How do you set up email marketing on Shopify?
To set up email marketing on Shopify, you install the built-in Shopify Messaging app (formerly Shopify Email) from your admin dashboard and configure your sender details before building customer lists and launching campaigns.
The platform handles campaigns, automations, and customer segmentation without requiring external services for beginners.
Accessing Shopify Email
Log into your Shopify admin dashboard and navigate to Marketing, then select Create campaign and choose Shopify Email to begin.
The app comes pre-installed on most Shopify stores, but you can add it manually through Settings and then Apps and sales channels.
Provide your business name and verify your domain through DKIM and SPF authentication records to improve email deliverability and inbox placement.
Building customer lists
Head to the Customers section in your Shopify admin to import existing contacts or sync them automatically from your store's purchase history.
Create segments using filters like purchase history, geographic location, total spend amount, or browsing behavior to target emails more precisely.
Save these segments for reuse across multiple campaigns, which helps improve relevance and engagement rates over time.
Creating and launching campaigns
Select a template from Shopify Email's library, then customize it with your brand colors, logo, product images, subject line, and preview text before choosing your recipient segments.
Send a test email to yourself first to check formatting on both desktop and mobile devices.
Schedule the campaign for optimal timing or launch it immediately, then monitor the analytics dashboard for opens, clicks, and revenue attribution.
Setting up automations
Navigate to the Automations section within Shopify Email to access pre-built workflow templates for welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, and customer win-back sequences.
Customize the content, timing delays, and trigger conditions to match your store's customer journey.
Automated flows run continuously without manual intervention, generating revenue and engagement around the clock.
What types of email campaigns should Shopify stores send?
Shopify stores should send a strategic mix of automated and promotional email campaigns, including welcome series, abandoned cart recovery, post-purchase follow-ups, product announcements, newsletters, and win-back emails.
Each type serves a specific purpose in nurturing customers, recovering potential lost sales, and driving repeat purchases.
Welcome series emails
Send the first email immediately after a new subscriber signs up to greet them, deliver any promised incentives like discount codes, and introduce your brand story or bestselling products.
Include a clear call-to-action such as "Shop now and save 15%" to convert new subscribers quickly while interest remains high.
Follow up with two to three additional emails over the first week, highlighting different product categories, customer testimonials, or exclusive member benefits.
Abandoned cart recovery emails
Trigger the first reminder one to three hours after a customer leaves items in their cart without completing the purchase.
Include the product images, names, and prices of abandoned items along with urgency messaging like "Your cart is waiting" or "Items selling fast."
Send a second email 24 hours later with an added incentive such as 10% off or free shipping to convert hesitant shoppers.
Personalized subject lines like "Did you forget something?" perform better than generic reminders.
Post-purchase emails
Thank customers immediately after purchase with order confirmation details and shipping information to set expectations.
Include upsell recommendations like "Complete your look" or "Customers who bought this item purchased these items" to increase average order value.
Request product reviews three to seven days after delivery when the experience remains fresh, and offer loyalty rewards or referral incentives to encourage repeat business.
Product announcement emails
Announce new arrivals and product launches with high-quality images, key features, benefits, and limited-time introductory offers to create excitement.
Tease upcoming collections or restocks to build anticipation among your subscriber base.
Feature customer testimonials, user-generated content, or social proof alongside new products, and use back-in-stock alerts for popular items to leverage scarcity.
Newsletter emails
Share monthly roundups of bestselling products, helpful content like styling tips or how-to guides, upcoming sale previews, and seasonal promotions to maintain consistent touchpoints.
Focus on providing genuine value rather than constant sales pitches to keep subscribers engaged long-term.
Segment your newsletter lists to deliver exclusive early access or special offers to VIP customers based on their purchase history.
Win-back campaigns
Target customers who have not purchased within 60 to 90 days with "We miss you" messaging and re-engagement incentives like 15% off their next order.
Personalize win-back emails by featuring products similar to their past purchases or items they previously browsed.
