step-by-step-guide-to-sending-an-email-with-journey-builder.md

Step by step guide to sending an email with journey builder

In this example an email will be sent when a new record is added to the data extension.

Setup database and relationships

Contact builder is used to create the data extension. In contact builder the data extension is linked to the contact record.

1. In contact builder create a new attribute group. For example use DemoConceptRelationships as name of attribute group.
2. Start building your attribute group by selecting create new data extension.
   1. For data extension name and data extension external key use DemoConceptData.
   2. Next then click through to 3 - data extension attributes and create these fields:
      1. EmailAddress as primary key with required type email address.
      2. Firstname as required text (use default text length 50).
      3. Log as not required type text (use default text length 50).
   3. Click through to 4 - link data extension and join contact key to EmailAddress.
3. Click on link joining contact record and data extension, and then:
   1. Change relationship from many to one.
   2. Turn on use as root.
4. Next select contacts configuration from menu, and then:
   1. Edit email channel.
   2. In edit section for email channel select add address, then select the EmailAddress from the data extension - in example data extension will be called DemoDataConcept. When finished save changes.
5. Finally select data extensions from menu, then select DemoConceptData, edit behaviour, select used for sending and ensure that EmailAddress relates to subscriber on Subscriber Key.

Create interaction (program)

Journey Builder is used to create the interaction that records will be processed through.

Before starting this section setup content for email.

1. In journey builder select new interaction. This will create a new interaction where the trigger and events (or tasks) for the journey are described.
2. Give interaction a name. For example use DemoConceptInteractionWelcome.
3. The trigger is used to specify the criteria for which records to use. To setup up a trigger:
   1. Click on select a trigger, followed by create trigger and click on next.
   2. In the configure trigger section:
      1. Use DemoConceptInsert for the name of trigger.
      2. Select DemoConceptData for`attributes.
      3. Drag and drop DemoConceptData.Log into the section for creating the expression that defines this contact data trigger. The criteria for Log is IsNull. The reason for this will become apparent later when we setup events. In summary .Log = IsNull is the test that will be used to check if email has already been sent.
      4. For event source select choose data extension. In example data extension is DemoConceptData.
   3. In the timeline section drag and drop events for journey. Hint - at this point consider changing flow view to points instead of timeline.
      1. Use update contact data and configure to set attribute DemoConceptData.Log equal to WELCOMED. This is set so that when interaction is run previously inserted records do not receive welcome email.
      2. Drag and drop send email and configure.
      3. Change any timers to wait 1 minute.
      4. Save and activate. When an interaction is activiate it means that it is available to be run.

Add some data to the database

Next add some data to the DemoConceptData data extension.

1. In contact builder select, view and edit the DemoConceptRelationships attribute group.
2. Select data extensions from the menu, for example select the DemoConceptData data extension, then click on the records tab, then select add records.
3. Populate only EmailAddress , Name fields and then save.

Run the interaction (program)

Next use automation strudio to run the interaction against the data extension that was created earlier.

1. In automation studio create a scheduled automation.
2. Drag and drop fire event onto the timeline.
3. Configure fire event to use data extension. In example this would be DemoConceptData.
4. Use _DemoConceptInteractionWelcomeRun_ as name of automation and save
5. Select run once to run automation and wait a couple of moments. Select activity to monitor progress. Hint - screen will not automaticly fresh - use refresh button to update progress.
6. What will happen next is that any interactions linked via trigger to data extension will run. To monitor progress:
   1. View records in data extension where log field should be populated with word WELCOMED.
   2. View control panel on journey builder where number of records in interaction should have increased.
   3. View trigger emails in matching journey builder sends for interaction. In example this would be Journey Builder Sends > DemoConceptInteractionWelcome > Version 1 where status should be running and completed, queued and/or errored should have values.
   4. Also check to see if recipient received email.
   5. To test that only new records receive email repeat adding data to database and running the program.