How to Set Up a Welcome Email Series for Your Shopify Store (2026)
A practical welcome series for new subscribers: how many emails, what each one should say, when to send them, and how to build it in Shopify Messaging or an email app.
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A welcome series is the set of automated emails new subscribers receive right after they sign up. It’s usually the first automation worth building, alongside abandoned cart emails: Omnisend’s 2026 report lists welcome emails among its three highest-performing workflows, and Klaviyo’s 2026 benchmarks show automated flows reaching a 5.58% click rate versus 1.69% for campaigns.
This guide is based on Shopify’s help center and published benchmarks, checked October 26, 2026. Benchmarks come from each vendor’s own customers, so use them as a reference, not a promise.
A three-email welcome series
| When | What it does | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Welcome | Immediately after signup | Thanks the subscriber and delivers anything your form promised (discount, free shipping, guide) |
| 2. Your story or best-sellers | 1–2 days later | Explains what makes your store different, or shows your most popular products |
| 3. Reminder | 2–3 days later, only if they haven’t bought | Reminds them of the offer and when it ends; answers common objections (shipping, returns) |
Swipe to see the full table →
Timing is a starting point – adjust it to how long customers usually take to decide. If you don’t offer a discount, use email 3 for reviews or your returns policy instead.
What to put in each email
- Email 1: one clear call to action. If you promised a code, put it near the top.
- Email 2: one story or one product set, not your whole catalog. Link to collections rather than the homepage.
- Email 3: address the reasons people hesitate. Baymard Institute found extra costs, slow delivery and unclear returns among the top reasons US shoppers abandon a checkout – so make shipping costs, delivery times and your returns policy easy to find.
How to build it in Shopify Messaging
Shopify’s help center lists two welcome templates: Welcome new subscribers with a discount email and Welcome new subscribers with a discount series. The series sends a discount email, two brand-building emails and a discount reminder if the subscriber hasn’t bought.
- In your Shopify admin, open the Messaging app.
- Go to Automations → Create automation.
- Choose a welcome template.
- Select Edit email to change copy, images and the discount.
- Send yourself a test.
- Select Turn on.
Welcome automations trigger when customers subscribe through a form on your online store, and they must be created on a desktop device.
Building it in an email app
Dedicated email tools let you add conditions – for example, skip email 3 for people who already bought, or send a text after email 1. Omnisend includes welcome, abandoned cart and browse abandonment flows on every plan; see our Omnisend review, Klaviyo review or the best email marketing tools for Shopify.
Rules to follow
- Send welcome emails only to people who opted in to marketing.
- Every marketing email needs a working unsubscribe link and your physical postal address, and opt-outs must be honored within 10 business days (FTC).
- More: email marketing rules for online stores.
Related: Ecommerce Email Marketing Statistics
New to store email altogether? Our email marketing best practices guide covers sender rules, benchmarks and the automations that matter first.
All five revenue templates in one place: best email templates.
Key takeaways
- A welcome series is the automation new subscribers see first; Omnisend lists welcome emails among its three highest-performing workflows.
- Automated flows beat one-off campaigns on clicks: Klaviyo's 2026 benchmarks put a good flow click rate at 5.58% versus 1.69% for campaigns.
- Shopify Messaging has two built-in welcome templates – a single discount email and a discount series that adds two brand-building emails and a reminder.
- A simple three-email structure works for most stores: deliver the offer, tell your story, then remind and show best-sellers.
- Welcome automations should only go to people who opted in, and every email needs an unsubscribe link and your postal address.
Frequently asked questions
How many emails should a welcome series have?
Three is a practical starting point: an immediate welcome with any promised offer, a brand or best-seller email, and a reminder before the offer expires. Shopify Messaging's built-in discount series follows a similar pattern.
Can I build a welcome series in Shopify without another app?
Yes. In Shopify Messaging, go to Automations, choose Create automation and pick a 'Welcome new subscribers' template. Welcome automations have to be created on a desktop device.
Do I have to offer a discount?
No. A discount is a common reason people subscribe, but you can also welcome subscribers with free shipping, a guide, or your best-sellers. If your signup form promised an offer, the first email should deliver it.
Who receives a welcome series?
Only people who subscribed to email marketing. Shopify notes that its marketing automations send only to customers subscribed to email marketing by default.