# Automation type choice and Journey Builder activities

*Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant Study Guide · Automation · Last updated November 3, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-consultant/automation/automation-type-choice-and-journey-builder-activities*

When a requirement belongs in Journey Builder rather than Automation Studio, and which message, mobile, wait, split, Sales and Service Cloud or custom activity fits each step of a journey.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant
- Exam section: Automation
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-consultant

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a customer scenario, provide the appropriate automation type and activities that should be utilized.

## What the exam expects

- Decide whether a requirement belongs in Journey Builder or Automation Studio, and which journey type or automation starting source fits it.
- Pick the message activity (email, SMS, push, inbox, in-app, LINE, WhatsApp) that delivers the requested channel experience.
- Choose the mobile entry source or wait activity that reacts to engagement with a mobile message.
- Choose between decision, engagement and random splits, and recognize when only a custom split can make the routing decision.
- Plan Sales and Service Cloud activities and custom activities, including what a copied activity or a hosted endpoint needs.
- Key terms: **messaging activity** (a canvas activity that sends content to the contact); **entry source** (where contacts entering a journey come from); **split** (an activity that picks each contact's path); **custom activity** (a hosted web app that Journey Builder loads through an installed package); **starting source** (what makes an automation run).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Journey without a message | Fails validation; at least one messaging activity is required | [Validate a Journey](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_validate_your_journey.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| In-app messages per session | One by default | [In-App Message Activity](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_configure_inapp_in_journey_builder.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| WhatsApp template | Needs WhatsApp approval; Engagement Splits not supported | [WhatsApp Message Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_whatsapp_messages_and_use_cases.htm&type=5&language=en_US), [WhatsApp Template Messages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_whatsapp_send_template_messages_in_journey_builder.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Wait Until In-App Engagement | Up to 7 days or 168 hours, then No Event path | [Wait Until In-App Engagement](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_until_inapp_eng.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Wait by Duration default | 1 day | [Wait Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_activity.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Wait by Attribute, missing or past date | Contact proceeds immediately | [Wait Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_activity.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Random Split paths | Up to 10 | [Configure a Random Split](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_split_journey_contacts_at_random.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Sales and Service Cloud activity timing | Asynchronous; allow up to 24 hours | [Sales and Service Cloud Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_sales_service_cloud_activities.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| CRM activity retries | Only UNABLE_TO_LOCK_ROW, up to 10 times | [Sales and Service Cloud Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_sales_service_cloud_activities.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Custom activity hosting | Public web server, SSL on port 443, installed package | [Build Custom Activities](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/creating-activities.html) |

## Check yourself

- Why can a Random Split path set to 10% hold a noticeably different share early in a journey?
- When does a newly activated In-App Engagement entry source start admitting users?
- Why doesn't changing a custom activity's endpoint in the installed package fix journeys that already use it?
- How many in-app messages does a user see per app session by default?

## Sources

- [Validate a Journey in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_validate_your_journey.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Manage Customer Journeys](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_journey_types.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Automation Starting Sources](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_triggered_automations.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Activity Types](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_activities_reference.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Message Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_message_activities.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Create an In-App Message Activity in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_configure_inapp_in_journey_builder.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [WhatsApp Message Types and Use Cases](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_whatsapp_messages_and_use_cases.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Send WhatsApp Template Messages in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_whatsapp_send_template_messages_in_journey_builder.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Entry Sources](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_entry_sources.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Configure an In-App Engagement Entry Source](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_inapp_engagement_entry_source.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Wait Activities in Journey Builder](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_activity.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Configure a Wait Until In-App Engagement Activity](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_wait_until_inapp_eng.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Journey Builder Split and Join Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_split_join_activities.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Configure a Random Split](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_split_journey_contacts_at_random.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Configure an Engagement Split](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_use_the_engagement_split_activity.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Sales and Service Cloud Activities](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_jb_sales_service_cloud_activities.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Build Custom Activities and Events](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/creating-activities.html)
- [Define a Custom Split Activity with Multiple Outcomes](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/extending-activities.html)
- [Register an Endpoint for Custom Journey Builder Component](https://developer.salesforce.com/docs/marketing/marketing-cloud/guide/define-jb-extension-app-center.html)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 16 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams