Email Workflow: The Guide complet to Building Automated Email Sequences
Learn how to design, implement, and optimize workflows email that drive engagement and conversions. Includes workflow types, meilleures pratiques, and real-world examples using Brevo and Tajo.
An workflow email is an automated sequence of emails triggered by specific user actions or time-based conditions. Unlike manual email campagnes sent to entire lists, workflows deliver personalized messages at exactly the right moment in each subscriber’s journey.
For e-commerce entreprises, workflows email represent le plus efficient path to consistent revenus. They work around the clock, nurturing leads, recovering paniers abandonnés, and building customer fidélité without requiring daily manual intervention.
Ce guide complet couvre tout ce que vous devez savoir about workflows email: what ils sont, how to design them, which types deliver the best results, and how to implement them effectively using modern automatisation marketing plateformes.
What Is an Email Workflow?
An workflow email (also called an automated séquence email, drip campaign, or automatisation flow) is a series of pre-written emails that send automatically based on triggers you define. These triggers can be actions abonnés take, data changes in your system, or time-based conditions.
How Email Workflows Function
The basic mechanics of an workflow email involve three components:
1. Trigger Event Something happens that starts the workflow. Examples include:
- A visitor subscribes to your newsletter
- A customer abandons their cart
- An order ships
- A specific date arrives (birthday, anniversary)
- A customer reaches a spending threshold
2. Workflow Logic Rules that determine what happens next:
- Time delays between emails
- Conditional branches based on subscriber behavior
- Exit conditions that stop the sequence
- Goal tracking to measure success
3. Email Content The actual messages sent at each step:
- Pre-written content with dynamic personnalisation
- Product recommendations based on behavior
- Triggered calls-to-action relevant vers le subscriber’s context
Email Workflows vs. Manual Campagnes
| Aspect | Email Workflows | Manual Campagnes |
|---|---|---|
| Trigger | Automatic (behavior/event-based) | Manual (marketer decides) |
| Timing | Personalized to each subscriber | Same time for all recipients |
| Personnalisation | Individual-level | Segment-level |
| Setup Effort | One-time creation | Every campaign |
| Maintenance | Periodic optimization | Ongoing creation |
| Scalability | Handles any list size | Limited by time/resources |
| Revenus | Consistent, predictable | Variable |
Why Email Workflows Outperform Manual Sends
The data consistently shows automated workflows email deliver superior results:
- Automated emails generate 320% more revenus than non-automated emails promotionnels
- Welcome workflows achieve 4x higher taux d’ouverture than standard campagnes
- Abandoned cart sequences recover 5-15% of otherwise lost sales
- Automated emails drive 29% of email marketing revenus from just 2% of sends
The efficiency gains are equally compelling. Once built, a workflow runs indefinitely, handling hundreds or thousands of abonnés simultaneously with zero incremental effort.
Types of Email Workflows
Different workflow types serve different purposes dans le customer lifecycle. Below are the essential categories every e-commerce business should consider implementing.
Acquisition Workflows
These workflows convert new abonnés into clients.
Welcome Series Le plus fundamental workflow. Triggered when someone subscribes, this sequence introduces your brand, builds trust, and encourages the first purchase.
Typical structure:
- Immediate: Welcome message + brand introduction
- Day 2: Brand story or mission
- Day 4: Social proof (reviews, testimonials)
- Day 6: Welcome offer or incentive
- Day 8: Urgency reminder
Lead Nurture Sequence For longer sales cycles, this workflow educates prospects au fil du temps, gradually moving them toward a purchase decision through valuable content and strategic offers.
Conversion Workflows
These workflows target abonnés who have shown purchase intent but n’ont pas completed a transaction.
Panier abandonné Recovery Triggered when items are added to cart but checkout n’est pas completed. Typically includes:
- Hour 1: Simple reminder
- Day 1: Product benefits or reviews
- Day 2: Incentive offer (optional)
- Day 3: Final urgency message
Browse Abandonment Targets visitors who viewed products but n’a pas add to cart. Lower intent than cart abandonment, so messaging focuses on réengagement plutôt que recovery.
Price Drop Alert Notifies abonnés when products they’ve viewed or carted decrease in price. High taux de conversion en raison de demonstrated interest plus new incentive.
Back-in-Stock Notification Alerts abonnés when previously out-of-stock items become available again. Captures pent-up demand with urgency built in.
Rétention Workflows
These workflows keep existing clients engaged and drive repeat purchases.
