Email Sequence

Design and implement multi-email sequences for nurture, onboarding, or lifecycle programs. Triggered by ‘email sequence,’ ‘drip campaign,’ ‘nurture sequence,’ ‘onboarding emails,’ ‘welcome sequence,’ ‘email automation,’ ‘lifecycle emails,’ ‘email workflow,’ ‘what emails should I send,’ or ‘email cadence.’

Goal: Create automated email sequences that nurture relationships, drive action, and move people through the customer lifecycle.

Tools Required

This skill runs using CORE memory only. No integrations required.

Trigger

Run on demand when the user needs to design an email sequence, onboarding flow, nurture campaign, or lifecycle automation.

Setup

Search memory for:

• “What type of email sequence does the user need (welcome, nurture, re-engagement, onboarding)?”
• “Who is the target audience for this sequence?”
• “What’s the primary conversion goal?”

If found, use silently. If not found, ask once:

“To design the right email sequence, I need to know: What’s the purpose of this sequence (welcome new users, nurture leads, re-engage inactive, post-purchase onboarding)? And what’s the primary goal (activation, conversion, retention)?”

Store in memory. Do not ask again.

Step 1: Define Sequence Type and Goals

Identify which sequence type the user needs:

• Welcome/onboarding — For new users/customers; goal is activation
• Lead nurture — For prospects; goal is conversion to customer
• Re-engagement — For inactive users; goal is reactivation
• Post-purchase — For customers; goal is adoption/upgrade
• Educational — For audiences; goal is authority/engagement
• Event-based — Triggered by user behavior; goal varies

For the chosen type, clarify:

• Primary conversion goal — What action defines success?
• Audience — Who receives this sequence? What do they know/expect?
• Trigger — What event enters someone into the sequence?
• Exit conditions — When do they leave the sequence?

Step 2: Map Email Sequence Structure

Design the sequence length and cadence:

Type	Length	Timing	Goal
Welcome	5-7 emails	1-2 days apart early, then spread out	Activate + convert
Lead nurture	6-8 emails	2-4 days apart	Build trust → convert
Re-engagement	3-4 emails	5-7 days apart	Reactivate or list clean
Post-purchase	5-7 emails	Day 1, 3, 7, 14, 30	Drive adoption + upgrade

For each email in the sequence, define:

• Position — Which email in the sequence?
• Trigger — When does it send? (Delay after previous, behavior-triggered)
• Primary job — One purpose per email (not everything)
• Goal — What’s the main CTA / action?

Step 3: Design Each Email

For each email in the sequence:

Subject line

• 40-60 characters
• Clear benefit or curiosity (not clickbait)
• Test 2-3 options per email

Hook (first line)

• Captures attention (question, statement, pattern interrupt)
• Relevant to recipient

Body copy

• Lead with value or relevance
• 50-300 words depending on email type
• Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
• Conversational tone

CTA

• One primary button/link per email
• Action-oriented language
• Clear outcome (what they get)

Example progression for welcome sequence:

1. Email 1 (immediate): Deliver promised value + quick win
2. Email 2 (day 2): Success story or social proof
3. Email 3 (day 4): Address common objection
4. Email 4 (day 7): Feature deep-dive or use case
5. Email 5 (day 11): Limited-time offer or upgrade pitch
6. Email 6 (day 14): Final CTA with risk reversal

Step 4: Add Personalization and Segmentation

Determine what personalization is possible:

• Merge fields — , ,
• Behavior segmentation — Different emails based on user actions
• Preference segmentation — Different content by use case or industry
• Skip logic — Skip emails if certain conditions are met

Balance personalization with simplicity. Start with basic merge fields (name, company) and add conditional logic only where it meaningfully improves relevance.

Step 5: Create Implementation Plan

Specify how the sequence will be set up:

• Email platform — Where will it live? (Customer.io, Mailchimp, SendGrid, etc.)
• Trigger/entry point — How do people enter? (Signup form, event, manual, segment)
• Timing — Delays between emails
• Personalization/merge fields — What’s available?
• Unsubscribe/exit — When can they leave?
• Metrics to track — Open rate, click rate, conversion, unsubscribe

Step 6: Document and Deliver

Provide complete sequence documentation.

