Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views: _Journey (Journey Builder)

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The _Journey data view in Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) provides metadata about all Journey Builder journeys in your account. This view includes each journey’s version number, status, and timestamps for creation, modification, and publication.

In this blog, we’ll explore the structure of the _Journey data view, its real-world use cases, and sample SQL queries to help you monitor and audit your Journey Builder programs efficiently.

What is the _Journey Data View?

The _Journey data view logs all versions of every journey created in Journey Builder. It provides details such as journey name, version numbers, current status, and various timestamps that allow marketers to track and optimize their automation programs.

Key Benefits of _Journey Data View

  • Track Versioning: Understand how journeys evolve across versions.
  • Monitor Status: View which journeys are currently running or in draft.
  • Audit Publishing Activity: Track when journeys were published or modified.
  • Program Management: Centralize journey metadata in one queryable view.

Fields in _Journey Data View & Their Uses

FieldTypeDescription & Use Case
VersionIDText(36)Unique identifier for a journey version. Useful for linking with other Journey data views.
JourneyIDText(36)Unique identifier for the journey (regardless of version). Helps group multiple versions of the same journey.
JourneyNameText(200)The display name of the journey. Helps filter journeys by business purpose or campaign.
VersionNumberNumberVersion of the journey. Enables tracking changes over time.
CreatedDateDateTimestamp when the journey version was created. Useful for identifying older vs newer journeys.
LastPublishedDateDateThe last time this version was published. Tracks journey activation timelines.
ModifiedDateDateWhen the journey was last updated. Helps identify recent changes.
JourneyStatusText(100)Journey status: Draft, Running, Finishing, or Stopped. Core for journey activity monitoring.

When and Why to Use _Journey Data View?

When to Use?

  • To audit all journeys created in your SFMC account.
  • To review journey versions and publishing dates.
  • When building a report on active or recently modified journeys.
  • For checking which journeys are still in draft or have been stopped.

Why Use It?

  • Version Control: Keep track of iterative changes in customer journeys.
  • Operational Oversight: Monitor journeys currently affecting customers.
  • Compliance & Review: Document history for governance or audits.
  • Performance Reporting: Identify when journeys went live and were last changed.

10 Example Scenarios and Queries

1. Retrieve All Active Journeys

SELECT JourneyName, VersionNumber, JourneyStatus 
FROM _Journey 
WHERE JourneyStatus = 'Running'

Use Case: Monitor current live journeys.

2. List of Draft Journeys

SELECT JourneyName, VersionNumber, ModifiedDate 
FROM _Journey 
WHERE JourneyStatus = 'Draft'

Use Case: Identify journeys still in preparation or needing activation.

3. Recently Published Journeys

SELECT JourneyName, VersionNumber, LastPublishedDate 
FROM _Journey 
WHERE LastPublishedDate >= DATEADD(day, -30, GETDATE())

Use Case: Track journey launches in the last 30 days.

4. Group Journeys by Name and Count Versions

SELECT JourneyName, COUNT(*) AS VersionCount 
FROM _Journey 
GROUP BY JourneyName

Use Case: Analyze how frequently journeys are iterated.

5. Sort Journeys by Last Modified Date

SELECT JourneyName, VersionNumber, ModifiedDate 
FROM _Journey 
ORDER BY ModifiedDate DESC

Use Case: Find the most recently changed journeys.

6. List Journeys with Status ‘Stopped’ or ‘Finishing’

SELECT JourneyName, JourneyStatus 
FROM _Journey 
WHERE JourneyStatus IN ('Stopped', 'Finishing')

Use Case: Track journeys nearing or at the end of their lifecycle.

7. Retrieve the Latest Version per Journey

SELECT JourneyID, JourneyName, MAX(VersionNumber) AS LatestVersion 
FROM _Journey 
GROUP BY JourneyID, JourneyName

Use Case: Identify the current highest version of each journey.

8. Find Journeys That Were Never Published

SELECT JourneyName, VersionNumber 
FROM _Journey 
WHERE LastPublishedDate IS NULL

Use Case: Spot journeys created but never launched.

9. Audit Journey Version Creation Trends

SELECT CAST(CreatedDate AS DATE) AS CreationDate, COUNT(*) AS VersionsCreated 
FROM _Journey 
GROUP BY CAST(CreatedDate AS DATE)

Use Case: View creation activity over time.

10. Combine Journey Info with Entry/Exit Data (Custom Join)

-- Assuming _JourneyActivity and _JourneyEvent data views are also in use
SELECT j.JourneyName, j.VersionNumber, a.ActivityName, e.EventDate 
FROM _Journey j 
JOIN _JourneyActivity a ON j.VersionID = a.VersionID 
JOIN _JourneyEvent e ON a.ActivityID = e.ActivityID

Use Case: Build end-to-end reporting from journey metadata to engagement.

Conclusion

The _Journey data view in SFMC provides the backbone for understanding your Journey Builder program. It helps you track versions, publishing behavior, modification history, and operational status to make informed decisions about your marketing automation flows.

Combine this view with _JourneyActivity, _JourneyEvent, and _Sent to build powerful dashboards and lifecycle reporting.

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