Setting up your first path in minutes!

Last updated: March 2024

Creating a path with Boardwalk’s Admin Dashboard is an easy and straightforward process. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you set up your first path in minutes.

Step 1: Understand the Basics

A path is composed of multiple path steps and actions that need to be executed to achieve a desired outcome.

For example, if you want to open an ad in a new tab when the customer clicks on the image or the accept button, you would add an action step. If you want to skip an offer when the customer selects the skip button, you would add a Skip action step.

Step 2: Create Your New Path

  1. Select Paths from the menu bar.
  2. Click the Create New Path button to start.
 

Step 3: Start Setting Up Your Path

Start by naming your path, followed by a brief explanation of what this newly created path is intended for. 

Next, add your first path step. This can be done by using the Offer Templates. Read More here for more details. 

A user can also decide to manually set up their offers and path steps. If so, they will need to follow the steps highlighted below.

Step 4: Choose Your Step Action Type

Once you’ve added your first Path Step, a new Step will appear on the left, under the steps section.

First, add your Step Name, then add a step action.

  • Your step can be added by clicking the + Step Action button. 

There are four Action Types available:

  1. PROGRESS: Load the next step.
  2. POPOVER: The default behavior; when links are clicked, loads offer links in a new tab with focus.
  3. TAKEOVER: When links are clicked, loads offer links in the current tab; loses the path.
  4. SKIP: Offer button action usually. This action progresses to the next steps, and registers the user is not interested.

Step 5: Add Elements to Your Path

Elements are what we call the parts of a page. For example, images, headings, or buttons. We currently offer 11 unique options:

  1. HEADING: Reserved for your main headline, also known as tagline. Usually a short 1 sentence.
  2. TEXT: Reserved for the main offer’s text. You can add more than 1 sentence and make this section a little longer if desired.
  3. IMAGE: Reserved for your ad or offer’s image. You can add an image from your device or add an image URL.
  4. BUTTON: Reserved for your accept and reject buttons.
  5. TEXT INPUT: Typically used for fields where you want the customer to provide text input. Name and Last Name are examples.
  6. EMAIL INPUT: Typically used for the Email Field. Field where customers would provide their email address.
  7. TELEPHONE INPUT : Typically used for the Phone Number Field. Field where customers would provide their phone number.
  8. DATE INPUT: Typically used for a date field. Field where customers would provide their date of birth or other dates.
  9. CHECKBOX INPUT: This input is reserved for checkboxes. You can make it required or not.
  10. RADIO INPUT: This element is commonly used in forms and applications to allow users to make a single selection from a list of mutually exclusive options.
  11. OFFER TEMPLATE: This option will allow you to select an offer and will pre-fill the information automatically. Prefill is only available when the “Offer Content Elements Section” of an offer is completed. Headline, body text, reject button, accept button, and images are available.

You can add Step Elements by clicking the + Step Element button. Once the button is clicked, the step element section will open up and you’ll be able to select your Element Type. 

N.B. A user can add multiple step elements to create their path step. You can create forms or simple ads.

Step 6: Add Your Optimization Group

Once you’ve added all of your path’s steps, you can add Optimization Group(s) by clicking the + Optimization Group button.

We’ve added easy tool tips, just click the i to learn more.

Your path may consist of a single optimization group or several. These optimization groups serve as clusters of one or more steps within a given path. By simply dragging and dropping multiple steps into an Optimization Group, you allow the AI to determine the most effective sequence to achieve your specific objectives, whether they be engagement or revenue generation.

The option at the bottom of the optimization group allows you to tell the AI how many offers you would like to display on the path at once. 



-> In the event you have 3 offers within the optimization group and decide to display 3 steps in production, the AI will analyze the traffic and will automatically start showing the most popular or profitable offer first.  

-> In the event you have 3 offers within the optimization group and decide to display 2 steps in production, the AI will start its analysis and will automatically put more weight on the 2 most popular offers.

-> In the event you have 3 offers within the optimization group and decide to display 1 step in production, the AI will start its analysis and will automatically put more weight on the most popular offer.

N.B. In the event the box is left empty, the default behavior is to display all offers within the optimization group.  

Step 7: Choose Your Style Sheet

Currently, three options are available:

  1. sample-day.css
  2. sample-night.css
  3. None

You can select a stylesheet to see how your Step or Offer would look. Copying the stylesheet would provide the information needed to implement the style preview and update it using chatgpt. Read more here. 

And that’s it! You’ve set up your first path. Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you use the platform, the more comfortable you’ll become with creating paths. Happy path building!