# Splits

Journeys are meant to tell a story. With splits and actions, you can customize your journey to meet your business goal by personalizing to your customers based on your criteria. Options include:

• **Branching**: Route contacts into different branches so you can take different actions on each group

• **Experiment**: Try different actions on different groups that are split randomly to determine which marketing tool will work best

• **Join**: Combine contacts from branches and variants back together after a split



## Branch

If you'd like to offer the contacts entering your journey tailored experiences based on segment membership, you can split the group by **Branching**.

1. Add a **Branching** step. The **Branching Details** pane opens.

2. **Name** your split. Add a **note** if desired.

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Pro tip

Use your mouse to zoom in and out and drag the canvas around. This is especially helpful when you have a larger campaign:

3. You can include up to 10 branches, including the default branch. To add a new branch, click **Add Split**.

   1. Give the branch a unique **name**.

   2. From the first drop down, choose **includes** to route any contacts in that segment to this branch. Choose **Excludes** to keep any contacts in your specified segment from being routed to this branch.

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Remove Branches

If you have more than two branches, you can remove any _except the default branch_ as needed:

• Click the **trash can icon**. If there are steps associated with that branch, those steps will also be deleted.

You must have two branches remaining after you delete.

4. Choose a **Default Branch Name** for any contacts not identified in the other branches to route to.

5. Click anywhere in the editor window or click **X** to close the Branch Details pane.

You can branch at any step in your journey; repeat steps 10-11.

• To edit a branch, click the specific branch box.

• To delete a branching step entirely, use the **branching box drop-down arrow,** then click **delete**. Select a **branch** to keep and the remaining ones will be deleted.

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Branch ordering

Branch conditions are evaluated as they appear in the sidebar from top to bottom (or left to right on the canvas). Contacts will be routed to the first branch for which they meet the criteria. All contacts that do not meet the criteria of any preceding branches will be routed to the default branch.



## Experiment

Run experiments to determine the most effective marketing tactics. For example, you could offer free shipping on Group A and a discount code on Group B to see which option increases sales the most. While branching assigns contacts based on specific criteria, experiments routes contacts randomly based on the configured weights.

1. Add an **Experiment**. The **Experiment Details** pane opens.

2. **Name** the experiment and include a **note** if desired.

3. If you'd like to include a _Holdout Group_ (a control group), toggle the option on and specify what percentage of contacts should go to the holdout group.

4. Click **Add Variant** for each variant you want to include. You must have at least two variants _or_ one variant and a holdout.

5. Name each variant uniquely and either specify what percentage of contacts should go to this variant _or_ click **Distribute Evenly** to auto-populate the percentage.

6. Exit the details pane then select the corresponding action for the variant by clicking the **+**. You can choose to add more branches, experiments, or send communication to each variant. You can also choose to have no action for the variant. This is the recommended setting for holdouts.

• To remove a variant, click the trash can icon. An experiment must have at least two variants or one variant and a holdout.

• To delete an experiment step entirely, use the experiment box drop-down arrow, then click delete. You will be asked to select a variant to keep and the remaining ones will be deleted.

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Be mindful when deleting

Deleting a branch or variants with many steps connected **deletes** those steps. Deleting an _entire split_ deletes all branches/variants _except_ for the one you select to keep. **This action can't be undone.**



## Join

Once you've branched or experimented, you may want to rejoin two branches or variants to avoid duplication if contacts will get the same experience from that point. Some examples for using a join are:

• You want to run an experiment for a specific step (e.g. a subject line test) and then let all contacts continue to the same step after that.

• You make a branching split based on customer preference (e.g. geography), but the next step is relevant to all contacts (e.g. a tutorial).

1. Add a **Join** step. The **Join Details** pane opens. (_Join_ is only an option if you have a previous split established.)

2. The branch or variant you are joining from highlights in pink. Click the **+** for to select the steps that you want to join it to.

3. At the bottom of the editor, click **join**:

From this join, you can branch, experiment, join, or take action.

### Edit join

To edit a join and **add** or **remove** connected steps, click the **join box** and select **Modify Join**. This is helpful when you add a new branch or variant to an already existing split.

### Insert a Join

You can insert a join between two existing steps. This is helpful if you’re adding a new experiment in the middle of an existing journey. Just click on the + sign between two existing steps, and select the branch or variant that you want to join to.

Note, you can't join to a descendant, since that would create a loop in the journey.



# Remove a Split

To remove a step that has split into branches:

1. From the drop down click **Delete**.

2. You're prompted to choose which branch you want to keep; the other will be deleted.