Consider it as your inbox autopilot. Automated e-mail workflows are triggered by actual buyer actions, not your to-do checklist. Somebody indicators up? They’re kindly welcomed aboard. New buyer makes a purchase order? They obtain a well timed receipt. A daily e-commerce shopper goes quiet? You test in. As soon as arrange, these e-mail campaigns run mechanically within the background so you possibly can cease chasing one-off sends and begin scaling actual relationships.
With that mentioned, listed below are 15 of the most typical sorts of e-mail automation you possibly can arrange as half in your long-term technique:
A welcome e-mail is the primary impression your model makes after somebody indicators up. It units the tone, establishes expectations, and guides your new consumer on what to do subsequent – discover the product, declare a proposal, or full their profile.
Model: ClassPass
Topic line:
Why it really works:
This e-mail strikes the stability between pleasure and readability. The message is energetic (it’s go time), visually participating, and tailor-made to the consumer; because of e-mail personalization parameters like
make this work in your model:
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Use a robust opener with a transparent profit. Your reader simply mentioned sure; now present them it was the appropriate transfer.
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Add fast worth with customized content material, utilizing dynamic fields like
, , or. -
Maintain your CTA daring and targeted. One motion is loads.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship instantly after signup. That is your first touchpoint, so timing is important. Use automation to set off this primary e-mail as quickly as the brand new contact is added to your checklist.
Onboarding emails assist your consumer take their first significant motion (e.g., organising their account). Consider them as a mild nudge that claims, “You’re right here… so let’s get began.”
Model: Dropbox
Topic line: Setup required: You have not arrange your folders but…
Why it really works:
This e-mail cuts straight to the purpose. It flags an incomplete setup – a basic onboarding hurdle – and guides the consumer towards the repair with a daring CTA and some useful ideas. The headline is pressing however not pushy, the worth is obvious, and the bonus storage provide provides slightly further motivation. Easy, targeted, and actionable.
make this work in your model:
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Determine the consumer’s subsequent most essential step. Now, make it the hero.
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Information them towards motion utilizing clear, benefit-led copy.
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Add a well timed incentive to sweeten the deal: low cost, bonus, freebie.
When to automate this e-mail:
Set off 1–2 days after signup or product activation. Use behavior-based automation to nudge new subscribers who haven’t but taken a key motion.
Deserted cart emails are designed to deliver your consumer again and assist them cross the end line. They get better misplaced gross sales, remind buyers of what they left behind, and gently encourage them to finish their buy.
Model: Cult Magnificence
Topic line: You left one thing in your basket – can we assist?
Why it really works:
It’s customized, visually targeted, and product-led. It reminds the patron what they left behind, showcasing objects with photos and pricing. Importantly, it repeats the CTA in a number of locations. The added “Only for You” part is a brilliant play, suggesting different product suggestions if the unique objects not really feel pressing.
make this work in your model:
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Spotlight the deserted merchandise visually with photos, costs, or rankings.
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Use persuasive however pleasant language. Maintain the tone useful, not pushy.
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Provide curated options or a reduction. Simply sufficient to tempt them again.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship inside 1–3 hours of cart abandonment. This manner, you keep top-of-mind whereas intent continues to be excessive. Automation needs to be triggered by uncompleted checkout occasions.
Referral emails flip happy prospects into your most persuasive advertising and marketing channel. They incentivize word-of-mouth by providing a win–win – rewards for each referrer and referee.
Model: PayPal
Topic line:Refer a pal. Earn a £10 reward.
Why it really works:
This e-mail nails the fundamentals – clear incentive, easy steps, repeat CTAs. The headline makes the worth instantly evident, whereas the clear, numbered directions take away any friction. The emphasis on ease of use (“invite–be part of–earn”) retains the reader targeted on what they’ll achieve – and how briskly.
make this work in your model:
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Lead with a daring headline that highlights the reward tangibly.
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Break down the method into clear steps to cut back friction.
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Repeat your CTA in key spots to maintain the motion entrance and heart.
