Achievement Node
The Achievement node records a milestone event on a profile's record when they reach a specific point in a flow. It's how you mark that a profile has accomplished something meaningful — such as qualifying as a lead, completing onboarding, or reaching a loyalty tier.
Achievements are stored as events on the profile and can be used downstream to trigger other flows, build segments, personalise emails, and report on marketing outcomes.
In this article
What is an Achievement?
An Achievement is a named milestone that gets recorded as an event on a profile. Think of it as a stamp in a passport — it marks that the profile has reached a specific point, with metadata about what kind of milestone it is and how valuable it was.
Every achievement has:
A name — what the achievement represents (e.g. "Onboarding complete", "Demo requested", "First purchase").
A type — one of three qualification categories: MQL, SQL, or PQL (see below).
Optional points and value — numeric scores you assign to measure importance or monetary worth.
Once assigned, the achievement is permanently stored on the profile as an event and visible in the profile's event history in Audience.
Understanding MQL, SQL, and PQL
When creating an achievement, you choose one of three qualification types. These are standard lead qualification labels used in B2B marketing and sales:
Type | Stands for | What it means |
MQL | Marketing Qualified Lead | A profile that has shown interest through marketing interactions — for example, they downloaded a whitepaper, attended a webinar, or engaged with multiple emails. They're interested but haven't been vetted by sales yet. |
SQL | Sales Qualified Lead | A profile that has been evaluated and accepted by the sales team as a genuine prospect worth pursuing — for example, they requested a demo, fit the ideal customer profile, or have budget authority. |
PQL | Product Qualified Lead | A profile that has experienced the product and shown buying signals through usage — for example, they completed a trial, used a key feature, or reached a usage threshold. Common in SaaS and freemium models. |
💡 Tip — Which type should I choose?
Choose the type that matches what the flow represents:
Profile completed a marketing nurture sequence →MQL
Profile requested a demo or meeting →SQL
Profile completed a trial or activated a key product feature →PQL
If your use case doesn't fit the lead qualification model (e.g. loyalty milestones, onboarding completion), choose the type that's closest conceptually, or use MQL as a default. The type is a label — it doesn't change the node's behaviour.
When to use the Achievement node
Use the Achievement node when a profile reaches a point in your flow that represents a meaningful milestone you want to record, measure, and act on later.
The key difference from a simple tag (via the Update Profile node) is that achievements carry structured metadata — type, points, and value — making them richer and more useful for reporting and lead scoring.
Common use cases
Lead qualification — MQL
A profile completes a 5-step nurture sequence (opened emails, clicked CTAs, visited pricing page) → Achievement node: "Marketing Qualified" (MQL, 50 points) → Notification node alerts the sales team.
Demo request — SQL
A profile submits a "Request a demo" form → flow triggers → Achievement node: "Demo Requested" (SQL, 80 points) → Notification node to sales with profile details.
Trial activation — PQL
A custom event fires when a trial user activates a key feature → flow triggers → Achievement node: "Feature Activated" (PQL, 60 points) → Email node sends a "What's next?" guide.
Onboarding completion
A profile completes all onboarding steps (tracked via Wait for Event nodes) → Achievement node: "Onboarding Complete" (MQL, 30 points) → Email node sends a congratulations message. Other flows can check for this achievement before sending onboarding reminders.
Loyalty milestone
A profile reaches their 10th purchase (triggered via custom event) → Achievement node: "Loyal Customer" (PQL, 100 points, value: 500) → Email node sends VIP offer. The value field records estimated customer lifetime value.
Setting up the Achievement node
Drag the Achievement node onto the canvas and click it to open the configuration panel.
Choose an existing achievement or create a new one.
Creating a new achievement
Click "Create a new Achievement".
Enter a name. Choose something descriptive: "Onboarding Complete", "Demo Requested", "Webinar Attended", "First Purchase". This name appears on the profile's event record and in segment builders.
