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Marketing Automations

Automations let you send the right email to the right customer at the right time — automatically. Every store comes with 11 default transactional email templates already active through TakeTheme Mail, so order confirmations, shipping notifications, and other critical emails work from day one with zero setup.

On top of that, you can create your own automations for abandoned cart recovery, win-back campaigns, review requests, and targeted segment campaigns.

Channels​

Channels are the email providers your store uses to send automated messages. Go to Automations > Channels to manage them.

TakeTheme Mail (built-in)​

Every store is auto-provisioned with TakeTheme Mail — a zero-config email channel that sends from {your-store}@t.taketheme.com. No API keys, no DNS setup, no sender verification required.

  • Status: Always connected out of the box
  • Settings: Display name (how the sender appears in inboxes) and Reply-to address
  • Priority: If you also connect SendGrid, SendGrid takes priority for all emails. TakeTheme Mail serves as the fallback when SendGrid is not active.

To manage settings, click the TakeTheme Mail tile on the Channels page.

SendGrid​

For merchants who want full control over deliverability, sender reputation, and analytics. Connect by entering your SendGrid API key (must start with SG.).

  • Settings: Default From Email, Default From Name, click tracking, open tracking
  • Priority: When active, SendGrid is used for all transactional and marketing emails. Deactivating it falls back to TakeTheme Mail.

WhatsApp (Cloud API / WATI)​

Send WhatsApp messages alongside email. Requires a Meta Business account or WATI subscription. Templates must be approved by Meta before they can be used.

Multiple accounts​

You can connect multiple accounts of the same provider (e.g., two SendGrid API keys for different sender identities). The Channels detail page shows an Instances card when multiple accounts exist — use "Set active" to choose which one sends.

Default Templates​

Your store ships with 11 email templates that cover every standard transactional email:

TemplateCategoryWhen it fires
Order ConfirmationOrder confirmationCustomer places an order
Order CancelledOrder cancelledYou cancel an order
Order RefundedOrder refundedYou issue a refund
Order UpdatedOrder editedYou edit an existing order
Order ShippedOrder shippedFulfillment is created
Order InvoiceOrder invoiceYou send an invoice
Return RequestReturn requestCustomer requests a return
Product Out of StockOut of stockProduct stock hits threshold
Product Back in StockBack in stockProduct is restocked
New Order (Staff)Staff notificationStaff receives new order alert
Download LinksDigital downloadDigital product purchased

Editing a default template​

Click Edit on any default template to open the template editor. When you save:

  • A store-scoped copy is created — the original default is never modified
  • Your copy overrides the default for your store only
  • Other stores continue using the original
  • A banner at the top of the editor confirms this: "You're editing a default template. Saving will create a copy for your store."

Template variables​

Use {{variable}} placeholders in the subject line and body. Available variables:

Customer: {{customer.firstName}}, {{customer.lastName}}, {{customer.fullName}}, {{customer.email}}, {{customer.phone}}

Order: {{order.orderNumber}}, {{order.total}}, {{order.subtotal}}, {{order.shipping}}, {{order.discount}}, {{order.status}}, {{order.trackingUrl}}, {{order.itemCount}}

Store: {{store.name}}, {{store.logo}}, {{store.url}}, {{store.email}}

Incentive (when the linked automation has an incentive configured): {{incentive.promoCode}}, {{incentive.discountValue}}, {{incentive.type}}, {{incentive.description}}, {{incentive.buyQuantity}}, {{incentive.getQuantity}}

Default Automations​

Each default template is linked to a default automation — a transactional automation that fires when the corresponding event occurs (order placed, shipment created, etc.). These appear in your Automations list with a green Default badge.

What you can do with default automations​

  • Pause: Stop the email from sending. Useful if you want to temporarily disable order confirmation emails, for example.
  • Resume: Re-enable a paused default automation.
  • Edit template: Click the linked template to customize the email content.

What you cannot do with default automations​

  • Delete: Default automations cannot be deleted — only paused.
  • Create new transactional automations: The transactional type is system-only; you can't manually create one.
  • Change the trigger: Each default is wired to a specific backend event and cannot be rewired.

Creating Custom Automations​

Click New Automation on the Automations page to open the type picker. Four types are available:

Abandoned Cart​

Targets customers who started checkout but didn't complete their order.

