If you’re sending the same emails to everyone and hoping for better results, you’re probably wasting your time—and your audience’s patience. Conditional branching in Mailchimp Journeys lets you send the right message to the right people, at the right moment. This guide is for marketers, small business owners, and anyone who actually wants to see more conversions, not just tick “set up automation” off their to-do list.
Let’s get real about what conditional branching does, when it’s worth your effort, and how to use it without making your automations a tangled mess.
What Is Conditional Branching in Mailchimp Journeys?
Conditional branching means your automation doesn’t just plow ahead on a single track. Instead, it asks “If this, then what?”—splitting people down different paths based on their actions, data, or behaviors.
Examples: - Did they open the last email? If yes, send a discount. If not, try a different subject line. - Are they a new or returning customer? Show them different content. - Did they click a link? Follow up with more info on that topic.
This isn’t about “personalization” for its own sake. It’s about relevance—sending stuff that’s more likely to get opened, clicked, and acted on.
Why Bother With Branching?
Honestly, setting up branching takes more time. But it pays off when: - Your audience isn’t all the same (spoiler: they never are). - You’ve got a clear goal—like more purchases, signups, or replies. - You have enough data (opens, clicks, tags, purchase history) to actually make meaningful splits.
Don’t bother if: - You don’t have much data about your contacts. - You’re just starting out and want to keep things simple. (One solid email beats five confusing ones.) - Your list is tiny and you know everyone by name.
Still with me? Let’s get into the how-to.
Step 1: Map Out Your Goal—Before You Touch Mailchimp
Don’t start building until you know what you’re aiming for. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a spaghetti mess and no results.
Ask yourself: - What’s the one thing I want people to do? (Buy, click, reply, download…) - What could stop them from doing it? (Didn’t open, didn’t click, wrong offer…) - What signals show someone’s interested or not?
Sketch this on paper or a whiteboard—simple boxes and arrows. This will save you tons of time later.
Pro tip: Start small. One branch is enough for your first automation. You can add layers later if it’s actually working.
Step 2: Set Up Your Mailchimp Journey
Head into Mailchimp and create or edit a Journey.
- Pick a Starting Point
- This could be a signup, a tag applied, a purchase, or a specific date.
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Make sure your list is clean and your trigger makes sense. Don’t start automations for people who haven’t opted in.
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Build Your Initial Steps
- Add the emails or actions you’d want everyone to get before branching. Usually, your welcome or intro flow.
Step 3: Add a Conditional Branch (Mailchimp Calls These “If/Else” Rules)
This is where things get interesting.
- Click the plus (+) button where you want to branch.
- Select “If/Else” from the options.
- Set your condition.
- You can branch based on:
- Email activity (opened/clicked)
- Audience data (tags, groups, custom fields)
- E-commerce data (purchases, product bought)
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Example: “Did contact open Email #1?”
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Set up what happens next.
- “Yes” path: Maybe send a follow-up, a special offer, or more detailed info.
- “No” path: Try a reminder, a different subject line, or just pause for a few days.
A few practical ideas: - Openers vs. Non-Openers: Send more content to engaged folks, but don’t nag the rest. - Clicked a Product Link: Send related products or a coupon. - Didn’t Buy After Free Trial: Send a “What’s stopping you?” survey.
Don’t overthink the logic. If you find yourself building five layers deep, step back. More branches don’t always mean better results—just more to manage.
Step 4: Test Your Branches (Don’t Skip This)
It’s way too easy to mess up a condition and send the wrong email to the wrong group. Always:
- Use Mailchimp’s “Preview” and “Test Journey” features.
- Check each path yourself—did the right emails go to the right test contacts?
- If you can, use test emails with different tags or behaviors to see each branch in action.
Pro tip: Use clear names for each step and path. “Opened_Email1_Yes” is easier to debug than “Path 2b.”
Step 5: Turn On Your Journey and Watch What Happens
Once you’re confident, set your Journey live. But don’t just walk away.
- Check stats (opens, clicks, conversions) on each branch.
- Are people getting stuck? Are too many going down the “no” path?
- Is one branch outperforming the other? You might want to shift more people that way.
Mailchimp’s reporting isn’t perfect, but it’ll give you enough to spot what’s working and what’s not. Sometimes your best-performing path isn’t the one you expected.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Works: - Simple “opened/clicked” branches for follow-ups. - Branching for major audience differences (new vs. old customers). - Using tags or custom fields to split offers.
Doesn’t Work: - Overcomplicating with too many tiny branches (“clicked link A vs. B vs. C vs. D…”). - Branching before you have enough data—don’t split on “VIP” tags if you don’t actually tag anyone. - Ignoring the “No” path—those folks need love, too, or at least a polite exit.
Ignore the hype: You don’t need AI-powered predictive journeys or every possible condition. Start with clear, human logic.
Keeping It Manageable
- Document your logic. Even a Google Doc or screenshot helps when you come back in six months.
- Review regularly. Automations can get stale. Check in every quarter.
- Ask for feedback. If people reply with “Why am I getting this?”—something’s off in your logic.
The Bottom Line
Conditional branching in Mailchimp Journeys isn’t magic, but it is useful—if you keep it focused on your real goals. Don’t build a Rube Goldberg machine. Start with one or two simple branches, measure what happens, and tweak from there. The more you iterate, the more you’ll learn what actually moves the needle for your audience. Keep it simple, stay curious, and don’t get seduced by complexity.