In-App Automation Triggers

Configuring an in-app experience trigger

You can configure triggers in the Journey MapA visualization of messaging components that can be connected to create a continuous user experience. You can also create and edit from the map. and in the In-App Automation, Scene, or Survey composers.

In the composers, go to the Behavior step, then select and configure a trigger. Click Add another to add multiple triggers. Multiple triggers are handled as a boolean OR.

After setting up triggers, you can configure options and display conditions.

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In the map, to add the first trigger or edit an existing trigger:

1. Select the trigger card and click  . If multiple triggers are configured, first click the trigger stack to expand it, then select a trigger card.
2. Select and configure a trigger.
3. Click Save.

To add another trigger, click   below the configured triggers. Multiple events are handled as a boolean OR.

To configure the options and display conditions, or to delete a trigger:

1. Select the in-app experience card in the map and click  .
2. Go to the Behavior step and make your changes.
3. Go to the Review step and click Finish.

Triggers

All triggers are supported for in-app automations, scenes, and surveys.

App Open

The App Open trigger causes an in-app automation message, scene, or survey to appear based on the number times your audience opens your app.

Configuration steps:

1. Select the App Open trigger.
2. Enter the number of times your audience must open your app to before the message will appear.

App Open display timing varies depending on whether users have opened the app before or currently have the app open. For a message with App Open value of 1:

• If a user has never opened the app before, they will see the message the first time they open the app.
• If a user has opened the app before and does not currently have the app open, they will see the message the next time they open the app.
• If a user currently has the app open, the message will appear during the current session.

App Update

The App Update trigger causes an in-app automation message, scene, or survey to appear when your audience opens your app some number of times after an app update.

Configuration steps:

1. Select the App Update trigger.
2. Select All app updates or Specific app updates, then enter the number of times your audience must open your app before they will see your message.
3. If you selected Specific app updates, you must set versions for each of your app’s platforms. For each platform:
   • Select any version or the operator you want to use to evaluate specific version numbers.
   • If you selected an operator, enter the version number(s) you want to evaluate against. For Android apps, enter the versionCode; you can find your app’s versionCode in your Google Play dashboard.

Custom Event

The Custom Event trigger causes an in-app automation message, scene, or survey to appear to your audience when custom events occur (or recur some number of times).

Custom EventsEvents that indicate that a user performed a predefined action, such as adding an item to a shopping cart, viewing a screen, or clicking an Unsubscribe button. Custom events can trigger automation, sequences, scenes, and surveys. You can code them into your app or website, or send them to Airship from an external source using the custom event API. Custom events contain properties that you can use to personalize messages. capture key events in your app, e.g., screen views, media views, stories read, button clicks, items purchased or added to cart.

Configuration steps:

1. Select the Custom Event trigger.
2. Use the Events box to find an event. The search shows events that occurred in the last 30 days. If the event name you search for does not appear, click Use [search term] to use the event name as typed.
3. Enter the number of times the event must occur before the message will display.
4. (Optional) Click Add Another to add more custom event triggers. Multiple events are handled as a boolean OR.

Filtering Custom Events

When configuring the Custom Event trigger, you can filter custom events that are set on Channel IDsAn instance representing an entity addressable via the Airship service, e.g., an iOS device, email address, SMS number or web browser. The channel instance or channel object contains all relevant information about a channel, including metadata used for targeting, opt-in status, device-specific information, and, importantly, a unique identifier for the channel, the channel ID. , using numeric values associated with those custom events, or by key/value properties attached to the events. Filtering events this way can help you more precisely target your audience.

For example, if you have a custom event named “Purchase”, with a purchase category fedoras and a value 125.0 representing the dollar amount of the purchase, you can add these criteria to the Purchase event so that your message is only seen by users spending at least $125 on fedoras.

1. Click Add event properties for the custom event.
2. Click Add property and search for a property, or click Add event value.
3. If applicable, select the operator you want to use to evaluate the value or property.
4. Enter or select the value you want to filter for.
5. (Optional) Click   to add an alternative for a filter.
6. (Optional) Click Add property or Add event value to add more filters.
7. Select ALL/ANY to determine how to evaluate multiple filters and alternatives within each filter.
   • ALL = all criteria must be met (boolean AND)
   • ANY = any criteria must be met (boolean OR)
8. Click Save.

Screenview

The Screenview trigger causes an in-app automation message, scene, or survey to appear when your audience views a screen a specified number of times. You must configure app screens in your project settings before you can select them as a trigger.

Configuration steps:

1. Click Add a screen name and find the screen you want to use for the trigger.
2. (Optional) Click Add another screen name to specify multiple screens. Multiple screens are handled as a boolean OR.
3. Enter the number of times your audience must view the screen before they will see your message.

Trigger Options

Configure additional behaviors for your in-app automation, scene, or survey.

Cancellation Events

Cancellation events prevent the message from appearing if a custom event occurs while the message is in a delay period or if a specific screen has been viewed. You must specify at least one custom event as a cancellation event and also at least one condition: Time Has Elapsed and/or Viewing a Specific App Screen.

You cannot add, edit, or remove this setting after the in-app experience is made active or while it is paused.

1. Enable Cancellation Events.
2. Complete the same workflow used for the Custom Event trigger. This includes the option to filter the cancellation events.
3. Configure one or both display conditions.

Set a Tag When the Message is Displayed

The ability to set a tag when the message displays is key to promoting new features. The suggested approach is to display messages regarding a feature if the tag does not exist, and to then set the tag to record either the fact that the user has acknowledged the message, or to record actual usage of the feature. If you are using localized content for in-app-automation, this setting is instead in the Actions step. For scenes, this setting is instead available per screen in the Content step.

1. Enable Set a tag.
2. Search for tags that exist in the system, or create a new tag.

Display Conditions

Set conditions that determine whether or not your message displays after a trigger event occurs. The message does not display until your conditions are met. You must set at least one condition if you enabled Cancellation Events.

Time Has Elapsed

Set the amount of time that must elapse after receiving the triggering event before your message is eligible for display.

You cannot add, edit, or remove this setting after the in-app experience is made active or while it is paused.

After setting your triggers in the Behavior step of the In-App Automation, Survey, or Scene composer:

1. Enable Time has elapsed.
2. Enter the minimum time in seconds or minutes.

Viewing a Specific App Screen

Limit message display to when a trigger occurs while your audience is viewing a specific app screen. You must first configure app screens in your project settings before you can select them as a condition.

You cannot add, edit, or remove this setting after the in-app experience is made active or while it is paused.

After setting your triggers in the Behavior step of the In-App Automation, Survey, or Scene composer:

1. Enable Viewing a specific app screen.
2. Click Add a screen name and find the screen that you want to limit the message to.
3. (Optional) Click Add another screen name to add additional screens. Multiple screens are handled as a boolean OR.