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Last updated: October 29, 2026
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Email Automation (2027): 8 Workflows Every Business Should Set Up
Email automation sends emails automatically when something happens, such as a new sign-up, a purchase, an abandoned cart or a date. You build the workflow once, with a trigger, a few emails and delays between them, and it runs for every contact who meets the conditions. It saves time and reaches people at the moment they're most interested. MailerLite, Kit, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo and Omnisend all include automation, several on free plans.
- A workflow has a trigger, actions (send email, add tag, wait) and conditions.
- Start with a welcome series; it's the automation every list needs.
- Stores add abandoned cart, post-purchase and win-back flows.
- Free plans with automation: MailerLite (3 automations), Klaviyo and Omnisend (store flows).
- Review automations every few months so offers and links stay current.
How email automation works
| Part | What it does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Starts the workflow | Subscriber joins a form |
| Action | Something the tool does | Send the welcome email |
| Delay | Waits before the next step | Wait 2 days |
| Condition | Splits the path | Did they click the first email? |
| Goal or exit | Stops the workflow | Contact makes a purchase |
Most tools show this as a visual builder where you drag steps into a flow.
8 email automations to set up
1. Welcome series
Triggered by a new sign-up. Deliver what you promised, set expectations and point to your best content or products. See welcome email examples.
2. Lead nurture sequence
Triggered by a lead magnet download or a demo request. Four to six emails that teach, answer objections and invite a next step. See lead nurturing.
3. Abandoned cart
Triggered when a shopper leaves items in the cart. Two or three reminders over a few days. See abandoned cart email.
4. Post-purchase
Triggered by an order. Thank the customer, explain how to use the product, ask for a review later.
5. Trial or onboarding
Triggered by a free trial or new account. Guide users to the first key action and offer help.
6. Re-engagement
Triggered when a subscriber hasn't opened or clicked for 90 days or more. Ask whether they still want your emails and remove those who don't respond. See email list cleaning.
7. Date-based
Triggered by a birthday, an anniversary or a renewal date. Short, personal and timely.
8. Internal notifications
Triggered by a high-value action, such as visiting the pricing page twice. Notify your sales team instead of the contact.
Example: a simple welcome workflow
| Step | Timing | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Immediately | Welcome and promised resource |
| 2 | Day 2 | Your story or most popular guide |
| 3 | Day 5 | A useful tip plus a soft call to action |
| Exit | Any time | Contact buys or books a call |
Email automation tools compared
| Tool | Free plan automation | Entry paid price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| MailerLite | 250 subscribers, 3 automations | Comfort from $12/month | Small businesses |
| Kit | Up to 10,000 subscribers, no automations | Creator $33/month at 1,000 subscribers (annual) | Creators and newsletters |
| ActiveCampaign | No free plan | Starter about $15/month at 1,000 contacts (annual) | Advanced automation and CRM |
| Klaviyo | 250 active profiles, 500 sends | Email plan about $30/month at 1,000 profiles | Growing online stores |
| Omnisend | 250 contacts, 500 emails | Standard from $16/month (500 contacts) | Stores wanting email and SMS |
| Brevo | 300 emails/day | Starter from about $9/month | Large lists that send less often |
| GetResponse | Limited free account | Starter about €13/month at 1,000 contacts (annual) | Automation plus webinars |
MailerLite is the easiest start for most small businesses. Stores should look at Klaviyo or Omnisend, which sync orders and products. ActiveCampaign suits teams that need branching logic and a built-in CRM. See best marketing automation software.
Start MailerLite free → 3 automations on the free plan · Affiliate link
How to set up your first automation
- Pick one goal, such as welcoming new subscribers.
- Choose the trigger (form sign-up) and the exit condition (purchase).
- Write two or three short emails.
- Add delays of one to three days between them.
- Test with your own email address.
- Turn it on and check results after two weeks.
Measuring automations
Track clicks, conversions and unsubscribes for each email in the flow. If many people stop at one step, rewrite that email or change its timing. Compare revenue or sign-ups from the flow with the cost of your tool. See email marketing metrics.
Email automation vs marketing automation
Email automation focuses on emails. Marketing automation covers more channels, such as SMS, CRM updates, lead scoring and ads. Many tools do both. See what is marketing automation.
Common mistakes
- Building ten automations before the welcome series works.
- Forgetting exit conditions, so buyers keep getting sales emails.
- Overlapping workflows that send several emails on the same day.
- Never updating old offers and links.
- Ignoring consent rules for marketing emails.
Terms explained
- Trigger: the event that starts a workflow.
- Workflow (flow): the series of steps the tool runs.
- Delay: a wait between steps.
- Exit condition: a rule that removes a contact from the workflow.
- Drip campaign: a timed series of automated emails. See what is a drip campaign.
Automation ideas by business type
| Business | First automations to build |
|---|---|
| Online store | Welcome, abandoned cart, post-purchase, win-back |
| SaaS | Trial onboarding, feature tips, renewal reminders |
| Consultant or agency | Lead magnet nurture, meeting reminders, client check-ins |
| Creator | Welcome series, paid product launch sequence |
| Local service | Booking confirmation, appointment reminder, review request |
Keeping automations healthy
Set a reminder every quarter to open each workflow and check that offers, prices, links and dates are still correct. Look at the performance of each email: if one step has far fewer clicks than the rest, rewrite it. Turn off automations that no longer serve a goal, and make sure exit conditions still work after you change your store or CRM.
Testing automations before launch
Send every email in the workflow to yourself and a colleague, click every link, check personalization fields with real data and preview on a phone. Trigger the workflow with a test contact and confirm that delays, conditions and exits behave as planned. Most tools let you see the path each test contact took. Ten minutes of testing prevents emails with broken links or empty name fields from reaching hundreds of subscribers over the following weeks.
Our verdict
Email automation is the highest-leverage task in email marketing: you write the emails once and they work for every new contact. Start with a welcome series, then add the flow that matches your business, such as abandoned cart for stores or onboarding for software. MailerLite's free plan is enough to start; Klaviyo and Omnisend suit online stores.
How we compiled this guide
This guide reflects common email marketing practice. Workflow examples are illustrations. Tool limits and prices come from official pricing pages checked October 30, 2026.
FAQ
What is email automation?
Sending emails automatically based on triggers such as sign-ups, purchases or dates.
What is the first automation I should set up?
A welcome series for new subscribers.
Can I automate emails for free?
Yes. MailerLite's free plan includes 3 automations; Klaviyo and Omnisend include store flows on free plans.
How many emails should an automation have?
Usually two to six, depending on the goal.
Does email automation feel impersonal?
Not when emails are relevant, short and sent at the right time.
Which tool is best for email automation?
MailerLite for small businesses, ActiveCampaign for advanced logic, Klaviyo or Omnisend for stores.
Can automations and newsletters run at the same time?
Yes, but exclude contacts in key automations from some campaigns to avoid sending too much at once.
What is the difference between a campaign and an automation?
A campaign is sent once to a list or segment at a chosen time; an automation sends emails to each person when they meet a trigger.
Can automations include SMS?
Yes, in tools such as Omnisend, Klaviyo and Brevo, for contacts who opted in to texts.
How long does it take to set up a welcome series?
With a template, an hour or two to write three short emails, set delays and test them. Most of the time goes into writing, not the tool.
Sources
Official pricing pages of MailerLite, Kit, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Omnisend, Brevo and GetResponse, checked October 30, 2026.