Automated Email Campaigns in Squarespace
TL;DR:
- Three main automation types: Subscriber Activity, Customer Activity, and Form Response
- All automated emails count towards your monthly send limit
- You can pause, edit, and track performance of all automations
- Automations use preset templates but can be customized after creation
- Special automations like abandoned cart recovery don't count towards send limits
Automated campaigns send emails when visitors take specific actions on your site. Someone subscribes to your newsletter, buys a product, or fills out a form, and the relevant email fires automatically.
Setting Up Your First Automation
Head to your Email Campaigns section in Squarespace and look for the Automations tab. You'll need to pick from preset templates when creating new automations, but you can customize them once they're set up.
When creating an automation, you'll choose the trigger (what action starts the email), set any delays, and design your email content. Keep in mind that changes to active automations only affect new triggers, not emails already queued.
Subscriber Activity Automations
These trigger when someone joins your mailing list. The most common options include:
Welcome emails – Send immediately after signup or with a short delay
New subscriber discounts – Offer incentives to convert subscribers into customers
Engagement sequences – Multiple emails sent over time to build relationships
You can connect these to specific mailing lists or set them to trigger for all new subscribers. They're particularly useful for nurturing people who haven't bought anything yet.
Customer Activity Automations
These fire after someone makes a purchase. They don't automatically add people to your mailing lists, but they do trigger from any transaction, including free products.
First purchase thank you – Acknowledge new customers
Repeat customer rewards – Recognize returning buyers
VIP customer offers – Special treatment for high-value customers
Re-engagement emails – Bring back inactive customers
The key here is segmenting based on purchase behavior rather than just subscription status.
Form Response Automations
The simplest type. Someone fills out a contact form, inquiry form, or any other form on your site, and you send a confirmation email.
Most people use these for thank you messages that confirm receipt and outline next steps. They're straightforward but important for managing expectations.
Managing Active Automations
You can pause any automation if you need to make changes or temporarily stop sending. Paused automations won't send any emails until you reactivate them.
The analytics show open rates, click rates, and other performance metrics for each automation. This data helps you refine your approach and see which automations actually drive results.
Special Automations
Abandoned cart recovery and review request emails work slightly differently. These don't count towards your monthly send limit, making them particularly valuable for busy sites.
Abandoned cart emails can recover lost sales by reminding customers about items they left behind. Review requests help build social proof and gather feedback.
FAQs
Can I customize the preset automation templates?
Yes, once you create an automation from a template, you can modify the content, timing, and design to match your needs.
Do automations count towards my monthly send limit?
Most do, except for special automations like abandoned cart recovery and review requests.
How do I track automation performance?
Check your Email Campaigns dashboard for detailed analytics on each automation, including open rates, clicks, and conversion data.
Can I edit an active automation?
Yes, but changes only apply to new triggers. Emails already queued will send with the original settings.
Jargon Buster
Automations – Emails that send automatically when someone takes a specific action on your site
Triggered sends – Another term for automations, emphasizing they respond to user actions
Drip campaigns – A series of emails sent over time to nurture leads or customers
Wrap-up
Automated campaigns handle the repetitive parts of email marketing while you focus on other areas of your business. Set them up once, and they'll work in the background to welcome new subscribers, thank customers, and re-engage people who've gone quiet.
The key is starting simple with welcome emails and purchase confirmations, then building more sophisticated sequences as you learn what works for your audience.
Ready to improve your email marketing strategy? Join Pixelhaze Academy for step-by-step tutorials and expert guidance.