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Journeys: Use case library

Updated

This guide covers common Journey patterns for specific communication goals. Each pattern describes the intent, recommended structure, and what you'll need in your account to get started — not a step-by-step walkthrough. Use these patterns as a starting point and adapt them to fit your lists, content, and audience.

How to use this guide: Find the pattern that most closely matches your goal. Before building, confirm you have the required lists and automated emails in your account. Where a template is available, start there — templates give you a ready-made structure you can customize with your own content and data.

A note on conditional splits: Journeys support conditional split steps, which let you branch recipients into different paths based on their behavior or attributes. Conditions include whether a recipient opened an email, clicked a link, belongs to a specific list, or a percentage split to randomly divide your audience.

 

Use case pattern

Each use case pattern follows this structure:

  • Goal — The outcome this Journey is designed to achieve
  • Best Entry Trigger — The recommended way to enroll recipients into this Journey
  • Core Step Sequence — The recommended flow from start to finish
  • Account Data Required — What lists, attributes, and emails you'll need before building
  • Template Available — Whether a ready-made template exists in Workshop to start from
  • Common Variations — Ways this pattern is commonly adapted for different needs
  • Watch Out For — Common mistakes and edge cases to be aware of before you publish


Jump to a use case:

 

New Hire Onboarding

Goal: Welcome new hires automatically and give them the context and confidence they need throughout their first 30 days.

Best Entry Trigger: List Membership — employees are automatically enrolled when they are added to a new hire list based on their hire or start date. An Automatic list (Premium only) synced from your HRIS is the most hands-off setup; a Synced or Manual list also works.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — New hire welcome (sent on or near Day 1; this email exists in the account)
  2. Wait 7 days
  3. Email 2 — Helpful how-tos: resources for their first week (who to ask about what, time off and benefits, company values)
  4. Wait 23 days (bringing the total to 30 days from entry)
  5. Email 3 — 30-day check-in: celebrate their first month and prompt them to fill out a feedback form

Key Decision Points:

  • Whether to enroll current and new list members or only new members going forward — for new hire journeys, enrolling only new members is recommended to avoid re-sending onboarding emails to existing employees
  • Whether the welcome email (Email 1) already exists in the account or needs to be created
  • Consider whether returning employees (rehires) should be included — rehires often have a rehire date attribute distinct from their original hire date. If your list is built on hire date alone, rehires may not be captured. Confirm whether your list logic accounts for rehire date so returning employees receive the same onboarding experience as new hires

Account Data Required:

  • A new hire or start date list (Automatic, Synced, or Manual)
  • First name attribute for personalization
  • Automated emails for each step (Email 1 exists as a template; Emails 2 and 3 need to be created)

Template Available: Yes — the New Hire Onboarding template is available in the Template Library. It uses the List Membership trigger and includes the Welcome email. Direct the user to start from this template and add their Helpful How-tos and 30-day check-in emails to complete the series.

Common Variations:

  • Branch by department or role at entry to send different resource links in the how-tos email
  • Extend to 60 or 90 days with additional milestone check-ins

Watch Out For:

  • The wait steps are cumulative — to send at Day 7 and Day 30, set the first wait to 7 days and the second to 23 days (not 30)
  • If using an Automatic list, confirm the account is on a Premium plan — Automatic lists are not available on Essential or Enhanced plans

Variant: Without automatic lists 

Customers without Automatic lists can still run a fully functional onboarding Journey using a Synced or Manual list. The Journey structure and step sequence remain exactly the same — the only difference is how employees get onto the list.

  • Synced list: Your IT or People team adds new hires to a security group in your directory (AD, Okta, Google). Workshop syncs that group every 2–6 hours, so the employee is typically enrolled in the Journey within a few hours of being added — same day in most cases.
  • Manual/CSV list: Someone on your team uploads or manually adds the new hire to the list in Workshop. Enrollment happens immediately after they are added. This approach works well for smaller teams or organizations without a directory sync.

For both list types, recommend enrolling current and new members so no one is missed if the list is being set up for the first time. Once active, enrolling only new members going forward avoids re-triggering the Journey for employees already past their first 30 days.

 

Timecard Reminder

Goal: Ensure employees submit their timecards on time each pay period so payroll runs smoothly, without requiring manual reminders.