Space two to three emails over several weeks, escalating the offer or urgency to re-engage lapsed buyers before they become permanently inactive.
How do you build and grow an email subscriber list on Shopify?
Shopify store owners build and grow email subscriber lists by strategically placing opt-in forms throughout their stores, offering compelling incentives like discounts or exclusive content, and leveraging tools such as Shopify Forms or third-party apps.
These tactics capture visitor emails ethically while maintaining compliance with privacy regulations.
Signup forms and pop-ups
Install pop-up forms using apps like Shopify Forms, Privy, or Klaviyo, timing them to appear on exit-intent or after visitors browse for 10 to 30 seconds.
Place these forms on high-traffic pages including your homepage, product pages, and collection pages to maximize visibility without disrupting the shopping experience.
Use non-intrusive slide-in forms on mobile devices for better user experience, and add embedded forms in your site footer, sidebar, or dedicated landing pages for passive collection opportunities.
Lead magnets and incentives
Offer valuable incentives such as 10% to 20% off first orders, free shipping thresholds, downloadable style guides, or exclusive access to sales to motivate visitors to subscribe.
Lead magnets can boost signup conversion rates by 20% to 50% compared to forms without incentives.
Create dedicated landing pages promoting these offers with benefit-focused copy like "Join our list for 15% off plus early access to new arrivals."
Test different incentive types and amounts through A/B testing to identify what resonates best with your audience.
Checkout and post-purchase opt-ins
Enable optional email marketing consent during checkout with clear checkbox language like "Yes, send me exclusive offers and updates" to capture engaged buyers.
Avoid pre-checked boxes to maintain compliance with regulations like GDPR and build genuine subscriber relationships.
Add signup forms to order confirmation pages, thank-you pages, and account creation flows to capture customers at multiple touchpoints throughout their journey.
Promotion and list maintenance
Promote your email list across social media profiles, in-product packaging inserts, and during live events or webinars to expand your reach beyond website visitors.
Segment lists early based on subscriber behavior, purchase history, and engagement levels to deliver more relevant content.
Clean your lists quarterly by removing hard bounces and chronically inactive subscribers, and consider using double opt-in confirmation to ensure list quality and reduce spam complaints.
What metrics should you track for Shopify email marketing?
Shopify store owners should track key email metrics including open rate, click-through rate, conversion rate, and revenue per email in the Shopify Email analytics dashboard or their chosen email platform to measure campaign effectiveness.
Industry benchmarks help contextualize performance, with ecommerce averages ranging from 20% to 40% open rates and 2% to 4% click-through rates depending on campaign type.
Core engagement metrics
Open rate measures the percentage of delivered emails that recipients opened, with strong campaigns targeting above 25% though automated emails like welcome messages often achieve 40% to 80% open rates.
Click-through rate tracks the percentage of recipients who clicked any link in your email, with benchmarks of 2% to 5% for promotional campaigns and higher for triggered automations.
Click-to-open rate divides clicks by opens to measure content effectiveness among engaged readers, targeting 8% to 15% for well-optimized campaigns.
Conversion and revenue metrics
Conversion rate shows the percentage of email recipients who completed a purchase, with overall benchmarks of 2% to 5% and abandoned cart emails often achieving 4% to 6% or higher.
Track revenue per email sent and total sales attributed to email campaigns to calculate return on investment.
Automated email flows consistently generate higher ROI than one-time campaigns, with top-performing stores reporting 25x to 35x returns on their automation investments.
List health metrics
Deliverability rate should exceed 98%, indicating that your emails reach recipient inboxes rather than bouncing or being filtered.
Keep bounce rates below 2% and unsubscribe rates below 0.5% per campaign to maintain sender reputation with email providers.
Monitor spam complaint rates to stay below 0.1%, as higher rates can trigger deliverability problems and potential blacklisting.
Track list growth rate monthly, targeting 5% to 10% growth through organic opt-ins to offset natural attrition.
