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Listen Node
The Listen Node is the most important node in your marketing automation flow. It defines what causes profiles to enter the flow — whether that's a real-time action (like submitting a form) or a scheduled check (like matching a segment every morning).
Every flow has exactly one Listen node. It's placed on the canvas automatically when you create a flow and cannot be removed.
When to use each trigger type
The Listen node supports two categories of triggers. Choosing the right one depends on what you want to react to.
| Real-time events | Scheduled triggers |
How it works | The flow starts immediately when a profile performs a specific action (event). | The flow checks all profiles on a schedule (daily, weekly, or monthly) and brings in those who match a condition. |
Trigger data | Events: email response data, form submissions, website interactions, achievements, consent changes, custom events. | Profile data: attributes, tags, or segments. |
Timing | Instant — profiles enter the moment the event occurs. | Runs at the scheduled time — profiles enter in a batch. |
Best for | Welcome flows, post-purchase follow-ups, click-triggered journeys, form response automations, abandoned cart. | Birthday/anniversary flows, renewal reminders, recurring segment-based campaigns, data-driven re-engagement. |
💡 Tip — How to choose: Ask yourself: "Am I reacting to something a profile just did?" → Use real-time events. "Am I targeting profiles who match a condition right now?" → Use a scheduled trigger.
Common use cases
Welcome flow — real-time event
Trigger: Listen for → Events → Forms & Pages Interactions → Form → Submit
A profile submits a signup form → they instantly enter the flow → receive a welcome email.
Post-click nurture — real-time event
Trigger: Listen for → Events → Response Data → Email → Click
A profile clicks a specific link in any email → they enter the flow for targeted follow-up content.
Birthday flow — scheduled (daily)
Trigger: Listen for → Attributes → Date of Birth = today's date, daily schedule
Every morning, the Listen node checks all profiles and brings in those whose birthday is today.
Segment-based re-engagement — scheduled (weekly)
Trigger: Listen for → Segments → "Inactive 90 days", weekly schedule
Once a week, profiles who fall into the "Inactive 90 days" segment enter the re-engagement flow.
Custom event from your external source — real-time event
Trigger: Listen for → Events → External action/activity → Custom Event (e.g. "successful_conversion").
A profile completes a conversion on your site → the event fires via the API → they instantly enter a post-activity flow. See Use Custom Events.
Setting up: Real-time events
Real-time events trigger the flow the moment a profile performs an action. Here's how to configure the Listen node for event-based triggers.
Click the Listen node on your canvas to open the configuration panel.
Select the event category. Choose from:
Achievements — listen if a profile has an Achievement
Consent Timeline — subscription changes (subscribe, unsubscribe)
Custom Events — events you define and send via the API, typically from your website, app, or CRM (e.g. product purchases, file downloads). See Use Custom Events.
Event Tool — registrations and interactions from the Event tool (e.g. event signups, check-ins)
Form & Page Interactions — form submissions and page visits
Response Data — listen for a profile's response to your Email or SMS sendings (opens, clicks, bounces)
Survey Interactions — survey submissions and responses from the Survey tool
3rd Party Integrations — events received from connected third-party systems
Website Interactions — listen for a profile's browsing behaviour on your domains
Choose the specific event. For example, under Response Data → Email, you can listen for Click, Open, Bounce, etc.
Select the activity scope. You can listen for events in:
A specific activity — select one or more activities from the dropdown. For example, only listen for clicks in your last three email campaigns. This is useful when you want to target engagement with specific content.
Any activity — select Any from the Activity dropdown. The Listen node will react to the event regardless of which activity it came from. For example, listen for an email click in any of your email activities.
Optional: narrow with Match, Match Type, and Value. These filters let you target a specific data point within the event. For example, only trigger on clicks to a specific URL. This is particularly powerful when using "Any activity" — you can target a specific link across all your email campaigns.
💡 Tip — Broad vs. narrow triggers: Start broad (any activity, any click) to capture more profiles, then narrow down (specific activity, specific URL) if you need precision. You can always add a Check Profile node later in the flow to further filter profiles.
Setting up: Scheduled triggers
Scheduled triggers check profile data at regular intervals and bring matching profiles into the flow. Here's how to set them up.
Click the Listen node on your canvas to open the configuration panel.
Select the data type to listen for:
Tags — check if a profile has a specific tag applied. See Profile Data in Nodes.
Attributes — check a specific attribute value (e.g. Date of Birth = today, Country = Sweden). See Profile Data in Nodes.
Segments — check if a profile belongs to a specific segment. Segments update dynamically, so this captures profiles the moment they match the segment criteria. See Profile Data in Nodes.
