FAQ about Architect

  • Updated on Dec 12, 2025
  • Published on Oct 10, 2022
  • 17 minute(s) read
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How do you identify users across different channels of Architect?

Insider identifies users via a unique identifier (e.g. email address, phone number, etc.) and then provides segmentation capabilities based on the unified collected customer data for Insider’s channels. Refer to Unified Customer Database for further details on unified customer data.

Are the campaigns triggered in real-time (based on the events)?

Yes, Insider One's journey orchestration tool Architect has a starter element called the On Event. It takes users into the journey immediately when they perform a specific event. This starter tracks the user events across all platforms (e.g. website, mobile app, your back-end systems connected via Upsert User Data API, etc.).

Is there any difference between Architect On-site and stand-alone On-Site product?

Yes, there is. On Architect, you can only create on-site campaigns on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices with the following web templates:

Some on-site templates such as Social Proof are not included in the Architect On-Site channel as they are not convenient to be placed in an automation or customer journey flow.

How does the Call an API work?

Call an API is the process of sending a request to a defined outsourced tool or vendor system with a defined payload via the Call an API element in a journey. When the request is successfully sent, the user proceeds to the next step in the flow. If the request fails, the user will drop from the Call an API element. 

Are we able to collect data back from an endpoint that is triggered via Call an API?

Call an API Response Management enables you to get data from your internal or external systems through the Call an API element. You can send information or requests to your endpoints, and retrieve information from them.

Can we create paths with API responses and direct users in the journey based on these responses? 

You can use the Check API Response element to determine new paths based on your API's response. You need to add the Call an API element before this element.

How does your Next Best Channel feature work?

Fundamentally, Next Best Channel decides on the best channel option for each user and leads them to the specified channel. ‘Best’ relates to the highest possibility of engagement among the specified channels.

Can we create a journey based on a product attribute change?

Yes, you can start journeys with product Price Drop and Back in Stock attributes.

How do you monitor how many people enter the journey and how the journey resulted?

After launching a campaign, you can see the live statistics on the canvas of a journey. Landing on the canvas, you can see general metrics of the journey (e.g. entered, in progress, dropped, etc.) on the left side of your screen. You can see the relevant statistics on each element of your journey indicated by icons. 

Can we view/export the performance of each channel?

To see the overall performance metrics and comparative insights for all of your journeys, visit the Architect Analytics Dashboard where you can also select goals to see specific conversion metrics for that goal.

To see the same metrics for a specific journey, you can click the Analytics button against that journey on the listing page to go to the Single Journey Analytics.

If you want to see the live metrics and funnel metrics of the journey elements, you can click that journey on the listing page while it is on the active status.

See more about Journey Activation Statuses.

While you are on the canvas page, you can also click each channel to view their dedicated analytics pages.

Additionally, if you have an A/B split element for a journey that is on active status, you can go to the A/B Split Analytics button on the element to see the analytics of this channel. 

To export the analytics, go to the respective analytics page to click the Export button in the top right. If your journey is live, go to its canvas page and click on a channel or A/B split element to reach their analytics page to export the data within.

How can I test journeys?

You can test your journey following different methods. 

You can launch your journey on the Dry Run status. A dry run is a simulation where real users meet the starter rule or condition and enter the journey, yet no user receives a message from the channels or no action is taken on any user. This option helps you see how many users enter the journey, and how users are distributed on the flow and elements. Also, you can interpret how many users are reachable on a particular channel. 

You can also launch your journey on Test status. Once you change your journey status to test, you can test it as an end user to make sure it functions as you build it. When the journey is on the test status, no user can enter the journey unless they have a test link or test it with a test popup. Refer to Testing a Journey for further details.

Moreover, you can test your journeys by tracking users. Track User is a user-based flow visualization that shows each user's path and related user information. You can see how your user is proceeding on the journey flow as well as what date and time they proceed to a particular step and take actions on channels. 

Refer to Journey Test for all testing options.

What kind of dynamic content can we add?

Dynamic content lets you insert attributes and event parameters in the content to make the information more relevant to your users. You can use various information specifics in the content such as user-specific attributes, event parameters, recommendation attributes, product catalog attributes, coupon codes, etc. Some frequently used user-specific content options include cart items, browsed items, and purchased items.

You can personalize the content on Web push, App Push, Email, SMS, and Call an API channels in your journeys. Read more about Personalized Content in these channels.

How can we make sure that we proceed with the better-performing campaign design or variant? 

With Architect's A/B Split element, you can compare channels, contents, and paths in your journeys to decide which option performs better among their alternative while the journeys are running.

A/B Split element allows you to branch your journey flow as divided to Path A and Path B initially (up to 4 paths). Once you set an allocation for each path, it will randomly direct users to these paths regarding the allocation. 

Insider also provides a Winner Autoselection. This calculation is made among the paths of the A/B Split based on the selected winner metric and calculation duration. Once the auto winner is calculated, the users begin to be automatically directed to the winner path.

Does Architect have an intelligent channel selection?

Yes, Next Best Channel and Predictive Segments give Architect the ability to intelligent channel selections. Fundamentally, Next Best Channel decides on the best channel option for each user and leads them to the specified channel. "Best" relates to the highest possibility of engagement among the specified channels. 

How can we remove users from the journey immediately if they take a specific action?

You can set Exit Criteria actions for your journeys. Once users perform the defined event or their attribute changes to the defined one, they will be removed from the journey.

Can we add multiple journey exit criteria?

Yes, you can. Refer to Exit Criteria for Journeys for further details.

Does Next Best Channel consider any external channels?

No, you can involve your external channels in your journeys via Call an API.

If a user has not logged into the website or application before but we share their email address information with Insider One's unified customer databased via Upsert User Data API, can we send this user to Facebook Custom Audience?

Yes, you can. You can create an audience based on the user's email address in the Facebook Custom Audiences channel.

Can we use users' phone numbers instead of email addresses to create Facebook Custom Audiences? 

Insider uses users' email addresses and phone numbers as identifiers sent to Facebook Custom Audiences. Please note that the email address or the phone number should be that the user uses to access their Facebook account.

Does Insider support any third-party SMS provider (e.g. Ghupshup, Springedge, etc.)?

You can trigger any third-party provider via Call an API. 

As for bulk/segment SMS, Architect does not offer a service provider selection as Insider uses its own provider.

How does WhatsApp function for promotional and transactional campaigns on Architect?

Architect WhatsApp supports both transactional and promotional use cases with a selection. The design step has two messaging options: Single and conversational. The conversational option gets the user inside the hook flow that enables them to send promotional content such as a cart reminder message. This way you can deliver transactional use cases such as event reminders, purchase confirmation, promotional use cases (e.g. cart abandonment), etc.

Can Architect’s Wait Element automatically send the best time to engage users?

You can use Send Time Optimization for messaging channels (e.g. Email, SMS, Web Push, App Push, WhatsApp) to send a message at an optimized time.

What are the key benefits of Dry Run?

Dry Run is one of the test options before launching your journey, and it enables you to see what would happen if you launched the journey. On the Dry Run status, real users meet a starter rule or condition, and enter the journey, yet no user receives a message from the channels or no action is taken on any user. This option helps you see how many users enter the journey, and how users are distributed on the flow and elements. Also, you can interpret how many users are reachable on a particular channel. Dry run allows you to reshape and redesign your journey before launching it for all users.

When sending messages (e.g. email, push, etc.) to the end users, will the system send these messages based on the users’ time zone?

No, it will not. However, you can select the time zone manually in the Wait Until a Time Slot element.

If a user abandons their cart between 9 am and 10 pm and we do not want to send messages after 10 pm, how can we achieve it?

You can use the Wait Until a Time Slot element. Wait Until a Time Slot function keeps users until specific time slots and days. It allows you to put users on hold until the specific day(s) and time slot(s). Users can proceed to the next step only during the specific time slot(s), on a specific day(s). You can select daily, weekly, and monthly frequency options to set different time slots for different days.