Best Entry Trigger: On a Schedule — the Journey runs automatically on a recurring basis (e.g., weekly, biweekly) aligned to the payroll cycle. Recipients do not need to be re-enrolled each time.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Wait until a specific time of day (e.g., morning of the submission deadline)
  2. Email 1 — Timecard reminder: a brief, friendly nudge to submit hours before end of day

Key Decision Points:

  • The cadence (weekly, biweekly, monthly) should match the pay period
  • The time of day the email sends — morning sends give employees time to act before the deadline

Account Data Required:

  • A list of all employees who submit timecards
  • First name attribute for personalization
  • One automated email

Template Available: Yes — the Timecard Reminder template is available. It uses the On a Schedule trigger and includes a ready-to-use email. Direct the user to this template and have them configure the schedule to match their pay period and set the appropriate list.

Common Variations:

  • Send two reminders per pay period — one mid-period and one the day before the deadline
  • Target only hourly or contractor employees rather than the full company by using a filtered list

Watch Out For:

  • By default, Workshop does not send on weekends — if the deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, confirm weekend send settings or configure accordingly
  • Blackout dates may delay sends on Premium accounts; admins can override this per Journey if payroll deadlines require it

 

Open Enrollment

Goal: Keep employees informed and on track throughout the benefits open enrollment window, ensuring no one misses the deadline to submit their selections.

Best Entry Trigger: Enroll Recipients — because open enrollment applies to a defined audience at a specific point in time, manually enrolling the relevant employee list at the start of the enrollment period works well. This trigger takes a static snapshot, which is appropriate since the eligible population is fixed.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Open enrollment announcement: kicks off the window, explains what employees need to do, provides key links (plan summaries, FAQs, HR contact)
  2. Wait until a calendar date — set to Day 7 of your enrollment period
  3. Email 2 — Reminder: we're partway through, review your benefits if you haven't
  4. Wait until a calendar date — set to Day 14 of your enrollment period
  5. Email 3 — Reminder: enrollment closes in a few days, submit now
  6. Wait until a calendar date — set to the final day of your enrollment period (or Day 28)
  7. Email 4 — Last call: enrollment closes today, deadline and link prominently featured

Key Decision Points:

  • Whether to send to the full company or a subset (e.g., only benefits-eligible employees) — define this list before building the Journey
  • Whether to include HR contact information or a link to an FAQ page within your emails

Account Data Required:

  • A list of benefits-eligible employees
  • Specific enrollment period dates to configure wait steps
  • Four automated emails

Template Available: Yes — the Open Enrollment template is available. It uses the Enroll Recipients trigger. Direct the user to this template and have them create the three additional reminder emails to complete the series.

Common Variations:

  • For shorter enrollment windows, reduce to two or three emails and adjust wait timing accordingly
  • Add a separate Journey targeting managers with reminders to encourage their teams to submit

Watch Out For:

  • Wait steps for this Journey should use "Wait until a calendar date" to align with specific enrollment period dates — this wait type is only available with the Enroll Recipients trigger, which aligns with this pattern
  • Since Enroll Recipients takes a static snapshot, any employees added to the eligible list after the Journey starts will need to be manually added via Manage Enrollment

 

Company Event or Retreat

Goal: Handle the full communication sequence for a company event — from RSVP collection through pre-event logistics to a post-event recap — without manual coordination.

Best Entry Trigger: Enroll Recipients — the invited audience is defined upfront and the Journey runs on a branched sequence tied to specific event dates, routing recipients differently based on their RSVP status.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Save the date: announce the event, share location and dates, ask for RSVP (Yes / No buttons)
  2. Wait [X days]
  3. Conditional split — did the recipient RSVP? (see Key Decision Points for split type options)
    • If yes → proceed to details and prep sequence
    • If no → Email 5 — Follow up RSVP reminder nudge to capture their response
  4. Email 2 — Details and prep: full schedule, hotel, and a travel information form
  5. Wait [closer to event]
  6. Email 3 — Travel info: airport and transportation tips, hotel check-in details, packing list, day-of contact
  7. Wait [after event]
  8. Email 4 — Recap: thank attendees, share highlights and key initiatives, request feedback

Key Decision Points:

  • The conditional split for RSVP status can be configured two ways, each with a different tradeoff:
    • Link click: Branches based on whether the recipient clicked the RSVP Yes or No button in Email 1. Fully automated — no manual work required. The split is driven entirely by the recipient's in-email action.
    • List membership: Branches based on whether the recipient has been added to a confirmed attendees list. More flexible (can capture RSVPs from outside the email, e.g., a form or direct response), but requires a manual step to ensure RSVP'd employees are added to the list before the conditional step evaluates.
  • Recipients who haven't clicked the RSVP link or been added to the confirmed list will follow the "no" branch and receive the follow up reminder — this is intentional and gives them another opportunity to respond before the Journey moves on
  • The timing of each wait step should work backward from the event date

Account Data Required:

  • A list of all invited employees
  • A confirmed attendees list (if using list membership split)
  • Event dates, location, hotel details, and schedule to populate email content
  • Five automated emails

Template Available: Yes — the Company Event/Retreat template is available. It uses the Enroll Recipients trigger and includes a conditional split for RSVP branching. Direct the user to this template and help them decide which split type fits their setup before activating.

Common Variations:

  • For smaller events, simplify to three emails: invite, details, and recap
  • Run a parallel Journey for event logistics coordinators or speakers with different content

Watch Out For:

  • "Wait until a calendar date" should be used for steps tied to specific pre-event dates — this is only available with the Enroll Recipients trigger, which aligns with this pattern
  • If using list membership for the split, confirm the process for adding RSVP'd employees to the confirmed attendees list is in place before the conditional step runs — employees not yet on the list will fall into the "no" branch
  • If using link click for the split, recipients who RSVP via any method other than clicking the email button (e.g., replying directly) will not be captured and may fall into the "no" branch unintentionally
  • Since Enroll Recipients takes a static snapshot, any employees added after the Journey starts will need to be manually added via Manage Enrollment. For event Journeys using "Wait until a calendar date" steps, new recipients will immediately receive any emails whose wait steps have already passed, catching them up to where the rest of the audience currently is — this is intentional and appropriate for time-sensitive event communications

 

Leadership and Professional Development

Goal: Guide employees who are stepping into a leadership role through a strengths discovery experience, then support them in applying what they learn.

Best Entry Trigger: List Membership — employees are automatically enrolled when they are added to a leadership development or new manager list. This allows the Journey to trigger without any manual effort each time someone steps into a new role.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Kickoff: introduce the strengths journey, set expectations for what's coming, ask them to set aside 30 minutes for the assessment
  2. Wait 2–3 days
  3. Email 2 — Assessment: send the assessment link with instructions (one sitting, go with your gut)
  4. Wait 5–7 days (time to complete the assessment)
  5. Email 3 — Reflection: prompt them to review their Top 5 strengths and answer reflection questions
  6. Wait 3–5 days
  7. Email 4 — 1:1 prompt: guide them to share their strengths in their next manager 1:1 with a suggested conversation starter
  8. Wait 5–7 days
  9. Email 5 — Challenge: give them a practical challenge to use one strength intentionally this week

Key Decision Points:

  • Whether to enroll only new list members (recommended) or current and new members — if the list already includes existing leaders, decide whether they should go through the Journey too
  • Whether the assessment tool is third-party (e.g., CliftonStrengths) — the Journey links out to it; Workshop does not administer the assessment

Account Data Required:

  • A leadership development or new manager list
  • First name attribute for personalization
  • Five automated emails

Template Available: Yes — the Leadership + Professional Development template is available. It uses the List Membership trigger. Direct the user to this template and have them populate the assessment link and any company-specific resources before activating.

Common Variations:

  • Adapt the assessment email to link to whichever strengths or leadership tool the company uses

Watch Out For:

  • The Journey assumes the employee completes the assessment between Emails 2 and 3 — the wait time should be long enough to be realistic without losing momentum

Variant: Without automatic lists

This Journey works equally well without Automatic lists since leadership transitions are typically a deliberate, people-driven moment rather than a date-triggered one. A Synced or Manual list is a natural fit.

  • Synced list: Your IT or People team adds the employee to a leadership or new manager group in your directory when they step into the role. Workshop syncs the group within 2–6 hours and the Journey triggers automatically from there.
  • Manual list: A People team member or manager adds the employee directly to the list in Workshop when the promotion or role change occurs. Enrollment happens immediately.

Recommend enrolling only new members so employees who have already completed the Journey aren't re-enrolled if the list is updated for other reasons. Since this Journey is triggered by a specific life event rather than a date, the manual or synced approach introduces minimal friction and still delivers a fully automated experience from the employee's perspective.

 

Performance Reviews

Goal: Guide employees and managers through every stage of the performance review cycle — from kickoff to 1:1 — so no deadlines are missed and everyone feels informed.

Best Entry Trigger: Enroll Recipients — performance reviews apply to a defined population at a specific time each cycle. Manually enrolling the relevant list at kickoff, with wait steps tied to review cycle dates, keeps the Journey aligned to actual deadlines.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Announcement (to all eligible employees): explain the purpose of reviews, share the full timeline (self-evaluation open, self-evaluation due, manager evaluation due, 1:1 scheduling window), and direct employees to the review platform
  2. Wait until [X days before self-evaluation deadline]
  3. Email 2 — Self-evaluation reminder (to employees): remind them the deadline is approaching, link to the platform, motivate them (one hour, spotlight your wins)
  4. Wait until [X days before manager evaluation deadline]
  5. Email 3 — Manager reminder (to managers): remind them evaluations are due, note the 6-month tenure rule, link to the platform, and encourage them to review self-evaluations before writing their own
  6. Wait until [1:1 scheduling week]
  7. Email 4 — 1:1 reminder (to all): inform employees their manager will schedule a 1:1, explain what will be covered, and preview next steps (goal-setting, promotions, salary changes)

Key Decision Points:

  • Employees and managers may need to receive different communications — rather than building separate Journeys, consider using a conditional split on list membership to handle both audiences within a single Journey. Managers can be routed down a dedicated branch that includes the manager-specific reminder, while all other recipients follow the standard employee path
  • Take into consideration your organization's review eligibility policy — most companies require an employee to have been with the company for a minimum amount of time (commonly 6 months) before participating in a formal review. The eligible list should reflect this policy before enrollment

Account Data Required:

  • A list of review-eligible employees
  • A list of managers (if using a conditional split or separate Journey)
  • Specific review cycle dates to configure wait steps
  • Four automated emails

Template Available: Yes — the Performance Reviews template is available. It uses the Enroll Recipients trigger. Direct the user to this template and have them configure wait steps to match their actual review cycle dates, and populate emails with platform links and deadlines.

Common Variations:

  • If the manager path becomes complex enough to warrant its own timing and step sequence, a separate Journey targeting managers exclusively may be cleaner than a single Journey with a deeply branched conditional split
  • Add a post-review Journey for goal-setting follow-through after 1:1s are complete

Watch Out For:

  • "Wait until a calendar date" is ideal for this pattern since all steps are anchored to specific review cycle dates — this wait type is only available with the Enroll Recipients trigger, which aligns here
  • If deadlines shift mid-cycle, the Journey's step sequence cannot be edited once active, but the automated emails themselves can be updated at any time — any content changes will reflect for all recipients who have not yet reached that email step

 

ERG Welcome and Engagement

Goal: Introduce an Employee Resource Group to all employees, then automatically welcome and engage those who choose to join.

Best Entry Trigger: List Membership — the Journey is triggered from a broad audience list (e.g., All Company), so that every employee receives the initial ERG announcement. From there, a conditional split determines who continues into the welcome sequence based on whether they opted in.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — ERG announcement: introduce the ERG, explain its purpose, and invite employees to join via a button click
  2. Wait 2–3 days
  3. Conditional split on link click: did the recipient click to join?
    • If yes → continue into the welcome sequence
    • If no → exit the Journey
  4. Email 2 — Welcome: confirm their membership, share how to get started (community space link, upcoming events, quarterly focus)
  5. Wait 5–7 days
  6. Email 3 — Get connected: follow up with easy ways to engage (coffee chats, introductions, interest form)
  7. Wait 14 days
  8. Email 4 — Get more involved: share upcoming events, channel links, and deeper involvement opportunities

Emails 2–4 each include an opt-out button that removes the employee from the ERG list and exits them from the Journey.

