Automations don't have to be one straight line. With Conditions, you can branch your workflow so different members get different messages, based on something true about them.
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Conditions work alongside Triggers, Filters, and Actions, but they behave differently from all three:
A Trigger starts the automation
A Filter removes members who don't match, so they exit
An Action is a step everyone in the automation goes through
A Goal stops the automation early when a member achieves a desired outcome
A Condition doesn't start anything, remove anyone, or stop anything early. It creates a Branch that splits the automation into two paths, and every member continues down one of them
How It Works
Add a Condition step anywhere in your automation to create a Branch.
A Branch asks a Yes/No question, using the same filters you already know from People and Audiences, subscription status, tags, lifetime spend, and more.
Members who match the condition go down the Yes path
Everyone else goes down the No path
Each path has its own steps, so you can send a different email, wait a different amount of time, or apply a different tag depending on which path a member takes
You can add another Condition inside a Yes or No path, creating a nested Branch
ℹ️ INFO: A Branch never removes anyone from the automation. Every member keeps going, just down a different path.
Setting Up a Branch
Navigate to Marketing > Automations
Create a New Automation and open your automation in the builder
Click the + step picker where you want the split to happen
Select Condition
Click Create Branch
Choose your condition using the same filter options available in People and Audiences
Build out the Yes path with whatever steps make sense for members who match
Build out the No path with whatever steps make sense for everyone else
Click Save Changes
📝 NOTE: Condition is only available in automations created new after this feature launched. This includes automations built from scratch or from a template. Duplicating an automation that existed before this feature launched does not add Condition as an option, even though duplicating creates a new automation record. If you want to use it with an existing workflow, you'll need to rebuild it as a new automation rather than duplicate the old one.
Nested Branches
You're not limited to a single split. You can add another Condition inside a Yes or No path to create a Branch within a Branch, splitting members even further based on additional criteria.
For example: first split by subscription status, then, within just the Yes path, split again by tags to send different messaging to different segments of active members.
Each nested Branch behaves exactly like a top-level one: same Yes/No logic, same terminal paths, same locked-in decision at arrival
The 20-Branch limit applies across your whole automation, counting every Branch at every nesting level, not just top-level ones
📝 NOTE: Nested Branches don't reconnect either. A path inside a nested Branch runs to completion just like a top-level one, so it won't merge back into its parent path or a sibling path.
Branch Behavior & Limitations
New automations only: Condition does not appear as a step option in automations that existed before this feature launched, and duplicating one of those older automations does not add it either. Only automations created new after launch have it available
Binary only per Branch: each individual Branch is a single Yes/No split. Multi-way splits (more than two paths from one Condition) aren't supported yet
Paths don't reconnect: once a member enters a Yes or No path, that path runs to completion. It won't merge back into a parent or sibling path later in the automation
The decision is locked in at arrival: a member's Yes/No result is decided the moment they reach each Branch. If their data changes afterward, they stay on the path they were already assigned to
Up to 20 Branches total are allowed per automation, including nested ones
A Branch left with no condition set will send every member down the No path by default
📝 NOTE: Editing a Branch's condition after publishing is a lightweight change and won't affect members already in the automation. Adding, removing, or moving a Branch, including nested ones, will affect members currently mid-run, the same as reordering other steps in a published automation.
FAQs
What's the difference between a Filter and a Condition?
What's the difference between a Filter and a Condition?
A Filter removes members who don't match, they exit the automation entirely. A Condition creates a Branch that splits members into two paths (Yes/No) instead, and every member continues, just on a different path.
What's the difference between Condition and Branch?
What's the difference between Condition and Branch?
Condition is the step type you select from the + picker. Clicking Create Branch after selecting it is what actually builds the Yes/No split in your automation.
Can I add a Branch inside another Branch?
Can I add a Branch inside another Branch?
Yes. You can place a Condition inside a Yes or No path to create a nested Branch. There's no limit on nesting depth, but the total number of Branches in an automation is capped at 20, counting all nesting levels.
Can a Yes and No path merge back together later?
Can a Yes and No path merge back together later?
Not currently, at any nesting level. Once a member takes a path, that path runs to completion. Reconnecting paths may be added in the future.
What happens if I don't set a condition on a Branch?
What happens if I don't set a condition on a Branch?
The Branch defaults to sending every member down the No path.
Does editing a Branch affect members already in the automation?
Does editing a Branch affect members already in the automation?
Changing the condition itself doesn't affect members already running through the automation. Adding, removing, or moving the Branch itself does.
Why don't I see the Condition option in my existing automation?
Why don't I see the Condition option in my existing automation?
Condition only appears in automations created new after this feature launched. This applies even if you duplicate an older automation, the duplicate still won't have it available. To use it, build the automation from scratch or from a template rather than duplicating a pre-existing one.
Can I use a Condition with any trigger?
Can I use a Condition with any trigger?
Yes. Condition is available regardless of which trigger starts your automation.
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