> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.fanaura.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Flow

> Step-by-step guide to creating your first automation flow in the Fanaura Flow Builder.

Creating a flow is straightforward. In a few clicks, you will have a blank canvas ready for your automation sequence. Here is exactly how to do it.

***

## Creating a Flow Inside a Launch

Most flows live inside a launch, assigned to a specific cycle stage. Here is how to create one:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Your Launch">
    Go to the **Launches** page and click on the launch you want to add a flow to. This opens the launch detail page.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find the Right Cycle Stage">
    On the launch detail page, you will see sections for each cycle stage:

    * **Pre-Release** (or Pre-Sale for Tour/Merch launches)
    * **Release** (or On-Sale)
    * **Post-Release** (or Post-Sale)

    Each section has its own **"Add Flow"** button.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click 'Add Flow'">
    Click the **"Add Flow"** button for the stage where you want this automation to live. A modal will appear asking you to name your flow.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name Your Flow">
    Give your flow a clear, descriptive name that tells you at a glance what it does. Good examples:

    * "Presave Thank You Email Sequence"
    * "IG DM Keyword Responder — PRESAVE"
    * "Release Day Multi-Channel Blast"
    * "Post-Release Playlist Pitch Follow-Up"

    Avoid generic names like "Flow 1" or "Test" — you will lose track of what each flow does as your launch grows.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start Building">
    After naming your flow, you land on the **Flow Builder canvas** — a blank workspace ready for your first node.

    The canvas is empty except for a prompt to add your first step. You have two paths from here:

    1. **Add a trigger** to define what starts this flow (most common)
    2. **Skip the trigger** if this is a triggerless flow that fans enter only via Go-to-Flow from another flow
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>Include the channel or trigger type in the name. "SMS Presave Reminder" instantly tells you the channel (SMS) and the purpose (presave reminder).</Tip>

***

## Adding Your First Trigger

Click the **add button** (the "+" icon) on the canvas. A menu appears with all available node types:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Trigger" icon="bolt">What starts this flow.</Card>
  <Card title="Action" icon="play">What you do (send email, SMS, etc.).</Card>
  <Card title="Delay" icon="clock">A pause between steps.</Card>
  <Card title="Condition" icon="code-branch">A Yes/No branch.</Card>
</CardGroup>

Select **Trigger** to open the trigger selection modal. Browse or search through all available trigger types:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Music Triggers">
    Presave, stream, click — events tied to your music releases.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Tour Triggers">
    RSVP, ticket click — events tied to your shows and events.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Merch Triggers">
    Purchase, cart abandonment — events tied to your merch store.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Communication Triggers">
    Email open, SMS reply — events from your messaging channels.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Instagram Triggers">
    DM, comment, story mention — events from Instagram interactions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Other Triggers">
    List join, sign-up, manual enrollment — utility triggers.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Click a trigger to select it. Some triggers have additional configuration — for example, an Instagram DM trigger lets you specify keyword matching rules.

Once configured, the trigger node appears on the canvas as the starting point of your flow.

***

## Building the Rest of Your Flow

With the trigger in place, continue building by clicking the **add button** below any node.

### Adding Actions

Actions are the core of your flow — the messages and operations that happen. Click the add button and select an action type:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Send Email" icon="envelope">Compose and send an email.</Card>
  <Card title="Send SMS" icon="comment-sms">Send a text message.</Card>
  <Card title="Send Instagram DM" icon="message">Send a direct message on Instagram.</Card>
  <Card title="Aura Send" icon="wand-magic-sparkles">AI-personalized multi-channel message.</Card>
  <Card title="Add to List" icon="list">Add the fan to a specific list.</Card>
  <Card title="Invite to Extra" icon="star">Invite to exclusive content or events.</Card>
  <Card title="Tag/Update Fan" icon="tag">Modify fan profile data.</Card>
  <Card title="Go to Flow" icon="arrow-right">Redirect to a different flow.</Card>
</CardGroup>

Each action opens its own configuration modal. See [Actions](/flow-builder/actions) for details on every type.

