Create Supporter Journey Flows

Last updated: July 14, 2026

Supporter Journeys let you build automated, multi-step flows that guide supporters through a sequence of communications and actions — welcome series, lapsed-donor re-engagement, payment recovery, event follow-up, and more. This article walks through everything from creating a journey to publishing it, plus best practices and tips for building flows that perform.

What is a journey?

A journey is an automated workflow made up of an entry rule (who enters and when) followed by a series of steps (what happens to them). Once a supporter enters a journey, they move through the steps in order, optionally branching, waiting, or exiting based on the logic you define.

Every journey has three building blocks:

Entry rule — the trigger and/or audience criteria that determine who starts the journey.
Steps — the actions and logic that make up the flow (emails, texts, delays, branches, tags, etc.).
Settings & schedule — controls for entry frequency, late entry, exit rules, send windows, and time zones.

Common use cases (why use a journey?)

Journeys automate the follow-up that would otherwise be manual, inconsistent, or forgotten — so every supporter gets the right message at the right time without someone sending it by hand. A few common examples:

Welcome new donors. When someone makes their first gift, automatically send a thank-you email, wait a couple of days, then share an impact story and invite them to join your monthly giving program — building the relationship while their interest is high.
Recover failed or expiring payments. Use a trigger like Payment Method Expiring Soon or Payment Refunded to automatically email a recurring donor with a link to update their card, so monthly revenue doesn't quietly lapse.
Re-engage lapsed donors. Target supporters who haven't given in a set period with a sequence of win-back messages, and set an exit rule so anyone who donates immediately stops receiving the campaign.
Event follow-up. After a registration or event, automatically send a confirmation, a reminder before the date, and a thank-you with next steps afterward.
Onboard and segment by behavior. Tag supporters, add them to the right communication lists, and branch the experience based on whether they're one-time or recurring givers — all without manual list management.

Step 1 — Create a journey

Click the + button on the Journeys list to open the Create Journey panel and fill in:

Journey Name — a clear, internal-facing name (e.g., "Welcome Series," "Lapsed Donor Re-Engagement").
Description — the purpose of the journey. This is internal only; use it to remind your team what the flow does and who it targets.
Entry Rule Name — a label for this entry segment (e.g., "New Donors," "First-Time Givers").
Trigger Event — the event that starts the journey. The default is No trigger (audience only), which means supporters enter based purely on matching the audience criteria rather than a real-time event.
Audience Rule Groups — the segmentation logic that defines who qualifies. Click Add Group to start building rules. You can combine multiple groups and rules with AND/OR logic.

Two helpers sit above the rule groups:

The gear icon opens the Rule Tinker (covered below) so you can test how your logic resolves.
The sparkle icon lets you generate an audience segment with AI by describing the audience in plain language.

Click Apply to save the entry rule and open the journey builder.

Trigger vs. audience-only entry

Audience-only entry continuously evaluates your supporter base and enrolls anyone who matches the rules. Best for evergreen segments like "all monthly donors" or "supporters tagged VIP."
Trigger-based entry starts the journey the moment a specific event fires for a supporter (for example, a payment refund or an expiring payment method). Best for time-sensitive, event-driven flows.

You can combine both: use a trigger to start the flow and audience rules to narrow which triggered supporters actually qualify.

Step 2 — Build the flow

The journey builder is a canvas with a step library on the left. Your flow always begins with the Create Entry Rule node (the entry rule you defined on creation — click it any time to edit). From there you add steps in sequence by dragging them from the library or clicking to insert.

You can search the step library using the search box at the top of the panel. Steps are organized into five categories.

Rules & Conditions

These steps control flow logic — branching, waiting, and pausing for events.

If / Else — branch the flow based on audience rules. Give the step a name and configure Audience Rule Groups; supporters who match follow the "if" path and everyone else follows the "else" path. Use this to personalize the experience (e.g., send a different message to recurring vs. one-time donors).
Time Delay — wait before continuing. Choose a Delay Type of Wait for duration (set a Duration and Unit — minutes, hours, days, etc.) so supporters pause for, say, "1 day" before the next step. Delays can also wait until a specific time.
Wait for Trigger — pause the supporter until a specific event occurs. Name the step and pick a Trigger Event (examples include Braintree Account Updater, Payment Method Expiring Soon, Payment Refunded, Supporter Tag Removed, Recurring Donation Paused). The supporter holds at this step until the event fires, then continues.

Communication

These steps send messages to the supporter.

