How to Create Simple Automation Workflows in Brevo

Setting up email automation sounds technical, but it’s really just teaching your emails when to send themselves. Think of it like setting a coffee maker the night before. You do the work once, and it runs without you.

Brevo automation lets you send emails, SMS, and WhatsApp messages automatically based on what your contacts do or when certain dates arrive. You pick a trigger, add your messages, set timing rules, and the system handles everything from there.

This guide walks you through building workflows from scratch. You’ll learn what triggers and actions mean, how to create your first welcome sequence, and which automations actually bring results. By the end, you’ll have a working workflow ready to send.

Whether you’re new to email marketing or switching from another platform, this step-by-step approach keeps things simple. No confusing jargon. No skipped steps. Let’s build something useful.

What Is Email Automation in Brevo?

Email automation in Brevo is a tool that sends messages based on user actions or time rules. Instead of manually clicking “send” every time someone joins your list, automation does it for you.

Here’s why businesses use it. Manual emails take time. If 50 people sign up today, sending 50 welcome emails yourself wastes hours. Automation sends all 50 instantly without you touching anything.

Brevo’s automation system watches for specific events called triggers. When a trigger happens, the workflow starts running. Common triggers include:

• Someone joins your email list
• A contact clicks a link in your email
• A visitor views a specific page on your website
• An order gets placed in your store
• A contact’s birthday arrives

After the trigger fires, your workflow moves through steps you’ve set up. These steps might include sending an email, waiting two days, checking if the person opened your message, then sending a follow-up.

The system uses contact data to personalize messages. Fields like first name, purchase history, and location help you send relevant content. Someone who bought running shoes gets different emails than someone who bought cooking supplies.

Automation works with three main pieces: contacts (the people receiving messages), attributes (data about those people), and segments (groups based on shared traits). Your workflows combine these pieces to deliver the right message at the right moment.

Simple examples show how this works in real life. A welcome email goes out seconds after signup. A birthday discount arrives on the actual birthday. An order confirmation sends immediately after purchase. All automatic. All hands-off once you build them.

How Brevo Automation Works

Brevo automation works through triggers, actions, and filters that move contacts step by step through a planned sequence. The visual builder shows your entire workflow as connected blocks you can drag around and edit.

When you open the automation section in Brevo, you’ll see a canvas where workflows live. Each workflow starts with a trigger block on the left. From there, lines connect to action blocks, delay blocks, and condition blocks that branch the path.

The workflow engine runs constantly in the background. It watches for trigger events across all your contacts. When someone matches a trigger condition, they enter the workflow and move through each step based on your rules.

Here’s how a basic flow moves:

1. Trigger activates — Contact signs up through your form
2. First action runs — System sends welcome email immediately
3. Delay happens — Workflow waits 3 days
4. Condition checks — Did they open the welcome email?
5. Branch splits — Yes path gets one email, No path gets a different one
6. Exit occurs — Contact leaves the workflow

Events that commonly activate automations include form submissions, email opens, link clicks, page visits, purchases, and date matches. You can also fire custom events through Brevo’s API if your app tracks special actions.

The builder stores behavior data as contacts move through. You’ll see how many people entered, how many reached each step, and where people dropped off. This data helps you fix weak spots later.

Brevo updated its automation editor in 2024-2025 with clearer separation between triggers, actions, and rules. The current interface shows each element type in different colors, making complex workflows easier to read and edit.

Key Parts of a Brevo Workflow

Every workflow uses the same building blocks. Understanding these parts helps you build faster and troubleshoot problems when something breaks.

Triggers

Triggers are events that start your workflow running for a specific contact. Without a trigger, nothing happens.

Brevo offers over 20 trigger types. The most useful ones include:

• Contact added to list — Fires when someone joins a specific list through signup form, import, or manual add
• Form submitted — Activates when a contact fills out a Brevo form on your site
• Page visited — Starts when someone views a tracked page (requires tracking code)
• Email opened or link clicked — Triggers based on engagement with previous messages
• Order created — Fires when your connected store registers a new purchase
• Date attribute matches — Activates on birthdays, anniversaries, or custom dates
• Deal created or updated — Starts based on CRM activity for sales workflows

You can combine multiple triggers so contacts enter when any selected condition happens. This flexibility lets you catch people from different entry points in one workflow.

Actions

Actions are things your workflow does to or for the contact. These create the actual results you want.

Message actions:

• Send email
• Send SMS
• Send WhatsApp message
• Send push notification (on higher plans)

Data actions:

• Add contact to a list
• Remove contact from a list
• Update a contact attribute
• Create a deal in CRM
• Move deal to different stage
• Create task for sales team
• Add note to contact record

Technical actions:

• Trigger webhook to external systems
• Send data to connected apps through API

Most workflows use 2-5 actions. A welcome series might just send three emails with delays between them. A sales workflow might send an email, create a deal, assign a task, and notify your team.

Conditions

Conditions check contact data and split your workflow into different paths. They create “if this, then that” logic.

You can check:

• Contact field values (location, signup source, company size)
• Segment membership (VIP customers, new subscribers, inactive users)
• Previous actions in the workflow (opened email, clicked link)
• Event properties (order value, product category, cart total)
• Deal data (stage, value, owner)

Conditions create branches. Contacts meeting the condition go one direction. Everyone else goes another direction. This personalization makes automated messages feel less robotic.

Delays and Wait Steps

Delays pause the workflow for a set time before moving to the next step. Timing matters more than most people realize.

Time-based delays include:

• Wait 1 hour before sending follow-up
• Wait 3 days between welcome emails
• Wait 1 week before re-engagement message

The minimum delay is 1 minute. Maximum delays can stretch weeks or months for long nurture sequences.

You can also add schedule rules to delays. For example, wait 2 days but only send on weekdays between 9 AM and 5 PM in the contact’s local time zone. These rules prevent emails from arriving at awkward hours.

Behavior-based waits work differently. Instead of fixed time, you wait until something happens. Wait until contact opens email. Wait until contact visits pricing page. These waits move contacts forward based on their actions rather than calendar time.

Setting Up Your First Workflow in Brevo

You set up your first workflow by choosing a trigger and adding steps that match your goal. The whole process takes 15-20 minutes once you know where everything sits.

Follow these steps to build a basic welcome workflow:

Step 1: Open the automation builder

Log into Brevo and click “Automations” in the left menu. Some accounts show this as “Marketing Automation” depending on your plan. Click “Create an automation” to start fresh, or pick a prebuilt template.

Step 2: Pick your trigger

For a welcome workflow, select “Contact added to list” as your trigger. Choose which list should activate this workflow. New signups to your main newsletter list work well for testing.

Step 3: Add your first email

Click the plus sign below your trigger to add an action. Select “Send an email” and either create a new email or pick one you’ve already designed. Write a simple welcome message thanking people for signing up.

Step 4: Add a delay

Below your first email, add a “Time delay” step. Set it to 2-3 days. This gap prevents overwhelming new subscribers with back-to-back messages.

Step 5: Add your second email

After the delay, add another “Send an email” action. This message might share your best content, explain what subscribers can expect, or offer a small discount.

Step 6: Add a condition (optional)

Want to get smarter? Add a condition checking if the contact opened your first email. Create two branches: one path for openers, another for non-openers. Send different content to each group.

Step 7: Add an exit

Every contact eventually leaves the workflow. You can let them exit naturally after the last step, or add explicit exit conditions. Contacts who unsubscribe should exit immediately.

Step 8: Activate

Review each step, then click “Activate” or “Start automation” to make it live. New contacts matching your trigger will start entering right away.

Best practices for beginners: start with just 2-3 steps. Add complexity later once you see how contacts respond. Test your workflow with your own email address before activating for real subscribers.

Best Workflows to Use in Brevo (With Real Examples)

Some automations deliver results faster than others. Start with these proven workflows before building custom sequences.

Welcome Series

A welcome series introduces new subscribers to your brand through 2-4 emails spread over 1-2 weeks. This workflow typically gets the highest open rates of any automation.

Simple 3-step example:

1. Immediate — Thank you for subscribing + what to expect
2. Day 3 — Your most popular content or best resources
3. Day 7 — Special offer or clear call to action

Welcome emails set expectations. Tell people how often you’ll email, what topics you cover, and why they should stay subscribed. First impressions matter here.

Product Reminder or Cart Follow-up

Cart abandonment workflows remind shoppers about items they left behind. These recover sales that would otherwise disappear.

