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This article provides an overview of Smart Walk-Thru step types and explains how each one behaves in the WalkMe Editor. If you are new to building Smart Walk-Thrus, start with the Getting Started Guide to learn the basics of creating your first flow.
In a Smart Walk-Thru, some steps are visible to your users and appear as balloons that guide them through a process. Regular steps and popup steps are visible balloons. They have a blue icon in the Smart Walk-Thru map.
All other step types are flow steps. Flow steps do not appear to the user—instead, they control how the Smart Walk-Thru progresses, branches, or responds to conditions in the application. They have an orange icon in the Smart Walk-Thru map.

A step appears as a balloon attached to an element on the screen and guides the user through a process. Steps are visible to end users and appear as blue balloons in the Smart Walk-Thru map. Each step has a trigger that determines what action advances the flow.
Popup steps draw attention by displaying a balloon not attached to any element. They appear centered on the page and can be placed anywhere in a Smart Walk-Thru. Use popups when you need context or an announcement before continuing the flow.
Automate element-oriented actions on behalf of a user
Auto-steps perform actions on behalf of the user, including clicking, hovering, focusing on fields, or entering text automatically. These steps help speed up repetitive or complex tasks.
Accommodate alternative paths through a process
Split steps create a rule and sends users down different paths depending on if that rule evaluates as true or false. For example, use a Split to identify if a user is logged in to determine at which point you should start the flow.
Wait for certain conditions before continuing guidance
Wait-For steps pause the Smart Walk-Thru until a condition is met. They rely on the Rule Engine to determine the correct moment to continue.
Automate page-oriented actions on behalf of a user
Action Steps perform actions such as opening a menu, refreshing the page, navigating to a URL, playing a ShoutOut, or opening ActionBot.
Run the Smart Walk-Thru again
Restart Smart Walk-Thru lets users rerun the same Smart Walk-Thru, which is helpful when you want to reuse the introductory steps.
Connect to Steps return a branch created by a Split back into the main flow. This option appears only at the end of a branch that is not yet connected.
Connect Smart Walk-Thru to another process
Connect to Smart Walk-Thru lets you reuse steps across multiple flows. This is recommended for keeping Smart Walk-Thrus under 10–12 steps and improving flow performance.
Help users despite errors
Error Handling Groups contain steps that guide a user when something goes wrong. These groups activate when the associated rule identifies an error, such as an error message being visible or a URL containing an error parameter.
Play steps across domains
Switch to Frame allows a Smart Walk-Thru to continue across domains, including iFrames or HTML popups. Use this step when the user journey spans multiple frames.
Use cookies to track user behavior
Set WalkMe Data sets a variable that can be stored locally in the user's browser. These values can then be used in rules, Splits, segmentation, or automation.
When you hover over a step in the Editor, additional controls appear:

Managing steps effectively keeps your Smart Walk-Thru organized, easy to understand, and simple to update. These actions help you rearrange, copy, and locate steps as your flow grows.
Use the search icon or keyboard shortcut to quickly locate steps in large flows:

Searching is especially helpful in Smart Walk-Thrus with many branches or conditional paths.

Reordering steps allows you to refine the sequence of your flow or adjust how users progress through a process.
To move multiple steps within a Smart Walk-Thru flow:
To move a single step, drag it to the new location in the flow.

To copy a step:
