When a Journey contains splits, DESelect Engage may show a different total on the Dashboard than the audience size in the entry source Data Extension. This happens because Engage expects a predictable set of Contacts on its Send, while split Journeys divide those contacts across different branches.
Why does this happen?
DESelect Engage first calculates the audience based on the entry source Data Extension, i.e if that entry source contains 257 contacts, Engage initially evaluates all 257 contacts.
When the Journey includes a split, not all 257 contacts enter the same Send component. Some contacts go to the first branch, others go to the second branch, and so on. As a result, each individual Email, SMS, or Push Send only receives the contacts assigned to that specific path.
Example: If a Journey starts with 10 contacts and a split divides 5 contacts to one branch and 5 to another, a single Engage component placed on one branch will only process the 5 contacts that reach it. The Dashboard for that component will show those 5 contacts, not all 10 from the original entry source.
What should you expect?
The Dashboard will reflect the number of contacts that actually enter each specific Engage component. It will not always match the full entry source audience when the Journey contains splits.
- A Send component may appear to cover the full source audience during preview.
- In reality, only the contacts that reach that branch will be processed.
- Each message component needs its own separate Engage component.
Recommended setup
For the most reliable results, link the original Journey entry source Data Extension to every Engage component in the Journey. This helps Engage preview the full contact population for each Send and keeps the visibility consistent across branches.
If the Journey uses a random split or any structure where the branch audience cannot be known in advance, Engage cannot perfectly predict which contacts will reach each path. In those cases, the Dashboard numbers will naturally differ from the original entry source audience.
Important note: Engage is not meant to mimic split logic perfectly in these Journeys. It can calculate inclusion and exclusion correctly for the contacts that enter each Engage component, but it cannot always account for the exact branch distribution before the Journey runs.
Use one dedicated Engage component per message component, and make sure each branch has the correct setup (a dedicated Data Extension filtered in accordance with the split logic).
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