We are using SFMC for our email channel, and want to trigger Insider SMS from SFMC journey builder based on the email engagement results. How can we handle such a case?

Architect can support this case in the following setup. You can:

  • Feed user data from SFMC via Upsert User Data API.
  • Trigger an Architect journey with the On Event starter.
  • Deliver the campaign on the Insider SMS channel.

What can we do with Architect for LINE and WeChat?

On Architect, within a journey, you can send a message to Line (or another messaging tool via API, e.g. WeChat). Based on the success of message delivery, users can move to the next step (successful delivery) or drop the journey (failed delivery). Architect currently does not support collecting the response of this API request.

How can Insider get integrated with a Customer Service Platform like Zendesk?

You can send user data from Zendesk to Insider via Upsert User Data API. Then, this data can be utilized for segmentation or personalization.

You can build a journey flow that has the Call an API element to send the user data to Zendesk.

If a user encounters a problem on the checkout page, they can talk to the agent on the Zendesk service desk platform, and their problem can be resolved within 30 minutes after the call. If Zendesk passes this data to Insider via Upsert User Data API, you can trigger a journey for this user and engage them on different channels. At the end of the flow, you can pass the journey result back to Zendesk via Call an API.

Can I send bulk SMS (to all users) with a journey?

No, journeys enable you to trigger automated flows since it takes users' actions or behavior to send an SMS. Instead of the journey, you can use Insider One's SMS product.

What is the load or limit for the volume of SMS that I can send at once?

It depends on what type of Sender you use (Alphanumeric, Shortcode, VLN). You can see the message per second based on the sender type here.

Can I trigger journey flow automatically to send an SMS if I pass the data to Insider from my CRM?

Yes, for sure. Architect considers data regardless of where it comes from.

Can I use attributes in SMS text if I send the attributes from my CRM?

Yes, for sure. You can select attributes by clicking on the add attributes button.

How can I pass the opted-out users to my end?

You can use Call an API by adding the sms_opt_out_user attribute into the body of the API request to send users to your end with opted-out information.

Should I integrate XML, Catalog API, or both to use the On Price Drop starter?

It depends on your business. Insider collects product data from website and mobile app when users visit the website. It is called Clickstream and automatically works for the price drop. For better and fast price drop messages, it is recommended to use Catalog API or XML.

Both XML and Catalog API should not be integrated as two different sources.

How many times should users visit the product page for the system to track if there is a price drop on the website?

A one-time visit is enough to track price drops.

How frequently is product price data updated?

It depends on the product catalog integration type:

  • If Clickstream is the only source on your website or mobile app, it updates product information in 1-hour frequency when the user visits the respective pages. 
  • If XML integration is utilized, the updates are synced in a minimum of 1 hour and a maximum of 5 days, based on the desired sync period.
  • Catalog API updates the product data in real-time when you send the required product data.

There is a ‘subscribe to price alert’ button on my website or mobile app. How can I add this condition to the starter?

You need to create an event such as ‘subscribe to price alert’ and that event should have the Product ID (pid) event parameter. Then, you can select this event in the Optional Event Filters of the On Price Drop starter.

Can I run the price drop journey only for a specific category or product?

Yes, you can include or exclude product categories in the Optional Product Filters of the On Price Drop starter.

Can I target users when the price increases?

No, you cannot.

Can I show more than one product that has price drops in the email content?

No, you cannot.

What type of product information can I insert into the content?

You can see the price drop attributes here: Product Catalog Attributes.

If the user has not visited the product but the product price drops, can I send a price drop message to this user?

Yes, you can. However, it is not applicable with the Clickstream method, you must have Catalog API or XML integration.

You can set the price drop condition as "Take the user into the Journey if the price of the product that they visited less than 1 time in the last 30 days has decreased more than 20%"

However, we do not recommend it. Once you apply this, you will not be able to take users who visited the product on the same journey.

