Automation20% of the exam
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.
Given a customer scenario, provide the appropriate automation type and activities that should be utilized.
~8 min read · 16 practice questions ·
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
Journey without a message
- Detail
- Fails validation; at least one messaging activity is required
In-app messages per session
- Detail
- One by default
WhatsApp template
- Detail
- Needs WhatsApp approval; Engagement Splits not supported
Wait Until In-App Engagement
- Detail
- Up to 7 days or 168 hours, then No Event path
Wait by Duration default
- Detail
- 1 day
Wait by Attribute, missing or past date
- Detail
- Contact proceeds immediately
Random Split paths
- Detail
- Up to 10
Sales and Service Cloud activity timing
- Detail
- Asynchronous; allow up to 24 hours
CRM activity retries
- Detail
- Only UNABLE_TO_LOCK_ROW, up to 10 times
Custom activity hosting
- Detail
- Public web server, SSL on port 443, installed package
Sources for this section (9)
- Validate a Journeyhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- In-App Message Activityhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- WhatsApp Message Typeshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- WhatsApp Template Messageshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Wait Until In-App Engagementhelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Wait Activitieshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Configure a Random Splithelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sales and Service Cloud Activitieshelp.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Build Custom Activitiesdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- 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?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
Keep reading with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Consultant pack
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