Configure the schedule. Choose how often the Listen node should check for matching profiles: Daily, Weekly or Monthly
Daily trigger
The Listen node runs once a day at the time you set. Every day, it checks all profiles and brings in those who match your condition.
Use for: Birthday flows, daily data checks, time-sensitive attribute matching.
Weekly trigger
The Listen node runs once a week on the day(s) and time you set. You can select one or more days.
Use for: Weekly digest triggers, recurring re-engagement checks, segment monitoring.
Monthly trigger
The Listen node runs once a month on the day(s) and time you set. You can select one or more dates.
Use for: Monthly renewal checks, anniversary flows, monthly segment sweeps.
⚠️ Important — Timezone: Scheduled triggers use the timezone set in your Flow Settings. Make sure this is configured correctly before activating the flow, especially if you have profiles across multiple time zones. See Navigate the Canvas.
Advanced: Add a segment filter to the Listen node
You can add an additional segment filter to any Listen node trigger — whether it's real-time or scheduled. This acts as a second gate: even if a profile matches the trigger, they'll only enter the flow if they also belong to the selected segment.
In the Listen node configuration, expand the Advanced section.
Select a segment from the dropdown.
This is particularly useful for two scenarios:
Testing your flow: Create a test segment containing only your own profile (or a small group), add it as a segment filter, and activate the flow. Only profiles in the test segment will enter — so you can test safely without affecting real customers. See Create a Flow for a full testing walkthrough.
Advanced personalisation: Combine a broad event trigger with a narrow segment filter. For example, listen for any email click (broad trigger), but only let profiles in the "VIP Customers" segment enter the flow (segment filter).
💡 Tip - Remember to remove the test segment filter before going live with your flow. If you leave it on, only profiles in the test segment will be able to enter.
Flow settings that affect how profiles enter
The Listen node defines what triggers entry, but several Flow Settings also control who can enter and how often. Make sure these are configured before activating your flow:
Setting | What it does |
Entry Limit | Controls how many times a single profile can enter the same flow. Set to 1 for one-time flows (welcome, birthday). Set higher for recurring flows. If a profile has already reached the limit, they won't enter again — even if they trigger the Listen node. |
Subscription requirement | Defines which Subscription(s) a profile must hold to enter the flow. Set in Flow Settings → Consent. Profiles without the required subscription are silently blocked — they won't enter even if the trigger fires. |
Termination Tag | If a profile has the termination tag at the moment the trigger fires, they won't enter the flow. Also removes profiles already in the flow. Set in Flow Settings → Terminate. |
💡 Good to know - When a flow is Paused, the Listen node continues to accept profiles — but they queue at the Listen node and don't move forward until the flow is resumed. When a flow is Stopped, no new profiles can enter at all. See Key Terms Glossary → Flow Status.
Troubleshooting: Profiles not entering the flow?
If profiles aren't entering your flow as expected, work through this checklist:
Check this | Why it matters |
Is the flow Active? | Flows in Draft or Stopped status don't accept profiles. Paused flows accept profiles but hold them at the Listen node. |
Is the trigger correctly configured? | Check the event category, specific event, activity scope, and any Match/Value filters. A too-narrow filter can block all profiles. |
Does the profile have the required Subscription? | Check Flow Settings → Consent. Profiles without the required subscription are silently blocked. |
Has the profile reached the Entry Limit? | If the Entry Limit is set to 1 and the profile has already entered, they can't enter again. |
Does the profile have a Termination Tag? | Profiles with the termination tag are blocked from entering. Check Flow Settings → Terminate. |
Is a Segment filter active on the Listen node? | If an Advanced segment filter is set (e.g. a test segment), only profiles in that segment can enter. Remove it for production use. |
For scheduled triggers: Is the time/day correct? | Check the schedule and timezone in Flow Settings. The trigger only runs at the configured time. |
For real-time events: Is the event actually firing? | Verify the event exists on the profile's record in Audience. For custom events, check that your website/API is sending the event correctly. See Use Custom Events. |
💡 Tip — Use Node Stats to diagnose - On an active flow, the Listen node shows real-time stats: how many profiles have entered, are waiting, and have passed through. If the count is zero, the issue is likely with the trigger configuration or flow settings. If profiles are entering but stuck at the next node, the issue is downstream.
Related articles
Marketing Automation Nodes — Overview of every node type.
Profile Data in Nodes — How attributes, events, tags, and segments work within nodes.
Use Custom Events — How to send custom events from your website or app and use them as triggers.
Create a Marketing Automation Flow — Step-by-step guide including flow testing.
Navigate the Canvas — Flow settings, activity history, and canvas features.
Troubleshooting Your Flow — Broader troubleshooting guide for the entire flow.
Key Terms Glossary — Definitions for all Marketing Automation terms.