Can I check the product attributes in the Check Conditions rather than the starter to send users to a matching path?

No, product attributes are unavailable in the Check Conditions element. 

In journeys, users do not proceed to the next element directly but it takes at least 30 seconds to display a campaign. How can we show this campaign immediately?

Architect is a promotional product and does not work like transactional campaigns. While testing your journeys, you can expect some delays to proceed to the next elements depending on the element type.

Why does not the Wait until a Time Slot element allow users to proceed to the next flow immediately?

The Wait until a Time Slot element assigns release times to the users within the configured period. That's why you might need to wait until the configured slot.

Can we determine the order the journeys will be triggered?

Yes, you can decide which journey should be the first, the second, and so on. You can set priority to your journeys.

Can we calculate incremental revenue, conversion rate uplift, etc. like web template analytics in journeys? How can we set up a control group to create similar analytics in Architect?

Yes, you can set a control group and get these parameters in Architect as well.

Why does not the user exit the journey directly after performing the exit criteria during/when in the Wait element?

The user will exit/drop from the journey after they pass the Wait element.

What should we check if we cannot enter the journey?

Architect has many functions interacting with many systems, channels, and platforms. Therefore, you need to consider different aspects of your journey. If you have any issues with a journey, you can start by analyzing the following items:

The answers to these questions may help you understand the source of the issue.

Is it about entering the journey?

When you notice that you are not in the journey or cannot enter the journey, several reasons might cause that:

  • You might not meet the starter condition. The starter has not started to trigger users yet.
  • Your user is capped by User Eligibility duration. 
  • Your user is capped by Journey Entry Capping. 
  • Your user's language is not the same as the language you set on the journey's launch step. 

Is it about the Check Conditions?

When you notice that your user goes to the unwanted path of the flow according to your test case, several reasons might cause that:

  • You may have selected the wrong attribute value or event for your use case.
  • You are not sharing the selected default attribute from your website.
  • The custom user attribute or event is available on the website or mobile app but you do not pass the data to the Insider database.
  • Your user is unified and your profile ID is changed to the unified ID as the user proceeds on the journey flow. The journey updates the profile ID automatically for the user, but you still use the old profile ID.

Is it about the Check Reachability?

 When you notice that your user goes to the unwanted path of the flow according to your test case, several reasons might cause that:

  • The system detects you are not reachable on that channel.
  • You have not shared the required opt-in, consent, or data from the website or app.
  • Your GDPR opt-in is false.

Is it about Custom User Attribute?

 When you notice that a custom user attribute is not updated or generated, several reasons might cause that:

Is it about the channels?

 When you notice that you do not receive a message from a channel, several reasons might cause that:

  • The required channel integration is not completed or the integration is missing some functions.
  • The user may not be reachable on the channel.
  • The user may be capped by the Global Channel Frequency Capping.
  • The user is unified and the profile ID is changed to the unified version, but you are using the old profile ID.
  • For the app push, you may have blocked the push notifications for the lock screen on your device.

Does the Entered metric display the unique count?

Yes, the Entered metric displays the number of unique users who became eligible and started the journey.

Why does a user receive a cart abandonment message for an out-of-stock product?

Let's say a user abandons a product in their cart and it triggers a cart abandonment message to be sent in 24 hours. Meanwhile, if this product goes out of stock, the message will still be sent as there is no additional mechanism for checking the product stock before the message is sent.

Can we use campaigns that are not active in the Predefined Segment - Lead Generation?

If you want to use the Lead Generation segment, make sure your lead generation campaign is active. Otherwise, it will not be listed on the event parameter Campaign Name list.

Can we see the fallback values in a WhatsApp message in a journey flow during the test?

The fallback values are not displayed in the test of email, SMS, or WhatsApp messages.

Can we export the content we send our users through any channel?

No, the content used in any journey channel cannot be exported. 

How can we launch our journey only for users on a specific device, such as desktop?

 To distinguish the users based on devices, you can select source of the event you will use in the starter element as per your use case or send the event with the respective source.