When to automate this e-mail:
Set off e-mail as soon as a buyer has accomplished a purchase order or proven engagement (e.g., after a second order). Schedule e-mail sequences primarily based on buyer exercise or lifecycle stage.
Transactional emails affirm or inform. They’re practical by nature, however nonetheless a chance to bolster readability and belief. Assume receipts, transport updates, password resets, and subscription confirmations.
Model: Apple
Topic line:Your subscription affirmation
Why it really works:
This e-mail does precisely what it must do – it confirms the subscription with important particulars (value, date, renewal phrases), gives a transparent path to handle or cancel, and reinforces belief with model authority. The format is clear and scannable; it optimizes the consumer expertise and makes it straightforward to get the data wanted at a look.
make this work in your model:
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Prioritize readability and accuracy. This isn’t the place to be intelligent.
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Maintain format easy and readable: lists, daring labels, quick paragraphs.
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Embrace subsequent steps or help hyperlinks to cut back consumer nervousness and stop confusion.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship in real-time as a part of a backend system set off. These emails should be fast, so that they’re usually built-in by way of system occasions quite than delayed workflows.
Order affirmation emails are some of the frequent sorts of transactional emails, despatched mechanically after a purchase order to verify the main points of an order. They don’t seem to be only a receipt; they’re an opportunity to reassure the shopper, set expectations, and reinforce belief.
Model: Glossier
Topic line: Order
Why it really works:
This e-mail does the necessities effectively: confirms the order, reveals what was bought, and descriptions what occurs subsequent. But it surely additionally brings the model to life; from the product imagery to the nice and cozy, conversational tone. It blends utility with character, making the post-purchase second really feel simply as thought-about because the sale.
make this work in your model:
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Affirm the important thing particulars clearly: order quantity, objects, whole, and transport information.
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Use branded design and tone to make the e-mail really feel like a part of your buyer expertise.
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Reassure with subsequent steps by letting your buyer know what to anticipate and when.
When to automate this e-mail:
A core transactional move; ship immediately after buy. Must be triggered by way of API or automation platform webhook to make sure reliability and real-time supply.
Birthday emails are a feel-good, high-converting automation that reward your prospects and strengthen model loyalty. A well-timed reward, coupon, or low cost turns a pleasant gesture into repeat income.
Model: Decántalo
Topic line: Your birthday is coming, right here is your first reward!
Why it really works:
This promotional e-mail hits the mark with preemptive timing and a transparent reward. The topic line is direct and attractive, the provide is entrance and heart, and the visuals really feel celebratory with out going overboard. Bonus factors: Decántalo despatched a second, follow-up e-mail earlier than the code expired – a sensible tactic to spice up conversion charges.
make this work in your model:
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Use birthday knowledge to personalize the expertise and shock your buyer.
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Maintain the provide easy: one reward, one CTA, no confusion.
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Lengthen the move with a follow-up e-mail. Urgency begets clicks.
When to automate this e-mail:
Schedule for just a few days earlier than the shopper’s beginning date (or day of). Automate your advertising and marketing efforts utilizing a dynamic date discipline in your CRM or ESP.
A post-purchase e-mail doesn’t at all times want to verify transport or upsell. Typically, the e-mail advertising and marketing technique merely entails delighting the shopper and fostering the connection.
Model: Starface
Topic line: planning our subsequent grasp 💛
Why it really works:
This e-mail doubles as a buyer love letter – a post-purchase message designed to make you smile. It’s daring, weird, and unmistakably Starface. There’s no onerous promote right here, simply sturdy model id, interactive content material, and a tone that’s as memorable as it’s on-brand. E-commerce companies take word!
make this work in your model:
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Reinforce your model id, particularly when there’s no fast CTA.
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Make it private and sudden.
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Use artistic content material to remain top-of-mind, not simply top-of-inbox.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship 3–5 days after the merchandise ships or arrives. Use automation to observe up with helpful ideas, product care information, or pleasant check-ins.
