Overview
This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring the charles "Trigger flow" custom activity in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. With the "Trigger flow" custom activity you can add WhatsApp as a channel to your SFMC Journeys.
Prerequisites
Before installing a custom activity, ensure you have:
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account with Journey Builder access
Administrator or Developer permissions in Marketing Cloud
Custom Activity Package (provided by your development team or third-party vendor)
Installation Methods
Step 1: Package Manager Installation
Access package manager
Log into Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Navigate to Setup > Apps > Installed Packages
Click Install a Package
Create package
Click New
Type a name for the package, for example "charles"
Add component
Click Add Component
Select Journey Builder Activity
Type "Trigger charles flow"
Select the category Messages
Add the Endpoint
https://sfmc.hello-charles.com/Click Save
Now, the custom activity is read-to-use in the Journey builder.
Step 2: Create charles flow
Create flow
Navigate to charles > Journeys
Click Create new flow
Select Trigger type "Incoming webhook"
Configure dynamic variables
Add message / template: Based on the desired use case, add functionality to the flow.
Publish flow
Step 3: Add custom activity to your Journey
Look for the "Trigger charles flow" activity (Do not use the "WhatsApp" activity)
Drag to the step in the Journey where you want to start the WhatsApp flow.
Double-click on the activity and the configuration panel will open.
Go to the flow you set up in Step 2
Copy the Webhook URL and API Key and paste it into the respective fields of the configuration panel in SFMC.
Configure the identifiers
You need to select the phone number field from your event or data extension. Charles will use the phone number to deliver WhatsApp messages.
Also, select the user ID that will be external for charles. It will be used as additional identifier.
Configure Extra fields
In the "Extra Fields Mapping", select all fields from your data extension or event that you want to use in charles to segment and personalize WhatsApp messages.
Click Done
Now you can test the Journey and activate it.