Optimization through analytics
Review email performance weekly within Shopify reports or your email platform's dashboard, examining unique visitors, add-to-cart actions, and orders attributed to each campaign.
Segment performance analysis by campaign type to identify which emails drive the strongest results for your specific audience.
A/B test subject lines, send times, content layouts, and offers continuously, using data to iterate toward benchmark-beating performance.
What are the best email marketing apps for Shopify?
The best email marketing apps for Shopify include the built-in Shopify Messaging, plus specialized platforms like Klaviyo, Omnisend, and MailerLite, each offering different features for various store sizes and budgets.
Third-party apps provide advanced automation, deeper segmentation, and multichannel capabilities beyond what native Shopify tools offer.
Shopify Messaging (Shopify Email)
Shopify Messaging provides native email marketing directly within your Shopify admin, featuring customizable templates, basic automation workflows, and seamless product integration.
The platform offers 10,000 free emails monthly, then charges $1 per 1,000 additional emails with volume discounts kicking in after 300,000 sends.
This option works best for new stores, tight budgets, or merchants wanting simplicity without managing external integrations.
Klaviyo
Klaviyo excels for growing and established stores with its powerful segmentation engine, predictive analytics, and extensive pre-built automation workflows for abandoned carts, browse abandonment, and VIP customer nurturing.
The platform integrates SMS alongside email and offers AI-driven features for subject line optimization and content generation.
Pricing starts with a free tier for up to 250 contacts and 500 emails monthly, with paid plans beginning around $20 to $45 per month depending on list size and features.
Omnisend
Omnisend suits ecommerce-focused stores needing email, SMS, and push notifications unified in a single platform with dynamic content blocks and easy Shopify synchronization.
The platform provides intuitive drag-and-drop editing, pre-built automation templates for cart recovery and welcome flows, and gamification elements like spin-to-win pop-ups.
Plans start with a free tier and paid options from $16 per month, making it accessible for small to mid-sized stores.
MailerLite
MailerLite provides affordable simplicity for stores with smaller budgets, featuring clean subscriber management, workflow automation templates, and straightforward Shopify integration.
The platform prioritizes ease of use for newsletters and basic automations without steep learning curves.
Pricing starts with a generous free plan for up to 1,000 subscribers, with paid plans beginning around $10 per month.
Other notable options
ActiveCampaign provides advanced CRM functionality alongside sophisticated automation workflows, best suited for mid-sized stores with complex customer journeys and pricing starting around $29 per month.
Brevo offers multichannel capabilities including email, SMS, and CRM at competitive rates with landing page builders and transactional email support.
Drip specializes in dynamic segmentation and behavior-triggered automations for highly personalized ecommerce experiences, with plans starting around $39 per month.
How often should Shopify stores send marketing emails?
Shopify stores should send one to three marketing emails per week to balance engagement with subscriber fatigue, while transactional emails like order confirmations send instantly based on customer actions.
Optimal sending times cluster around Tuesday through Thursday between 10 AM and 2 PM in your audience's primary time zone, though testing reveals the best schedule for each specific subscriber base.
Recommended frequencies by email type
Newsletters perform best on a weekly cadence, providing consistent value without overwhelming subscribers.
Promotional campaigns can range from one to three per week during regular periods, increasing during peak seasons like Black Friday or holiday sales.
Abandoned cart sequences should include two to three emails within 48 hours of cart abandonment, with the first message triggering one to three hours after the event.
Welcome series typically run two to three emails over the first week, while win-back campaigns space one to two messages over several weeks to avoid appearing desperate.
Best sending times
Send marketing emails midweek on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between 10 AM and 2 PM when recipients are most likely to check their inboxes and engage with content.
Research from email platforms shows higher engagement during these windows compared to early mornings, late evenings, or weekends.
Consider your specific audience demographics when scheduling, as B2B audiences may respond better to morning sends while fashion or lifestyle subscribers might engage more during lunch breaks or evenings.
Determining your optimal schedule
Start conservatively with one to two weekly sends, then use analytics to track open rates, click-through rates, and unsubscribe rates as you adjust frequency.