Suggestions e-mail templates assist shut the loop along with your viewers, whether or not you are asking for a overview, survey response, or product score. They’re an important a part of e-mail workflow automation, turning passive prospects into energetic contributors.
Model: Graza
Topic line: We’ll commerce ya
Why it really works:
This e-mail is a masterclass in voice and tone. It feels handwritten, not templated – from “Whats up beautiful individual” to “I’M THE BEST.” The message is brief, benefit-led, and framed as a enjoyable trade – Graza positive aspects perception, you get 12% off. It is a playful, on-brand reminder that suggestions could be extra than simply practical.
make this work in your model:
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Lead with character. Make your request really feel like a dialog, not a chore.
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Provide a small however significant incentive, like a reduction or early entry.
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Maintain the CTA pleasant and direct.
When to automate this e-mail:
Any such suggestions e-mail works effectively when despatched 7–10 days after buy or supply. Your buyer has had time to strive the product however the expertise continues to be contemporary.
Again-in-stock emails are available two flavors: product-specific alerts (triggered when a consumer asks to be notified) and broader campaigns for fashionable or restocked objects. Each create a way of urgency, however the first delivers pinpoint relevance, making it a primary candidate for e-mail automation workflows.
Model: Due to Alice
Topic line: Your request: V Neck Plunge Bodysuit – Black is now accessible!
Why it really works:
This e-mail is straight to the purpose – as a terrific back-in-stock alert needs to be. The topic line confirms it’s responding on to the consumer’s request, the product is clearly displayed, and the copy urges fast motion (“earlier than provides run out”).
make this work in your model:
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Determine high-demand objects and allow ‘Notify me’ choices, then construct automations to fireside when inventory returns.
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Use urgency correctly to remind customers that the merchandise received’t be accessible for lengthy.
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Maintain the format clear and targeted.
When to automate this e-mail:
Set off this e-mail the second an merchandise is restocked. For product-specific alerts, sync along with your stock system so it fires mechanically when availability adjustments. For common advertising and marketing campaigns, schedule sends primarily based on reputation or seasonal demand.
B2B lead nurturing emails assist information prospects towards conversion over time, providing well timed, related content material primarily based on curiosity, business, or habits. In contrast to chilly gross sales pitches, these emails purpose to teach, help, construct belief, and enhance these metrics.
Model: Loom
Topic line: Introducing Loom AI for conferences
Why it really works:
This e-mail is a good instance of lead nurturing carried out proper. It educates with out overwhelming. The modular format makes it straightforward to scan, whereas a number of CTAs invite several types of engagement: product adoption, studying, and deeper product exploration.
make this work in your model:
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Determine key worth props and body them as options to frequent consumer ache factors.
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Add supporting content material like fast ideas, webinars, or real-life use instances.
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Embrace a number of engagement choices, so the reader can take the subsequent step that fits them.
When to automate this e-mail:
5–7 days after signup or product engagement, particularly if the lead hasn’t but transformed. Take into account segmenting by business or use case to personalize emails even additional.
All of us want slightly reminder, generally! Re-engagement emails are designed to win again customers who haven’t opened, clicked, or bought shortly. Whether or not you’re prompting a dormant subscriber or checking in with a previous buyer, these campaigns assist reignite curiosity and maintain your e-mail checklist wholesome.
Model: Season
Topic line: We Miss You within the Kitchen,
Why it really works:
Season get private with out overdoing it. The message acknowledges that point has handed, references the present buyer’s buy historical past, and reveals off stunning, related new merchandise. It’s a chic reminder that feels useful, not pushy; the form of message that makes a consumer really feel remembered, not simply marketed to.
make this work in your model:
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Personalize your message. Embrace names, buy historical past, or particular classes they browsed.
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Reference the hole. A delicate reminder that it’s been some time makes the e-mail really feel well timed.
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Spotlight what’s new: product drops, options, or updates that give them a purpose to return.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship 30–90 days after a consumer turns into inactive, relying in your product lifecycle. Use behavior-based automation to tailor the message to previous exercise or purchases.