Send Plain Email — a plain-text email. Configure the Message Name (internal), Message Type (e.g., Marketing or Transactional), optional Campaign for attribution, Communication List, Subject line, Preheader text, and the Message content in the rich-text editor. You can send yourself a Send Test before going live.
Send HTML Email — a designed email. Same fields as above, plus the ability to Choose a template or Open email editor to build a visual layout.
Send Text — an SMS message. Set the Message Name, Message Type, optional Campaign, and the SMS message body. A live character/segment counter helps you keep messages within SMS segment limits.
Send Letter — a physical letter. Set the Message Name, Message Type, Campaign, and Letter content (limited to 450 characters).

Personalization variables: In subject lines, message bodies, SMS, letters, and webhook bodies you can type @ to insert variables (such as the supporter's first name or donation amount).

Important warning about unsubscribe links: Marketing messages without a communication list cannot include an unsubscribe link. Always attach a communication list to marketing emails so the required unsubscribe link can be added and you stay compliant.

List Management

These steps manage communication-list membership.

Add to List — add the supporter to a communication list. Search and select the list (lists show their current member counts, e.g., "Fuel Donors – 276").
Remove from List — remove the supporter from a list.
Subscribe to List — subscribe the supporter to a list.
Unsubscribe from List — unsubscribe the supporter from a list.

Tagging & Impact

These steps tag supporters and surface impact content.

Tag Supporter — add a tag to the supporter (useful for segmentation and reporting).
Untag Supporter — remove a tag. Name the step and search for the Tag to Remove.
Post Impact Story — share an impact story with the supporter. Search for and select the Impact Story.
Show Impact Number — surface an impact number/metric. Search for and select the Impact Card.

Advanced

Webhook — send an HTTP POST request to an external system. Set the Step Name, Destination URL, Content Type (e.g., JSON), optional custom Headers (via Add Header), and the Request Body. You can use @ variables in the body to pass supporter data.
Unsubscribe — remove the supporter from this journey (Unsubscribe from Journey) so they receive no further steps. Useful as the action on an If/Else branch when someone no longer qualifies.
Redirect — jump the supporter to another step in the same journey. Search for the target step under Redirect To Step. Steps after the redirect won't execute. Note: if you use trigger variables after a redirect, make sure the redirect target sits before a "Wait for Trigger" step.

Step 3 — Configure journey settings

Click Settings in the top bar to control how supporters enter and exit:

Journey Name and Description — same fields as creation; edit any time.
Campaign — associate the journey with a campaign for attribution.
Entry Frequency — how often a supporter can enter. Once only means each supporter goes through a single time; other options allow re-entry.
Allow Late Entry — when enabled, supporters can join after the journey has already been activated (not just those who matched at launch).
Enable Exit Rules — when enabled, supporters who match exit criteria are automatically removed from the journey. This reveals an Exit Rule Name (e.g., "Donated," "Unsubscribed"), an Exit Trigger Event (or "No trigger (audience only)"), and Audience Rule Groups for rule-based exit criteria.

Exit rules are powerful for goal-based flows: for example, exit a lapsed-donor journey the moment someone donates, so they stop receiving win-back messages.

Step 4 — Set the schedule

Click Schedule in the top bar to control when messages are allowed to send:

Timezone — the default time zone for sends (e.g., Pacific Time).
Use Contact's Timezone — when enabled, sends are timed to each supporter's own time zone instead of the default.
Exclude Holidays — skip U.S. federal holidays.
Day & Time Restrictions — for each day of the week, toggle sending on/off and set a Start and End send window (e.g., 9:00 AM–5:00 PM). Messages that would fire outside these windows are held until the next allowed time.

Send windows respect supporter experience and deliverability — keep them within reasonable daytime hours.

Step 5 — Test, save, and publish

Send Test — on any email/SMS step, send yourself a test to check formatting, variables, and links before going live.
Rule Tinker (gear icon on any rule configuration) — opens a panel where you can review your Rule Groups and use a Truth Table to toggle rule values and see how different combinations affect the outcome. Click Add Test Case to model specific supporter scenarios. Use this to confirm your If/Else and entry/exit logic resolve the way you expect before publishing.
Save Draft — saves your progress without activating the journey.
Save & Continue — saves and moves forward in the build/publish flow.

A journey only begins enrolling supporters once its status is Live. While in Draft, nothing sends.

Example journey: New Donor Welcome Series

Here's a complete journey you could build to welcome first-time donors, thank them, share impact, and invite them to become recurring givers — then exit anyone who upgrades.

