Series: multi-email automations

Automations are great but multi-email automations, or Series, drive more revenue because you're able to keep the conversation going during critical stages of the customer lifecycle. And the best part is it's all automated after you set it up!

On this page

• Components of an automation
• Add an email to a series.
• Edit the emails
• Exclusions and end criteria
• Pre-activation checklist

Components of an automation

Start card

The Start card will outline the qualifying action or event for the subscribers to start the Automation or Series. Click Edit to view sending options. The sending options are specific to each automation.

Email list

Automations can consist of a single email or a series of emails. Each email card includes the following:

1. Delay: the timing for each email send after the previous step is complete
2. Email preview: click the preview image to be taken to the editor
3. Reporting metrics: the reporting metrics within an email card are specific to that email within the series
4. Discount icon: if you have a discount active within the automation, a discount icon will appear; click on the discount icon to quickly view the discount information
5. Activation button: toggle individual emails on or off within the automation
6. Actions drop-down: update content, assign a discount, preview the email, view the recipients' engagement, or delete the email
7. Drag handles: click and hold the drag handles to adjust the order of emails in the series
8. Subscriber count: view the number of subscribers in each stage of the automation

The End card will outline the qualifying action or event that will end the Automation for a subscriber. Depending on the type of automation, additional options for end criteria may be available. If available, click Edit to view other end criteria options.

Exclusion card

Subscribers start a series when they perform the trigger action for that automation. Suppose you want to prevent an otherwise eligible subscriber from starting or progressing in a series. In that case, you may apply a tag to their customer record and assign that tag as an exclusion for the automation.

Add an email to a series

To expand a series, use the Add email button below the last email in the series. When you add an email, the last email in the series is duplicated to give you a relevant starting point. The new email can then be customized by using the Actions menu.

Once you've customized the email, be sure to configure the delay and activate the new emails. The timing of each delay is based on the previous step. The first email is sent immediately in the example below, and then the second message is sent 1 day after  the first email is sent.

Select the linked time at the top of the corresponding email's card. Suggested timeframes are listed for each automation type but may be customized to your preference.

There is no limit to the number of emails for a series, so be sure to properly configure the delays to avoid overwhelming your subscribers and being reported as spam. 

Edit emails in an Automation or Series

While the overall automation settings will control which subscribers move through a series, each email's content is controlled at the individual email level.

Actions Menu

Each email can be customized for a series. Start by opening the actions menu for the email you'd like to customize.

• Customize - takes you to the editor for that email. Make sure to save your work and send test emails! Learn more about the basics of editing an email.
• Edit discount - allows you to assign a discount for this email. Discounts can be configured to use the generic code name or have Seguno generate a unique code for each recipient with that discount's price rules. If you have Seguno generate unique codes, you can also assign an expiration date based on when the recipient receives that code to help drive a sense of urgency.
• Preview email - sending test emails is important, but if you need a quick desktop or mobile preview after a few tweaks, this is the way.
• View activity - produces the activity report for this specific email in the series, including a list of who the email was delivered to, who opened, clicked, unsubscribed, bounced, or complained. Learn more about email metrics.
• Delete email: You can generally deactivate emails that you no longer want to send in an automation. If you would like to clean up any old content to avoid confusion, deleting it is permanent.

Exclusions and end criteria

Some automations or emails in a series may not be relevant for all customers who perform the trigger actions. These are configured at the automation level.

Exclusions

Subscribers start a series when they perform the trigger action for that automation. If you would like to prevent an otherwise eligible subscriber from starting or progressing in a series, you may apply a tag to their customer record and assign that tag as an exclusion for the automation.

End criteria

Depending on the type of automation, additional control of when a series ends for each recipient may be available. If available, select the edit option on the end card to reveal these options.

Pre-activation checklist

Before activating your automations for eligible subscribers to trigger, make sure to work your way through this checklist.

1. Send test emails for each email in the series. Make sure all images and links are correct. Double-check the desktop and mobile layouts for image sizing and text wrapping.
2. Verify your delay settings for each email to ensure the first email is timely and subsequent emails do not overwhelm recipients.
3. Double-check discounts for expiration and settings, making sure that the discount does not have an expiration in the Shopify Admin and that the Seguno discount settings have the correct eligibility and rolling expiration date.
4. Verify your exclusions and end criteria are set properly.
5. Review the end criteria to make sure you are familiar with how subscribers can exit the series.