Target open rates above 25%, click-through rates above 3%, and unsubscribe rates below 0.5% as indicators of healthy engagement.
A/B test different frequencies and send times on audience segments, watching for drops in engagement as signals to reduce volume.
Different customer segments tolerate different frequencies, with frequent purchasers often welcoming more communication while casual browsers prefer less.
How do you segment and personalize Shopify email campaigns?
Shopify store owners segment email lists using built-in customer filters or apps like Klaviyo to group subscribers by behavior, demographics, purchase history, and engagement levels, then personalize content dynamically to increase relevance.
Segmented campaigns typically achieve 20% to 30% better performance than broadcast messages sent to entire lists.
Key segmentation strategies
Divide lists by purchase history to create distinct groups for first-time buyers who receive welcome discounts, repeat customers who earn loyalty rewards, and high-value VIPs who access exclusive bundles or early product launches.
Segment by engagement levels to identify highly active subscribers for product launch announcements, partially engaged contacts for re-engagement offers, and inactive subscribers for win-back campaigns.
Additional valuable segments include geographic location for region-specific promotions, product category interests based on browsing behavior, and lifecycle stages from new subscribers through loyal advocates.
Personalization techniques
Insert customer first names in subject lines and email greetings using merge tags to create immediate personal connection.
Include dynamic content blocks showing products based on past purchases, browsing history, or abandoned cart items to increase relevance.
Tailor calls-to-action by segment, offering free shipping incentives to price-sensitive buyers or early access messaging to engaged subscribers.
Use behavioral triggers to send timely messages based on specific actions like product views, wishlist additions, or time since last purchase.
Implementation steps
Create segments in Shopify through the Customers section using Segments with pre-built templates or custom filters based on order count, total spent, email subscription status, or location data.
Link segments to campaigns in Shopify Email or your chosen app, selecting the appropriate audience for each message type.
Test personalized versions against generic broadcasts, tracking metrics like click-through rates and conversion rates to identify top performers.
Update segments regularly as customer behavior evolves to maintain relevance and engagement over time.
What legal requirements apply to Shopify email marketing?
Shopify store owners must comply with email marketing regulations including CAN-SPAM in the United States, GDPR in the European Union, and CASL in Canada to avoid significant fines and maintain deliverability.
Best practices include obtaining explicit opt-in consent, honoring unsubscribe requests promptly, and including clear sender identification with physical address information.
Consent management requirements
Use clear opt-in processes where subscribers actively check a box or take explicit action to join your email list, avoiding pre-checked consent boxes which violate GDPR requirements.
Double opt-in confirmation, where new subscribers verify their email address before being added to your list, provides documented proof of consent and improves list quality.
Document consent with timestamps and allow subscribers to easily access, modify, or delete their personal data upon request, particularly for EU audiences under GDPR.
Regularly audit your lists to remove unverified contacts and maintain clean, compliant subscriber databases.
Unsubscribe and transparency requirements
Every marketing email requires a visible, functional unsubscribe link that recipients can find easily, typically in the email footer.
Process unsubscribe requests immediately or within 10 days maximum as required by CAN-SPAM regulations, with best practice being instant removal from future campaigns.
Include your valid physical postal address in every email along with accurate sender name and contact information.
Use honest, non-deceptive subject lines that accurately reflect email content, avoiding misleading claims or spam trigger phrases.
Additional compliance best practices
Enable Shopify's built-in customer privacy settings including cookie consent banners and marketing opt-out tools to support compliance across regions.
Distinguish between transactional emails like order confirmations, which do not require marketing consent, and promotional messages which require explicit permission.
Monitor spam complaint rates to stay below 0.1% and maintain strong sender reputation with email providers.
Non-compliance penalties can reach up to $50,000 per email under CAN-SPAM, €20 million or 4% of global revenue under GDPR, and $10 million CAD under CASL.
What mistakes should you avoid in Shopify email marketing?
