# 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="/files/SpZuKFFYbxGgQjA88EBt" 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="/files/m7oaSZOPaSWiGvTp1W5c" 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="/files/IxkDcmBxeEUs53TrdKxP" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 4. Add a WhatsApp message step

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

<figure><img src="/files/I6Ajpbu4pNtMpuWw465m" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

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

<figure><img src="/files/zQ2WNZrWJs6PtokgO5eJ" 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="/files/Wqg6ir471eNHU1n4lf7z" 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="/files/GvdIZmZtD1sxyOMixzjk" 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="/files/0VKv5oPlM0SWzKK6gId2" 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="/files/ZRahz0yq4oJCyNhA8vYA" 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.


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