  • Delay: Time to wait after cart abandonment before sending. Example: "1 hour" means the email goes out if the cart is still abandoned 1 hour after the customer left.
  • Channels: Email and/or WhatsApp
  • Incentive: Optionally include a discount to encourage completion

Win-back​

Targets customers who haven't placed an order within the delay period.

  • Delay: Time since the customer's last order. Example: "30 days" targets customers who haven't ordered in the last 30 days.
  • Channels: Email
  • Incentive: Optionally include a discount to bring them back

Review Request​

Targets customers whose orders have been delivered.

  • Delay: Time after delivery confirmation. Example: "3 days" sends the review request 3 days after the order is marked delivered.
  • Channels: Email and/or WhatsApp
  • Skips: Automatically skips if the customer already left a review for that order

Segment Campaign​

Targets customers in a specific segment. Segments are auto-computed groups like "VIP Customers," "High AOV," or custom segments you create.

  • No delay: Messages send immediately to all segment members on each worker cycle
  • End date: Optionally set an expiration date to stop the campaign
  • Channels: Email

Activation toggle​

When creating an automation, an Activate immediately toggle appears in the Basics section. Turn it on to start sending as soon as you save. Leave it off to save as a draft — you can activate later from the detail page.

Automation Builder​

The builder has up to 5 sections depending on the automation type:

1. Basics​

  • Name: Required. Identifies the automation in your list.
  • Description: Optional. Notes for your team.
  • Type: Shows which type you selected (read-only after creation).
  • Activate immediately: Toggle to go live on save (create mode only).

2. Channels & Templates​

Select which channels to use (Email, WhatsApp, or both) and pick a template for each. A template preview appears below the selector showing:

  • Template name and subject line
  • A visual preview of the email HTML
  • Full preview button to open the template in a modal for scrolling through the full content
  • View link to navigate to the template detail page

3. Audience​

  • Abandoned Cart / Win-back / Review Request: Audience is automatic based on the trigger — no configuration needed.
  • Segment Campaign: Choose a customer segment from the dropdown. A member preview appears showing the first 5 members (name + email) and total count.

4. Timing​

  • Delay (Abandoned Cart, Win-back, Review Request only): How long to wait after the triggering event before sending.
  • End date (all except Transactional): Optional date to automatically stop the automation.

Not shown for Segment Campaign (no delay) or Transactional (fires immediately).

5. Incentive​

  • Type: None, percentage off, fixed amount, free shipping, buy X get Y, or custom code
  • Discount value: The numeric amount (e.g., 20 for 20%)
  • Promo code: The code customers enter at checkout
  • Description: Human-readable summary shown in the email via {{incentive.description}}

Not shown for Transactional automations.

How Emails Are Sent​

When a triggering event occurs (order placed, cart abandoned, etc.):

  1. The system looks up the linked automation for that event
  2. If the automation is paused, the send is skipped and logged
  3. If the merchant has edited the template (created a store override), the override is rendered with the customer/order/store data
  4. If no override exists, the hardcoded default template from the mail service is used
  5. The email is sent via SendGrid (if active) or TakeTheme Mail (fallback)
  6. A log entry is created and the automation's sent counter increments

FAQ​

Can I use both SendGrid and TakeTheme Mail at the same time? Yes. When both are active, SendGrid takes priority for all sends. TakeTheme Mail is the fallback if SendGrid fails or is deactivated.

What happens if I pause a default automation? The corresponding email stops sending. For example, pausing "Order Confirmation" means customers won't receive order confirmation emails until you resume it.

Can I create my own transactional automation? No. Transactional automations are system-seeded and tied to specific backend events. You can edit the linked templates and pause/resume them, but not create new ones.

How often does the automation worker run? Every 15 minutes. There may be up to a 15-minute lag between when a customer becomes eligible and when the email sends.

What currency appears in my emails? The template preview in the dashboard shows USD as a placeholder. When the email is actually sent, it uses your store's configured currency.

Can I use incentive variables in default templates? Yes, if you edit a default template (creating a store override), you can add {{incentive.promoCode}} or other incentive variables. They resolve from the linked automation's incentive configuration at send time.