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Automations Reference

At a high level

An automation consists of four things:

  • A trigger, which causes the automation to run.
  • A filter, which determines whether the automation should run for the given trigger.
  • A timing, which determines when the automation should run.
  • An action, which is what the automation actually does.

The universe of what an automation can do will grow over time, but these are the core building blocks from which any possible automation will be composed!

Triggers

You can use the following triggers to start an automation:

  • A subscriber confirming their subscription
  • A subscriber upgrading their subscription to be a paid subscriber
  • A subscriber clicking a link in an email
  • A subscriber replied to an email
  • A subscriber completing a survey
  • A subscriber opening an email
  • A tag being added to a subscriber
    • This event happens when a tag is added to an existing subscriber. For folks who subscribe with a tag from the beginning, use "When a subscriber confirms their subscription" and filter to the desired tag.
  • A tag being removed from a subscriber
  • A successful Stripe checkout session

Filters

You can filter an automation based on the following criteria:

  • A subscriber's tags
  • A subscriber's metadata
  • A subscriber's type
  • The URL that a subscriber clicked on (for click triggers)
  • The answer to a survey question (for survey triggers)
  • A subscriber's paid subscription price
  • A subscriber's email address
  • The number of clicks or opens a subscriber has had. (Note that this is the total number of clicks or opens a subscriber has had, not the number of clicks or opens for a specific email.)
  • The date at which a subscriber confirmed their subscription

Timing

Right now, there are two possible timings:

  • Immediately
  • After a delay (e.g. 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, etc.)

Actions

You can use the following actions in an automation:

  • Send an 'ad-hoc' email to the subscriber
  • Send an archived email to the subscriber
  • Adding a tag to the subscriber
  • Removing a tag from the subscriber
  • Gifting a paid subscription to the subscriber
  • Ungifting a paid subscription from the subscriber
  • Create a subscriber. (Note that this action is only available for the 'successful checkout session' trigger; all other triggers assume that a subscriber exists already!)
  • Invite a subscriber to GitHub
  • Invite a subscriber to Discord

Examples

Let's say you want to create a drip sequence for new subscribers to your newsletter:

  • You want to send them an email immediately after they subscribe, welcoming them to your newsletter.
  • You want to send them an email 1 week after they subscribe, with a link to your favorite blog posts .
  • You want to send them an email 1 month after they subscribe, with a link to ask them how they're liking the newsletter.

These would be three separate automations, each with a different timing and action.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I change the subject or body of an email that's part of an automation?

The email will be updated for all pending subscribers, even if the automation was triggered before the change you made.