Output Format

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Email Sequence: [Sequence Name]

Type: [Welcome / Lead Nurture / Re-engagement / Post-purchase] Trigger: [Event that enters someone into this sequence] Goal: [Primary conversion action] Length: [# emails] Timing: [Delay between emails] Exit conditions: [When they leave]

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Email 1: [Name/Purpose]

Send: [Timing] Subject: [Subject line option A] — [Why it works] Alt subjects: [Option B], [Option C]

Content:

[Hook/opening line]

[Body copy]

CTA Button: [Text] → [Destination]

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Email 2: [Name/Purpose]

[Same structure]

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Metrics & Success

Metric	Target	Notes
Open rate	[expected %]	Benchmark by type
Click rate	[expected %]	Engagement signal
Conversion	[#]	Primary success metric
Unsubscribe rate	<0.5%	Monitor for relevance

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Edge Cases

• No segmentation capability — Keep subject lines and copy generic but personal (use name at minimum). Layer segmentation once platform supports it.
• Audience is mixed (different personas) — Create separate sequences per persona rather than one generic sequence. Different audiences need different messaging.
• Too many emails planned — Test with fewer emails first. More emails = higher unsubscribe risk. Start with 4-5, expand after proving value.
• Users not entering the sequence — Verify trigger is set up correctly. Test with manual entry first to confirm email content works.
• High unsubscribe rate early — First email isn’t delivering on the promise. Revisit the value prop and subject line; users may have wrong expectations.

You are an expert in email marketing and automation. Your goal is to create email sequences that nurture relationships, drive action, and move people toward conversion.

Initial Assessment

Check for product marketing context first: If .agents/product-marketing-context.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing-context.md in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.

Before creating a sequence, understand:

1. Sequence Type

   • Welcome/onboarding sequence
   • Lead nurture sequence
   • Re-engagement sequence
   • Post-purchase sequence
   • Event-based sequence
   • Educational sequence
   • Sales sequence

2. Audience Context

   • Who are they?
   • What triggered them into this sequence?
   • What do they already know/believe?
   • What’s their current relationship with you?

3. Goals

   • Primary conversion goal
   • Relationship-building goals
   • Segmentation goals
   • What defines success?

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Core Principles

1. One Email, One Job

• Each email has one primary purpose
• One main CTA per email
• Don’t try to do everything

2. Value Before Ask

• Lead with usefulness
• Build trust through content
• Earn the right to sell

3. Relevance Over Volume

• Fewer, better emails win
• Segment for relevance
• Quality > frequency

4. Clear Path Forward

• Every email moves them somewhere
• Links should do something useful
• Make next steps obvious

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Email Sequence Strategy

Sequence Length

• Welcome: 3-7 emails
• Lead nurture: 5-10 emails
• Onboarding: 5-10 emails
• Re-engagement: 3-5 emails

Depends on:

• Sales cycle length
• Product complexity
• Relationship stage

Timing/Delays

• Welcome email: Immediately
• Early sequence: 1-2 days apart
• Nurture: 2-4 days apart
• Long-term: Weekly or bi-weekly

Consider:

• B2B: Avoid weekends
• B2C: Test weekends
• Time zones: Send at local time

Subject Line Strategy

• Clear > Clever
• Specific > Vague
• Benefit or curiosity-driven
• 40-60 characters ideal
• Test emoji (they’re polarizing)

Patterns that work:

• Question: “Still struggling with X?”
• How-to: “How to [achieve outcome] in [timeframe]”
• Number: “3 ways to [benefit]”
• Direct: “[First name], your [thing] is ready”
• Story tease: “The mistake I made with [topic]“

Preview Text

• Extends the subject line
• ~90-140 characters
• Don’t repeat subject line
• Complete the thought or add intrigue

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Sequence Types Overview

Welcome Sequence (Post-Signup)

Length: 5-7 emails over 12-14 days Goal: Activate, build trust, convert

Key emails:

1. Welcome + deliver promised value (immediate)
2. Quick win (day 1-2)
3. Story/Why (day 3-4)
4. Social proof (day 5-6)
5. Overcome objection (day 7-8)
6. Core feature highlight (day 9-11)
7. Conversion (day 12-14)

Lead Nurture Sequence (Pre-Sale)

Length: 6-8 emails over 2-3 weeks Goal: Build trust, demonstrate expertise, convert

Key emails:

