Create Your First Flow

A flow is an automated sequence of actions that runs when a specific event happens. For example, when a customer submits a claim, Synapse can automatically send them a confirmation email, wait 24 hours, and then send a follow-up reminder if they haven't completed the next step.

This guide walks you through creating your first flow from start to finish.

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Before You Start

Make sure you have:

• At least one email template created (see Write Your First Template)
• A sender domain verified, or the shared domain enabled (see Set Up Sender Domain)
• The Developer, Marketing, or Admin role assigned to your account

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Step 1: Open the Flow Builder

1. In the dashboard sidebar, click Flows.
2. Click the Create Flow button in the top right corner.
3. Give your flow a descriptive name, like "Welcome Email" or "Claim Created Notification".
4. Optionally add a description so your team knows what this flow does.

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Step 2: Set the Trigger Event

The trigger event is the action that starts the flow. Every time this event is received from your application, Synapse checks whether to start a new trip through this flow.

1. In the Trigger Event field, enter the event name exactly as your application sends it (e.g., user_signup, wics_open, purchase_complete).
2. This must match the event_name your application sends via the API.

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Step 3: Add Entry Conditions (Optional)

Entry conditions let you filter which events actually trigger the flow. For example, you might only want to trigger on wics_open events where the claim type is "work_injury".

1. Click Add Condition under the trigger event.
2. Choose the event attribute you want to check (e.g., claim_type).
3. Set the comparison value (e.g., work_injury).

If you leave entry conditions empty, every event matching the trigger event name will start a flow trip.

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Step 4: Choose a Segment (Optional)

Segments let you restrict which contacts can enter this flow. For example, you might only want to send to contacts in Singapore who are subscribed to communications.

1. Click the Segment dropdown.
2. Choose an existing segment, or leave it as "All Contacts" to include everyone.

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Step 5: Add Flow Steps

Now build the sequence of actions. Click Add Step to add each one:

Send Email

1. Select Send Email as the step type.
2. Choose a template from the dropdown.
3. The template will be personalized using the contact's data and the trigger event's attributes.

Wait

1. Select Wait as the step type.
2. Enter the delay duration (e.g., 1h for one hour, 24h for one day, 7d for seven days).
3. The flow pauses for this contact and resumes after the delay.

Condition

1. Select Condition as the step type.
2. Define what to check (e.g., "has the contact performed a specific event since entering the flow?").
3. Set what happens if the condition is true (continue or skip to end) and what happens if false.

Update Contact

1. Select Update Contact as the step type.
2. Choose the property to update and the new value.
3. This is useful for tagging contacts who have gone through a flow.

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Step 6: Review and Activate

1. Review all your flow settings in the summary panel.
2. Set the Content Type to either "Transactional" (notifications, confirmations) or "Promotional" (marketing, campaigns). This affects email delivery priority.
3. Click Save as Draft to save without activating.
4. When you're ready, click Activate to make the flow live.

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What Happens Next

Once your flow is active:

• Every time the trigger event arrives via the API, Synapse checks the entry conditions and segment.
• If a contact qualifies, a new trip is created -- representing that contact's journey through the flow.
• Steps execute in order. Emails are rendered with real data and sent via your configured sender.
• You can monitor active trips, completion rates, and email delivery in the Flow Monitoring dashboard.

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Quick Example: Welcome Email Flow

Here's a simple flow you might create:

This flow sends every new user a welcome email as soon as they sign up. Simple, effective, and a great place to start.

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Looking for the API?

If you prefer to create and manage flows programmatically, see the Flows API Reference.