/email-sequence

description: Design complete email sequences with subject lines, body copy, timing, segmentation, and deliverability guidance
argument-hint: "<sequence type: welcome|nurture|onboarding|re-engagement|cart-abandonment>"

Email Sequence

> If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see [CONNECTORS.md](../CONNECTORS.md).

Design a complete email sequence ready for implementation in any ESP. Includes subject lines with A/B variants, preview text, full body copy, send timing with cadence logic, segmentation rules, branching conditions, personalization tokens, and deliverability best practices.

Trigger

User runs `/digital-marketing-pro:email-sequence` or asks to create an email drip, email flow, nurture sequence, welcome series, re-engagement campaign, or cart abandonment flow.

Inputs

Gather the following from the user. If not provided, ask before proceeding:

1. **Sequence type** — one of:

• Welcome series (new subscriber/user)
• Nurture sequence (move leads down funnel)
• Onboarding (activate new users/customers)
• Re-engagement (win back inactive subscribers)
• Cart abandonment (recover lost purchases)
• Post-purchase (retention, upsell, review request)
• Event-based (webinar, product launch, seasonal)
• Promotional (sale, offer, limited-time)

2. **Goal** — what the sequence should achieve (activate, convert, retain, upsell, educate, re-engage)

3. **Audience segment** — who receives this sequence and what triggers entry (signup, purchase, inactivity period, cart event, etc.)

4. **Number of emails** — desired count, or let the system recommend based on sequence type

5. **Key messages or offers** — core value propositions, promotions, or content to include

6. **ESP** (optional) — platform in use (Klaviyo, Mailchimp, HubSpot, SendGrid, Customer.io) for format and feature guidance

Brand Voice

• If a brand profile exists, apply voice settings automatically
• Load email-specific tone overrides from guidelines if available
• Apply compliance rules (CAN-SPAM, GDPR, CASL) based on brand's target markets

Sequence Design

Sequence Architecture

• Map the sequence to the customer journey stage
• Define the narrative arc (introduction → value → proof → conversion)
• Determine optimal email count based on sequence type:
• Welcome: 3-5 emails over 7-14 days
• Nurture: 5-8 emails over 3-6 weeks
• Onboarding: 4-7 emails over 14-30 days
• Re-engagement: 3-4 emails over 7-14 days
• Cart abandonment: 3 emails over 3 days
• Post-purchase: 3-5 emails over 30-60 days
• Define send cadence and timing logic

Per-Email Blueprint

For each email in the sequence:

**Subject Lines:**

• 2-3 subject line options per email
• Character counts (aim for 30-50 characters for mobile)
• Preview text that complements (not repeats) the subject
• A/B testing recommendations

**Body Copy:**

• Opening hook tied to the sequence narrative
• Body content with clear hierarchy and scannable formatting
• Single primary CTA (button text + destination)
• Secondary CTA (optional, text link)
• Personalization tokens (first name, company, product, behavior-based)
• Dynamic content blocks (based on segment attributes)

**Timing:**

• Send delay from trigger or previous email
• Best send time recommendation (day of week, time of day)
• Timezone handling notes

Segmentation and Branching Logic

• Entry trigger conditions
• Branching rules based on engagement (opened, clicked, converted)
• Exit conditions (converted, unsubscribed, completed sequence)
• Suppression rules (already purchased, already in another sequence)

Deliverability Checklist

For each email, verify:

• No spam trigger words in subject or body
• Link density appropriate (not too many links)
• Image-to-text ratio balanced
• Unsubscribe link present and functional
• Physical address included (CAN-SPAM)
• Authentication reminders (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)
• List hygiene recommendations

Output Format

Sequence Overview

• Sequence name, type, and goal
• Target audience and entry trigger
• Email count and total duration
• Expected performance benchmarks for the sequence type

Email-by-Email Breakdown

| Email # | Subject Line | Send Timing | Goal | Primary CTA | |---------|-------------|-------------|------|-------------|

Followed by full copy for each email.

Flow Diagram

• Visual representation of the sequence flow with branching logic
• Entry → Email 1 → Wait → Email 2 → Branch (opened/not opened) → etc.

Performance Benchmarks

| Metric | Industry Average | Target | |--------|-----------------|--------|

Include: open rate, click rate, conversion rate, unsubscribe rate per email.

After the Sequence

Ask: "Would you like me to:

• Set up this sequence in your ESP? (`/digital-marketing-pro:send-email-campaign`)
• Create A/B test variants for the subject lines? (`/digital-marketing-pro:prompt-test`)
• Design a complementary re-engagement flow for non-openers?
• Build landing pages for the CTA destinations? (`/digital-marketing-pro:content-engine`)
• Add SMS touchpoints alongside the emails? (`/digital-marketing-pro:send-sms`)
• Review deliverability setup for your domain? (`/digital-marketing-pro:email-sequence` with deliverability focus)"