Retention Emails & Sequences Guide

Keep customers engaged long after their first checkout with automated email sequences that deliver order updates, personalized post-purchase cross-sells, replenishment reminders, win-back incentives, and loyalty rewards directly to their inbox.

Overview of Email Sequences

In Cartwheel, email sequences are automated multi-step workflows triggered by customer activities and lifecycle milestones. Unlike traditional mass email blasts, sequence emails are timely, highly targeted, and contextual.

Standalone vs. Offer-Linked Sequences

Cartwheel provides two ways to leverage automated email sequences:

1. Standalone Retention Sequences (Configured under Retention Emails):
   • Store-wide lifecycle workflows (Order Confirmation, Replenishment, Win-Back, Loyalty, Birthday) that evaluate customer purchases across your entire store.
2. Offer-Linked Follow-Up Sequences (Configured under Upsells & Offers → Offers):
   • Sequences directly attached to specific Post-Purchase Cross-Sell or Checkout Upsell offers.
   • Enrolls customers specifically when they decline or skip that particular offer during checkout to recover the sale.
   • For step-by-step setup, see the Offer Follow-Up Email Sequences guide.

Retention Sequence Types

Cartwheel supports five core sequence categories accessible under Cartwheel Admin → Retention Emails:

Sequence Lifecycle & Status Management

Each sequence in Cartwheel can be managed through three operational statuses:

1. Active: The sequence is live. Qualified customer events automatically enroll customers and schedule email steps.
2. Draft: The sequence is being configured or edited. No emails are scheduled or dispatched to customers.
3. Paused: Email processing is temporarily suspended. Enrolled steps are held until the sequence is reactivated.

Managing Sequences in Cartwheel Admin

1. Open Shopify Admin → Apps → Cartwheel → Retention Emails.
2. Click All sequences to view performance metrics across all active and draft sequences (open rate, click-through rate, generated revenue).

3. Filter sequences by type using the sub-tabs: Order confirmation, Replenishment, Win-back, Loyalty, or Birthday.

4. Click Create sequence to launch a new workflow using a pre-built template or custom steps.

The Sequence Editor: Configuration Cards

When creating or editing a sequence (e.g. /app/retention/sequences/new?type=ORDER_CONFIRMATION), the editor is structured into five cohesive sections:

1. Sequence Settings:
   • Sequence Type: Displays the category (Order confirmation, Replenishment, Win-back, etc.).
   • Name: Internal reference name (e.g. Warm upsell — related products).
   • Status: Segmented control (Active, Draft, Paused).
   • Note: Order confirmation emails are transactional and do not require marketing consent.
2. Audience Triggers:
   • Filter by specific products, variants, or entire collections using the + Add products and + Add collections buttons.
3. Customer Segments:
   • Target synced Shopify customer cohorts (e.g. Email subscribers, Customers who haven't purchased, VIP Customers).
4. Local Audience Rules:
   • Target by Buyer Type (Any buyer, First-time buyer, Returning buyer), Min Purchase Count, or Min/Max Order Value ($).
5. Email Steps:
   • Configure multi-step delivery delays (0 minutes, hours, days).
   • Attach an optional Linked Offer to render personalized product recommendation blocks.
   • Select the target MJML Email Template.
6. In the top action bar, click Save sequence to publish your workflow.

Related Guides

• Order Confirmation Emails — detailed setup for order receipts and post-purchase recommendations
• Replenishment Sequences — automating consumable restock reminders
• Win-Back Sequences — winning back lapsed and inactive shoppers
• Birthday & Anniversary Sequences — celebrating customer milestones
• Loyalty Program & Tiers — rewarding points and tier milestone emails
• Email Template Builder — designing custom MJML sequence templates
• Email Provider Setup & Diagnostics — connecting mail providers and testing webhooks