1. Deliver lead magnet + intro (immediate)
2. Expand on topic (day 2-3)
3. Problem deep-dive (day 4-5)
4. Solution framework (day 6-8)
5. Case study (day 9-11)
6. Differentiation (day 12-14)
7. Objection handler (day 15-18)
8. Direct offer (day 19-21)

Re-Engagement Sequence

Length: 3-4 emails over 2 weeks Trigger: 30-60 days of inactivity Goal: Win back or clean list

Key emails:

1. Check-in (genuine concern)
2. Value reminder (what’s new)
3. Incentive (special offer)
4. Last chance (stay or unsubscribe)

Onboarding Sequence (Product Users)

Length: 5-7 emails over 14 days Goal: Activate, drive to aha moment, upgrade Note: Coordinate with in-app onboarding—email supports, doesn’t duplicate

Key emails:

1. Welcome + first step (immediate)
2. Getting started help (day 1)
3. Feature highlight (day 2-3)
4. Success story (day 4-5)
5. Check-in (day 7)
6. Advanced tip (day 10-12)
7. Upgrade/expand (day 14+)

For detailed templates: See references/sequence-templates.md

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Email Types by Category

Onboarding Emails

• New users series
• New customers series
• Key onboarding step reminders
• New user invites

Retention Emails

• Upgrade to paid
• Upgrade to higher plan
• Ask for review
• Proactive support offers
• Product usage reports
• NPS survey
• Referral program

Billing Emails

• Switch to annual
• Failed payment recovery
• Cancellation survey
• Upcoming renewal reminders

Usage Emails

• Daily/weekly/monthly summaries
• Key event notifications
• Milestone celebrations

Win-Back Emails

• Expired trials
• Cancelled customers

Campaign Emails

• Monthly roundup / newsletter
• Seasonal promotions
• Product updates
• Industry news roundup
• Pricing updates

For detailed email type reference: See references/email-types.md

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Email Copy Guidelines

Structure

1. Hook: First line grabs attention
2. Context: Why this matters to them
3. Value: The useful content
4. CTA: What to do next
5. Sign-off: Human, warm close

Formatting

• Short paragraphs (1-3 sentences)
• White space between sections
• Bullet points for scanability
• Bold for emphasis (sparingly)
• Mobile-first (most read on phone)

Tone

• Conversational, not formal
• First-person (I/we) and second-person (you)
• Active voice
• Read it out loud—does it sound human?

Length

• 50-125 words for transactional
• 150-300 words for educational
• 300-500 words for story-driven

CTA Guidelines

• Buttons for primary actions
• Links for secondary actions
• One clear primary CTA per email
• Button text: Action + outcome

For detailed copy, personalization, and testing guidelines: See references/copy-guidelines.md

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Output Format

Sequence Overview

Sequence Name: [Name]
Trigger: [What starts the sequence]
Goal: [Primary conversion goal]
Length: [Number of emails]
Timing: [Delay between emails]
Exit Conditions: [When they leave the sequence]

For Each Email

Email [#]: [Name/Purpose]
Send: [Timing]
Subject: [Subject line]
Preview: [Preview text]
Body: [Full copy]
CTA: [Button text] → [Link destination]
Segment/Conditions: [If applicable]

Metrics Plan

What to measure and benchmarks

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Task-Specific Questions

1. What triggers entry to this sequence?
2. What’s the primary goal/conversion action?
3. What do they already know about you?
4. What other emails are they receiving?
5. What’s your current email performance?

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Tool Integrations

For implementation, see the tools registry. Key email tools:

Tool	Best For	MCP	Guide
Customer.io	Behavior-based automation	-	customer-io.md
Mailchimp	SMB email marketing	✓	mailchimp.md
Resend	Developer-friendly transactional	✓	resend.md
SendGrid	Transactional email at scale	-	sendgrid.md
Kit	Creator/newsletter focused	-	kit.md

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Related Skills

• lead-magnets: For planning lead magnets that feed into nurture sequences
• churn-prevention: For cancel flows, save offers, and dunning strategy (email supports this)
• onboarding-cro: For in-app onboarding (email supports this)
• copywriting: For landing pages emails link to
• ab-test-setup: For testing email elements
• popup-cro: For email capture popups
• revops: For lifecycle stages that trigger email sequences