Sub-sequences help you organize additional paths within a Sequence while keeping contacts under a single Sequence subscription.
When to use a sub-sequence
Use a sub-sequence when your Sequence needs a distinct path that you want to keep separate from the main flow. For example, you might send contacts down a different path based on their behavior while still keeping the entire journey within the same Sequence.
Here are a few ways this could work in practice:
Course onboarding: You're using a Sequence to onboard students after they purchase a course. Most students follow the standard onboarding path, but students who purchased an additional coaching package enter a sub-sequence with instructions for booking their coaching sessions.
Lead nurturing: You're nurturing leads who downloaded a free guide. Contacts who show interest in a particular topic can enter a sub-sequence with additional content about that topic before returning to the main nurture flow.
Product promotion: You're promoting an online course over several emails. If a contact purchases during the promotion, they can leave the promotional path and enter a sub-sequence with customer-specific follow-up.
Event follow-up: You're following up with people who registered for a seminar or other event. Attendees can enter one sub-sequence with relevant next steps, while contacts who didn't actually attend can follow a different path.
Sub-sequences can help you:
Keep complex Sequence flows easier to organize and visualize.
Create different paths based on contact behavior or conditions.
Keep related paths under a single Sequence subscription.
You don't always need a sub-sequence. For smaller variations, you can extend the main Sequence instead. If the new path represents a more distinct journey that should be managed separately, consider using a separate Sequence.
Create a sub-sequence
Go to Marketing > Sequences.
Open the Sequence you want to edit.
Click + Add in the top toolbar to add a sub-sequence.
Add and configure the steps in the sub-sequence as usual.
You don't need to configure a separate starting rule for a sub-sequence.
Sub-sequence steps are labeled with a letter before the step number. For example, the steps in sub-sequence A are labeled A1, A2, and so on. Each sub-sequence has its own letter, making its steps easier to identify when building and connecting your paths.
Decide what happens at the end
How you end the sub-sequence depends on what you want the contact to do next.
Use a Complete step if the contact should stop progressing through the Sequence.
Use a Go To step if the contact should return to another point in the Sequence and continue through a different path.
Plan your sub-sequences before the Sequence goes live where possible. Restructuring a Sequence that's already in use can disrupt the existing flow and affect your analytics.