Triggers & nodes

This is the complete reference for what can start an automation and what can happen inside one. A flow is a trigger plus a sequence of nodes you connect on the canvas.

Triggers: what enters a contact

A trigger defines the event that drops a contact into the flow. EmailFlow AI supports these triggers:

Welcome new subscriber — when someone joins a list.
Say goodbye — when a contact unsubscribes.
Happy birthday — on a contact's birthday.
Subscriber added on a date — based on when a contact was added.
Specific date — a one-time scheduled date.
Weekly recurring and Monthly recurring — on a repeating schedule.
Tag added and Tag removed — when a contact's tags change.
Attribute update — when a custom field value changes.
API — triggered programmatically from your own systems.
Custom event — when your application fires a named trigger event via the API (an order placed, a trial started, or anything you define). Optional payload filters gate enrollment, and the event payload is available inside the flow's emails as {{ event.* }} merge tags.
WooCommerce abandoned cart — when a shopper leaves items behind.

The trigger settings panel for a New subscriber joins trigger, explaining that subscribers enter the workflow the moment they confirm their subscription, with a Change button to pick a different trigger — Click any trigger node to open its settings — each trigger explains exactly when contacts enter.

Nodes: what happens next

Once a contact enters, they move through the nodes you connect:

Send — deliver an email.
Wait — pause for a duration (minutes, hours, or days).
Wait until — hold until a specific time or condition.
Condition — branch on whether the contact opened or clicked, into Yes and No paths.
Split test — divide contacts across two to four weighted branches (for example 70/30) to A/B test subject lines, content, or timing.
Operation — modify the contact (see below).
Webhook — send data to an external URL.

Split testing

A split node assigns each arriving contact to one of its branches by the weights you set — two branches at 50/50, or up to four with any whole-number mix that adds up to 100. Assignment is deterministic: the same contact always lands in the same branch of a given split, so re-entries and retries never flip someone between variants. Watch how many contacts entered each branch in Contacts & reports, then shift the weights toward the winner.

A subject-line split test on the automation canvas: a New subscriber joins trigger flows into a Split test node set to 70/30, which branches into a Variant A send and a Variant B send with different subject lines — A 70/30 subject-line test — each contact is deterministically assigned to Variant A or B.

Operations

Operation nodes act on the contact without sending an email. You can tag or remove a tag, copy or move the contact to another list, or update a custom field. These are perfect for organizing your audience as they progress — for example, tagging everyone who clicks so you can segment them later.

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Condition nodes only produce two outcomes — Yes and No — so every contact always has a defined path. Wire up both branches for the journeys you care about.

Putting it together

A typical welcome flow: trigger on new subscriber, send a welcome email, wait two days, branch on whether they opened it, then send a tailored follow-up to each path and tag the engaged group. Build it visually in the flow editor or describe it to AI automation chat.