This glossary defines every key term used across the Marketing Automation articles in Apsis One. If you're new to the platform, start here to build a shared vocabulary. If you're more experienced, use it as a quick-reference when you need a precise definition.
Terms are grouped by category. Click a group to jump straight there:
Core Concepts — the building blocks of every flow
Data & Triggers — what drives profiles into and through flows
Action Nodes — nodes that do something (send, update, notify)
Logic & Timing Nodes — nodes that decide or wait
Flow Control Nodes — nodes that route, limit, or end the journey
Integration Nodes — nodes that connect to external systems
Flow Settings & Configuration — options that apply to the whole flow
Reporting & Monitoring — how you measure what's happening
💡 Tip - New to Marketing Automation? Read About Marketing Automation first, then come back here whenever you need a definition.
Core Concepts
These are the fundamental building blocks you'll encounter in every Marketing Automation flow.
Term | Definition | When you'll use it |
Flow | The complete automated journey — a connected series of nodes that profiles travel through based on their data and behaviour. A flow can be in Draft, Active, Paused, or Stopped status. | Every time you build an automated journey — welcome series, re-engagement, internal alert, etc. |
Node | A single building block in a flow. Each node performs one action (send an email), makes one decision (check an attribute), or controls timing (wait 2 days). Nodes are connected in sequence to form the journey. See Marketing Automation Nodes. | Every flow is made of nodes — you'll add, configure, and connect them on the canvas. |
Canvas | The visual workspace where you drag, drop, connect, and configure nodes. The canvas is where you design and visualise the entire flow. See Navigate the Canvas. | Every time you create or edit a flow — the canvas is your workspace. |
Profile | A contact record in Apsis One Audience. Every subscriber, visitor, or customer is stored as a Profile. Profiles carry Attributes, Tags, Events, and Subscriptions. Profiles enter flows via the Listen node and progress through nodes based on conditions and timing. | Profiles are the people moving through your flows — everything revolves around their data and behaviour. |
Profile Data | The collective term for all information stored on a Profile — including Attributes, Tags, Events, and Subscriptions. Many nodes can read or write Profile Data. See Profile Data in Nodes. | When configuring nodes that need to personalise content, check conditions, or update records. |
Data & Triggers
These terms describe the data types and trigger mechanisms that determine who enters a flow and what information is available inside it.
Term | Definition | When you'll use it |
Attribute | A data field on a Profile — for example First Name, Date of Birth, or Country. Attributes can be text, number, date, or true/false. Used in scheduled flow triggers, Check Profile conditions, personalisation, and the Update Profile node. | Personalising email/SMS content, building branching logic, or triggering scheduled flows. |
Event | A recorded action performed by a Profile — for example an email click, form submission, or website visit. Events are the primary trigger for real-time Marketing Automation flows. Events carry associated data (e.g. which link was clicked, which form was submitted). | Triggering flows instantly when a profile takes an action — e.g. "form submitted" or "email clicked". |
Custom Event | An event defined by you (via the Website Tracking tool or API) to capture business-specific actions — for example a product purchase, a file download, or a pricing page visit. Requires setup before use in flows. See Use Custom Events. | When you need to trigger flows based on actions that happen outside Apsis One's built-in tools (e.g. purchases from your e-commerce system). |
Tag | A label applied to a Profile. Tags are used to categorise profiles, trigger scheduled flows, or remove profiles from flows via Termination Tags. Tags can be applied manually, via import, or automatically using the Update Profile node. | Flagging profiles for a specific flow, segmenting audiences, or removing profiles via Termination Tags. |
Segment | A dynamic group of Profiles who match defined criteria (e.g. "Country = Sweden AND Subscription = Active"). Segments update automatically as Profile data changes. Used as triggers in scheduled flows or as filters inside nodes. | Targeting a specific audience for a scheduled flow, or narrowing which profiles pass through a Check Profile node. |
Subscription | A Profile's consent record for a specific communication type (e.g. newsletter, SMS marketing). Flows require profiles to hold the correct Subscription to send messages — this is enforced in Flow Settings and in Email/SMS nodes for consent compliance. | Every flow that sends email or SMS — the subscription setting ensures you only message consenting profiles. |
Real-time flow | A flow triggered by an Event — it starts immediately when the event occurs (e.g. a form submission or an email click). The Listen node is configured with an event-based trigger. | Welcome flows, post-purchase journeys, or any scenario where you need to react instantly to behaviour. |
Scheduled flow | A flow triggered on a schedule (daily, weekly, or monthly). The Listen node checks Attributes, Tags, or Segments at the scheduled time and brings matching profiles into the flow. | Birthday flows, renewal reminders, recurring data-driven campaigns. |
💡 Good to know: The distinction between real-time and scheduled flows is one of the most important concepts in Marketing Automation. It determines how the Listen node is configured and what types of data are available as triggers. See Listen Node for full details.
