Pre-send checklist
Pre-send checklist for a welcome email
A welcome email is written once and then sent automatically for months. A mistake in it is repeated for every new subscriber, and nobody on the team sees it again. Check it when you build it, and again whenever the signup form changes.
The inbox line
- The subject makes clear this is the thing they just signed up for.
- The sender name matches the name on the signup form.
- The preview text says what happens next, not "View this email in your browser".
- The reply address is read by a person, or says clearly where to write instead.
Inside the email
- It delivers what the form promised: the discount code, the guide, the first lesson.
- It says what you will send and how often.
- There is one next step, not five.
- Merge fields have a fallback, so nobody is greeted with "Hi ,".
The send
- It is triggered by the signup itself and goes out within minutes.
- If you use double opt-in, the confirmation email comes first and the welcome follows it.
- You have signed up with a fresh address and received it yourself.
- Subscribers who are imported in bulk do not all get it at once by accident.
One tip
Sign up to your own form every month with a new address. It is the only way to see what a new subscriber sees.
Common questions
What should a welcome email include?
Whatever the signup form promised, a line on what you will send and how often, and one clear next step. Keep it short; it is a handshake, not a brochure.
When should a welcome email be sent?
Straight away. The subscriber has just asked to hear from you and is still looking at the inbox. A welcome that arrives the next day reads like an unrelated email.
More checklists
CW-01 · 12 CHECKS
A newsletter
For the regular send that is easy to stop checking.
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CW-03 · 12 CHECKS
A product launch
One chance, many people watching, and a page that must be live.
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CW-04 · 12 CHECKS
A sale or promotion
Codes, end dates and exclusions: the details people complain about.
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CW-05 · 12 CHECKS
An abandoned cart email
An automated email with live data in it. Test the data, not just the design.
Open checklist
Final call
A sent email cannot be unsent.
Check the inbox line before it leaves. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.