Post-achat Sequence Follows successful orders with:
- Order confirmation
- Shipping notification
- Product usage tips
- Review request
- Cross-sell recommendations
Replenishment Reminder For consumable products, sends purchase reminders based on typical consumption cycles. Highly effective for supplements, skincare, pet food, and similar categories.
Win-Back Campaign Re-engages clients who n’ont pas purchased withdans leir typical buying cycle. Usually includes escalating incentives.
Fidélité Workflows
These workflows recognize and reward your best clients.
VIP Recognition Celebrates milestone achievements like tier upgrades, spending thresholds, or anniversary dates. Makes clients feel valued and encourages continued engagement.
Birthday/Anniversary Personal touch that builds emotional connection. Usually includes special offers exclusive vers le occasion.
Referral Program Encourages satisfied clients to refer friends through structured incentives for both parties.
Transactional Workflows
These workflows communicate essential order information while creating marketing opportunities.
Order Status Updates Confirmation, shipping, and delivery notifications. High taux d’ouverture make these prime real estate for cross-sell messaging.
Review Collection Post-delivery requests for product reviews, timed to allow adequate product usage.
Designing Effective Email Workflows
Creating workflows that perform requires thoughtful design across multiple dimensions: stratégie, structure, content, and optimization.
Strategic Planning
Before building any workflow, answer these fundamental questions:
Qu’est-ce que the primary goal? Each workflow needs a clear, measurable objective:
- Welcome series: First purchase within 30 days
- Abandoned cart: Cart recovery within 7 days
- Win-back: Reactivation within 90 days
Who is the audience? Define the specific segment entering this workflow:
- New abonnés who n’ont pas purchased
- Clients with 2+ previous orders
- High-value clients dans le top 20%
What triggers entry? Identify the specific event or condition:
- Form submission
- Behavioral event (cart abandonment, product view)
- Date-based (birthday, subscription anniversary)
- Segment membership change
What ends the workflow? Define exit conditions clearly:
- Goal achieved (purchase made, review submitted)
- Sequence completed
- Subscriber enters higher-priority workflow
- Unsubscribe or complaint
Workflow Structure
Timing and Cadence The intervals between emails significantly impact performance:
| Workflow Type | Recommended Timing |
|---|---|
| Welcome Series | Days 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 |
| Panier abandonné | 1hr, 24hr, 48hr, 72hr |
| Browse Abandonment | 2hr, 24hr, 72hr |
| Post-achat | Order + shipping (event-based), then 7, 14, 21 days |
| Win-Back | 60, 75, 90, 105 days since last purchase |
| Replenishment | Product cycle - 7 days, then +7, +14 |
Branching Logic Sophisticated workflows use conditional logic to personalize paths:
- If customer has previous purchases, skip introductory content
- If cart value exceeds threshold, offer percentage discount
- If email opened but not clicked, send follow-up with different ligne d’objet
- If product category is X, recommend complementary products from Y
Overlap Management Abonnés may qualify for multiple workflows simultaneously. Establish priority rules:
- Transactional (highest priority - always send)
- Abandoned cart
- Browse abandonment
- Win-back
- Regular marketing (lowest priority)
Limit concurrent workflows to prevent email fatigue. Most plateformes allow frequency caps and suppression rules.
Content Development
Lignes d’objet Workflow emails need lignes d’objet that:
- Create curiosity or urgency
- Feel personal, not promotional
- Match the email’s specific purpose
Examples by workflow type:
- Welcome: “Welcome to [Brand] - here’s something special”
- Panier abandonné: “You left something behind”
- Post-achat: “Get le plus from your [Product]”
- Win-Back: “We miss you, [Name]”
Email Body Structure Each workflow email should follow a clear structure:
- Hook: Opening line that connects vers le trigger event
- Value: Why this email matters vers le recipient
- Content: Information, education, or offer
- CTA: Single, clear action to take
- Footer: Required links plus secondary options
Personnalisation Elements Dynamic content dramatically improves performance:
- First name in subject and greeting
- Product images from cart or browse history
- Purchase history references
- Fidélité points balance
- Location-based content
Visual Design Workflow emails should:
- Reflect brand identity consistently
- Prioritize mobile responsiveness
- Use product imagery strategically
- Maintain adequate white space
- Feature prominent, contrasting CTAs
Implementation Meilleures pratiques
Building effective workflows requires attention to technical implementation, testing, and ongoing management.
