How to create a After first purchase flow?

Your customer just made their first purchase — now is the best time to say thanks, share something helpful, and keep the conversation going. This automation lets you instantly reach out on Viber (or email/SMS) with a thank-you note, useful info, or even a promo code for their next order.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to set up an After Purchase automation triggered by the first order. It starts with a personalized Viber message, and you can easily add more steps to match your business goals.

Step-by-step: Creating After purchase automation 

Step 1: Start a New Journey

Navigate to Marketing Hub > Journey Builder and click Create New Journey. This is where you’ll set up the structure for your birthday automation and define the flow your customers will follow.

Step 2: Name Your Journey

Give your journey a clear and recognizable name, i.e. “First purchase customer”, so you can easily identify it later among your other journeys.

Step 3: Select the Entry Source

Select the Product Event that will trigger the automation. This defines which customer action starts the flow—for example making any purchase at all or buying a specific product. Choosing the right event ensures that your message is sent to the correct customers at the right time.

Step 4: Select Actions

Now it’s time to define what will happen in your journey. Choose the actions you want to take, including the communication channel. In our example, we’ll send after-purchase messages via Viber for a personal and timely touch. 

You can also choose SMS, email, or push notifications, depending on your goals and audience.

Step 5: Finish and Save the Journey

Always include a Journey End block to properly “close off” your journey. Once the journey is complete, save your work (click Publish) so it’s ready to be used.

Once you click “Publish”, you’ll be automatically redirected to the Journey Builder page, where your newly created journey will appear at the top of the list.

Step 6: Building the Automation Flow

To start building the flow, you can either:

• Click on + Create new flow directly from that page Journey Builder, or

• Navigate to the Automation tab and click + Create new flow there.

Step 7: Add Flow details 

Make sure that all fields are populated to your desired liking as well as making sure that appropriate Journey is chosen. 

In case you want to learn more about goals and actions check out Automation Studio.

Step 8: Select Type, Segment and Schedule

At this step, you’ll define three key settings for your after-purchase automation:

1. Type → Choose After Purchase to make sure the automation is triggered by a completed purchase.
2. Segment → Select default segment all_custmoers. In this case you will cover all customers who complete their first purchase at your web store.

👉 In case you want to target a specific first purchase, i.e. first purchase of specific brand, or specific product it will require to create a separate segment that will gather only the customers that will fit defined filters. 

If you want to learn more about creating segments, click here.

1. Schedule → Decide when the message should be sent, ensuring it reaches your customers at the optimal time after their purchase.

Step 9: Customize your message 
At this stage, you will create the message that will be sent to your customers. The options depend on the communication channel you selected when setting up the journey:

• Email → You can either use a pre-made template or create a new one on the spot.
• Viber / SMS → You can compose the message directly within this step.

In our example, we’ll continue with Viber and create a personalized message for the birthday automation.

👉 While composing the message, you can:

• Insert placeholders to personalize your text. Simply type / and a dropdown will appear with available fields (such as the customer’s first name). This way, each customer receives a message tailored to them.
• Add an image to make the message more engaging. You can either upload the image directly or paste a link to the image.

👉 Before saving, make sure to test your Viber message to check how it looks on the recipient’s device and confirm that placeholders, images, and links display correctly.

Once you are satisfied with the results, save your message. Then click Continue to move forward and complete your flow.

Step 10: Last step – Set the flow configuration

Now that your journey structure is ready, it's time to fine-tune the flow behavior and communication settings.

• Schedule 
  Define when the flow should start and end, so everything runs exactly when you need it to.
• Entry limits 
  Decide how many times a profile can enter the flow.

Now, click “Create Flow.” 

You’ll be redirected to the Automation page. Depending on your user level, the automation first has to be approved before it can be activated. Once approved and activated, your automation is ready to use!

Want to see it in action? Just check out the video below!

You’re all set!  We wish you success with your automation. If anything comes up, don’t hesitate to contact us — we’re here to help.