How to create automations and autoresponders in Mailrelay (with 4 examples)

Mailrelay automations send emails for you when something happens: a contact subscribes, receives a campaign, opens an email or clicks a link. You set them up once and they keep working without you having to keep an eye on them.

Autoresponders are the simplest form of automation: an email that goes out on its own after an action, such as the welcome message. We explain it in our post about the autoresponder.

In this guide you’ll see how to create automations step by step, with the tool’s current screens, and four ready-to-use examples.

How to create an automation in Mailrelay

1. In the side menu, go to Automations and click +Add.

2. Enter a name and click Create automation.

3. The visual editor opens. Click New entry point to choose what starts the flow.

4. Under Block type, choose the trigger: for example, when a subscriber is added to a group, when they receive a campaign, when they open an email or when they click a link.

5. Click Add to add the next steps: send an email, wait for a while or check a condition.

6. Click Save and close.

Important: flows are created disabled. When it’s ready, open Change status and choose Enable. The status will change from “Disabled” to “Active”.

Example 1: welcome autoresponder for new subscribers

It’s the most common autoresponder and the first one you should create. Every time someone joins a group, whether through a form, an import or manually, they receive your welcome message.

1. In the entry point, choose When a subscriber is added to a group and select the group.

2. Click Add and choose Send email. Enter the subject and choose the sender.

3. Click Import existing campaign to use a design you already have, or Edit content to create it on the spot.

In that email you can introduce yourself, link to your most important pages or deliver the discount or guide you promised. You’ll find ideas in our post about the welcome email.

Example 2: drip sequence

A drip sequence sends several emails in a row, with pauses between them. It helps you introduce your product little by little, answer questions and guide the contact toward a purchase. We explain it in our post about drip campaigns.

1. Start from the previous example.

2. Click Add and choose Delay. Under Wait, select An amount of time and enter, for example, 1 day.

3. Add another Send email block with the second message.

4. Repeat the delay and send steps as many times as you need.

Example 3: reactivating inactive subscribers

Mailrelay scores each contact based on their activity: those who open and click have a high reputation; those who don’t, a low one. You can use that score to try to win back the least active ones.

1. Create a segment in Subscribers > Segmentation with the condition Subscriber score less than or equal to 2.

2. Send that segment a “We miss you!” style campaign.

3. Create a new flow with the entry point When a campaign is received and choose that campaign.

4. Add a 2-day Delay and a Send email with a second attempt, for example with an offer.

If they still don’t respond after several attempts, it’s best to remove them from your regular sends to protect your deliverability.

Example 4: a different email depending on whether they opened or not

Conditions let you create two paths within the same flow.

1. Entry point: When a campaign is received, with the campaign you sent.

2. Add a 4-day Delay. This step is necessary: without it, the condition is checked right away and nobody will have had time to open the email.

3. Add a Condition block: “Subscriber opened campaign”, with the chosen campaign.

4. On the green Yes branch, add the email for those who opened it. On the red No branch, add the email for those who didn’t open it, for example with a different subject.

Best practices for automations

Start with an autoresponder. The welcome email delivers the best results for the least work.

Review the results. In the reports you’ll see the sends, opens and clicks for each step.

Don’t duplicate messages. If a contact enters several flows at once, make sure they don’t receive two similar emails on the same day.

Update the content. A flow runs for months: check every so often that the offers and links are still valid.

If you want to go further, check out our post on mailing automation or the one on customer onboarding. You’ll find every option explained in the Automations help article in the Mailrelay knowledge base.

Frequently asked questions

These are the most common questions about automations and autoresponders in Mailrelay.

What’s the difference between an automation and an autoresponder?

An autoresponder is an email that is sent automatically after an action. An automation can chain several emails, delays and conditions.

Where do you create automations in Mailrelay?

In the side menu, Automations > +Add.

Why isn’t my autoresponder sending?

Flows are created disabled. Open Change status and choose Enable.

What can trigger an automation?

A subscriber joining a group, receiving a campaign, opening an email or clicking a link, among other options.

Are they included in the free account?

Yes. The Mailrelay free account includes automations, with up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts.