Automating welcome sequences

A welcome sequence is a series of automatically scheduled emails that introduces new subscribers to your newsletter, driving engagement and building a relationship from the start.

With Buttondown's automations, you can build an entire welcome sequence as a single automation with multiple actions, each on its own timing. No need to create separate automations for each email.

Before you begin, make sure you've read the introduction to automations. You'll also need a paid Buttondown account, since automations are a premium feature.

Here's how to build a four-email welcome sequence in a single automation. Create a welcome sequence automation to get started --- this will set the trigger and name for you.

1. Optionally, add a filter. For example, if you only want to send welcome emails to subscribers with a specific tag, click Add in the Filters section and configure your criteria.
2. Click Save changes to create the automation, then open its settings page to add actions.

1. In the Actions section, click the action picker and choose Send an email.
2. Write your welcome email --- a quick "thank you for subscribing" that confirms they've joined successfully.
3. Set the timing to Immediately.

1. Click the action picker again and add another Send an email action.
2. Write a follow-up email that shares your best content or gives subscribers a deeper look at what you do.
3. Set the timing to After 1 week. You can optionally pick a time of day (like "In the morning") so it arrives at a reasonable hour in your newsletter's timezone.

1. Add another Send an email action.
2. Write another follow-up --- maybe include a survey to learn about your subscribers' interests.
3. Set the timing to After 2 weeks.

1. Add one more Send an email action.
2. Write a closing email with a call to action: invite subscribers to follow you on social media, check out your paid offerings, or explore your archive.
3. Set the timing to After 3 weeks.

Click Save changes and you're done. All four emails live inside one automation, each firing at its own delay after the subscriber confirms.

Want to see how your welcome sequence is performing? Head to Automations and click on your automation. You'll see stats like open rate and click rate for each email in the sequence.

Welcome sequences don't have to be just emails. You can add other actions alongside your emails --- for example, adding a tag after the first week to mark subscribers who've been through onboarding, or sending yourself a notification when a new subscriber joins.