Classic Automation Types

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With Mailchimp classic automations, you can create targeted emails that send when triggered by a specific date, event, or contact's activity. We offer a number of automation options with pre-selected triggers and other settings, so you can quickly find and create the right campaign for your business needs. You can also create a custom automation from scratch.

In this article, you'll learn about the different classic automation types available in Mailchimp.

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Things to know

  • Classic automations are only available to paid accounts that have previously created a classic automation.
  • The default triggers and settings listed for most classic automation types can be changed at any time. To learn about the different ways to customize your automation, check out All the Classic Automation Triggers and Edit Classic Automation Emails.
  • Subscribed contacts will only trigger and receive the emails in a classic automation once, with the exception of date-based automations and abandoned cart emails.
  • Some automation types have email series listed in the default trigger settings. Depending on your plan, you may not have access to an email automation series. Choose the Single email option when you set up your automation. The trigger will default to the first email in the series.
  • It's possible to change a classic automation into a marketing automation flow. To learn more, check out Change a Classic Automation to a Marketing Automation Flow.

About classic automation categories

When you create a classic automation in Mailchimp, here are the automation categories you'll see. automation options are featured, tags, subscriber activity, e-commerce, date based, API, custom

  • Featured Recommended automations based on the details of your account.
  • Tags Automation that sends when you add a specific tag to a contact.
  • Subscriber Activity Automations that send based on signups and changes in audience data.
  • E-Commerce Automations that send based on purchase activity in your online store.
  • Date Based Automations that send based on data in a date or birthday audience field.
  • API Automations that send based on an API call.
  • Custom Automations that send based on the unique settings of your choice.

The featured classic automations tab highlights recommended automations from each category. You'll see different featured automations depending on the details of your account, like whether you have an e-commerce store connected to Mailchimp.

Tags

Email Your Tagged Contacts

Use the tagged contact automation to send a targeted email after you add a specific tag to a subscribed contact. This message can be anything you want to communicate, like a special offer or a follow-up after an event.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Added tag Send an email when you add a specific tag to a contact. Email 1 Trigger: Tagged contact Delay: 1 day after the contact is tagged.

Subscriber activity

Use subscriber activity automations to streamline communication with your subscribed contacts. Welcome new subscribers, help them get to know you, and send follow-up emails based on their activity.

Welcome new subscribers

These classic automations send when a contact subscribes to your emails.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Welcome message Greet people after they subscribe to your emails. Email 1 Trigger: Signup Delay: 1 day after someone subscribes
Onboarding series Share tips and resources with a series of onboarding emails. Email 1 Trigger type: Signup Delay: Immediately after someone subscribes Email 2 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 3 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 4 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 5 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email
Education series Manage an online course, or send a series of emails that engage and inform. Email 1 Trigger: Signup Delay: 1 day after someone subscribes Email 2 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 3 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email

Create an Automated Welcome Email

Respond to subscriber updates

These classic automations send when there's a change in a contact's group settings or audience field value.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Added to group Send an email when contacts join an audience group. Email 1 Trigger: Joins audience group Delay: 1 day after a subscriber joins a select audience group Email 2 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email
Removed from group Follow up with contacts who leave an audience group. Email 1 Trigger: Leaves audience group Delay: 1 day after a subscriber leaves a selected audience group Email 2 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 1 day after a subscriber is sent the previous email
List field change Send a message to contacts whose audience field data has been updated. Email 1 Trigger: Changed audience field to value Delay: 1 day after a subscriber's audience field value changes Email 2 Trigger: Changed audience field to value Delay: 1 day after a subscriber's audience field value changes Email 3 Trigger: Changed audience field to value Delay: 1 day after a subscriber's audience field value changes

Thank pop-up form subscribers

This classic automation sends when someone subscribes to your emails from a Mailchimp pop-up form.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Thank pop-up form subscribers Send an email when contacts subscribe from a connected pop-up form. Email 1 Trigger: Signup Delay: 1 day after someone subscribes

E-commerce

Target new and repeat customers with personalized messages or discounts, and re-engage those who haven't purchased from you in a while. You can even send store-branded receipts, shipping confirmations, and more.

Recover abandoned carts

These classic automations send to customers who put an item in their shopping cart but don't follow through on the purchase.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Abandoned cart email Encourage customers to complete their purchase if they leave items in their cart. 6 hours after a customer abandons a cart in your store.
Abandoned cart series Encourage customers to complete their purchase with a series of reminders if they leave items in their cart. Email 1 Trigger: Abandoned Cart Delay: 1 hour after a customer abandons a cart in your store Email 2 Trigger: Abandoned Cart Delay: 1 day after a customer abandons a cart in your store, and previous email was sent Email 3 Trigger: Abandoned Cart Delay: 3 days after a customer abandons a cart in your store, and previous email was sent.

Create a Classic Abandoned Cart Email Create a Classic Abandoned Cart Series

Product Follow-Up

These classic automations send after a contact purchases certain items from your online store.