Upsell and cross-sell emails improve order worth by encouraging prospects towards higher-commitment purchases like shopping for extra, upgrading, or including on.
Model: OUAI
Topic line:Purchase 2 Refills, get a Journey Bottle Equipment FREE
Why it really works:
That is upselling carried out proper. A possible buyer pondering of shopping for one refill will get a purpose to seize two as a substitute, doubling the order worth in trade for a free reward. The provide looks like a reward, not a push. The clear format, clear profit, and countdown timer drive simply sufficient urgency to behave now.
make this work in your model:
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Pair refill or repeat-purchase objects with a present to spice up AOV and click-through charges.
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Present the inducement visually so the worth feels actual.
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Use urgency (like a 48-hour timer) to drive quicker selections.
When to automate this e-mail:
Put up-purchase or throughout replenishment home windows. In line with e-mail advertising and marketing automation finest practices, upsell flows like this could carry repeat order charges with out heavy discounting.
Anniversary emails are a feel-good staple in any automation technique. They both rejoice the shopper’s time along with your model (like a signup or buy anniversary) or your model’s personal milestone (like a retailer opening or firm launch). Both means, they’re a second to pause, join, and say thanks, with or with no low cost hooked up.
Model: Duolingo
Topic line: 🥳 Blissful First Duoversary,
Why it really works:
Duolingo strikes a enjoyable, private tone whereas quietly flexing its knowledge chops. The message makes the consumer really feel proud–look how far you’ve come! – whereas encouraging subsequent steps. There’s no onerous promote right here, only a light prod to continue learning and a recap of all of the progress made thus far.
make this work in your model:
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Personalize with a reputation, date, or stat to rejoice the shopper’s journey.
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Spotlight progress with a visible recap to make them really feel seen.
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Tie it to a well timed CTA: store, re-engage, or improve whereas they’re feeling good.
When to automate this e-mail:
Ship on the precise day of a key buyer begin level, e.g., signup or first buy. Use date-based automation to schedule annual sends. For model anniversaries, time it round your founding date, then construct buzz with drip campaigns, a limited-time provide, and/or memory-lane content material.
Milestone emails rejoice your prospects’ progress and achievements, issues like 100 exercises, their five hundredth order, or a 12 months of constant engagement. These emails gasoline retention and improve open charges by recognizing effort, affirming progress, and giving customers a purpose to maintain going.
Model: Peloton
Topic line: That is MAJOR: You simply joined the Century Membership
Why it really works:
This hits all the appropriate notes. Peloton’s e-mail celebrates a particular motion (100 exercises), ties it to a branded achievement (“Century Membership”), and makes use of daring visuals to drive emotional influence. Add to that, the messaging is affirming, enthusiastic, and instantly linked to the consumer’s onerous work. Win win.
make this work in your model:
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Determine buyer habits milestones that matter. Not simply purchases, however actions that sign worth and loyalty.
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Use e-mail to reward consistency, not simply one-off wins.
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Encourage sharing on social media to amplify recognition and construct group momentum.
When to automate this e-mail:
Set off e-mail instantly after your buyer hits a predetermined milestone. Use behavior-based automation guidelines to fireside the appropriate e-mail at precisely the appropriate time. In the long run, that’s what e-mail advertising and marketing automation is all about.
E mail automation is not nearly saving time – it is about constructing significant, long-term relationships along with your subscribers at scale. By following these finest practices, you’ll not solely ship higher emails but in addition turn out to be the form of model individuals love listening to from.
For those who’re simply beginning or trying to refine your strategy, check out Mailjet’s new automations expertise improved capabilities, making it simpler for entrepreneurs to construct subtle e-mail workflows. The user-friendly drag-and-drop builder can now be used alongside a collection of customizable workflow blocks.
Use Mailjet’s E mail Automation workflows to streamline your communications. Ship prospects triggered emails that arrive of their inbox as they attain essential milestones of their buyer journey.
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