> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.auxia.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Your First Treatment

Now that you've created a journey, it's time to add treatments to it. This guide walks you through creating an treatment from start to finish. By the end, you'll have a personalized message ready to reach your customers.

## What You'll Create

In this tutorial, we'll create a simple **"Welcome Back"** in-app message that greets returning users.

**Example Treatment:**

* **Name:** Welcome Back Message
* **Type:** In-app banner
* **Goal:** Re-engage users who haven't visited recently
* **Surface:** Home screen

***

## Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

* [ ] Access to Auxia Console
* [ ] Permission to create treatments
* [ ] At least one journey available (or permission to create one)
* [ ] Treatment types configured in your Console

***

## Step-by-Step: Creating a Treatment

### Getting Started

1. Navigate to **Treatments & Journeys** > **Treatment Portfolio**
2. Click the **+ Create Treatment** button in the top right

The treatment creation wizard will open. It has **4 steps**:

```
Step 1: Select Journey → Step 2: Basic Info → Step 3: Content → Step 4: Review
```

***

### Step 1: Select Journey

Every treatment belongs to a journey. Journeys organize your treatments and define how they work together.

**What to do:**

1. **Choose journey type:**
   * **Evergreen Journeys**: Always-on (recommended for first treatment)
   * **Burst Journeys**: Time-limited with start/end dates

2. **Select your journey:**
   * If you have existing journeys, select one from the dropdown
   * Or ask your admin to create a journey for you

3. Click **Next** to continue

> **Tip:** For your first treatment, select an existing Evergreen journey. This ensures your treatment will run continuously once activated.

**Validation:** You must select at least one journey to proceed.

***

### Step 2: Basic Information

This step defines what your treatment is and where it will appear.

**Fill in these fields:**

#### Treatment Name

Give your treatment a clear, descriptive name.

* **Good:** "Welcome Back - Home Banner - Jan 2026"
* **Bad:** "Test" or "Banner 1"

> **Tip:** Include the surface, content type, or date in the name for easy identification later.

#### Description

Explain what this treatment does and who it's for.

**Example:**

```
Welcomes returning users who haven't visited in 7+ days.
Shows on home screen after app launch.
Goal: Re-engage dormant users.
```

#### Target Action

Select what you want users to do after seeing this treatment:

* View a product
* Make a purchase
* Complete their profile
* etc.

#### Treatment Type

Select the format for your treatment:

* Banner
* Modal
* Push notification
* In-app message
* etc.

> **Note:** Treatment types are configured by your admin. If you don't see the type you need, contact them.

#### Surfaces

Select where this treatment will appear:

* Home screen
* Product page
* Checkout page
* etc.

You can select multiple surfaces if the treatment should appear in multiple places.

**Validation requirements:**

* Name cannot be empty
* Treatment type must be selected
* At least one surface must be selected

Click **Next** when complete.

***

### Step 3: Content

This is where you define what your treatment actually says and looks like.

**What you'll configure:**

#### Language

Select the language for this treatment content. You can create multiple language versions of the same treatment.

#### Content Fields

The specific fields depend on your treatment type. Common fields include:

| Field          | Description                      | Example                                |
| -------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Title**      | Main headline                    | "Welcome Back!"                        |
| **Body**       | Main message text                | "We missed you! Check out what's new." |
| **Image**      | Visual treatment (if applicable) | Banner image URL                       |
| **CTA Text**   | Call-to-action button text       | "Explore Now"                          |
| **CTA Action** | What happens when clicked        | Open home screen                       |

#### Using Personalization

You can personalize content using **data fields** (variables that pull in user data):

```
Hello `${user_first_name}`, welcome back!
```

This would display as "Hello John, welcome back!" for a user named John.

#### Preview

Use the preview panel to see how your treatment will look:

* Check text formatting
* Verify images display correctly
* Test personalization placeholders

> **Note:** If you do not see a Preview, contact your admin or Auxia representative.

Click **Next** when your content is ready.

***

### Step 4: Review & Create

The final step shows a summary of everything you've configured.

**Review these sections:**

1. **Journey Assignment** - Which journey(s) this treatment belongs to
2. **Basic Information** - Name, description, treatment type, surfaces
3. **Content** - Your message content by language
4. **Settings** - Any additional settings (guardrails, etc.)

**Before clicking Create:**

* [ ] Double-check spelling and grammar
* [ ] Verify personalization variables are correct
* [ ] Confirm the right journey is selected
* [ ] Review the surface selection

Click **Create Treatment** to save.

***

## After Creation: What Happens Next

### Treatment Status

Your new treatment will be in **Draft** status. It won't show to users until:

1. The treatment is **published** (made live)
2. The parent journey is **active**

### Viewing Your Treatment

After creation, you can:

* Find it in the Treatment Portfolio
* Click to view details
* Edit if changes are needed
* Preview how it will appear

### Making It Live

To activate your treatment:

1. Navigate to the treatment in Treatment Portfolio
2. Review the details
3. Change status from Draft to Active
4. Ensure the parent journey is also active

> **Warning:** Once active, the treatment will start showing to eligible users. Double-check everything before activating.

***

## Quick Tips for Better Treatments

### Naming Convention

Use a consistent naming pattern:

```
[Surface] - [Content Type] - [Journey] - [Date/Version]
```

Example: "Home - Banner - Welcome Back - v1"

### Test Before Launch

Use **QA & Testing** to preview treatments:

1. Go to Treatments & Journeys > QA & Testing
2. Add yourself as a QA user
3. Trigger the treatment in your app
4. Verify appearance and behavior

### Use Sparks

If available, look for **Sparks** - AI recommendations that suggest improvements:

* Better headlines
* Improved CTAs
* Personalization opportunities

***

## Common Issues

### "I can't find my treatment type"

Treatment types must be configured by an admin. Contact them to add the type you need.

### "My content isn't saving"

Check for validation errors (red text or icons). All required fields must be filled.

### "Preview looks wrong"

* Some preview may be approximate
* Test with real QA users for accurate preview
* Check image URLs are accessible

### "I selected the wrong journey"

You can edit the treatment after creation and change the journey assignment.

***

## Next Steps

Now that you've created an treatment:

1. [Understanding Analytics](/guides/quick-start/understanding-analytics) - Track treatment and journey performance
2. [Using Agent and AI Insights](/guides/quick-start/using-ai-insights) - Get optimization recommendations
3. [Quick Reference](/guides/quick-start/quick-reference) - Handy shortcuts and tips

***

## Quick Reference: Treatment Creation Fields

| Step   | Required Fields                |
| ------ | ------------------------------ |
| Step 1 | Journey selection              |
| Step 2 | Name, Treatment Type, Surfaces |
| Step 3 | Language, Content fields       |
| Step 4 | Review (no new fields)         |