Select the achievement type:
Marketing Qualified Lead (MQL)
Sales Qualified Lead (SQL)
Product Qualified Lead (PQL)
Assign Points and Value (optional). See Points and Value below for guidance on what numbers to use.
Click "Create" to save the achievement. It's now assigned to this node — every profile that reaches it will receive this achievement on their record.
💡 Good to know — Reusing achievements
Once created, an achievement can be selected in any Achievement node in any flow. You don't need to recreate it. This means multiple flows can assign the same achievement — for example, different paths to "MQL" can all assign the same "Marketing Qualified" achievement.
Points and Value — what are they for?
Every achievement carries two optional numeric fields:
Field | What it represents | Example usage |
Points | An abstract numeric score representing the importance or engagement level of this milestone. Points are relative — you define the scale. | Newsletter signup = 10 points. Webinar attended = 30 points. Demo requested = 80 points. Use these to compare the "weight" of different milestones. |
Value | A numeric monetary value representing the estimated revenue or worth associated with this milestone. | Free trial activated = 0 value. First purchase = 150 value. Enterprise demo = 5,000 value. Use this to estimate revenue attribution from your flows. |
⚠️ Important — Points and Value are not aggregated
At this time, Points and Value are stored per achievement event— they are not automatically summed across a profile's multiple achievements. If a profile earns two achievements with 30 and 50 points, there is no automatic "total = 80" calculation. The values are stored individually on each achievement event.
You can still use these values in segments and for reporting by checking individual achievement events, but there is no built-in cumulative lead score.
💡 Tip — Creating a points framework
If you plan to use achievements across multiple flows, establish a simple scoring framework upfront. For example:
Low engagement (10–20 points):Newsletter signup, email open
Medium engagement (30–50 points):Webinar attendance, resource download, multiple email clicks
High engagement (60–100 points):Demo request, trial activation, pricing page visit
Document this framework and share it with your team so all flows use a consistent scale.
How the Achievement is stored on a profile
When a profile reaches the Achievement node, an event is recorded on their profile with the following data:
Data field | Description |
achievementId | A unique ID for this specific achievement. |
type | The qualification type: MQL, SQL, or PQL. |
points | The abstract numeric score you assigned. |
value | The monetary value you assigned. |
sourceType | The tool that created the achievement. Currently always "Marketing Automation". |
sourceId | The ID of the specific flow that assigned the achievement. |
You can view the achievement event in the profile's event history in Audience.
Using Achievements downstream
Recording an achievement is only half the value — the real power is in what you do with it afterwards. Here's how you can use achievements across the platform:
Downstream use | How |
Trigger another flow | Set up a Listen node in a different flow to listen for Achievements as a real-time event. When the achievement is assigned in Flow A, the profile enters Flow B instantly. For example: MQL achievement triggers a sales handoff flow. |
Build segments | Create a segment based on the achievement event. For example: "Has Achievement = Marketing Qualified AND type = MQL". Use these segments for targeted campaigns or as filters in other flows. |
Check in a flow | Use a Check Profile node to check if a profile has a specific achievement. For example: "Has achievement Onboarding Complete? Yes → skip onboarding emails. No → continue onboarding flow." |
Personalise emails | Use achievement data in email personalisation — for example, referencing the achievement type or points in dynamic content blocks. |
Reporting | Track how many profiles earn each achievement over time. Use achievement counts as a proxy for marketing effectiveness — how many MQLs are your flows generating per month? |
💡 Tip — Achievement as a flow trigger
One of the most powerful patterns is using an achievement in Flow A to trigger Flow B. Set Flow B's Listen node to listen for the specific achievement event. This lets you chain flows together based on milestones — MQL flow → sales nurture flow → SQL flow → customer success flow — without using the Add to Flow node.