Key Decision Points:

  • The conditional split on link click is what separates the announcement audience from the engaged members — only those who explicitly click to join continue into the welcome sequence, keeping the experience relevant and self-selected
  • The wait between Email 1 and the conditional split should give employees enough time to open and act on the announcement before the branch evaluates

Account Data Required:

  • A broad distribution list (e.g., All Company) to trigger the Journey
  • First name attribute for personalization
  • Four automated emails

Template Available: Yes — the ERG Welcome template is available. It uses the List Membership trigger and includes a conditional split for the opt-in flow. Direct the user to this template and have them populate ERG-specific details (group name, community space links, events calendar) before activating.

Common Variations:

  • Adapt this pattern for any ERG — update the group name, mission, and resource links
  • At the end of the Journey, members who have completed the sequence represent your active ERG membership — export this list to create a dedicated ERG distribution list you can use for ongoing communications outside of this Journey. In the future, dynamic list updates will allow you to automatically add and remove people from a distribution list throughout the Journey lifecycle, keeping your ERG list current and ready to use for other email sends at any time without manual exports

Watch Out For:

  • Employees who click the opt-out button will exit the Journey — members who reach the end of the sequence represent your active, engaged ERG audience and are the list you should use to build and maintain your ERG distribution list over time
  • New employees added to the All Company list after the Journey is active will automatically enter the Journey and receive the ERG announcement — this is intentional, but confirm it aligns with how the organization wants to handle ongoing ERG awareness for new hires

 

Work Anniversary Celebration

Goal: Automatically recognize each employee's work anniversary each year so no milestone is missed.

Best Entry Trigger: List Membership — using an Automatic list (Premium only) that syncs from your HRIS based on a rule such as "hire or start date is anniversary." This triggers the Journey for each employee on their specific anniversary date each year, with no manual effort.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Anniversary message: a warm, celebratory note acknowledging the milestone and thanking the employee

Key Decision Points:

  • Whether to send a single message or tailor messaging by milestone year (e.g., a different message for 1-year vs. 5-year vs. 10-year anniversaries) — requires a conditional split on list membership or separate Journeys per milestone tier

Account Data Required:

  • An Automatic list based on work anniversary date (requires Premium plan and HRIS sync)
  • One automated email per anniversary tier (or one general email if not differentiating by year)

Template Available: Yes — the Anniversary template is available. It uses the List Membership trigger. Direct the user to this template and confirm their account is on Premium and their HRIS is synced with a hire or start date field before activating.

Common Variations:

  • Create separate Journeys for 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year milestones with milestone-specific messaging

Variant: Without automatic lists

Fully automated, date-triggered anniversary recognition requires an Automatic list and a Premium plan. For customers on Essential or Enhanced, the same outcome can be achieved with a recurring manual process using one of two approaches:

Option 1a — Monthly batch send: At the start of each month, a Workshop user adds all employees whose work anniversary falls in that month to the list on the same day. Because they are all added at once, they are all enrolled in the Journey that day and receive the anniversary email together. Use merge tags to personalize the message for each recipient. This approach uses the List Membership trigger and is simple to manage, but means everyone in that month's cohort receives the email on the same day rather than on their individual anniversary date.

Option 1b — Day-of manual enrollment: A Workshop user adds an employee directly to a list on the day of their work anniversary, triggering immediate enrollment and sending the anniversary email that day. This delivers a more timely and personal experience but requires a daily check and manual action to execute reliably.

Option 2 — Synced list with IT support: Work with your IT team to create a directory group that is updated each day or week with employees whose anniversary is imminent. Workshop syncs the group on its regular cadence and enrolls matching employees in the Journey. This reduces manual effort compared to Option 1 but requires IT involvement to maintain the group logic.

For both options, be transparent with the user that the experience involves some recurring manual effort and suggest they evaluate whether a Premium plan upgrade makes sense if anniversary recognition is a high priority program for their organization.

 

Scheduled Maintenance Reminder

Goal: Notify employees of upcoming scheduled IT maintenance windows in advance so no one is caught off guard or loses work.

