Order Follow-up Automation sends thank-you emails, review requests, or discount offers after a customer completes a purchase. Use it to build loyalty, encourage repeat orders, and collect feedback.
In this guide, you'll learn how to set up, customize, and optimize your Order Follow-up Automation.
Before You Begin
Order Follow-up Automations are available on all Omnisend plans.
All user roles except Analyst can create and edit Automation workflows.
The automation triggers for both subscribed and non-subscribed contacts.
This automation can be triggered retrospectively for past orders (unlike transactional automations). Learn how to Run Automation for Past Events (Retrospective Triggering).
When to Send Order Follow-up Emails
Order Follow-up emails are typically sent 1–7 days after an order is marked as Paid. The timing depends on your goal:
Day 1–2: Thank customers and invite them to connect on social media.
Day 3–5: Request a product review or feedback.
Day 7+: Offer a discount on the next purchase.
Use the delay block in your workflow to set the optimal timing for your audience.
Ecommerce Platform Requirements
The default Order Follow-up Automation uses the Placed Order trigger with a Paid status filter. Here's how different platforms handle order statuses:
Platform | Order Status |
Shopify | Paid |
BigCommerce & WooCommerce |
|
Magento | Can be mapped manually |
API | Can be mapped manually |
Setup Process
Step 1. Create the Workflow
Go to Automation → Create Workflow.
Select Order Follow-up from the list of pre-built automations.
Click Customize Workflow.
Step 2. Configure Trigger Settings
The default trigger is Placed Order with Order Status is Paid as the trigger filter.
You can add additional trigger filters (e.g., Product Title, Order Tag) to target specific orders. However, these filters must be applied at the time the order is placed; otherwise, use a Conditional Split block later in the workflow.
💬 Learn more: Automation Trigger Settings.
Step 3. Add Audience Filters (Optional)
You can target the automation based on contact data (Country, Gender, Tag) or Segment membership.
⚠️ Important: Using segments based on purchase behavior adds overhead to the system and may delay automation triggering. For time-sensitive workflows, use Conditional Splits instead.
💬 Learn more: Filters in Automation | Conditional Split.
Step 4. Set Exit Conditions (Optional)
By default, contacts exit the workflow after receiving all messages. You can add up to 5 custom exit conditions (e.g., Order Canceled, Customer Tagged as VIP).
Step 5. Set Frequency Limits (Optional)
If customers place multiple orders in a short period, you can choose to prevent re-entry into the same workflow for a set duration.
Note: If you create category-specific workflows (e.g., one for electronics, one for apparel), adjust your general Order Follow-up workflow to prevent duplicate emails for the same order.
Message Content
Email Message
The workflow includes a default Email block. Click on it to adjust your email.
Edit the Subject Line, Pre-header, and Sender Email Address (if needed).
Click Edit Content to customize the email template.
The default template includes a 10% discount using the Discount Item block. You can replace this with:
A thank-you message + social media CTA.
A review request with a direct link to your review page.
A product recommendation block.
SMS & Push Notifications
You can also add SMS or Push Notification blocks to reach customers immediately after their order is confirmed.
Note: SMS and Push do not require opt-in for transactional messages, but ensure your customers are aware you'll contact them via these channels.
Reports
Track your Order Follow-up Automation performance in the Reports tab. You'll see:
Sales generated
Engagement and deliverability
Channel performance
Messages performance
Reports include a month-by-month breakdown and products, links, and contact-level details.
FAQ
Why didn't my automation trigger for past orders?
To trigger your automation for past events, you must enable retrospective triggering and set a delay for your automation. Learn more.
Can I send multiple follow-ups in one workflow?
Yes. Add multiple email blocks with delays between them (e.g., thank-you email on Day 1, review request on Day 5, discount on Day 10).
How do I prevent VIP customers from receiving this workflow?
Add an Audience Filter or Exit Condition based on a VIP tag or segment.
What's the difference between Order Follow-up and Order Confirmation?
Order Confirmation is a transactional email sent immediately after payment is received. It includes order details, payment info, and shipping.
Order Follow-up is a marketing email sent hours or days after purchase to thank customers, request reviews, or offer discounts.
Use Order Confirmation for receipts. Use Order Follow-up for nurturing.
My split to exclude repeat purchasers isn't working. Why?
If a customer places a new order while already in the Order Follow-up workflow, the split checks their status at the moment they reach the split, not at trigger time.
What's the difference between "Placed Order" and "Paid for Order" triggers?
Placed Order triggers when the order is created in your store (when the customer completes checkout).
Paid for Order triggers only when the payment status changes to "Paid."
For most setups, use Placed Order with the Order status is paid trigger filter. Both triggers carry full order data and can be filtered by product, order value, or tags.
Have any questions? Contact us at [email protected] or via in-app chat.