Flow canvas
The canvas is where you shape a flow - arranging the steps, writing the brief for each email, and turning briefs into finished campaigns. This page covers the canvas layout, node types, briefs, and keyboard shortcuts.
The canvas
Section titled “The canvas”A flow is a set of nodes connected top to bottom. Each node is one step; the lines between them show the order messages go out. Drag on empty space to pan, and scroll to zoom in and out.
Click a node to select it. Selected nodes open the brief and settings in the right rail.
Node types
Section titled “Node types”A flow is built from four kinds of node:
- Trigger - the entry point that starts the flow, for example when someone joins a list, when an event occurs, or on a specific date.
- Campaign - a message to send. Campaign nodes come in three styles: Designed Email (copy for designers), Text-Based Email (plain, personal), and SMS.
- Delay - a wait between steps, for example “Wait 2 days” before the next message.
- Split - a branch that sends people down different paths based on conditions.
You add Campaign and Split nodes from the toolbar. Templates already include the Trigger and Delay steps for their automation, so most flows start with those in place.
Add a step
Section titled “Add a step”Pick the node type in the toolbar, then click where you want it. The tool goes back to the pointer after one placement, so the next click selects instead of dropping another node.
Click outside a flow and MX tells you to drop the step inside one, keeping the tool armed for another try. A step dropped on top of an existing one slides just below it, so two steps never sit in the same spot with one hidden behind the other.
Connections and delays
Section titled “Connections and delays”Any connection you draw by hand can carry a delay. Select or hover the connection and click + Add delay, then type the wait. Clearing a delay leaves the control in place, so it does not vanish mid-edit.
Deleting a connection tells you how many went and offers Undo in the same message.
Campaign briefs
Section titled “Campaign briefs”Every campaign node has a brief - a short plan for what that email or SMS should say. Select a campaign node and the right rail opens with three tabs:
- Chat - talk to MX about this flow.
- Brief - write or edit the plan for this message.
- Copy - the email settings (subject line, preview text, sender name) and the campaign content.
Briefs save as you type. Use undo and redo to step back and forward through brief edits.
Collapsing the rail keeps a chat message you had not sent yet, so you can close it to see the canvas and come back to your draft.
From brief to campaign
Section titled “From brief to campaign”When a brief is ready, turn it into a full campaign. On a campaign node, open the node menu and choose Edit Campaign. MX creates the campaign document if it does not exist yet and opens it in the campaign editor, where you can generate and refine the copy.
Each campaign node maps to one campaign document, so edits made in the editor stay tied to that step in the flow.
Undo and redo
Section titled “Undo and redo”Undo covers your current visit to the canvas. A page you have just opened does not offer to undo work from an earlier session. Hover Undo and it names the change it will reverse and how long ago you made it.
MX’s edits have their own MX undo button next to yours. Cmd/Ctrl+Z only ever touches your own changes, so reversing MX’s work is always a deliberate click. One MX action undoes as a single step - a step it added, the connection into it, and the delay on that connection all come back together instead of peeling apart.
When your change and MX’s change touch the same thing, Undo tells you which one to reverse first rather than reversing the wrong one.
Opening a flow
Section titled “Opening a flow”A flow’s own link opens the canvas with that flow centered. If MX builds a flow while you are working, it announces the new flow with a Jump to it link so you do not have to hunt for it or reload.
Keyboard shortcuts
Section titled “Keyboard shortcuts”These shortcuts work while the canvas is focused and you are not typing in a text field.
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| B | Open or close the brief rail for the selected campaign |
| J or ] | Next campaign (while the brief rail is open) |
| K or [ | Previous campaign (while the brief rail is open) |
| F | Fit the whole flow in view |
| Backspace or Delete | Delete the selected node |
| Cmd/Ctrl + Z | Undo |
| Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + Z | Redo |
| Esc | Close the rail, then clear the selection |