Best Entry Trigger: On a Schedule — the Journey runs automatically on a recurring basis aligned to the maintenance schedule (e.g., monthly). Recipients don't need to be re-enrolled each time.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Wait until [X days before maintenance window] at a specific time of day
  2. Email 1 — First reminder: advance notice of the upcoming maintenance, date, time, and what will be affected
  3. Wait until [1 day before maintenance window]
  4. Email 2 — Final reminder: last-chance heads-up with key details repeated

Key Decision Points:

  • How far in advance to send the first reminder — typically 5–7 days out, with a final reminder the day before
  • Whether to send to the full company or only affected teams

Account Data Required:

  • A list of affected employees
  • Two automated emails
  • A defined maintenance schedule to anchor the Journey's recurring cadence

Template Available: Yes — the Scheduled Maintenance Reminder template is available. It uses the On a Schedule trigger. Direct the user to this template and have them configure the schedule cadence and update email content with their maintenance window details.

Common Variations:

  • For unplanned or urgent maintenance, use a one-off send and not a Journey
  • Add a post-maintenance email confirming systems are back online

Watch Out For:

  • Weekend send settings may affect delivery if the maintenance window falls on a weekend — check whether the Journey is configured to allow weekend sends or push to Monday
  • Blackout dates on Premium accounts may delay sends — admins can override this per Journey if IT communications are time-sensitive

 

FollowUp with Unopeners

Goal: Ensure an important email actually reaches employees by automatically sending a follow up to anyone who didn't open the first send.

Best Entry Trigger: Enroll Recipients — the initial send goes to a defined list at a specific moment. The Journey then branches based on who opened and who didn't.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Initial send: the primary communication
  2. Wait 2–3 days
  3. Conditional split on open event: did the recipient open Email 1?
    • If opened → exit the Journey (no further action needed)
    • If not opened → send Email 2
  4. Email 2 — Follow up to unopeners: resend with a revised subject line or brief reframe to prompt engagement

Key Decision Points:

  • The wait time between Email 1 and the conditional check should be long enough for opens to register, but short enough that the follow up is still timely — 2–3 days is typical
  • The follow up email should feel like a helpful nudge, not a repeat — changing the subject line is the most effective lever

Account Data Required:

  • A list of intended recipients
  • Two automated emails (or one email with a revised subject line for the follow up)

Template Available: Yes — the Follow up with Unopeners template is available. It uses the Enroll Recipients trigger and includes a conditional split based on open event. Direct the user to this template — it is ready to use as designed.

Common Variations:

  • Use for any high-priority communication where open rate matters: policy updates, compliance reminders, or time-sensitive announcements
  • Limit to one follow up — more than two sends to unopeners risks employee frustration

Watch Out For:

  • Open tracking requires that anonymized analytics are not enabled on the account — if they are, open-based branching will not be possible

 

Employee Birthday Celebration

Goal: Automatically send each employee a personal birthday message on their birthday each year, with no manual tracking required.

Best Entry Trigger: List Membership — using an Automatic list (Premium only) that syncs from your HRIS based on a rule that matches on birth date month and day (MM/DD), ignoring the year. This triggers the Journey for each employee on their actual birthday each year without any manual effort.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. Email 1 — Birthday message: a warm, celebratory note wishing the employee a happy birthday

Key Decision Points:

  • Whether birth date is stored and synced from your HRIS — confirm the field exists and is mapped correctly in Workshop before building this Journey
  • Whether to send on the birthday itself or the morning of — configure the wait step's time-of-day setting accordingly

Account Data Required:

  • An Automatic list based on birth date using a MM/DD match rule (requires Premium plan and HRIS sync with birth date field populated)
  • One automated email

Template Available: Yes — the Birthday template is available. It uses the List membership trigger. Direct the user to this template — it is ready to use as designed.

