# Audience splits

An audience split lets you divide your audience into segments and send each segment down different paths in your campaign journey. This allows you to tailor content, timing, and messaging based on different customer behaviours or preferences, increasing engagement and campaign effectiveness.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Example use case**
>
> A subscription service wants to manage responses to a membership cancellation request:
>
> - **Opt out** – Customers who confirm they no longer wish to receive communications are removed from future marketing messages
> - **Cancelled** – Customers who cancel their membership receive a follow-up survey and an offer to rejoin at a discounted rate
> - **Everyone else** – Customers who neither opt out nor cancel continue receiving standard engagement messages

## Adding an audience split

To add an audience split:

1. In your Orbit journey, click the **\+** icon where you want to create different paths.

   > **Tip**
   >
   > An audience split is often positioned below a Time Delay step.
2. Under Controls, click **Audience Split**. A new step appears in your journey.
3. Select your new audience split step. Enter a name, then click **Create**.

   > **Note**
   >
   > The **Everyone else** path appears by default. You can rename this path if needed.
4. Click **\+ Add Path**.
5. Enter a descriptive name for the path.

   Your new path appears in the side panel above your default audience.

   > **Note**
   >
   > Paths are hierarchical. The topmost path appears on the left. You can rearrange them as needed.
6. Under the new path, click **\+ Add Audience**.
7. Search for and select your preferred audience.

   > **Note**
   >
   > To split your audience based on message objectives, see [Audience splits by message objective](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/campaigns/journey-builder/journey-steps/objective-audience-splits/index.md>).
8. Add your preferred split paths, then click **Apply**.

   > **Note**
   >
   > By default, audience split paths exit the journey immediately. To keep segments in the journey, add steps like time delays or additional communications.

You’ve now set up an audience split in your campaign journey.

## Delaying a path

Every path in an audience split, including **Everyone Else**, has a **Delay** toggle. Use it to wait a set time for other, higher-priority path conditions to be met before continuing recipients down that path.

To delay a path:

1. Under the path, switch on **Delay**.
2. Enter a quantity, then choose a time unit.
3. Click **Apply**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Example**
>
> If Registered Interest waits 3 days and Everyone Else waits 5 days, recipients get the full 3 days to register interest before Orbit moves them into Everyone Else.

> [!NOTE]
>
> If you delay any path, add a repeating [time delay](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/campaigns/journey-builder/journey-steps/time-delays/index.md>) step above the audience split. Orbit needs this to periodically re-check whether the delayed conditions have been met, and won't let you publish the journey without it.

## Deleting a path

To delete a path:

1. Expand the **option menu** on the path you want to remove.
2. Click **Delete**, then confirm.

Deleting a path also deletes every journey step on that path, even if it leads into further sections, splits, or other steps further down the journey.

> [!TIP]
>
> If you delete a path by mistake, use [undo](<https://help.apteco.com/en/orbit/campaigns/journey-builder/undo-redo-reset-journey-changes/index.md>) to bring it back.