Action Nodes
Action nodes do something — they send messages, update data, or trigger notifications. These are the "output" steps of your flow.
Node | What it does | Common use cases |
The entry point of every flow. Defines the trigger — the action (event) or condition (attribute/tag/segment) that brings a Profile into the flow. Every flow requires exactly one Listen node. Supports real-time events and scheduled triggers (daily, weekly, monthly). | The first node in every flow. Configured differently depending on whether the flow is real-time or scheduled. | |
Sends an email to the Profile at this point in the flow. You select an existing email activity or create a new one. The node respects the Subscription set in Flow Settings — only consenting profiles receive the message. | Welcome emails, nurture sequences, re-engagement messages, event confirmations. | |
Sends an SMS to the Profile. Requires SMS credits and a valid phone number attribute. The node respects Subscription settings for consent. SMS content supports dynamic data tags for personalisation. | Appointment reminders, flash sale alerts, delivery notifications, multi-channel flows (email + SMS). | |
Sends an internal notification (email) to a specified recipient — typically a colleague or team. This is not a message to the Profile; it's a message about the Profile to your team. | Alerting sales when a lead takes a high-value action, notifying support about a churn risk, flagging VIP activity. | |
Writes data to a Profile's record — for example, updating an Attribute value, adding or removing a Tag, or changing a Subscription status. This happens silently (no message is sent). | Tagging profiles who completed a flow, updating a lead score, adding an interest tag after a click, removing a tag to prevent re-entry. | |
Records an Achievement event on the Profile's record — a milestone marker that can be used as a trigger for other flows or for reporting. Achievements are visible in the Profile's event history. | Marking "Onboarding complete", "First purchase", or "VIP status reached" — then using that achievement to trigger a follow-up flow. |
Logic & Timing Nodes
Logic and timing nodes decide what happens next or pause the flow until a condition is met. These create the branching and pacing of your journey.
Node | What it does | Common use cases |
Pauses the Profile for a defined duration (minutes, hours, or days) or until a specific date/time. Can also use dynamic scheduling based on event data — e.g. "send 2 days before the event date stored in the triggering event". See Dynamic schedule using event time. | Spacing out emails in a nurture series, waiting before a follow-up, scheduling birthday messages relative to a date attribute. | |
Evaluates a condition on the Profile's data and branches the flow into a Yes and No path. Can check Attributes, Tags, Segments, Subscriptions, or Events. This is the primary way to add if/then logic to a flow. | Checking if a profile has opened a previous email, verifying a tag is present, routing VIP vs. standard customers, filtering by country or language. | |
Pauses the Profile until a specific Event occurs — or until a timeout period expires. If the event happens in time, the Profile goes down the Yes path; if the timeout is reached first, the Profile goes down the No path. | Waiting for a purchase after an abandoned cart reminder, checking if a profile completes onboarding within 7 days, pausing until a form is submitted. |
Flow Control Nodes
Flow control nodes manage the routing, volume, and lifecycle of profiles in the flow — splitting traffic, capping numbers, moving profiles between flows, or ending their journey.
Node | What it does | Common use cases |
Divides profiles into 2, 3, or 4 different paths — either an even split (equal percentages) or a custom split (you define the percentages). Used to diversify the flow's strategy or run A/B tests. | A/B testing different email subject lines, splitting audiences between email-only and email+SMS paths, testing different wait times. | |
Sets a numeric limit on how many profiles can pass through. Profiles within the limit go down the Yes path; once the limit is reached, subsequent profiles go down the No path. Supports an optional reset period (daily, weekly, monthly) and a re-entry option. | Capping SMS sends to manage budget, limiting the number of profiles who receive a discount code, controlling volume in a promotion. | |
Moves a Profile from the current flow into a different flow. The Profile enters the target flow's Listen node as if the triggering event had just occurred. Useful for chaining flows together. | After a welcome flow completes, moving the profile into a nurture flow. After a trial expires, routing the profile to a win-back flow. | |
Marks the end of a path in the flow. When a Profile reaches an End Flow node, their journey in this flow is complete. A flow can have multiple End Flow nodes (one for each branch/path). | Closing off each branch in a flow. Required at the end of every path to cleanly complete the profile's journey. | |
Duplicate & Deleet Node (feature) | Not a node type, but a canvas feature. Allows you to copy an existing node (with its configuration) to save time when building repetitive steps. Right-click a node and select Duplicate. To Delete - select Delete in the same view. | Quickly creating multiple similar email steps in a nurture series, or replicating a Check Profile node with the same logic for different branches. |
Integration Nodes
Integration nodes connect your Marketing Automation flows to external systems — CRMs, custom APIs, and third-party platforms.
