The customer journey is the full path a contact takes from first touch to purchase and beyond — the map that automated email flows are built to support at each stage.
In depth
A typical journey moves through awareness, consideration, purchase, and retention. Mapping it lets you send the right message at each stage instead of treating every subscriber the same, which is the core idea behind lifecycle marketing.
Example
Journey stages mapped to flows: a welcome flow for new subscribers, browse and cart flows during consideration, and a win-back flow for lapsed customers — each triggered by where the contact is in the journey.
Related terms
Design journeys with our email marketing automation guide.