7 Ways You Can Trigger an Email

Whether it’s a welcome message, a confirmation, or a follow-up, sending emails at the exact moment a user takes action can dramatically increase engagement and conversion rates.

But for many marketers, setting up these kinds of real-time emails feels complicated — especially if you’re stuck with clunky automation tools or workarounds that delay delivery. This can be because they don’t know when to send these emails or don’t know how to automate them.

If you’re one of them, you’re at the right place. We’re going to discuss a few triggers you can set up for your automated emails and when to use them.

What does it mean to trigger an email?

Triggering an email means sending an email automatically based on a specific user action or system event.

For example:

• A user submits a form → they receive a thank-you email

• A lead moves to a new CRM stage → they get a follow-up resource

• A support ticket is closed → a feedback request is sent

While traditional automation methods are useful for newsletters and updates, they’re ineffective for real-time communication. On the other hand, triggered emails are personalized and event-driven — making them highly relevant and time-sensitive.

7 ways to trigger your emails

X ways to trigger your emails

There are multiple ways of triggering emails. We’ve grouped them for better understanding.

1. User Actions (Behavior-Based)

User action triggers are based on how users interact with your product, website, or emails. These triggers help you respond immediately to specific behaviors, making your communication timely and relevant.

• Signs up or creates an account (welcome email)

• Confirms their email address

• Downloads a file or resource

• Adds items to a cart but doesn’t finish (abandoned cart)

• Completes a purchase

• Leaves a review or rating

2. Time-Based Triggers

Time-based triggers send emails after a specific duration or at a particular date. These are useful when timing matters more than immediate user behavior.

• X minutes or hours after signup

• X days after last login

• Trial period about to end

• Subscription renewal reminder

• Birthday or anniversary

• Follow-up email after an event

3. System or App Events

System or app event triggers are activated by changes or updates within your product or platform. These emails keep users informed about important system-level actions and updates.

• Account approved or rejected

• Feature update announcement

• Maintenance or downtime notice

• Error or failed action notification

How to use triggers in Mailmodo

Here’s a quick step-by-step on how you can set up your first trigger campaign:

1. Create the email template you want to send

2. Go to Campaigns → Trigger tab and click on Create trigger campaign

3. Choose the email template you want to send and then click Next

4. Fill up the other details of the campaign and hit Next

5. Select the trigger you want to use and hit Next.

6. In the, review and enable campaign step, and follow the instruction under Trigger details. It may ask you to enable the campaign to define the trigger.

7. Enable the campaign. You’ll now have fully automated emails firing at just the right moments in your user journey.

Final thoughts

Triggering emails isn’t just about automation — it’s about reaching out in the moments that matter. With Mailmodo, you can meet your users right where they are and in the right moments, without technical headaches or workflow delays.

So, set up your trigger email with Mailmodo today.