Automation type Default trigger
Specific Product Follow-Up Send a follow-up message after a customer buys a specific product from your store. Email 1 Trigger: Purchase specific product Delay: 1 day after a subscriber purchases a select product from your store
Any Product Follow-Up Send a follow-up message after a customer purchases any product from your store. Email 1 Trigger: Purchase any product Delay: 1 day after a subscriber purchases anything from your store
Category Follow-Up Send a follow-up message after a customer buys a product from a specific category. This trigger isn't available for all E-Commerce integrations. Email 1 Trigger: Purchase product from category Delay: 1 day after subscribers purchase a product from a select category

Thank first-time customers

This classic automation sends to new customers who have made only one purchase. If they make a second purchase, they won't receive the next email in the series.

Automation type Default trigger settings Default segment
First purchase Send a follow-up message to new customers after their first purchase. Email 1 Trigger: Purchase any product Delay: 1 hour after a subscriber purchases anything from your store Email 2 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 10 days after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 3 Trigger: Previous email sent Delay: 20 days after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 1 Total number of orders is 1 Email 2 Total number of orders is 1 Email 3 Total number of orders is 1

Create a First Purchase Automation

Reward your best customers

Automation type Default trigger settings Default segment
Best customers Reward your best customers with sale announcements or special coupons. Email 1 Trigger: Purchase any product Delay: Immediately after a subscriber purchases anything from your store Email 2 Trigger: Sent previous email Delay: 1 week after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 3 Trigger: Sent previous email Delay: 1 week after a subscriber is sent the previous email Email 1: Total amount spent is more than $100 and Total number of orders is greater than 2

Win back lapsed customers

This classic automation sends to customers who have made at least one purchase, but haven't bought anything in a while. If they make a new purchase, they won't receive the next email in the series.

Automation type Default trigger settings
Customer re-engagement Send an email to customers who haven't purchased from your store in a specific timeframe. Email 1 Trigger: Not purchased any product Delay: 120 days after a subscriber last bought something from your store Email 2 Trigger: Not purchased any product Delay: 240 days after a subscriber last bought something from your store, and previous email was sent Email 3 Trigger: Not purchased any product Delay: 360 days after a subscriber last bought something from your store, and previous email was sent

Create a Customer Re-Engagement Automation

Order notifications

Automation type Default trigger settings
Order Notifications Send receipts and invoices, and update your customers on shipping, refunds, and cancellations. Triggered by contacts' order status changes in your connected store.

Create Order Notifications

Retarget site visitors

Automation type Default trigger settings
Product Retargeting Email Encourage customers to purchase an item they viewed on your site. Triggered after a subscriber clicks to your store from a Mailchimp email campaign to view a product.

Create a Product Retargeting Email

Date based

Date-based automations can help you engage with your subscribers throughout the year. Send email to your subscribers on their birthday, anniversary, or any other occasion that falls on a specific date that's saved in a subscriber's audience field. Subscribers can receive the same date-based automation emails more than once.

Automation type Default trigger settings
List added date Send a series of emails when someone becomes a subscriber. Email 1 Trigger: List Date Added Delay: 1 day after someone becomes a subscriber Email 2 Trigger: List Date Added Delay: 2 days after someone becomes a subscriber Email 3 Trigger: List Date Added Delay: 3 days after someone becomes a subscriber
Birthdays Send an annually recurring email based on a birthday field in your audience. Email 1 Trigger: Birthday Delay: 1 day before a subscriber's birthday Email 2 Trigger: Birthday Delay: On a subscriber's birthday Email 3 Trigger: Birthday Delay: 1 day after a subscriber's birthday
Specific date Send a one-time email based on a specific date in a subscriber's audience field. Email 1 Trigger: Date Delay: 14 days before the audience field date. Email 2 Trigger: Date Delay: On the audience field date Email 3 Trigger: Date Delay: 1 day after the audience field date
Recurring date Each year, send an email based on a subscriber's date field. Email 1 Trigger: Annually Recurring Event Delay: 1 day before the audience field date Email 2 Trigger: Annually Recurring Event Delay: On the audience field date Email 3 Trigger: Annually Recurring Event Delay: 1 day after the audience field date

Create an Automated Birthday Email

API

Trigger the start of a classic automation with an API call. After you create the email series in the Mailchimp application or via the API, a subscriber can be added to an automation with a call to a URL we'll provide to you. API requests can trigger an automation email when a single subscriber meets your sending criteria, or when a certain event happens in your app.

Automation type Default trigger settings
API 3.0 Trigger the start of a workflow with an API call. Email 1 Trigger: API 3.0 Delay: 1 day after an API call is posted with a subscriber's email id Email 2 Trigger: API 3.0 Delay: 1 day after an API call is posted with a subscriber's email id Email 3 Trigger: API 3.0 Delay: 1 day after an API call is posted with a subscriber's email id
Event API Trigger an automated email that sends when an API call is posted with the event name. Email 1 Trigger: Event API Delay: 1 day after an API call is posted with event name Additional emails will default to trigger 1 day after subscribers are sent the previous email.

Mailchimp API: Automations

Mailchimp API: Events

Custom classic automation

If none of our pre-built automations fit your needs, create an email or email series that works for your unique business needs with a custom classic automation. These automations can be based on a variety of criteria, and can be enhanced with API 3.0 and other integrations.

All the Classic Automation Triggers Edit Classic Automation Emails

About Classic Automations

Learn how automation works and get tips for how you can use automation to streamline your work.

Create a Classic Automation

Use automations to create a targeted series of emails that send when triggered by a specific date, event, or subscriber's activity.