ABC` in a journey, create an Audience called `ABC` that includes that custom trait, then add the journey condition **Part of Audience** `ABC`.

Using the **Part of Audience** condition, Journeys then populates the custom trait as if it were using historical data.

Expand All @@ -63,27 +63,27 @@ Follow these best practices to test your journeys:
- While in the process of configuring a journey, use dev Spaces to model that journey without affecting production data.
- Connect a data warehouse to each step of the journey to test for success or failure of that step.
- For early version journeys, scaffold Send to Destination steps without connecting to your production advertising or messaging destinations.
- Verify individual users' progress through the Journey in the Profile explorer view.
- Verify individual users' progress through the journey in the Profile explorer view.

## FAQs

#### How often do Journeys run?

Journeys run in real-time, like real-time Audiences in Engage. This means that users will progress through Journeys as Segment receives new events.
Journeys run in real time, like real-time Audiences in Engage. This means that users will progress through Journeys as Segment receives new events.

#### Can a user re-enter a Journey?
#### Can a user re-enter a journey?

Yes. Users must first exit a Journey, however, before entering it again. To learn more about Journey re-entry, read the [Journey re-entry section](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/#journey-re-entry) of the [Build a Journey](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/) page.
Yes. Users must first exit a journey, however, before entering it again. To learn more about journey re-entry, read the [journey re-entry section](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/#journey-re-entry) of the [build a Journey](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey/) page.

#### What destinations does Journeys support?

Journeys supports all Engage destinations, including Destination Functions. Read more in [Send data to destinations](/docs/engage/journeys/send-data/) .

#### What are the reporting capabilities of Journeys?

When building a Journey, if you check **Use historical data**, you can see the estimated number of users in the initial cohort.
When building a journey, if you check **Use historical data**, you can see the estimated number of users in the initial cohort.

Once published, Journeys displays the number of users are in each step of the Journey at any given time.
Once published, Journeys displays the number of users are in each step of the journey at any given time.

#### How are users sent to downstream destinations?

Expand All @@ -94,13 +94,13 @@ For Engage customers, users with either the Engage User or Engage Admin roles ca

#### Why am I seeing duplicate entry or exit events?

Journeys triggers audience or trait-related events for each email `external_id` on a profile. If a profile has two email addresses, you'll see two Audience Entered and two Audience Exited events for each Journey step. Journeys sends both email addresses to downstream destinations.
Journeys triggers audience or trait-related events for each email `external_id` on a profile. If a profile has two email addresses, you'll see two Audience Entered and two Audience Exited events for each journey step. Journeys sends both email addresses to downstream destinations.

#### How quickly do user profiles move through Journeys?

It may take up to five minutes for a user profile to enter each step of a Journey, including the entry condition. For Journey steps that reference a batch audience or SQL trait, Journeys processes user profiles at the same rate as the audience or trait computation. Visit the Engage docs to [learn more about compute times](/docs/engage/audiences/#understanding-compute-times).
It may take up to five minutes for a user profile to enter each step of a journey, including the entry condition. For journey steps that reference a batch audience or SQL trait, Journeys processes user profiles at the same rate as the audience or trait computation. Visit the Engage docs to [learn more about compute times](/docs/engage/audiences/#understanding-compute-times).

#### How can I ensure consistent user evaluation in Journey entry conditions that use historical data?
#### How can I ensure consistent user evaluation in journey entry conditions that use historical data?

When you publish a journey, the entry step begins evaluating users in real time while the historical data backfill runs separately. If a user's events or traits span both real-time and historical data, they might qualify for the journey immediately, even if their full historical data would have disqualified them.

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22 changes: 11 additions & 11 deletions src/engage/journeys/index.md
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Expand Up @@ -5,36 +5,36 @@ redirect_from:
- "/personas/journeys"
---

Journeys, a feature of [Engage](/docs/engage/), provides a way for marketers to personalize experiences through planning how and when to engage customers with the right campaigns and messages.

Journeys, a feature of Engage, provides a way for marketers to personalize experiences through planning how and when to engage customers with the right campaigns and messages.

<video width="690px" controls autoplay>
<video width="690px" controls autoplay aria-label="Demo video setting up a new journey with entry and true/false split conditions.">
<source src="images/journeys-teaser.webm" type="video/webm">
<source src="images/journeys-teaser.mp4" type="video/mp4">
</video>

Journeys enable you to define steps in a user's journey based on event behavior and traits. You can build Journeys from your tracking events, traits, computed traits, or audiences. At each step of a journey, you can send your list of users to any Engage-compatible destination.
Journeys let you define steps in a user's journey based on event behavior and traits. You can build Journeys from your tracking events, traits, computed traits, or audiences. At each step of a journey, you can send your list of users to any Engage-compatible destination.

## Get started
## Getting started

Start with the visual builder to define entrance criteria, build out conditional branching logic, then focus messaging to drive conversion. Repeat purchase campaigns, trial conversions, and onboarding flows are great examples to get started from. For more information, see [Build a Journey](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey).
Start with the visual builder to define entrance criteria, build out conditional branching logic, then focus messaging to drive conversion. Repeat purchase campaigns, trial conversions, and onboarding flows are great examples to get started from. For more information, see [build a journey](/docs/engage/journeys/build-journey).

## Send data to your destinations

Connect destinations to your Journey to send events or user lists when users reach the corresponding step in the Journey. For more information, see [Send Journeys data to a Destination](/docs/engage/journeys/send-data).
Connect destinations to your journey to send events or user lists when users reach the corresponding step in the journey. For more information, see [Send Journeys data to a Destination](/docs/engage/journeys/send-data).

## Best practices and FAQ
## Best practices and FAQs

For information about best practices for getting started with Journeys, and to view frequently asked questions about Journeys, see [Best Practices and FAQ](/docs/engage/journeys/faq-best-practices).
For information about best practices for getting started with Journeys, and to view frequently asked questions about Journeys, see [Best Practices and FAQs](/docs/engage/journeys/faq-best-practices).

## Journeys use cases

See [Examples Journeys Use Cases](/docs/engage/journeys/use-cases/) for examples of ways you can use Journeys in your marketing workflow.
See [Examples Journeys use cases](/docs/engage/journeys/use-cases/) for examples of ways you can use Journeys in your marketing workflow.

## Journeys glossary

For a list of key terms related to Journeys, see [Journeys Key Terms](/docs/engage/journeys/key-terms).

## Journeys Product Limits
## Journeys product limits

For information about Product Limits related to Journeys, see [Product Limits - Journeys](/docs/engage/product-limits#journeys).

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