Technical Setup
Data Requirements Workflows only work with proper data infrastructure:
- Customer profiles with purchase history
- Real-time event tracking (page views, cart actions)
- Product catalog with images and attributes
- Fidélité/points data if applicable
Intégration Architecture Your marketing platform needs reliable connections to:
- E-commerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, etc.)
- Customer data platform or CRM
- Product recommendation engine
- Fidélité program system
With Tajo, these intégrations are handled automatically. Tajo syncs your Shopify data to Brevo en temps réel, y compris:
- Complete customer profiles
- Order and purchase history
- Product catalog with full attributes
- Cart events and browse behavior
- Fidélité program status and points
This data foundation enables sophisticated workflows without custom development.
Testing Protocol
Pre-Launch Testing Before activating any workflow:
- Trigger Test: Verify the workflow starts correctly
- Content Review: Check personnalisation, links, images
- Mobile Preview: Confirm responsive design
- Timer Verification: Confirm delays work as configured
- Exit Condition Test: Ensure proper workflow termination
- Intégration Test: Verify data flows correctly
A/B Testing Continuously improve workflows through testing:
- Subject line variations
- Send time optimization
- Content length and format
- Offer type and value
- Number of emails in sequence
Monitoring and Optimization
Key Métriques by Workflow Type
| Workflow | Primary Metric | Secondary Métriques |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome | Conversion rate | Taux d’ouverture, time to first purchase |
| Panier abandonné | Recovery rate | Revenus recovered, AOV |
| Browse Abandonment | Browse-to-purchase rate | Cart add rate |
| Post-achat | Review submission rate | Repeat purchase rate |
| Win-Back | Reactivation rate | Revenus from reactivated |
| Replenishment | Reorder rate | Time between orders |
Optimization Cadence Review workflows regularly:
- Weekly: Check key métriques for anomalies
- Monthly: Analyze trends and test results
- Quarterly: Full content refresh and stratégie review
- Annually: Complete workflow audit and restructure
Common Issues and Solutions
| Issue | Likely Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Low taux d’ouverture | Poor lignes d’objet | A/B test variations |
| Low click rates | Weak CTAs or irrelevant content | Improve personnalisation, clarify offers |
| High unsubscribes | Too many emails or poor targeting | Reduce frequency, tighten entry criteria |
| Low conversions | Wrong timing or weak offers | Test send times, evaluate incentives |
| No workflow entries | Trigger misconfiguration | Audit trigger conditions and data flow |
Email Workflow Examples
Below are detailed workflow examples vous pouvez adapt pour votre entreprise.
Welcome Series Example
Trigger: Newsletter signup (non-purchaser)
Email 1: Immediate
- Subject: “Welcome to [Brand] - your 15% discount inside”
- Content: Thank you, brand intro, discount code, bestsellers
- CTA: Shop Now
Email 2: Day 2
- Subject: “The story behind [Brand]”
- Content: Origin story, mission, values, founder message
- CTA: Learn More
Email 3: Day 4
- Subject: “Why 50,000+ clients choose [Brand]”
- Content: Reviews, testimonials, star ratings
- CTA: See What Others Are Buying
Email 4: Day 6
- Subject: “Your discount expires soon”
- Content: Discount reminder, product picks, urgency
- CTA: Use Your Discount
Email 5: Day 8
- Subject: “Last chance: 15% off ends today”
- Content: Final reminder, fear of missing out messaging
- CTA: Claim Before Midnight
Exit Conditions:
- Subscriber makes a purchase (move to post-achat)
- Completes sequence (move to regular newsletter)
Panier abandonné Recovery Example
Trigger: Items added to cart, no checkout completion within 60 minutes
Email 1: Hour 1
- Subject: “Did you forget something?”
- Content: Cart contents with images, simple reminder, no discount
- CTA: Complete Your Order
Email 2: Hour 24
- Subject: “Still thinking about [Product Name]?”