Node | What it does | Common use cases |
Sends Profile data to an external system via an HTTP API call (GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE). Can send Attribute data and event data from the triggering event. Supports response handling and error paths. Note: only data from the triggering event can be sent — not older events stored on the profile. | Pushing leads to a CRM when they reach a certain flow stage, triggering an external workflow (e.g. Zapier, n8n), syncing profile data to an e-commerce system. | |
CRM nodes | Create tasks/activities in the connected CRM automatically from any Marketing Automation flow. A great trigger for further automation within the CRM. | Ensure CRM follow up by creating tasks on the contact in the CRM. Handing over leads from marketing to sales, or from sales to marketing for further nurturing. |
💡 Tip - Need to send unsubscribe events to an external system in real time? That's not a node you add to a flow — it's a separate feature. See Send Unsubscribes to an External System Real-Time.
Flow Settings & Configuration
These terms relate to settings that apply to the entire flow, not to individual nodes. You configure them in the flow's Settings panel.
Term | Definition | When you'll use it |
Flow Status | The current state of a flow. There are four statuses:
| Managing the lifecycle of your flow — activating, pausing for edits, or stopping when a campaign ends. |
Entry Limit | A Flow Setting that controls how many times a single Profile can enter the same flow. Set to 1 for one-time flows (e.g. welcome, birthday). Set higher for recurring engagement flows where profiles should be able to re-enter. | Preventing duplicate welcome emails (set to 1), or allowing monthly re-engagement (set to unlimited). |
Termination Tag | A Tag that, when applied to a Profile, immediately removes them from the flow — regardless of where they are in the journey. Configured in Flow Settings → Terminate. Multiple termination tags can be set. | Removing a profile from a nurture flow when they convert, pulling unsubscribers out of active flows, or manually ejecting a profile via a tag. |
Subscription requirement | A Flow Setting where you define which Subscription(s) a Profile must hold to enter the flow. This is separate from the subscription set on individual Email/SMS nodes — it's a gateway check at entry. | Ensuring only profiles with active "Newsletter" consent can enter a promotional flow. |
Dynamic Schedule | A Time Node configuration that calculates the delay based on a date/time value from the triggering event's data — rather than a fixed duration. For example, "send 2 days before the event date". See Dynamic schedule using event time. | Sending a reminder X days before a webinar, appointment, or renewal date stored in the event data. |
⚠️ Important - Changing a flow from Active to Stopped is not reversible in the same way as pausing. Profiles in a stopped flow will not resume — you would need to reactivate the flow (or create a new one) and have profiles re-enter. Use Pause if you just need to make quick edits.
Reporting & Monitoring
These terms relate to tracking flow performance and diagnosing issues.
Term | Definition | When you'll use it |
Node Stats | A view in the canvas showing how many Profiles have passed through, are currently waiting at, or have exited each node. Node Stats update in real time on active flows and are essential for troubleshooting. | Checking if profiles are stuck at a node, verifying that a flow is working as expected, diagnosing a bottleneck. |
Flow Report | A dedicated report view for each flow showing overall performance — total profiles entered, currently in flow, completed, and removed. For Email/SMS nodes, links through to the standard email/SMS report for delivery, open, and click data. See Marketing Automation Report. | Evaluating flow effectiveness, comparing email performance across different paths in a split test, reporting to stakeholders. |
Related articles
About Marketing Automation — What it is, when to use it, and how it fits into Apsis One.
Create a Marketing Automation Flow — Step-by-step guide to building your first flow.
Marketing Automation Nodes — Overview of every node type with links to individual node articles.
Profile Data in Nodes — How to use profile attributes and events within your nodes.
Marketing Automation Use Cases — Pre-built flow blueprints for common scenarios.
Troubleshooting Your Flow — Common issues and how to resolve them.