> ## Knowledge Base Index
> Fetch the complete knowledge base index at: https://help.textit.com/sitemap.xml
> Use this file to discover available pages before exploring further.
> Pure-Markdown content can be obtained by appending a '.md' suffix to the content URLs listed in the sitemap (without the trailing slash).

# Where to Begin: A New User Guide


## Add your first channel

A [channel](/en/article/introduction-to-channels-1qyruqs/) is a phone number or social network account that we can use to send and receive messages on your behalf. It's important to understand that your flows **won't send** if there is no channel connected! 

Learn how to add your first channel [here](https://help.textit.com/en/article/adding-channels-1waf79v/).

## Build your first flow

After you've connected your first channel, you're ready to start mastering flows.

To view sample flows and start building, click on the **Flows** tab at the top of your account page. 

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/7a9fc4558a9de000/screen-shot-2023-05-18-at-1309_42w67j.png)

We suggest sending yourself a simple flow to start learning the basics. Start by clicking on the **New Flow** button within the "Flows" tab:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/7a9fc4558a9de000/screen-shot-2023-05-18-at-1315_x2s9ek.png)

A dialogue box will pop up asking you to create a name, add an optional [keyword trigger](/en/article/introduction-to-triggers-1pm94xb/) & choose a [flow type](/en/article/flow-types-y5c7g3/). In this example, we're going to create a sample registration flow. We've chosen "Messaging" as our flow type since we'll be using SMS and social media channels. See more about languages [here](/en/article/managing-your-language-settings-wwtghk/).

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12203_1ilwdux.png =600x414)
  
After clicking **Create**, you'll be brought to your new flow's [editor](/en/article/navigating-the-flow-editor-1onasqy/).

In this registration flow, we'll ask our contacts for their name, update their contact information to save their name, and add them to a group:

We start the flow by asking for the contact's name. Next, we'll need to evaluate our contacts' replies with a **Wait for Response** action. Simply click the little red dot, called an "exit", in your **Send Message** node and *drag down* to make this new connection:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12214_xtxma6.png)

The **Wait for Response** action node will automatically appear in the options for the new node.


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12234_mhlrer.png =400x581)
In this case, we want to save the result as "Name" and we'll want our contacts' replies be open-ended, so we'll leave the response rule *blank*. By leaving the rule empty, it will collect "All Responses".

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12252_7pvyqg.png =600x310)

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/742b1e211cb16800/27ae4d60-870e-4664-ac01-41641e_1o20ib4.png)

Because we want to save the contact's name and be able to reference it later in future messages and flows, we must *save* it. Do this with an [Update the Contact](/en/article/adding-and-updating-a-contact-field-3hcr72/) action after collecting the name. Click on the red exit node after the "Wait for Response" and drag down to create a new node. We'll click '+ Add Other' 

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12261_k3h9nl.png =400x485)

In the menu of possible actions and splits, we'll choose 'Update Name' because in this example, we're saving a name! If we wanted to save a custom field like 'Address' or 'Age', we'd select 'Update Field'. 

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12272_1nhjis4.png =600x126)



After selecting **Update Name** from the menu, you'll be able to save the result you've collected:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12300_1upimf3.png =600x207)

In the "Value" field, typing the `@` symbol triggers an auto-complete dropdown menu containing a complete list of available [variables](/en/article/contact-variables-1aj5jj1/). In this case, we want to use **@results.name**.

Once we've clicked 'Save, we'll now see that we've saved the contact's name in the flow.

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12313_kud5a1.png)

Here's what the flow should look like after we've asked for a name, collected it, and saved it:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12321_ega59f.png =400x569)

Finally, we want contacts that complete this registration flow to be added to a [group we've created](/en/article/creating-a-contact-group-qb3yh1/). To do this, we can hover over the "Update Name" node and click the blue + button that will appear. This button allows you to stack actions. If you don't see this little button, no worries- just click and drag the red exit node!

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12332_8qfzr6.png)

Choose **Add to Group** from the menu in your newly created node and then select the group. You can either choose an already existing group or create a new one.  

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12352_1vc4ktm.png =650x134)


![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12353_4ioyr6.png =600x207)

Here's our flow now:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12375_x2i2b2.png =500x809)

**That's it!** Our flow has successfully asked for the contact's name, collected and saved their response, and added them to a group. One last step would be to send the contact a message to let them know that they've completed the registration:

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12402_1y2ff2q.png =500x311)

You'll notice that rather than using the contact's full name, we've used the variable `@contact.first_name` which will use only their first name to be friendlier. You can see more about using variables like this [here](/en/article/contact-variables-1aj5jj1/).  

To test out our flow, we can use the [simulator](/en/article/using-the-simulator-fqj21j/) on the right-hand side of the flow editor:  

![](https://storage.crisp.chat/users/helpdesk/website/-/7/a/9/f/7a9fc4558a9de000/screenshot-2026-04-28-at-12412_1aorufs.png =400x634)

By creating this flow, you've mastered the basics, and you're ready to start building more and more complex flows. Check out the extensive library of Help Docs in our [Help Center](/) or send us a message via the support widget in the bottom right corner.

Don't forget to check out our helpful [videos](https://www.youtube.com/@TextitIn/videos) and our [blog](https://textit.com/blog/) for new feature updates!