Mastering the Visual Flow Editor: Build Complex WhatsApp Journeys
Discover how to use MotherBot's drag-and-drop flow editor to design multi-step conversational journeys with conditions, delays, and branching logic — all without writing a line of code.
Flows vs. Chatbots: What's the Difference?
Chatbots react to inbound messages. They're reactive.
Flows are proactive sequences you design — timed drips, multi-step onboarding journeys, re-engagement sequences. You control when each message fires, what conditions trigger the next step, and what happens if the contact doesn't respond.
Use flows for:
- Welcome sequences after a new contact opts in
- Post-purchase follow-ups
- Trial expiry reminders
- Multi-step lead nurturing
The Flow Editor Canvas
When you open the Flows editor, you'll see a canvas with a Start node already placed. Every flow begins here. Drag nodes from the left panel and connect them with edges.
Available node types:
| Node | What it does |
|---|---|
| Send Message | Sends text, image, template, or interactive message |
| Wait | Pauses the flow for X minutes / hours / days |
| Condition | Branches based on contact field, tag, or last message |
| Update Contact | Sets a field value or adds/removes a tag |
| Assign Agent | Routes the conversation to a specific agent or group |
| End | Terminates the flow |
Building a 3-Day Welcome Sequence
Here's a practical example: a welcome drip for new leads.
Day 0 — Immediate welcome
Send Message:
"Hi {{name}} 👋 Welcome to Acme! I'm your automated assistant.
Over the next 3 days I'll share tips to help you get the most out of your trial.
First up: did you know you can set up your first campaign in under 10 minutes?
Check out: https://docs.acme.io/quickstart"Day 1 — Feature spotlight
Connect a Wait node: delay 1 day.
Then a Send Message:
"Day 1 tip 🚀 Segment your contacts using tags before you launch a campaign.
Targeted messages get 3× more replies than generic blasts."Day 2 — Social proof
Wait 1 day, then:
"Here's what Priya from Mumbai said after her first campaign:
'We got 47 qualified leads in 2 hours. Nothing has worked this well.'
Ready to run yours? Reply HELP if you need a hand."Day 3 — Trial expiry CTA
Wait 1 day, add a Condition: if tag contains converted, go to End (don't nag paying customers). Otherwise:
"Your trial ends tomorrow. Upgrade now and lock in 20% off your first 3 months.
👉 https://app.acme.io/billing
Reply EXTEND for 3 more days to explore."Branching with Conditions
The Condition node evaluates a rule and sends the flow down a True or False path.
Example condition:
- Field: contact.tags
- Operator: contains
- Value: converted
This lets you skip re-engagement messages for contacts who already purchased.
You can chain multiple conditions with AND/OR logic.
Flow Triggers
Flows can be triggered by:
- Manual enroll — select contacts and click "Enroll in Flow"
- Tag added — automatically enrolls contacts when a specific tag is applied
- Campaign replied — enroll contacts who replied to a campaign
- Webhook — enroll contacts from external systems via API
Best Practices
- Keep each step focused — one idea per message, not three
- Always include an exit — let contacts type STOP to exit any flow
- Test with yourself first — use a test contact mapped to your own number
- Use delays wisely — don't send 3 messages in 5 minutes; respect the inbox
- Monitor drop-off — if contacts exit after step 2, that step needs work
Tags