- Content: Product reviews, benefits highlight, cart contents
- CTA: Return to Your Cart
Email 3: Hour 48
- Subject: “Good news: 10% off to complete your order”
- Content: Discount offer, urgency, cart contents
- CTA: Claim Your Discount
Email 4: Hour 72
- Subject: “Your cart is about to expire”
- Content: Final reminder, low stock warning if applicable
- CTA: Complete Before It’s Gone
Exit Conditions:
- Purchase completed
- Cart emptied
- 5 days elapsed without action
Post-achat Sequence Example
Trigger: First order placed
Email 1: Order Confirmation (Immediate)
- Subject: “Order confirmed - here’s what happens next”
- Content: Order summary, timeline, complementary products
- CTA: Track Your Order
Email 2: Shipped (Event-based)
- Subject: “Your order is sur le way”
- Content: Tracking information, estimated delivery, what to expect
- CTA: Track Package
Email 3: Delivery + 5 Days
- Subject: “Comment get the best results from your [Product]”
- Content: Usage tips, care instructions, video tutorial
- CTA: Watch Guide
Email 4: Delivery + 12 Days
- Subject: “Quick question about your [Product]”
- Content: Review request, incentive offer (points or discount)
- CTA: Leave a Review
Email 5: Delivery + 21 Days
- Subject: “Basé sur your purchase, you might love…”
- Content: Personalized product recommendations
- CTA: Shop Recommendations
Exit Conditions:
- Completed sequence
- Second purchase made (move to repeat customer flow)
Win-Back Campaign Example
Trigger: No purchase in 60 days (adjust based on your typical purchase cycle)
Email 1: Day 60
- Subject: “It’s been a while, [Name]”
- Content: “We noticed you n’ont pas visited” message, what’s new, popular products
- CTA: See What’s New (no discount yet)
Email 2: Day 75
- Subject: “A lot has changed since your last visit”
- Content: New arrivals, improvements, customer favorites
- CTA: Browse New Arrivals
Email 3: Day 90
- Subject: “We want you back - here’s 20% off”
- Content: Exclusive discount, bestsellers, limited time
- CTA: Claim Your Offer
Email 4: Day 105
- Subject: “Last chance before we say goodbye”
- Content: Final offer, “cleaning our list” messaging
- CTA: Click to Stay / Use Your Discount
Exit Conditions:
- Purchase made (move back to active customer flows)
- No engagement after Day 105 (suppress or remove from list)
Building Email Workflows with Brevo and Tajo
Brevo’s automatisation platform provides robust workflow capabilities, and Tajo supercharges these with seamless Shopify intégration.
What Tajo Adds to Brevo
Tajo bridges the gap between your Shopify store and Brevo’s automatisation marketing:
Real-Time Data Sync
- Customer profiles sync automatically
- Order history updates immediately
- Product catalog stays current
- Cart events trigger en temps réel
- Browse behavior tracks continuously
Programme de fidélité Intégration
- Points balances sync to Brevo contacts
- Tier changes trigger workflows
- Reward redemptions track automatically
- Birthday and anniversary dates populate
Multi-Channel Capability
- Email workflows powered by Brevo
- SMS sequences for time-sensitive messages
- WhatsApp campagnes for supported regions
- Unified customer view across channels
Available Workflow Triggers
With Tajo and Brevo, vous pouvez trigger workflows on:
| Trigger | Data Source | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Email signup | Shopify/Forms | Welcome series |
| First purchase | Shopify via Tajo | New customer flow |
| Repeat purchase | Shopify via Tajo | VIP recognition |
| Cart abandoned | Shopify via Tajo | Recovery sequence |
| Product viewed | Shopify via Tajo | Browse abandonment |
| Order shipped | Shopify via Tajo | Delivery updates |
| Order delivered | Shopify via Tajo | Review request |
| Points earned | Tajo | Points notification |
| Tier changed | Tajo | Milestone celebration |
| Birthday | Brevo contact | Birthday offer |
Dynamic Content Available
Personalize workflow emails with:
- Customer name and email
- Complete order history
- Product images, prices, descriptions
- Cart contents with thumbnails
- Fidélité points balance
- VIP tier status
- Browse history items
- Recommended products
Advanced Workflow Stratégies
Once you’ve mastered fundamental workflows, consider these advanced approaches.
Predictive Workflows
Use purchase pattern data to anticipate customer needs:
- Predict replenishment timing based on individual purchase history
- Identify clients likely to churn before it happens
- Recommend products based on similar customer behavior
Cross-Channel Sequences
Combine email with other channels for maximum impact:
- Email + SMS for paniers abandonnés (SMS for urgency)
- Email + push notification for ventes flash
- Email + direct mail for VIP clients
Behavioral Scoring Workflows
Adjust messaging based on engagement scores:
- High engagement: More frequent communication, early access
- Medium engagement: Standard cadence, réengagement content
- Low engagement: Reduced frequency, win-back focus
Lifecycle Stage Automatisation
Create workflows that adapt as clients progress:
- Prospect to first-time buyer
- First-time buyer to repeat customer
- Repeat customer to VIP
- VIP to brand advocate
Questions fréquemment posées
How many emails should be in a workflow?
