⚙️ Create complex automation workflows through simple conversations. Automate welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, re-engagement campaigns, and more with natural language commands.

What You'll Learn

• Common automation types and use cases
• How to create automation workflows step-by-step
• Advanced automation techniques
• Best practices for managing automations

Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Tier: AI Marketer + Account Manager (Paid)

What Are Automation Workflows?

Automation workflows allow you to send targeted emails automatically based on subscriber actions or triggers. With Mailchimp MCP, you can create complex automation workflows through simple conversations.

Common Automation Types

Welcome Series

Automatically send emails to new subscribers:

Set up a welcome series for new subscribers:
- Send welcome email immediately
- Follow up after 3 days with product introduction
- Send discount code after 7 days

Abandoned Cart

Remind customers about items left in cart:

Create an abandoned cart automation:
- Send reminder after 24 hours
- Follow up after 3 days with discount
- Final reminder after 7 days

Re-engagement

Reconnect with inactive subscribers:

Set up a re-engagement series for subscribers who haven't opened emails in 90 days:
- Send re-engagement email
- Offer special discount
- Final attempt before removing from list

Birthday Campaigns

Celebrate subscriber birthdays:

Create a birthday automation that sends a special offer on each subscriber's birthday.

Creating Automation Workflows

Step 1: Define the Trigger

Start by defining what triggers the automation:

Create an automation that triggers when a subscriber joins the "VIP" segment.

Step 2: Define the Actions

Specify what happens when triggered:

When a subscriber joins the VIP segment:
- Send welcome email immediately
- Add tag "VIP Member"
- Add to VIP segment

Step 3: Set Up the Series

Define the email sequence:

Set up a 5-email welcome series:
- Email 1: Welcome (immediate)
- Email 2: Product overview (day 3)
- Email 3: Customer stories (day 7)
- Email 4: Special offer (day 14)
- Email 5: Feedback request (day 30)

Advanced Automation

Conditional Logic

Create workflows with conditions:

Create an automation that:
- Triggers when subscriber purchases
- If purchase > $100: Send VIP welcome
- If purchase < $100: Send standard thank you

Multi-Step Workflows

Complex sequences:

Set up a product launch automation:
- Day 1: Announcement email
- Day 3: Behind-the-scenes content
- Day 5: Early access for engaged subscribers
- Day 7: Public launch
- Day 10: Follow-up with purchase link

Managing Automations

Viewing Active Automations

Show me all active automation workflows and their performance.

Pausing Automations

Pause the abandoned cart automation temporarily.

Updating Automations

Update the welcome series to include a new email about our mobile app.

Best Practices

Start Simple

Begin with basic automations:

• Welcome series
• Single-trigger workflows
• Simple email sequences

Test Before Launching

• Test automation triggers
• Review email content
• Verify timing and conditions

Monitor Performance

• Track open rates
• Monitor click rates
• Watch for unsubscribes
• Adjust based on performance

Keep Content Fresh

• Update automation emails regularly
• Refresh offers and content
• Remove outdated information

Common Automation Templates

E-commerce

• Abandoned cart recovery
• Post-purchase follow-up
• Product recommendations
• Reorder reminders

Content Marketing

• New subscriber welcome
• Content digest (weekly/monthly)
• Re-engagement campaigns
• Content recommendations

SaaS/Software

• Onboarding series
• Feature announcements
• Usage tips and tutorials
• Upgrade prompts

Analyzing Automation Performance

Show me performance metrics for my welcome series automation:
- Open rates
- Click rates
- Unsubscribe rates
- Conversion rates

Compare performance across all my automation workflows.

Troubleshooting

Automation Not Triggering

• Verify trigger conditions are correct
• Check that subscribers match criteria
• Ensure automation is active
• Review automation settings

Low Engagement

• Review email content
• Check send times
• Test subject lines
• Consider segment refinement

Need Help?

• First Campaign Tutorial
• 10 Powerful Use Cases
• Advanced Workflows

---

Related Articles:

• Campaign Creation Guide
• Audience Segmentation Guide
• Advanced Workflows