Goal: Turn a first gift into an ongoing relationship.

Entry rule

Entry Rule Name: First-Time Donors
Trigger Event: No trigger (audience only)
Audience Rule Groups: Lifetime gift count is exactly 1 (so only brand-new donors enter)
Entry Frequency: Once only

Exit rule (Settings → Enable Exit Rules)

Exit Rule Name: Became Recurring
Criteria: Has an active recurring donation — so anyone who upgrades mid-journey stops receiving the rest of the series.

Schedule

Use Contact's Timezone: on
Exclude Holidays: on
Send window: Mon–Fri, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

The flow

Send HTML Email — "Thank You" (immediately) — A warm thank-you using an @first_name variable, attached to your "All Supporter Updates" communication list so it includes an unsubscribe link.
Tag Supporter — "Welcome Series" — Tags the donor so you can report on who's in the flow.
Time Delay — Wait 2 days
Send HTML Email — "Your Impact" — Shows what their gift accomplished.
Post Impact Story — "Field Story" — Surfaces a specific impact story to deepen the connection.
Time Delay — Wait 3 days
If / Else — "Opened a previous email?"
- If yes: Send Plain Email — "Become a Monthly Donor" with a link to start a recurring gift.
- If no: Send Text — "Quick hello" (a short SMS nudge) to reach them on another channel.
Time Delay — Wait 5 days
Add to List — "Monthly Newsletter" — Graduates the donor into your ongoing communications as the journey wraps up.

Because the exit rule watches for a recurring donation, a donor who upgrades at step 4 is automatically removed before the "Become a Monthly Donor" ask — so they never get pitched something they've already done.

Best practices

Plan the flow before you build. Sketch the entry criteria, the sequence of messages, the branch points, and the exit conditions before you open the builder. A clear map prevents tangled flows and missed exits.

Always define an exit. Use Enable Exit Rules so supporters leave the moment they've achieved the goal (donated, upgraded, registered). Without exit rules, supporters can keep receiving messages that no longer apply — the fastest way to generate unsubscribes and complaints.

Attach a communication list to every marketing message. Marketing emails without a list can't include an unsubscribe link, which is a compliance risk. Make this a default habit.

Respect send windows and time zones. Enable Use Contact's Timezone and set realistic daytime Day & Time Restrictions so messages arrive when supporters are awake and engaged. Turn on Exclude Holidays for non-urgent flows.

Use Time Delays to pace the experience. Don't stack multiple sends back to back. Space messages with delays (often a day or more) so supporters aren't overwhelmed and your sender reputation stays healthy.

Personalize with variables, but set fallbacks. Type @ to insert variables like first name, but make sure you have sensible fallbacks so a missing value doesn't produce "Hi ," in your greeting.

Test logic with the Rule Tinker. For any journey with branching (If/Else) or complex entry/exit rules, run test cases in the Truth Table to confirm supporters route correctly before going live.

Send yourself tests. Always use Send Test on emails and texts to catch broken links, formatting issues, and rendering problems before real supporters see them.

Set entry frequency deliberately. Use Once only for welcome and onboarding flows. Allow re-entry only when it genuinely makes sense (e.g., a recurring annual campaign).

Name everything clearly. Use descriptive journey names, entry/exit rule names, and step/message names. Future-you and your teammates will thank you when auditing or editing the flow.

Tips & troubleshooting

Branch instead of building two journeys. If two audiences need slightly different treatment, an If / Else step is usually cleaner than maintaining two separate journeys.
Combine trigger + audience for precision. Start a flow with a trigger event, then layer audience rules on the entry to enroll only the triggered supporters who also match your segment.
Use "Wait for Trigger" for event-driven holds. Instead of guessing a delay, hold the supporter until a real event (like a payment retry or tag change) actually happens.
Redirect carefully. Remember that steps after a Redirect won't run, and that trigger variables used after a redirect require the target to sit before a Wait for Trigger step.
Webhooks extend your stack. Use the Webhook step to notify external systems (CRM, Slack, data warehouse) at key moments in a journey, passing supporter data via @ variables in the request body.
Watch the SMS segment counter. Long texts split into multiple segments and cost more — keep messages concise and check the live counter.
"Once only" plus exit rules = clean lifecycle flows. This combination keeps each supporter moving through the experience exactly once and stops messaging as soon as the goal is met.
Draft first, publish deliberately. Build and review in Draft; only switch to Live after you've tested messages and validated logic — a live journey starts enrolling and sending immediately.