Launch templateEmails
Onboarding email sequence template
Onboarding emails exist to get a new user to their first real result. Each email should push one action, triggered by what the user has or hasn't done. This sequence is five emails over two weeks; skip any email whose action the user has already taken.
Use it for
- Every new signup after launch.
- Trials that need activation before they convert.
- Re-engaging users who signed up but never came back.
Limits and rules
- Marketing and subscribed messages to Gmail from bulk senders must support one-click unsubscribe.[1]
The template
Copy it, then replace everything in [BRACKETS]. Delete lines that don't apply rather than leaving them vague.
EMAIL 1 - Immediately after signup SUBJECT: Your first [RESULT] in [TIME] Welcome to [PRODUCT]. The fastest way to see what it does: [ONE ACTION] -> [LINK]. If you get stuck, reply to this email - it comes to me. EMAIL 2 - Day 1, only if [KEY ACTION] not done SUBJECT: The one step most people miss To get [RESULT], you need to [KEY ACTION]. Here's how (takes [MINUTES] min): [LINK OR 3 STEPS] EMAIL 3 - Day 3 SUBJECT: If [COMMON BLOCKER], try this The most common question we get: [QUESTION]. Answer: [ANSWER]. [LINK TO DOC] EMAIL 4 - Day 7 SUBJECT: How [TYPE OF USER] use [PRODUCT] [REAL EXAMPLE OR USE CASE - WITH PERMISSION IF IT'S A CUSTOMER]. Try it: [LINK] EMAIL 5 - Day 12 (or 2 days before trial ends) SUBJECT: Quick question Is [PRODUCT] doing what you needed? Reply with one word: yes / no / not yet. I read every reply. [IF TRIAL: Your trial ends on [DATE]. Here's what happens next: [WHAT HAPPENS].]
How to fill it in
[KEY ACTION]
The action that best predicts a user sticking around.
[COMMON BLOCKER]
Pull it from support emails or launch-day questions.
[WHAT HAPPENS]
Say plainly whether they'll be charged, downgraded or locked out.
Filled example
Fictional example. Paperlark is a fictional product we made up for these examples: an invoice-reminder tool for freelancers that sends polite follow-ups when a client pays late. Names, prices and details are invented to show the template filled in; they aren't a real company or real results.
EMAIL 1 - Immediately after signup SUBJECT: Your first reminder in 2 minutes Welcome to Paperlark. The fastest way to see what it does: forward one unpaid invoice to your Paperlark address -> paperlark.example/start If you get stuck, reply to this email - it comes to me. EMAIL 2 - Day 1, only if no invoice added SUBJECT: The one step most people miss To get reminders going, you need to add one invoice. Forward it, or type the client email, amount and due date (takes 2 min). EMAIL 3 - Day 3 SUBJECT: If your invoice didn't parse, try this The most common question: "Why didn't it read my PDF?" Scanned PDFs don't parse yet; type the amount and due date instead. EMAIL 4 - Day 7 SUBJECT: How designers use Paperlark Many designers set a friendly reminder at 3 days and a firm one at 14. You can copy that schedule in one click. EMAIL 5 - Day 12 SUBJECT: Quick question Is Paperlark doing what you needed? Reply with one word: yes / no / not yet. I read every reply.
Do
- Trigger emails on behavior, not only on time.
- One action per email.
- Send from a real person who reads replies.
- Stop the sequence once the user is active.
Don't
- Don't send all five if they're already active.
- Don't hide what happens at trial end.
- Don't use fake scarcity.
- Don't use no-reply addresses.
FAQ
How many onboarding emails should I send?
Enough to get to the first result; five over two weeks is a common starting point. Stop as soon as the user is active.
What's the most important onboarding email?
The one that pushes the key action most connected to users sticking around.
Do onboarding emails need an unsubscribe link?
Marketing and subscribed messages to Gmail from bulk senders need one-click unsubscribe; purely transactional emails differ, so check your provider's guidance.
Launch guides that use this template
Sources
Checked . Platforms change their rules; open the source before you rely on a number.
Related templates
- Launch email to your waitlistA launch email for people who joined your waitlist: one link, one ask, a reason to act now, and the sender rules that keep it out of spam.
- Churn and cancellation surveyA cancellation survey that doesn't block cancelling: one required reason, one open question and an optional save offer, with a filled example.
- Feedback surveyA short product feedback survey for new users: seven questions on fit, value, friction and alternatives, with a filled example and how to read the answers.