Best Practices for Creating Smart Walk-Thrus

Brief Overview

Smart Walk-Thrus help users complete processes quickly and confidently. This guide combines UX best practices with builder best practices to help you create Smart Walk-Thrus that are easy to manage, effective at scale, and optimized for user experience.

Smart Walk-Thru: Getting Started Guide

Build for a Smooth User Experience

Train or Automate

Smart Walk-Thrus typically support one of two goals:

1. Train users to complete a process independently
2. Automate steps for users when the task is infrequent or repetitive

Choose the approach based on user frequency and complexity. High-frequency actions are better taught; low-frequency actions can often be automated.

Keep balloon text short and actionable

Users scan quickly, so balloon content must be direct and helpful.

1. Lead with the action users should take
2. Use simple, conversational language
3. Link to documentation or use SmartTips if more detail is needed
4. Avoid ambiguous CTAs like click here

Example:

• Don't: To complete the process faster, click here
• Do: Select Continue to complete the process

Use readable, accessible balloon colors

Select balloon and text colors that provide strong contrast with the application background.

• Avoid bright, saturated colors
• Use black for improved readability
• Ensure color alone is not the sole indicator of meaning

Keep Smart Walk-Thrus to 12 steps or fewer

Completion rates drop significantly for flows longer than twelve steps .

• Focus on a single clear outcome
• Remove steps that don't contribute to that outcome
• Use SmartTips to reduce the need for instructional balloons

Use highlights intentionally

Use highlights to draw attention when:

• The element is far from the balloon
• Multiple elements could confuse users

Choose a contrasting highlight color that fits the application. Reserve red for error-related steps.

Create linear flows

Design Smart Walk-Thrus around the ideal user path. Do not attempt to handle every possible deviation — this adds complexity without value.

If multiple paths are valid, break them into separate Smart Walk-Thrus and group them in a folder in the WalkMe Menu.

Optimize titles

Users rely on clear titles to choose the right Smart Walk-Thru.

• Make the outcome obvious
• Keep titles short and specific

Use SmartTips when appropriate

SmartTips stay visible on the screen, making them ideal for:

• Multi-field forms
• Supplemental guidance
• Field validation

Replace balloon overload with SmartTips when users need inline support.

SmartTips

Use fewer balloons on multi-field forms

Forms usually do not require a balloon for every field.

• Add a single balloon on the Submit or Save button
• Reinforce required fields with SmartTips

Example balloon: Fill out all required fields, then select Submit

Optimize Interaction and Triggers

Use the Next button trigger for optional steps

Use a Next trigger when:

• You cannot predict whether the user will take an action
• The action is optional

Next triggers can be combined with Click or Type triggers for flexibility.

Use custom triggers to minimize user clicks

Custom Triggers move Smart Walk-Thrus forward when a specific condition is met, reducing unnecessary clicks and improving flow efficiency. This supports smoother user interactions and creates a more seamless experience.

Manageability Best Practices

Build Smart Walk-Thrus to be easy to manage

Smart Walk-Thrus may remain active for a long time. Build them so they are easy for any builder to understand and update.

• Keep flows clean and logical
• Avoid overuse of error handling groups, splits, and wait-for-flow steps
• Build for 95% of users rather than creating support for every edge case

Too many features make troubleshooting and updates significantly harder.

Name every flow step

Each flow step should have a descriptive title explaining what it does.

• Avoid relying on the rule configuration to infer meaning
• Use clear, action-oriented names

This makes maintenance and handoffs easier for other builders.

Flow Steps

Use notes for clarity

Use notes when additional context helps explain:

• Why a step exists
• Dependencies
• Edge-case behavior

Notes can be added to any step or flow step in the Notes tab .

Notes Tab

Connect to other Smart Walk-Thrus when needed

If processes vary significantly by role, type, or condition, use Connect to Smart Walk-Thru to:

• Break large processes into smaller tasks
• Reuse common steps across flows
• Reduce building time while keeping the experience streamlined

Connect to Smart Walk-Thru Step

Turn on screenshots

Screenshots help builders troubleshoot and maintain Smart Walk-Thrus by capturing:

• The URL where the item was created
• The element that was selected
• The original balloon configuration

This makes collaboration and updates easier and more accurate .

Screenshots

Write clear goal names

Goals appear in Insights and can be used as rule types.

• Avoid vague names (Success)
• Use descriptive, outcome-based names

Example: User reaches leave request sent page.

Show Smart Walk-Thrus at the Right Time

Use segmentation to Target the Right Users

Segmentation ensures Smart Walk-Thrus only appear when relevant.

• Segment by URL for page-level targeting
• Segment by variables for user type or role targeting

This reduces clutter and improves user focus.

Segmentation

Optimize initiation points

Choose how users start a Smart Walk-Thru based on their workflow. Initiation options include:

• Launcher
• WalkMe Menu
• Permalink
• ShoutOut

Select the option that aligns with users' moment of need and the business objective.

Auto-Play Best Practices

Use Auto-Play sparingly and intentionally.

• Start with a clear sentence explaining why the user is seeing the balloon
• Place the first step in a prominent on-screen location
• Avoid using Spotlight Steps as the first step — they may resemble advertisements and cause users to close the Walk-Thru prematurely
• Add a short delay before launching Auto-Play so users can first orient themselves
• Reserve Auto-Play for cases where users need help but won't actively search for it

Auto-Play: Getting Started Guide

Give Users Multiple Ways to Start a Smart Walk-Thru

Make guidance discoverable by offering more than one access point.

• Contextual Launcher on the relevant page
• Task in the WalkMe Menu

Multiple entry points support both proactive and self-service user behaviors.

Initiator and End Experience Panel