Trigger: Cart abandoned (requires ecommerce integration)

Example sequence:

1. 1 hour later — “You left something behind” with cart contents
2. 24 hours later — Reminder with product benefits
3. 3 days later — Final reminder, maybe with small discount

Cart emails work because timing matters. One hour catches people who got distracted. Twenty-four hours catches people who needed to think. Three days catches fence-sitters.

Re-engagement Flow

Re-engagement workflows target subscribers who stopped opening your emails. Clean lists perform better, and these flows help identify who should stay.

Detecting inactive contacts uses conditions. Check if contact has not opened any email in 60-90 days. Those matching this condition enter your re-engagement workflow.

Example 2-message sequence:

1. Day 0 — “We miss you” email with compelling reason to re-engage
2. Day 7 — “Last chance” email warning you’ll remove them

Anyone who opens stays on your list. Anyone who ignores both messages gets moved to an inactive segment or removed entirely. This keeps your sender reputation healthy.

Thank You Flow

Post-purchase workflows thank customers and encourage repeat buying. The relationship shouldn’t end after one sale.

Trigger: Order completed or payment received

Example sequence:

1. Immediate — Order confirmation and thank you
2. Day 3 — How to get the most from your purchase
3. Day 14 — Request for review or feedback
4. Day 30 — Related product recommendation

Timing rules matter here. Don’t send upsell emails before the customer receives their first order. Wait until they’ve had time to use and enjoy what they bought.

How to Build a Welcome Flow

You build a welcome flow by choosing a signup trigger and adding a timed email path that introduces your brand step by step. This automation runs constantly for every new subscriber.

Here’s a detailed 3-email setup that works for most businesses:

Email 1: Immediate delivery

Send this within minutes of signup. Include:

• Thank you for subscribing
• What they’ll receive from you
• How often you’ll email
• One valuable resource or tip
• Clear sender name so they recognize future emails

Email 2: Day 2-3

This email delivers value without asking for anything:

• Your most popular blog post or guide
• Quick win they can achieve today
• Introduction to your best content
• Social proof or subscriber count if impressive

Email 3: Day 5-7

Now you can make an ask:

• Special offer for new subscribers
• Invitation to follow on social media
• Request to reply with a question
• Product recommendation if relevant

Delays between emails prevent fatigue. Back-to-back messages feel spammy. Give people time to read, click, and absorb before sending more.

Behavior rules add personalization. After email 1, check if they clicked any link. People who clicked might be ready for your offer sooner. People who didn’t click might need more warming up.

When to add SMS: if you collected phone numbers at signup and have permission, adding an SMS after email 1 boosts engagement. Text messages get higher open rates than email for time-sensitive content.

Common mistakes to avoid:

• Sending too many emails too fast
• Writing generic content that could come from anyone
• Forgetting to test before activating
• Not tracking which emails get opened

How to Build a Re-engagement Flow

A re-engagement flow starts with inactive users and sends short messages designed to bring them back or clean them from your list. Every list has subscribers who stopped paying attention.

Detecting inactivity requires a condition at the start. Create a segment for contacts who haven’t opened any email in the last 60-90 days. Use this segment as your workflow trigger or entry condition.

The goal here is binary: either wake them up or let them go. Inactive subscribers hurt your sender reputation. Email providers notice when lots of people ignore your messages.

Example 2-message sequence:

Message 1: The check-in

Subject line ideas:

• “Still interested in [topic]?”
• “Should we stop emailing you?”
• “We haven’t heard from you”

Content should be short. Acknowledge the silence. Remind them why they signed up. Give one compelling reason to stay. Include a clear button to confirm they want future emails.

Message 2: The final notice (7 days later)

Send only to people who didn’t open message 1. This is their last chance. Be direct: “If we don’t hear from you, we’ll remove you from our list.” Some people will suddenly engage when facing removal.

After message 2, add a condition checking for opens. People who opened either message stay on your active list. People who ignored both get tagged as “unengaged” and either removed or moved to a suppression segment.

Best time gaps: 60-90 days of inactivity before triggering, then 7 days between re-engagement messages. Shorter gaps catch people who might just be busy. Longer gaps might mean they’ve completely forgotten you.