### Adding Delays

Delays create natural pauses in your sequence. Click the add button and select a delay type:

* **Time Delay** — Wait a fixed duration (minutes, hours, days)
* **Fan-Action Delay** — Wait until the fan takes a specific action
* **Until Date** — Wait until a specific calendar date

See [Delays](/flow-builder/delays) for the full breakdown.

### Adding Conditions

Conditions split your flow into Yes/No branches. Click the add button and select **Condition** to open the condition builder, where you define the criteria for the split.

See [Conditions](/flow-builder/conditions) for everything you need to know about branching logic.

***

## The Flow Sequence

Nodes execute from top to bottom, following the connecting lines:

```
Trigger
  |
Delay (Wait 5 minutes)
  |
Action (Send Email)
  |
Delay (Wait 2 days)
  |
Condition (Did they open the email?)
  |-- Yes -> Action (Send SMS follow-up)
  |-- No  -> Action (Resend email with new subject line)
```

Every fan who enters the flow walks through this same sequence, hitting each node in order. Conditions are the only nodes that create parallel paths — fans go left or right based on the criteria.

<Note>Actions execute sequentially from top to bottom. The only exception is conditions, which create parallel branches — each fan takes exactly one path.</Note>

***

## Triggerless Flows

Not every flow needs a trigger. **Triggerless flows** are entered only when a fan is redirected from another flow via the **Go-to-Flow** action.

This is useful for:

* **Reusable sequences**: Build a "Welcome Sequence" flow that multiple triggers feed into
* **Complex journeys**: Break a long automation into smaller, manageable flows
* **Conditional routing**: Use conditions in one flow to send fans to different triggerless flows based on their behavior

<Info>To create a triggerless flow, simply skip adding a trigger and start with your first action or delay.</Info>

***

## Quick Automations

Quick Automations are standalone flows that are not tied to any launch or cycle stage. They are always-on automations for things like:

* A welcome email for every new fan who signs up
* An Instagram DM auto-responder that runs year-round
* An SMS opt-in confirmation sequence

### Creating a Quick Automation

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to the Launches Page">
    Go to the **Launches** page from the main navigation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open the Automations Tab">
    Click the **Automations** tab at the top.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create New Automation">
    Click **"New Automation"** and name your automation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Build Your Flow">
    Build your flow on the canvas — same process as launch flows.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Quick Automations appear in the Automations tab and have their own activation toggles, enrollment tracking, and execution logs.

***

## Activating Your Flow

After building your flow, it is time to go live.

### Toggle the Flow Active

In the top-right corner of the flow detail page, you will find the **is\_active toggle**. Flip it to activate the flow.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="When Active">
    * The trigger starts listening for fan events
    * New fans who perform the trigger action are enrolled
    * Actions begin executing for enrolled fans
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="When Inactive">
    * The trigger stops listening
    * No new fans are enrolled
    * Fans already in the flow continue their journey to completion
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>Before toggling on, check the [Active Triggers Overview](/launches/active-triggers) to make sure your trigger does not conflict with other active flows.</Warning>

***

## Editing an Active Flow

You can edit a flow while it is active, but be aware:

* **Adding new nodes**: New nodes will be encountered by fans who have not passed that point yet. Fans who already passed that point in their journey will not go back.
* **Modifying actions**: Changes to email content, SMS text, etc. apply to future executions only. Messages already sent cannot be unsent.
* **Removing nodes**: Removing a node that fans are currently waiting on (like a delay) may cause those fans to skip to the next step.

<Warning>When making significant changes to an active flow, consider toggling the flow off first, making your edits, testing the changes, and then toggling back on.</Warning>

***

## Tips and Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="One trigger per flow">
    Keep flows focused. If you need the same actions for different triggers, create separate flows or use Go-to-Flow to a shared triggerless flow.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Test early and often">
    Send test emails and SMS messages to yourself before activating.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Start with simple flows">
    A trigger, a delay, and one action is a perfectly valid flow. Add complexity only when needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use descriptive names">
    Future-you will appreciate knowing what "IG DM Presave Auto-Reply — Summer Single" does without opening it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Build in draft mode">
    Keep your launch in draft until all flows are ready, then activate everything at once for a coordinated launch.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## What Happens Next

With your flow created, you need to understand the trigger options available to you. Head to [Triggers](/flow-builder/triggers) to explore every trigger type.