Watch Out For:

  • Birth date matching uses MM/DD only — the year is not considered, so the Journey re-triggers correctly each year for the same employee
  • Some employees may not have a birth date on file or may prefer privacy around their birthday — confirm your organization's policy on collecting and using birth dates before activating
  • Automatic lists are Premium only — see the variant below for Essential and Enhanced plans

Variant: Without automatic lists

The Birthday pattern has the same constraints as the Anniversary pattern for non-Premium customers — fully automated, date-triggered delivery requires an Automatic list. The same two workarounds apply:

Option 1a — Monthly batch send: At the start of each month, a Workshop user adds all employees whose birthday falls in that month to the list on the same day. Because they are all added at once, they are all enrolled in the Journey that day and receive the birthday email together. Use merge tags to personalize the message for each recipient. This approach uses the List Membership trigger and is simple to manage, but means everyone in that month's cohort receives the email on the same day rather than on their individual birthday.

Option 1b — Day-of manual enrollment: A Workshop user adds an employee directly to a list on the day of their birthday, triggering immediate enrollment and sending the birthday email that day. This delivers a more timely and personal experience but requires a daily check and manual action to execute reliably.

Option 2 — Synced list with IT support: Work with your IT team to maintain a directory group updated each week or day with employees whose birthday is upcoming. Workshop syncs the group on its regular cadence and triggers the Journey accordingly. This reduces manual effort but requires IT involvement to maintain the group logic.

As with Anniversary, be transparent with the user that fully automated birthday recognition requires a Premium plan and suggest they evaluate an upgrade if employee milestone recognition is a priority program.

 

A/B Testing a Message Variant

Goal: Test two versions of a message within a Journey to understand which approach resonates better with employees, then use those learnings to improve future communications.

Best Entry Trigger: We recommend using the Enroll recipients trigger (i.e add your people manually). This allows you to define your audience upfront for the test, no variance.

Core Step Sequence:

  1. [Prior steps in the Journey leading up to the test point]
  2. Percentage split — randomly divide recipients into two groups (e.g., 50/50)
    • Group A → Email variant A (e.g., direct, concise subject line)
    • Group B → Email variant B (e.g., conversational, question-based subject line)
  3. Both paths rejoin after the test step and continue with the same subsequent steps

Why use this: A percentage split lets you run a controlled test within a live Journey without any extra setup outside of Workshop. Because recipients are randomly assigned, you can reasonably attribute performance differences to the variable you changed rather than audience differences. This is particularly useful for testing out new strategies across different communications specifically your weekly newsletter, where small improvements in open or click rates compound over time.

What to test:

  • Subject lines — the highest-impact variable; small changes can meaningfully shift open rates
  • Message tone — formal vs. conversational
  • Call-to-action phrasing — e.g., "Submit your timecard" vs. "Don't forget to log your hours"
  • Email length — a detailed version vs. a brief nudge
  • Send timing — test via two separate wait step configurations leading into the split

What to do with the results: After the Journey runs, review the open and click rates for each branch in the Journey's analytics. Identify the higher-performing variant and apply that approach when cloning or rebuilding the Journey for the next cycle. Over time, this creates a feedback loop where each iteration of a Journey is informed by data from the last.

Key Decision Points:

  • Test only one variable at a time — if you change both the subject line and the content, you won't be able to isolate which change drove the difference
  • The split is probabilistic, not quota-based — distribution is randomized per recipient and will approach your chosen ratio over a large enough audience, but is not guaranteed to be exact
  • A meaningful sample size matters — testing on a very small audience (e.g., fewer than 50 recipients per branch) may produce results that aren't reliable enough to act on confidently
  • Regular emails can always be cloned into automated emails to be used in a Journey - perfect for those communications you are already sending out one off within Workshop but want to apply some new approaches

Account Data Required:

  • A Journey with an audience large enough to split meaningfully
  • Two automated emails that differ in the specific variable being tested

Template Available: Yes — the A/B testing template is available. Direct the user to this template — it is ready to use as designed, just drop in the emails you want to test.

Common Variations:

  • Run an 80/20 split instead of 50/50 if you want to limit exposure of the untested variant — useful when you're fairly confident in the current approach but want to validate a new idea with a smaller group
  • Use a holdout group (e.g., 10% receive no message) to measure the baseline impact of the Journey itself, not just the variant

Watch Out For:

  • Both branches should be structurally similar (same number of subsequent steps, same overall timing) so that the only meaningful difference is the variable being tested
  • After identifying a winning variant, apply your learnings to your next send either within your regular one-off email or as an automated email in another Journey

 

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