Definition
Email automation coordinates triggers, delays, conditions, messages, and exit rules. Unlike a one-time campaign, a flow evaluates each contact as they move through a lifecycle.
Useful automation responds to a meaningful state change—signup, activation, purchase, inactivity, renewal—not merely the passage of time. The customer’s latest state should be checked before every action.
Why it matters
Automation delivers timely education and service at a scale manual campaigns cannot match. Poorly designed flows also scale mistakes, so ownership, observability, frequency controls, and exits are essential.
How it works
- 01
A contact qualifies through an event or audience rule.
- 02
The flow records entry and schedules the next action.
- 03
Before each step, conditions check current state and applicable suppressions.
- 04
Events can branch, stop, or move the contact toward a different message.
Example
signup
→ send welcome immediately
→ wait 1 day
→ if first_campaign_sent: exit success
→ else send setup help
→ wait 3 days
→ if inactive: send personal support invitationCommon mistakes
- Allowing contacts to remain in a flow after completing its goal.
- Sending based on stale state captured only at entry.
- Running overlapping flows without frequency or priority rules.
- Changing a live flow without understanding contacts already waiting inside it.
Key takeaways
- Every flow needs entry, success, failure, and suppression rules.
- Evaluate current customer state before sending.
- Monitor flow membership and message outcomes, not just aggregate sends.