> This page is part of the [Customer.io documentation](https://docs.customer.io). For the complete index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.customer.io/llms.txt).
> Last updated: July 10, 2026

# Set journey attributes

Journey attributes help you temporarily store data that you want to use in your campaign—like properties from a webhook or data from a collection query.

Unlike customer attributes, journey attributes don’t persist on a person’s profile—they automatically expire when the person exits the campaign. This keeps your workspace data clean while still letting you use data for personalization, conditions, and branching within a workflow.

## How it works

You can set journey attributes in three ways:

Method

Use case

Set journey attributes action

Set values directly based on profile attributes, trigger data, liquid, or JavaScript. For instance, you might do this to temporarily store a discount code while a person is actively in a campaign.

Webhook response

Store data returned from an external API. Learn more on [setting journey attributes in a webhook action](/messaging/send/workflows/webhooks/action/#response).

Collection query

Store results from a collection query. Learn more on [setting journey attributes in a collection query action](/messaging/objects-data/collections/#decide-how-to-store-the-results).

After you set a journey attribute, you can use it to:

*   Personalize messages with this liquid syntax: `{{journey.<attribute_name>}}`
*   Create branch conditions to send people down different paths
*   Set action conditions on messages, delays, or other blocks

## Set journey attributes action

To set journey attributes in a campaign, follow these steps:

1.  Drag the **Set journey attributes** action into your workflow, and then configure the attributes you want to set.
2.  Click the action **Name** to add your own descriptor. You can also set [action conditions](/messaging/send/workflows/action-conditions/) if you don’t want everybody in your workflow to trigger this action.
3.  Click **Add details**.
4.  Click **Add attribute** to set your journey attribute.
    
    [![Set an attribute name, value type, and value.](https://docs.customer.io/images/set-journey-attributes-action.png)](#173c9f26411b9606c98ee8041a6ce101-lightbox)
    
    *   **Attribute** is the name of the journey attribute. Reference it later in liquid as `{{journey.<attribute_name>}}`. In the example above, you could use `{{journey.discount_code}}` in a subsequent message.
    *   **Value** is the type of data you want to set for your attribute—a profile attribute, trigger attribute, a static value, liquid, or JavaScript. [Learn more about setting attributes](/messaging/send/workflows/attribute-updates/create-update-person/#what-values-can-i-use-to-set-attributes).
5.  Click **Save Changes** when you’re done.

 You don’t need a delay after this action

Your campaign workflow will automatically wait for the attribute update to finish before moving to the next step. You don’t need to add a delay after a *Set journey attributes* action—the workflow won’t proceed until the update finishes.

### Limits on journey attributes

*   **Overall limit**: 100 journey attributes per journey. You can create or change up to 100 journey attributes during a single journey. Updates beyond this limit fail, and the person moves forward without the update.
*   **Attribute name limit**: 128 bytes
*   **Attribute value limit**: 100 KiB

## Use journey attributes in your workflow

You can reference journey attributes in messages and conditions for actions like branches and emails.

If the value of your journey attribute contains liquid syntax, make sure you add [{% render\_liquid %}](#how-to-reference-journey-attributes-with-nested-liquid) around your liquid object so it pulls in data dynamically. Otherwise, it will render as static text.

### Reference journey attributes in messages

Use the `journey` key in liquid to include journey attribute data in messages. If the attribute value is an object (not an array), access properties directly:

```text
{{ journey.promo_course.name }}
{{ journey.promo_course.description }}
```

If the data is an array, you can [loop through the data](/messaging/liquid/tag-list/?version=latest#for-loop-latest):

```text
{% for item in journey.course_recommendations %}
  {{ item.name }}
{% endfor %}
```

You can also use liquid filters like `first`, `last`, and `map` to access specific items in the array:

```text
{% assign first_course = journey.course_recommendations | first %}
{{ first_course.name }}
```

### How to reference journey attributes with nested liquid

You might store attributes containing liquid syntax, like when you store personalized email content generated from an [LLM action](/messaging/send/workflows/llm-actions/) or webhook.

For example, imagine that you have a journey attribute named `body` with the following value:

```HTML
"body": "Hello {{customer.first_name}}!"
```

If you reference this journey attribute in a message with `{{journey.body}}`, the body field **won’t be evaluated**! Instead it’s as static text! So you’ll see “Hello {{customer.first\_name}}!” instead of “Hello Alex!”

To render liquid syntax dynamically, you need to wrap the liquid object in [`{% render_liquid %}`](/messaging/liquid/tag-list/?version=latest#render_liquid-latest), like `{% render_liquid journey.body %}`. Then, when the message sends, we’ll evaluate `{{customer.first_name}}` and render “Hello Alex!” as you’d expect.

#### Preview journey attributes in messages

To preview journey attributes, you need to provide sample data. Otherwise, we won’t render anything in the preview:

1.  Open the **Sample data** panel in the message editor.
2.  Select the **Journey** tab.
3.  Enter test values under your attribute names.

In the message preview, you’ll see the sample value render.

Like with any other liquid variables, if we can’t retrieve a value for the journey attribute when we attempt to send the message, the message will fail to send.

### Reference journey attributes in conditions

After you set a journey attribute, you can use it in any condition in your workflow—including branch conditions and action conditions. For example, you could send people down different paths in a multi-split branch based on a journey attribute value. You could also only send an email to people when their journey attribute contains a certain value.

[![Multi-split branch split by journey attribute discount_code](https://docs.customer.io/images/multi-split-branch-journey-attribute-2.png)](#e1992fac245164990c216fc4f2ec9fda-lightbox)

*   *   [How it works](#how-it-works)
    *   [Set journey attributes action](#set-journey-attributes-action)
        *   [Limits on journey attributes](#limits-on-journey-attributes)
    *   [Use journey attributes in your workflow](#use-journey-attributes-in-your-workflow)
        *   [Reference journey attributes in messages](#reference-journey-attributes-in-messages)
        *   [How to reference journey attributes with nested liquid](#how-to-reference-journey-attributes-with-nested-liquid)
            *   [Preview journey attributes in messages](#preview-journey-attributes-in-messages)
        *   [Reference journey attributes in conditions](#reference-journey-attributes-in-conditions)

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