Building effective journeys in Force24 requires clarity, simplicity and consistent conventions. Follow these tips to make your journeys easier to understand, maintain and report on.
1. Keep it visually clear
A good example of this using the orange Delay component to handle all waiting steps. Combine this with a descriptive name so you immediately know what happens next. For example, a five‑day wait ought to be in a delay component named "5 day delay".
2. Name your components
Give every component a clear, actionable name. A Decision component checking list membership could be called "In sales marketing list?" so you see the question and its Yes/No paths without opening it. For details on decision components, see How to use the decision component. An Email component that is only sent after the previous one hasn't been read in five days could be called "Reminder Email".
3. Drag lines from the correct side
You can connect components from each of the four sides of a component, but dragging from the side closest to the next component keeps your canvas tidy and lines easy to follow.
4. Keep it as simple as possible
Review each step and ask yourself if it’s essential. If you can remove a component without affecting the outcome, do so. A streamlined journey is easier to debug and optimise. For a checklist before launch, see Journey checklist.
5. Use throttling and send windows
Place a Delay component immediately after your start audience to set both throttling and send windows. Throttle sends slowly at first to protect your sender reputation, and use send windows to deliver at the right days and times for your audience. For more on avoiding spam folders, see How to avoid landing in spam. For detailed throttling instructions, see How to throttle emails within a journey.
6. Use automated marketing lists
Start journeys from an Automated Marketing List so new contacts are continually added as they meet your criteria. This keeps journeys running dynamically without manual list updates. Learn more in Automated marketing lists.
7. Be thoughtful when naming journeys
Develop clear naming conventions for your journeys - include the campaign name, audience segment and date where possible. Consistent names make it easier to find journeys and report on their performance later.
By following these best practices - clear visuals, precise naming, simplicity, and dynamic lists - you’ll create robust, maintainable journeys that drive engagement and deliver results.