Recover one-time buyers with automated reactivation workflows. 25–60% of customers purchase once and disappear – Reactivation Automation re-engages them with timed messages after their last order, no manual work required.
This guide shows how to set up the workflow, choose the right timing, and improve engagement with targeted incentives.
Before You Begin
Available on all Omnisend plans.
All user roles, except Analyst, can edit workflows.
Triggers for subscribed and non-subscribed contacts. See trigger rules by contact status.
Retrospective triggering: When you start this workflow, it automatically sends to customers who already meet the delay criteria (e.g., ordered 30+ days ago).
Note: Retrospective triggering only works if the first block in your workflow is a Delay. If you add a Split or other block before the delay, past orders won't trigger the workflow.
When to Send Reactivation Emails
Reactivation workflows target customers who placed an order but haven't bought again. The right delay depends on your product and purchase cycle:
High-value products (furniture, electronics): Focus on new customer acquisition; reactivation may not apply.
Frequent purchases (beauty, supplements): Send reactivation emails 30–60 days after first order.
Seasonal products (apparel): Adjust delay based on typical replenish cycles (e.g., 90 days for winter coats).
Default delay: 30 days – gives customers time to place a second order. If they don't, the first reactivation message sends.
💡 Tip: Check your store's average time between orders (Reports → Customer Intelligence → Lifecycle Map) to set the optimal delay.
Setup Process
The reactivation workflow is a pre-built preset. To create it:
Step 1. Go to Automations → Create workflow → select Customer Reactivation → Customize workflow.
Step 2. Configure the trigger, delay, and messages (see more details below).
Automation Trigger Settings
Trigger Event
By default, the Customer Reactivation workflow is triggered by Placed Order. This means the automation starts tracking a customer as soon as they complete a purchase.
💡 This trigger carries order data (product purchased, order value, etc.). However, since reactivation emails focus on re-engagement timing rather than order details, you don't need to include purchase information in your messages.
Platform-specific order statuses required to trigger:
The workflow activates when an order reaches one of these statuses. If the order status changes afterward, it won't affect the workflow, and it continues as scheduled.
Platform | Order Status |
Shopify | Paid |
Bigcommerce & Woocommerce |
|
Magento | Can be mapped manually |
API | Can be mapped manually |
💡 You can change the trigger event if needed, but the Placed Order preset is recommended because it automatically tracks purchase timing - the key to reactivation.
Audience Filters
Use Audience Filters to target specific customer segments based on profile data or segment membership.
Common use cases:
Geographic targeting: Send reactivation only to customers in specific countries or regions.
Customer tags: Target VIP customers with exclusive offers, or filter out wholesale buyers.
Segment membership: Combine with Customer Lifecycle Stages to target "At Risk" or "Can't Lose" customers.
💬 Learn more: Audience Filters in Automations.
Delay
The Delay block is the most critical setting in your reactivation workflow. It determines how long to wait after a customer's order before sending the first message.
⚠️ Retrospective triggering note: Keep the Delay as the first block in your workflow. If you add a Conditional Split or other block before the delay, customers who already meet the delay criteria (e.g., ordered 30 days ago) won't receive messages.
How it works:
Customer places an order → Workflow triggers.
Workflow waits for the delay period you set (default: 30 days).
After the delay, Omnisend checks: Has the customer placed another order?
Yes → Customer exits the workflow (they're already re-engaged).
No → First reactivation message sends.
Choosing the right delay:
The ideal delay depends on your product type and typical purchase cycle.
Important timing considerations:
Too short (e.g., 7 days): Feels pushy; customers haven't had time to need your product again.
Too long (e.g., 6 months): Customer may have already forgotten your brand or found a competitor.
Just right: Matches your average reorder cycle. Check Reports → Customer Intelligence → Lifecycle Map to see when customers typically buy again.
💡 Pro tip: Start with 30 days, then review your workflow performance after 2–3 months. If open rates are low, try extending the delay. If customers are reordering before the email sends, shorten it.
Exit Conditions
Exit Conditions determine when a customer should leave the workflow before completing all messages.
