Transactional emails are a crucial part of any online business or website, as they play an important role in communicating with users and maintaining a positive user experience. These emails are triggered by the recipient and contain information they want or need.
What is a transactional email?
A transactional email is an automated email message that is triggered by a specific action or event that a user takes on a website or application. These emails are usually sent in real-time to provide users with important information about their account or transaction, such as a purchase confirmation, password reset link, or account activation email.
Transactional emails are designed to be straightforward, informational, and highly targeted, making them an indispensable tool for any business looking to build and maintain strong relationships with its users. They are also generally exempt from anti-spam laws, as they are considered necessary for the user's experience and not promotional in nature.
Here are some examples of transactional emails:
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What is included in transactional emails?
The content of transactional emails typically includes information related to the specific action or event that triggered the email, such as:
Transactional emails related to e-commerce purchases typically include information about the order, such as the items purchased, quantity, price, and shipping information.
Transactional emails related to account registration or password reset typically include information about the user's account, such as the username, password, and login instructions.
Transactional emails related to shipping typically include information about the shipment, such as the tracking number, delivery date, and carrier information.
Transactional emails related to payment typically include information about the payment, such as the amount paid, payment method, and billing information.
Transactional emails usually include a confirmation that the action has been successfully completed and a receipt, invoice, or order summary.
Transactional emails can also include a call-to-action, such as upsell suggestions, product recommendations, or feedback requests.
What is the difference between a marketing email and a transactional email?
Unlike marketing emails, typically used to promote products or services to a large audience, transactional emails are personalized and targeted to individual users based on their specific actions or needs.
| Marketing email | Transactional email | |
| Function | Promote and inform | Support business operations by communicating to the customer at each step |
| Sending process | Pre-planned and sent at a time of your choosing | Triggered by a transaction or a specific action |
| Recipients | Sent to multiple recipients at once | Sent to one specific recipient |
| Consent requirements | Contacts have to give explicit consent to receive marketing emails | Contacts do not have to give explicit consent to receive transactional emails |
| Unsubscribe link | Mandatory unsubscribe link | No unsubscribe link |
| Emailing software | Email marketing software | Email API or CMS integration (via SMTP relay, plugin, or webhook) |
Do transactional emails require an unsubscribe link?
No, transactional emails do not require an unsubscribe link because they do not require the recipient to subscribe to your email marketing in the first place. As these emails are related to specific business transactions, recipients should know that they will not receive any further emails from you unless they are tied to that transaction, and at least until the next purchase has been made.
You may offer the customer the opportunity to sign up for your email marketing at checkout. However, if they did not sign up for your marketing emails, the fact that they gave you their email address as part of the transaction does not necessarily mean you can send them marketing emails without their consent.
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