# Build your first Journey

Learn how to start building powerful automated customer journeys using Bird's visual builder. 

## What you will learn

* How to start with templates or build from scratch
* Setting up trigger events like checkout abandonment
* Adding WhatsApp messages with template variables
* Creating backup communication paths across channels
* Configuring journey end logic

### Step by step guide

Journeys are automated, personalized flows that guide your customers through the buying process and encourage them to take action. While you can choose from a variety of templates (like abandoned cart recovery), let’s walk through how to build one from scratch.

#### 1. Start from the Journeys dashboard

* Go to **Marketing** > **Journeys**.
* Click **Create journey** in the top right corner.
* Choose **Start from scratch**.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FyTBvmJAuM0k95OKqPdxe%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.22.49.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a57ec02a-5940-4993-abaf-e863bce4cbb8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 2. Name your journey and add a trigger

* Give your journey a descriptive name.
* Choose a trigger event that starts the journey.
* For this example, select **Checkout Abandonment**.
* Select the relevant connector (e.g. Shopify) and choose the correct instance.
* Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FfFAt0LdETxBxt9tf3XuW%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.32.12.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a3174cb5-59ce-4ada-bfc0-dfa90f4dbda1" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 3. Add a wait step

* Add a **Wait** action to allow some time before sending the next message.
* Set the wait time to 1 hour using the dropdown options (minutes, hours, or days).
* Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FJu7fB6l9eiB9NdeEtHo9%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.33.20.png?alt=media&#x26;token=be382672-7d56-445d-a44d-734abbe860b9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 4. Add a WhatsApp message step

* Add a **Send a Message** action block.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FxBUoUGW3wzsF2eyupnGf%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.35.34.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6e4e273b-7008-48f9-9645-95d052154039" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Select WhatsApp as the channel.
* Choose a template from your pre-approved template library.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2Fr91w3d0Y5gwfTPkB50s2%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.37.01.png?alt=media&#x26;token=91dc055f-bb4f-49de-b964-6c8cbbf71b79" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Fill in any template variables using Shopify data (e.g. product name or abandoned cart details).
* For default values, you can enter placeholders like “there”.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FLLCDIkA8FDCOdBS7Ondv%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.41.17.png?alt=media&#x26;token=489da5d1-9374-4306-90be-f9b3049e0066" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

* Click **Save**.

#### 5. Add a condition for unopened WhatsApp messages

* Add a **Condition** block.
* Select “If an event did or didn’t happen”.
* Set the event type to WhatsApp events, then choose Opened message.
* Use the condition Does not equal 1 since the journey started.
* Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2F4wq0dWIkTFH0cMl9YDHg%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.45.31.png?alt=media&#x26;token=bbc2bf67-cb60-4469-bc80-638db2b6065f" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 6. Add an email fallback message

* Under the “No” path of the condition block, add another Send Message action.
* Select Email as the channel.
* Choose a sender email address and sender name.
* Select a previously created email template, or choose from the template library.
* Customize the message as needed.
* Click **Save**.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FC9O2jwH20uWqvWDMDxhJ%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.47.58.png?alt=media&#x26;token=784539b0-fcb9-431c-82de-d598b60beb20" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 7. End the journey

* Drag in the **End Journey** action and place it at the end of your flow.
* This marks the completion of the journey and ensures it finishes cleanly.

<figure><img src="https://3861485111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FU9kiDiTGVD8kkbnKKyEn%2Fuploads%2FghNo83GfKcp17eYBAVCo%2FScreenshot%202025-10-21%20at%2017.49.02.png?alt=media&#x26;token=18942c23-7141-418f-83b9-a09c69858ac9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 8. Publish your journey

* Once everything looks good, click **Publish** to activate your journey.

Congrats! Your first journey is now live.