> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.inflection.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Nested Journeys

> How and when to use nested journeys.

On the journey canvas, nested journeys act like containers for a set of flow steps — like a journey within a journey. Users can configure unique exit criteria for each nested journey.

As contacts progress through the flow steps in a nested journey, they are evaluated for the nested journey's exit criteria. Once a contact meets the nested journey's exit criteria, the contact exits the nested journey, skips over the remaining flow steps in the nested journey, and continues on the defined path.

## Common Use Cases

### Behavior-based Onboarding

In onboarding journeys, nested journeys can be used to send relevant, behavior-based communications. for each onboarding milestone. The exit criteria for each nested journey are milestones along the onboarding and adoption path. When a contact completes a milestone action, they are moved to communications about the next milestone, in the next nested journey.

### Single-canvas Event Execution

In event journeys, nested journeys can be used to remove event registrations from a stream of promotion emails, and route them to a delay flow step where they wait for a reminder about the upcoming event.

### Multi-email Nudges

In a journey encouraging a specific behavior (like feature adoption, or reactivation), a nested journey can listen for contacts who complete the desired action, remove those contacts from the communications stream, and re-route those contacts to a more relevant communication, given their behavior.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/inflection-4b2c0de4/sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY/images/journeys/nested-journeys/01.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY&q=85&s=270eb92d2174e2a4429cbb40c1a143c7" alt="In this reactivation journey, emails 1-3 are wrapped in a nested journey. They encourage users to log back into the product. The nested journey exit criteria is a user logging in. When a contact completes this desired action, they exit the flow of emails 1-3, and jump to the final email in the series, where a CSM offers a calendar link to meet." width="853" height="633" data-path="images/journeys/nested-journeys/01.png" />

## Using Nested Journeys

From the **Flow step** panel, select **Nested journey**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/inflection-4b2c0de4/sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY/images/journeys/nested-journeys/02.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY&q=85&s=762c792f05f39f523b722059936f7613" alt="Flow step panel with the Nested journey option" width="916" height="727" data-path="images/journeys/nested-journeys/02.png" />

Add flow steps to the nested journey container.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/inflection-4b2c0de4/sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY/images/journeys/nested-journeys/03.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY&q=85&s=6f9e9076bafd494a782072bd917bb683" alt="Nested journey container on the canvas with flow steps added inside" width="1285" height="630" data-path="images/journeys/nested-journeys/03.png" />

Nested journey exit criteria can be configured once:

1. The nested journey has at least one flow step inside of it
2. A destination flow step has been created (Where will contacts who meet the exit criteria flow?)

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/inflection-4b2c0de4/sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY/images/journeys/nested-journeys/04.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=sEk80mgTrRhGEHCY&q=85&s=d2a666729197e799655f2c818a59c540" alt="Exit criteria configuration for a nested journey named Milestone 1" width="669" height="436" data-path="images/journeys/nested-journeys/04.png" />

<Tip>
  Hover over **Nested journey** in the top left of the nested journey to edit the name of the container. In the screenshot above, the name of this nested journey is **Milestone 1**.
</Tip>

## Exit Criteria Evaluation

Contacts are evaluated for exit criteria when they move from one flow step to the next. If a contact enters a 2-day delay step and immediately qualifies for the exit criteria, they will complete the delay step before the exit criteria takes effect. This means they will wait 2 days, and then get removed from the nested journey and follow the path configured by the user.