Achievement vs. Update Profile vs. End Flow
All three nodes can "mark" that something happened. Here's when to use each:
Node | What it records | Best for |
Achievement | A structured event with type (MQL/SQL/PQL), points, and value. Stored permanently as an event on the profile. Can trigger other flows. | Lead qualification milestones, measurable business outcomes, cross-flow triggers, anything where you need structured metadata and reporting. |
A tag (on/off label) or an attribute value (text, number, date). Modifies the profile's data — no event is created. | Simple binary markers ("flow completed"), data enrichment (update an interest category), Termination Tag patterns. Lightweight and fast. | |
Optional points/value assigned at the end of a path. Marks flow completion in the MA Report. | Tracking flow completion and assigning basic value to different exit paths. No event on the profile — only visible in the flow report. |
💡 Rule of thumb
Need a simple flag (did it happen or not)? →Update Profile (tag).
Need a scored milestone with metadata that can trigger other flows? →Achievement.
Just need to mark the end of a path with a value? →End Flow.
Troubleshooting
Issue | What to check |
Achievement not showing on the profile | Check Node Stats — has the profile actually passed through the Achievement node? If "passed through" is 0, the issue is upstream. Also check the profile's event history in Audience — achievements appear as events, not as tags or attributes. |
Achievement not triggering another flow | Verify that the other flow's Listen node is configured to listen for Achievements as the event type, and that it's listening for the correct specific achievement. Also check that the other flow is Active and the profile meets its entry requirements (subscription, entry limit). |
Wrong points or value recorded | Check the Achievement node's configuration — the points and value shown are what gets recorded. If you changed them after some profiles already passed through, the old profiles keep the old values (changes are not retroactive). |
Can't find the achievement in a segment builder | Achievements are stored as events. In the Segment Builder, look under Events → Achievements, not under Attributes or Tags. |
Profile getting the same achievement twice | If the flow's Entry Limit allows re-entry, a profile can pass through the Achievement node multiple times. Each pass creates a separate achievement event. If you want to prevent duplicates, add a Check Profile node before the Achievement node to check if the profile already has this achievement. |
Tips & best practices
Name achievements clearly and consistently. Use a naming pattern like "[Stage]: [Description]" — for example: "MQL: Nurture Sequence Complete", "SQL: Demo Requested", "PQL: Trial Feature Activated". This makes achievements easy to find in the segment builder and other flows.
Establish a points framework before building flows. Agree on a scale with your team (e.g. 10–100) and assign consistent values. This makes achievements comparable across flows.
Combine Achievement + Notification. Place a Notification node right after the Achievement node to alert sales or CS the moment a profile qualifies. The achievement records the milestone; the notification triggers the human action.
Use achievements to trigger cross-flow journeys. Instead of using the Add to Flow node to chain flows, let the achievement event trigger the next flow via its Listen node. This keeps flows independent and easier to maintain.
Prevent duplicate achievements with Check Profile. If a profile can re-enter the flow, add a Check Profile node before the Achievement node: "Has achievement X? Yes → skip. No → assign achievement."
Use achievements for reporting, not just routing. Even if you don't need to trigger another flow, achievements give you a countable metric: "How many MQLs did this flow generate this month?" This is hard to measure with tags alone.
Don't overuse achievements. Reserve them for genuinely meaningful milestones. If you assign an achievement at every step, the data loses its signal value. Use Update Profile tags for lighter-weight markers.
Related articles
Marketing Automation Nodes — Overview of every node type.
Listen Node — Use Achievements as a trigger event in another flow.
Notification Node — Alert sales when a profile earns an achievement.
Update Profile Node — Simpler alternative for binary markers (tags/attributes).
Check Profile Node — Check if a profile already has an achievement.
End Flow Node — Assigns basic points/value at flow completion.
Add to Flow Node — Alternative way to chain flows (vs. achievement-triggered flows).
Marketing Automation Report — Flow-level reporting.
Navigate the Canvas — Flow settings and canvas features.
Key Terms Glossary — Definitions for all Marketing Automation terms.