Definition
Email automation is using software to send emails automatically when a subscriber takes a specific action or reaches a certain state, without you sending each one manually. Triggers include signing up, abandoning a cart, making a purchase or going inactive.
The most common starting flow is the welcome sequence, which greets new subscribers and eases them into your brand. Other popular automations include abandoned cart reminders, post-purchase follow-ups, re-engagement campaigns and milestone or birthday messages.
Automation works because it delivers the right message at the right moment, while it saves your team significant time. Start with one or two high-value flows, measure their performance, then expand as you learn what works.
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Related Glossary Terms
A/B Testing
A/B testing in email marketing is the practice of sending two variations of an email to a small sample of your list to determine which version performs better before sending the winner to the remaining subscribers.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is a triggered message sent to online shoppers who added items to their cart but did not complete the purchase.
Abandoned Cart Sequence Flow
An abandoned cart sequence is an automated flow of emails that reminds shoppers who left items in their cart, over several sends, to return and complete their purchase.
Abandoned Cart Email
An abandoned cart email is an automated message sent to customers who added items to their online shopping cart but left without completing the purchase. It is one of the highest-converting email types in ecommerce.
AI Email Summary
An AI email summary is a short, machine-generated overview of an email's key points, shown by Gmail, Outlook and Apple Mail before a recipient opens the message. It is reshaping how email marketers think about subject lines, preview text and open rates.
AI Inbox Summary
An AI inbox summary is an AI-generated digest that condenses unread email — often highlighting news, actions and senders — changing how clearly your marketing email reaches and engages subscribers.
Frequently Asked Questions
A welcome sequence is the best starting point. It greets new subscribers, sets expectations, delivers any promised lead magnet and introduces your brand and top offers.
Yes. Behavior-triggered emails like welcome and cart-abandonment flows reliably earn far higher engagement and conversion rates than one-size-fits-all broadcasts.
They can grow complex with branching, delays and conditions, but beginners should start simple: one trigger, a short sequence, clear goals, and measurement, then refine.