> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.retainful.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Welcome series

> Turn a fresh subscriber into a first-time buyer — the automation with the highest open rates you'll ever send.

When someone joins your list, they've just raised their hand. They're more interested in you right now than they may ever be again — welcome emails see open rates several times higher than regular campaigns. A welcome series capitalizes on that attention: it introduces your brand, delivers the discount you promised at signup, and gives a clear reason to place a first order.

## When to use it

* You run a [signup form](/forms/overview) or popup that offers a welcome discount.
* You want every new subscriber to get the same strong first impression, automatically.
* You'd like to convert the signup incentive into an actual sale before it's forgotten.

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Someone subscribes">
    A visitor joins a [list](/audience/lists) — usually through a [signup form](/forms/create-a-form) with a welcome offer, or at checkout.
  </Step>

  <Step title="They enter the flow">
    The **Subscribed to list** trigger pulls them in. Set re-entry to **No re-entry** so each person gets the series exactly once.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The welcome emails go out">
    A warm hello, your story and best-sellers, and a reminder of their discount with a real expiry — spaced over a few days.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The flow adapts to a purchase">
    A [Binary](/automations/steps#binary-ifelse) step checks whether they've ordered. If they have, they exit early; if not, the final email makes the offer impossible to ignore.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Set it up

1. Go to **Automations → Templates** and choose **Welcome Series** (or build from scratch with the **Subscribed to list** trigger).
2. Point the trigger at the list your [signup form](/forms/create-a-form) feeds.
3. If you offer a welcome discount, add a [Coupon](/automations/coupons) step before the email that reveals it — a unique, single-use code beats a shared `WELCOME10`.
4. Set re-entry to **No re-entry** and **Publish**.

## The proven 3-email sequence

| Email                          | When        | Angle                                                                                                 |
| ------------------------------ | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **1. Welcome + your discount** | Immediately | "Welcome — here's your 10% off." Deliver the promised code right away while excitement is highest.    |
| **2. Who you are**             | \~2 days    | Tell your brand story and show your best-sellers with a product block. Build trust, not just urgency. |
| **3. Last chance**             | \~4–5 days  | "Your welcome offer expires soon." Restate the code and its expiry, with one clear button to shop.    |

<Tip>
  Deliver the discount in the **first** email, not the third. Subscribers signed up *for* the offer — making them wait is the fastest way to lose them. Save the "expiring" urgency for the final send.
</Tip>

## Make it work harder

* **Connect the form to the flow.** When your [signup form](/forms/create-a-form) adds people to the same list this automation triggers on, the relationship starts the instant they subscribe.
* **Use double opt-in where required.** If you've enabled [double opt-in](/audience/contacts#single-vs-double-opt-in), the series begins only after the contact confirms.
* **Personalize.** Use first-name and coupon [merge tags](/campaigns/personalization) so the code and greeting are theirs alone.
* **Send from your domain.** A recognizable [sender address](/email-setup/sender-addresses) lands the welcome where it belongs — the inbox.

## Measure it

Open the automation's [analytics](/automations/analytics) to watch open and click rates (welcome emails should be your strongest) and the **revenue** from first orders. If email 1 converts well but the series doesn't, shorten the gaps; if few redeem the code, strengthen the offer or its urgency.