> ## 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.

# Win-back

> Re-engage customers who used to buy but have gone quiet — winning one back costs far less than finding someone new.

Every store has them: customers who bought once or twice, then drifted away. They already know and trust you, which makes them far cheaper to reactivate than a stranger is to acquire. A win-back flow reaches lapsed customers at the point where they're slipping from "quiet" to "gone," reminds them what they're missing, and gives a reason to come back now.

## When to use it

* You have customers who haven't purchased in a while (often 60, 90, or 120+ days, depending on your buying cycle).
* You'd rather reactivate a known customer than pay to acquire a new one.
* You want to keep your list healthy by re-engaging — or cleanly sunsetting — dormant contacts.

## How it works

There are two solid ways to build this; pick the one that fits how you think about "lapsed."

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Order-anchored (simplest)">
    Trigger on **Order placed**, then a long [Delay](/automations/steps#delay) — say 90 days. A [Binary](/automations/steps#binary-ifelse) step then asks "have they ordered again?" If yes, they exit; if no, the win-back emails go out. This needs only the store events every plan has.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Segment-based">
    Build a [segment](/audience/segments) of lapsed customers (e.g. "last order more than 90 days ago"). Trigger the flow when contacts enter that segment, and use **re-entry after a cooldown** so the same person isn't re-engaged too often.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Set it up

1. Decide what "lapsed" means for your store — base it on your typical time between orders, not a round number.
2. Create the automation: either **Order placed → long delay → Binary "ordered since?"**, or trigger on entry to a lapsed-customer [segment](/audience/segments).
3. Write the sequence below. Lead with connection, not a discount.
4. Add a [Coupon](/automations/coupons) step before the final email — a stronger, short-expiry offer for the people who didn't respond to the softer touch.
5. Set re-entry to **after a cooldown** (e.g. 90 days) so you don't pester the same people, and **Publish**.

## The proven 3-email sequence

| Email                           | When               | Angle                                                                                                                                                                          |
| ------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **1. We miss you**              | At the lapse point | Warm and human — "It's been a while." Remind them what they loved, show new arrivals or best-sellers. No discount yet.                                                         |
| **2. Here's something for you** | \~4 days           | A real incentive: a stronger coupon (15–20%) with a short expiry. This is the offer that does the heavy lifting.                                                               |
| **3. Last call**                | \~7 days           | "Your offer expires tonight." Final reminder, clear deadline. Decide here whether non-openers should be [suppressed](/audience/suppressed-contacts) to protect deliverability. |

<Tip>
  Win-back is the one flow where leading with a generous discount is justified — these customers have already stopped buying, so a softer touch alone often isn't enough. Make the offer count, but keep the expiry short.
</Tip>

## Make it work harder

* **Make it a true offer.** Win-back discounts can be more generous than your welcome offer — you're competing against "they've forgotten us," not against full price.
* **Keep your list clean.** Contacts who ignore the whole series are telling you something. Moving long-term non-responders to [suppressed](/audience/suppressed-contacts) protects your sender reputation and your deliverability for everyone else.
* **Personalize the reminder.** Referencing what they bought before ("your favorite is back in stock") beats a generic "we miss you."

## Measure it

Open the automation's [analytics](/automations/analytics) and watch **reactivated revenue** — orders from customers who'd gone quiet. Even a modest reactivation rate is high-margin revenue you'd otherwise have lost entirely.