Matching activity attributes in journeys
Overview
Ortto's journeys let you match activity attributes to track and manage contacts across related activities.
This guide explains how to match activity attributes in the journey entry and exit criteria, as well as within condition, filter, and delay shapes.
Matching activity attributes in the journey entry criteria
You can set a contact's entry into a journey to trigger when a specific activity occurs, known as a sticky activity.
Sticky activities:
- A sticky activity becomes the primary activity for the journey. This means its attribute values can be used in message content or to update field values.
EX: If the entry criteria is set to Booked flight occurs, you can use merge tags in the journey to display details (like the destination) from the flight booking.
- Only sticky activity attributes can be used to match entry and exit criteria. This is useful for tracking changing states, such as a sales pipeline.
EX: You could use Deal created occurs as the entry and Deal updated occurs as the exit criteria, matching them with a shared attribute like Record ID.
Non-sticky activities:
On the other hand, if you use x activity has occurred as the entry condition, it won’t be the primary activity throughout the journey.
EX: Using the flight example, if the entry criteria is Booked flight has occurred, any later flight bookings will replace the original flight's details. So, if a contact enters the journey when booking flight A but later books flight B, the merge tag would pull data from flight B, not flight A.
NOTE: Activity data is typically stored in Ortto for 90 days, unless data retention is enabled for the activity. However, the data from the sticky activity that triggers a contact's entry into the journey will be available for the entire duration of the journey. This means that even if data retention is not enabled, the attribute values from the entry activity can be used throughout the journey (e.g., in filters, conditions, and merge tags) for longer than 90 days.
Matching activity attributes in shapes
You can use activity attribute matching in condition, filter, and delay shapes to better manage a contact's flow through the journey.
This feature is designed for journeys where the entry criteria is x activity occurs. In the examples below, we’ll show how to add condition, filter, and delay shapes to a journey triggered when a contact books a flight (e.g., People enter when: Booked flight occurs)
Condition shape
In a condition shape, you can match activity attributes based on the following criteria:
- Has or has not occurred
- First occurred
- Last occurred
- Frequency & time
Condition shapes use x activity occurred criteria for attribute matching, as they capture past events. The activity must already have occurred (or not occurred) before the contact can move through the shape.
EX: You could use a condition shape to check if the booked flight was domestic or international. You would match the Booked flight activity that triggered entry into the journey and review its attributes to get the flight details.
To match activity attributes in a condition shape:
- In the journey flow editor, click the + icon to add a shape and choose Condition > Start from scratch.
- On the Create condition page, click Filter and select the relevant activity (e.g., Booked flight has occurred).
- Add a Where clause and choose the activity attribute to match (e.g., Booked flight has occurred where booking reference).
- Click Match with entry activity attribute and select the entry attribute to match (e.g., booking reference).
TIP: Use a unique value like a booking reference, combined with another attribute (e.g., flight type), to ensure the condition matches the correct activity that triggered the journey entry.
5. Click Done.
6. Click Save to complete the shape setup.
NOTE: If your journey is off or no contacts have entered yet, your condition filter may show 0 potential matches. This is normal, as the condition depends on the journey entry criteria. Until contacts enter the journey (i.e., the entry activity occurs), no matches can be counted.
Filter shape
In a filter shape, attribute matching is only available for x activity occurs conditions (not for has or has not occurred, first occurred, last occurred, or frequency & time). This is designed with the assumption that you are choosing occurs because you want contacts to wait at the shape until the activity occurs. In this case, if the activity occurred before the contact reached the shape, they will continue to wait at the shape until it occurs again (then they will pass through it).
In the following example, we’ll use a filter shape to look at a different activity which is related to the entry activity. To do this, we’ll look at the "Flight status updated" activity and use one of the activity attributes to link it to the journey entry activity ("Booked flight").
To match activity attributes in a filter shape, in your journey flow editor:
- Click an add icon (+) to add a shape and choose Filter > Start from scratch.
- On the Create filter page, click Filter and choose a relevant activity (e.g. "Flight status updated occurs").
- Add a Where clause and select the activity attribute you want to match with the entry criteria (e.g. "Flight status updated occurs where booking reference").
- Click Match with entry activity attribute and choose the entry attribute to match to (e.g. "booking reference").
- Similar to condition shape, we recommend using a unique value such as a booking reference, in conjunction with another attribute (e.g. status), to ensure the filter activity matches the activity that caused the journey entry.
- Click Done.
- Click Save to finish setting up the shape.
Delay shape
When you add a delay shape and select the Activity option, you can use activity attribute matching when you choose an activity that is different from the journey entry criteria.
In the following example, we’ll use a delay shape to look at a different activity which is related to the entry activity. To do this, we’ll look at the "Booked car hire" activity and use one of the activity attributes to link it to the journey entry activity ("Booked flight").
To match activity attributes in a delay shape, in your journey flow editor:
- Click an add icon (+) to add a shape and choose Delay.
- In the Add delay modal, click Activity and choose a relevant Activity (e.g. "Booked car hire") and Date attribute (e.g. "Return date").
- As with condition and filter shapes, we recommend using a unique value such as a booking reference at the matched attribute to ensure the delay activity (booked car hire) refers to the relevant flight (the exact flight booking that cause the person to enter the journey), rather than another car hire booking the person may have made.
- If required, add an Offset.
- Select a relevant If the date is not set or has already passed option.
- Click OK to finish setting up the shape.