The optimal number depends sur le workflow type and your audience. Welcome series typically perform well with 4-6 emails. Abandoned cart sequences usually max out at 3-4 emails. Post-purchase flows can extend to 5-6 emails over several weeks. Test different lengths and monitor taux de désabonnements to find your optimal number.
Qu’est-ce que the best time to send workflow emails?
For time-sensitive workflows like panier abandonné, the timing is relative vers le trigger event (1 hour, 24 hours, etc.). For other workflows, test different send times. Generally, weekday mornings (9-11 AM recipient time) perform well for B2C e-commerce. Use your platform’s send time optimization if available.
How do I prevent abonnés from receiving too many emails?
Implement frequency caps au account level (e.g., no plus de 4 emails par semaine). Use priority rules to suppress lower-priority workflows when higher-priority ones are active. Set proper exit conditions so abonnés ne faites pas remain in workflows indefinitely.
Should I include discounts in every workflow?
No. Discount dependency trains clients to wait for offers. Use discounts strategically - welcome series and win-back campagnes often warrant incentives. Abandoned cart recovery can test with and without discounts. Post-purchase and fidélité workflows should focus on value plutôt que discounts.
How long should I wait before starting a win-back workflow?
This depends on your typical purchase cycle. For consumables (supplements, skincare), start at 45-60 days past expected repurchase date. For fashion or general merchandise, 90 days is common. For high-ticket items, 120+ days may be appropriate. Analyze your customer purchase patterns to determine the right timing.
Can clients be in multiple workflows simultaneously?
Yes, but limit concurrent workflows to prevent overwhelming abonnés. Establish clear priority rules - emails transactionnels always send, then panier abandonné, then browse abandonment, then general marketing. Most plateformes allow you to suppress lower-priority workflows when higher-priority ones are active.
How do I measure workflow ROI?
Track revenus directly attributed to workflow emails using your platform’s reporting. Calculate ROI by comparing revenus generated vers le cost du platform plus time invested in workflow creation and management. For many entreprises, a single workflow like panier abandonné recovery can generate enough revenus to justify the entire investment.
What happens if my product data changes?
Ensure your platform intégration keeps product data synchronized. With Tajo, product catalog changes in Shopify automatically sync to Brevo, so workflow emails always display current information. Without proper sync, you risk showing incorrect prices or unavailable products.
How often should I update workflow content?
Review and refresh workflow content quarterly at minimum. Update lignes d’objet, test new approaches, and refresh product recommendations. Monitor performance métriques monthly to catch declines early. Annual audits should evaluate whether the overall workflow stratégie still aligns with business goals.
Qu’est-ce que the difference between a drip campaign and a workflow?
The terms are often used interchangeably, but technically: a drip campaign is a simple time-based sequence (Email 1 on Day 0, Email 2 on Day 3, etc.). A workflow includes conditional logic, branching, and multiple trigger types. Modern automatisation marketing typically refers to everything as workflows since even simple sequences benefit from conditional exit conditions.
Conclusion
Email workflows represent le plus scalable, efficient approach to email marketing. While manual campagnes require continuous effort, workflows run automatically, delivering personalized messages based on each subscriber’s behavior and lifecycle stage.
The workflows that matter most pour le e-commerce:
Start avec lese essentials:
- Welcome series (convert abonnés to buyers)
- Abandoned cart recovery (recover lost revenus)
- Post-purchase sequence (build fidélité, collect reviews)
Then expand to: 4. Browse abandonment (capture interested visitors) 5. Win-back campaign (reactivate lapsed clients) 6. Replenishment reminders (drive repeat purchases) 7. VIP recognition (retain best clients)
Success requires plus de just setting up workflows. Invest in proper data infrastructure, test continuously, and optimize based on performance métriques. The combination of thoughtful stratégie and reliable automatisation creates sustainable, predictable email revenus.
Ready to build workflows that work while you sleep? Tajo connects your Shopify store to Brevo’s powerful automatisation platform, giving you the data foundation and tools to implement every workflow covered in this guide. Démarrez avec Tajo and transform your email marketing from manual campagnes to automated revenus generation.