Default exit condition:
Order Placed — If a customer makes a purchase at any point during the workflow, they exit immediately. Why? They've already re-engaged, so further reactivation messages aren't needed.
Optional exit conditions you can add:
Purchased a specific product: Exit if they buy from a certain collection or category.
Customer profile changes: Exit based on country, tag, or segment membership.
Message engagement: Exit if they open or click a specific email.
💬 Learn more: Exit Conditions in Automations.
Frequency
Frequency settings control whether the same customer can re-enter the workflow multiple times.
Recommendation: Leave disabled – reactivation cycles are long (30+ days), so customers can re-enter the workflow after each new order.
If enabled, customers who have already received the workflow won't re-enter, even after future purchases.
Conditional Split
Send different messages based on:
Customer profile data (e.g., VIP tag, location).
Engagement with previous messages (opened email 1 → send email 2; didn't open → send SMS).
Example: Split by engagement:
Path A: Clicked first email → no further emails sent.
Path B: Didn't click → send a second email with discount code.
💬 Learn more: Use Conditional Splits to Create Workflow Paths.
Message Content
Add multiple messages across channels:
Email: Set Subject Line, Preheader, Sender Address. Subject Line tips, Preheader guide.
SMS: Add message content (160 chars recommended). SMS in Automation.
Push Notification: Channel guide.
Pass non-opted contacts to next workflow step: Enable this to prevent workflow cancellation if a contact isn't subscribed to one channel (e.g., SMS). They'll skip that message and receive the next email instead.
Content Best Practices
Reactivation emails differ from newsletters – you're not just staying visible, you're driving a purchase. Make yours stand out:
1. Offer Incentives
Time-limited discount (e.g., "20% off – expires in 48 hours").
Exclusive product access.
Free shipping on next order.
2. Use Multi-Channel Messaging
Start with SMS to grab attention, follow with email for details.
Example sequence:
Day 30: SMS – "We miss you! Here's 15% off your next order."
Day 35: Email – Product recommendations + discount code.
Day 45: Email – Last chance reminder.
3. Personalize Content
Reference past purchases.
Recommend related products.
Use dynamic content blocks to show recently viewed items.
💬 Need some inspiration? Check our Blog post for 10 best examples of reactivation emails.
FAQ
Does the Customer Reactivation Automation Trigger Retrospectively?
Yes. The retrospective trigger is automatically enabled in the preset.
How it works:
When you enable the workflow, Omnisend checks recent orders. Customers who already meet the delay criteria (e.g., placed order 20+ days ago) will enter the workflow based on remaining time.
Example:
You set a 30-day delay today. Customer A ordered 20 days ago → they'll receive the first email in 10 days.
⚠️ Important: Retrospective triggering only works if the first workflow block is a Delay. If you add a Split or other block before the delay, past orders won't trigger.
Why didn't contacts who've been inactive for 90+ days enter my reactivation workflow when I turned it on?
Retrospective triggering only includes contacts within your first delay window. If your workflow has a 30-day delay and you enable it today, only customers who ordered within the past 30 days will enter.
Will customers receive my reactivation emails multiple times if they become inactive again?
By default, yes. Customers can re-enter the workflow each time they meet the trigger conditions (e.g., every 30 days of inactivity).
To control this:
Go to Trigger Settings → Frequency.
Enable "Do not trigger for contacts who have been in this automation."
Choose:
Anytime in the past – prevents re-entry forever.
In the last [X] days/months – limits how often contacts can re-enter.
Example:
Setting "In the last 90 days" ensures customers won't receive the reactivation sequence more than once every 90 days.
How do I prevent reactivation emails from going to customers who are in my abandoned cart workflow?
Enable "Skip contacts who are currently in or have recently completed another automation" in your reactivation workflow settings.
How to set this:
Go to Trigger Settings → Frequency.
Enable "Skip contacts who are currently in another automation."
Select Abandoned Cart from the list.
Set a timeframe (up to 7 days).
Now, contacts won't receive reactivation emails while in your abandoned cart workflow.
If you still have some questions, feel free to jump on a chat in the app or email us at [email protected].