Send an email from an automation

Sending an email from an automation is useful in various scenarios, such as when you need to:

This can be achieved by adding the Send an email step in an automation. You can then design and configure an email template, and choose the event that will trigger the automation.

Step 1: Add a Send an email step to your automation

First, create an automation and add a Send an email step.

  1. Go to Automations.
  2. Click Create an automation and choose the new editor, or select an existing automation created with the new editor.
  3. (Optional) Add a trigger or any other steps you want to include in your automation before the Send an email step. You can add more steps or rearrange them later if needed. To learn more about all the steps available, check our dedicated article Available triggers, actions, and rules in an automation.
  4. From the Actions tab, add the Messaging - Send an email step to the canvas.
    aut_send-an-email_step_en-us.png

Step 2: Design your email template

Then, design the email template that will be sent to contacts who enter your automation.

  1. Under the Content section, click Select template.
    aut_send-an-email_select-template_en-us.png
  2. Choose one of Brevo's pre-configured templates or your own template, or create your own design from scratch.
    💡 Good to know

    If you select your own template, the subject line, preview text, and update profile form already configured in the template are reused in the Send an email step. You can override these settings if needed.

  3. Design your email template by updating its content and adding any extra content or blocks as needed. To learn how to use the Drag & Drop editor, check our dedicated series of articles.

Step 3: Preview and test your email template

Now, you can preview your email template as a recipient or send a test email to yourself or a colleague. This step allows you to verify personalized details, like the recipient's first name, and review the design and layout of your email template.

  1. Once you're done designing your email template, click Preview & test.
    aut_send-an-email_preview-test_en-us.png
  2. In the Preview tab, select how you want to preview your email template: 
    Preview as recipient Preview event
    1. Click Preview as recipient.
    2. Select a contact. The data from the contact replaces the contact variables and you  can preview the template with the real contact information.
      aut_send-an-email_preview-as-recipient_en-us.png
    3. If your email template includes event-related personalization, activate the Add transactional JSON data and input the JSON data to test the template. The JSON data replaces the variables and you can preview the template with the provided information.
  3. In the Send test email tab, enter your email address or a colleague's email address.
  4. Click Send test to review the email directly in the inbox.
    aut_send-an-email_send-test_en-us.png
  5. Once you're done previewing and testing the email template, close the window.
  6. In the top bar of the email editor, click Use this design in automation to save your email template and return to the automation editor.
    aut_send-an-email_use-in-automation_en-us.png

Step 4: Configure the settings of your email template

Finally, configure the sender details, subject line, and other settings for your email template. These settings will be reused every time the email is sent.

  1. In the What event data to display section, choose which event to retrieve data from based on whether your email includes event-related personalization. Expand the following accordions to learn when to use each option:
    The email doesn’t have variables

    Select this option if your email does not include event-related personalization, such as a product name or price.

    Event that triggered this automation

    Select this option if your email includes personalization related to the event that triggered the automation. For example, an order confirmation email personalized with product details would use data from the "Order Created" event, which is the trigger of the automation.

    Latest instance of an event

    Select this option if you want to pull data from the most recent occurrence of a specific event, even if it’s different from the event that triggered the automation. For example, if you're sending a follow-up email about a customer’s most recent purchase, this option ensures the email reflects the latest order details rather than the one that triggered the automation.

    aut_send-an-email_event-data_en-us.png
  2. Under the Subject section, configure your subject line and preview text.
    aut_send-an-email_subject_en-us.png
❗️ Important
To include fallback text when a contact's first name is unknown, insert the contact variable {{contact.FIRSTNAME | default: ''}} with a default value, such as {{contact.FIRSTNAME | default: 'there'}}. This ensures the subject line displays "there" instead of leaving an empty space.

Under the Sender section, configure your sender email address and name. Ensure your recipients can easily recognize your business by using sender details associated with your company.
aut_send-an-email_sender_en-us.png

Under the Additional settings section, click Edit settings to configure more options for your email template. Expand the following accordions to view the available settings:

🛑 Frequency cap
❗️ Important
The frequency cap feature is only available on an Enterprise plan. For more information, check our website or get in touch with our Sales team.

The Frequency cap option allows you to reduce the number of emails you send and limit the marketing pressure on your contacts. 

➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Limit your marketing pressure with sending cadence (Frequency cap and Email overload prevention).

new-automations_frequency-cap.png
⏲️ Email sending time

Activate this option to choose when to send your automated welcome email. You can choose to send it based on:

  • A custom timeframe (only during certain days and hours of the week), or
  • At the best time calculated by Brevo to maximize the open rate by delivering your emails at the optimal time for each recipient over a 24-hour period.
new-automation_set-up-when-to-send-email_at-best-time_en-us.gif
💡 Good to know

If you added a delay before sending the email but choose to schedule the sending time, the delay may not be applied.

📫 Email copy

Activate this option to send a copy of your email to a designated recipient each time a contact receives it.

Both CC (Carbon Copy) and BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) options allow you to send a copy of your welcome email. The main difference is that CC recipients are visible to others, while BCC recipients are not.

new-aut_ab-cart_email_copy_en-us.png
📨 Sending and tracking

Use a different Reply-to address

By default, the Reply-to address is the same as the sender’s. Activate this option to override it by entering another email address in the field. automations_action_send-an-email_reply-to_en-us.jpg

Activate Google Analytics tracking

Activate this option to track your email in Google Analytics.

You can specify a custom UTM name, such as the name of your automation, or use the name of your email template by default. You can also track the ID of your email.

➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Integrate Google Analytics with your Brevo account.

automations_google-analytics-tracking_en-us.jpg

Add a tag

You can use descriptive tags to find your email more easily. aut_welcome_tag_en-us.png

Add an attachment

Activate this option to add an attachment to your email. You can add one file with a limit of 5MB. new-aut_ab-cart_email_attachment_en-us.png
💡 Good to know
Your file name should only contain alphanumeric characters.
📄 Subscription

Use an update profile form

Activate this option to select an existing update profile form to add to the footer of your email or create a new one.

➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Update your contacts details and preferences (Update Profile form).

automation_subscription_update-profile_en-us.png

Use a custom unsubscribe page

Activate this option to select an existing unsubscribe page to add to the footer of your email or create a new one.

➡️ To learn more, check our dedicated article Customize an unsubscribe page to integrate into your email campaigns.

automation_subscription_unsubscribe-page_en-us.png

Once you're done configuring the settings, click Save.

That's it, you've added a Send an email step to your automation. You can now add a trigger and any other steps before activating it. The email will then be automatically sent to contacts who reach this step.

🤔 Have a question?

If you have a question, feel free to contact our support team by creating a ticket from your account. If you don't have an account yet, you can contact us here.

If you’re looking for help with a project using Brevo, we can match you with the right certified Brevo expert partner.

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