How to Add SMS to Your Automation

You add SMS to automation by inserting an SMS action inside your workflow steps, just like adding an email. The process works the same way, but the message format differs.

SMS works best for time-sensitive messages. Text messages get opened within minutes, while emails might sit unread for days. Use SMS when timing matters more than message length.

Good use cases for SMS in automation:

• Order confirmations — “Your order #1234 is confirmed. Track shipping at [link]”
• Appointment reminders — “Your appointment is tomorrow at 2 PM. Reply YES to confirm.”
• Flash sales — “24-hour sale starts now. Use code FLASH20 at checkout.”
• Cart abandonment — “You left items in your cart. Complete your order: [link]”
• Delivery updates — “Your package is out for delivery today.”

To add SMS in Brevo’s automation builder:

1. Click the plus sign where you want the SMS
2. Select “Send an SMS” from the action menu
3. Write your message (keep it under 160 characters for one segment)
4. Personalize with contact fields like first name
5. Set timing rules if needed

Timing rules for SMS differ from email. Avoid sending texts before 9 AM or after 8 PM in the recipient’s time zone. Weekend rules depend on your industry—retail can text on Saturdays, but B2B probably shouldn’t.

SMS costs extra beyond your email plan. Each text uses credits purchased separately. Check your SMS balance before activating high-volume automations.

Combine SMS with email for higher impact. Send an email first, wait a day, then send SMS to non-openers. This multichannel approach catches people who miss emails but respond to texts.

Tips to Build Better Brevo Workflows

You build better workflows by using short steps, clear delays, and clean contact data. Small improvements add up to much higher performance over time.

Keep contact data clean. Automations break when required fields are empty. If your workflow personalizes with first name, contacts without first names get weird messages. Use conditions to handle missing data, or clean your list before activating.

Avoid long delays between steps. A 30-day gap means people forget why they signed up. Keep welcome series under two weeks total. Cart abandonment should finish within a week. Longer nurture sequences can stretch further, but individual gaps should stay under 7 days.

Use segments to improve targeting. Don’t send the same automation to everyone. Create versions for different audience segments. New customers get different content than repeat buyers. Small businesses get different messaging than enterprises.

Remove inactive paths from old workflows. If a branch hasn’t had any contacts in months, it’s probably not working. Delete unused paths to simplify your workflow and reduce confusion when editing later.

Test every step before activating. Add yourself as a test contact and run through the entire workflow. Check that emails arrive, delays work correctly, conditions branch properly, and SMS sends to the right number. Finding problems in testing beats finding them after real contacts enter.

Start simple, then add complexity. Your first workflow should have 3-5 steps maximum. Once you understand how contacts move through and where drop-offs happen, add conditions and branches to improve performance.

Monitor performance weekly. Check open rates, click rates, and completion rates for each workflow. Low numbers at specific steps point to problems with that content or timing.

Common Automation Mistakes to Avoid

Most automation mistakes happen due to missing triggers, long delays, or wrong segments. Fixing these issues before they affect real contacts saves headaches later.

Missing field values break personalization. If your email says “Hi {first_name}” and the contact has no first name stored, they see “Hi ” with awkward blank space. Always add fallback text or use conditions to handle missing data.

Wrong conditions send people down incorrect paths. Double-check your condition logic. “Contact has opened any email” differs from “Contact has opened this specific email.” Small wording differences create big routing problems.

Too many emails annoy subscribers. If someone enters three different automations simultaneously, they might get six emails in one week. Use frequency caps or exclusion rules to prevent overlap. Overwhelming contacts leads to unsubscribes.

No testing catches obvious errors. Subject line typos, broken links, wrong sender names—all preventable with one test run. Never activate a workflow without sending test messages to yourself first.

Duplicate triggers cause chaos. If someone can enter the same workflow multiple times from repeated triggers, they’ll receive the same sequence repeatedly. Use settings to prevent re-entry, or add conditions that check if they’ve already completed the workflow.

Forgetting mobile preview causes display issues. Over half your contacts read emails on phones. Always preview mobile view before activating. Text that looks fine on desktop might be unreadable on small screens.

Ignoring analytics means repeating failures. If step 3 of your workflow has a 5% open rate, something’s wrong. Check the subject line, sending time, or content. Use data to improve instead of guessing.

FAQs

Features and limits mentioned reflect 2025 information.