Common Shopify email marketing mistakes include sending mass broadcasts without segmentation, over-mailing subscribers, using weak or deceptive subject lines, and neglecting list hygiene.
Recognizing these pitfalls and implementing corrective strategies protects engagement rates and revenue performance.
Common mistakes to avoid
Sending identical promotional emails to your entire list ignores different subscriber interests and purchase histories, leading to irrelevance and higher unsubscribe rates.
Excessive sending frequency beyond two to three emails weekly for most audiences causes email fatigue and list attrition.
Sales-only content without value-driven messages like tips, guides, or entertaining content trains subscribers to ignore your emails.
Weak subject lines lacking personalization, urgency, or curiosity fail to cut through crowded inboxes, while misleading subject lines violate compliance requirements and damage trust.
Fixing low open rates
Test five to ten subject line variations incorporating personalization elements like customer names, location references, or purchase history to identify what resonates with your audience.
Send emails during optimal windows on Tuesday through Thursday mornings when engagement rates peak.
Improve preview text with benefit-focused messaging that complements subject lines and entices opens.
Check spam folder placement and authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to improve deliverability and inbox placement.
Reducing high unsubscribe rates
Monitor unsubscribe rates to stay below 0.5% per campaign, investigating causes when rates spike above this threshold.
Offer preference centers allowing subscribers to choose email frequency and content types rather than forcing an all-or-nothing choice.
Segment engaged subscribers separately from inactive contacts, reducing frequency to disengaged segments before they unsubscribe.
Balance promotional content with genuinely valuable information subscribers appreciate receiving.
Improving deliverability
Maintain bounce rates below 2% and spam complaints below 0.1% through list hygiene practices including regular removal of invalid addresses and chronically inactive subscribers.
Avoid purchased email lists which contain unknown consent status and high bounce rates that damage sender reputation.
Warm up new sending domains gradually by starting with small, engaged segments before expanding to full lists.
Use tools within your email platform or services like GlockApps to test inbox placement across major email providers before launching major campaigns.
What advanced tips improve Shopify email marketing results?
Advanced Shopify email marketing strategies include systematic A/B testing, mobile-first design optimization, user-generated content integration, and multichannel coordination with SMS for compounded results.
These techniques help established stores maximize returns from their email programs.
A/B testing essentials
Test one variable at a time, whether subject lines, send times, calls-to-action, or content layouts, to isolate what drives performance improvements.
Split test on 20% to 30% of your list first, then send the winning version to the remainder for maximum impact.
Consistent A/B testing can boost open rates by 10% to 20% and click-through rates by 15% or more over time.
Use built-in testing tools within Shopify Email or more advanced split-testing features in platforms like Klaviyo, reviewing results weekly to build a library of proven tactics.
Mobile and design optimization
Design emails for mobile-first viewing since over 50% of email opens occur on smartphones and tablets.
Use single-column layouts with large, tappable buttons measuring at least 44 pixels square, and keep critical content and calls-to-action visible above the fold.
Compress images below 100KB each to ensure fast loading on mobile networks, and include descriptive alt text for accessibility and situations where images do not load.
Test email rendering across popular email clients including Gmail, Apple Mail, and Outlook before launching campaigns.
Leveraging user-generated content
Incorporate customer reviews, photos, and testimonials in post-purchase emails and product announcements to build social proof and trust.
User-generated content can lift repeat purchase rates by 15% to 25% by showcasing real customer experiences.
Request and incentivize reviews through automated post-delivery emails, then feature the best content in future campaigns.
Tag or mention customers whose content you share, turning them into brand advocates who may amplify your reach organically.
Multichannel integration
Combine email marketing with SMS messaging to reach customers through multiple touchpoints, increasing overall campaign effectiveness.
Time-sensitive offers like flash sales or limited inventory alerts perform particularly well through SMS due to near-instant open rates.
Cross-promote your email list on social media channels and in-store signage to accelerate list growth.
Track customer lifetime value from email-attributed revenue to justify continued investment and potential budget expansion in your email marketing program.