Create a Classic Automation

Mailchimp's automation feature helps you streamline your communications and makes sure your contacts get the right emails at the right time. Choose from pre-set automations with defined triggers and timelines, or fully customize your messages.

In this article, you'll learn how to create an automation.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• Classic Automations are only available to accounts that have previously created a classic automation.
• Depending on your plan, you may not have access to automated email series. To find out what features are included in each plan, check out our pricing page. To change your plan type, visit the plans page in your account.
• Be sure you’re familiar with how classic automations work.
• Certain automations are built slightly differently. Take a look at our step-by-step instructions on how to create abandoned cart messages order notifications, and product retargeting emails.
• Subscribers can only trigger and receive the emails in a classic automation one time, with the exception of date-based automations, abandoned cart emails, order notifications, and product retargeting emails.

Create a classic automation

If you're familiar with classic automation terms and classic automation types, you're ready to create an automation. For most preset automations, you can choose to create a single email or an email series. Automated email series are limited to certain pricing plans. Or, you can choose a custom automation to start from scratch.

To create a new classic automation, follow these steps.

1. On your account dashboard, click the Automations icon.
2. Click Classic Automations.
   
3. Find and choose the automation you want to use.
   
   Can't find what you need? Click Custom to create something from scratch.

4. Choose Single email or Email series.
   

5. Enter a campaign name, and click the drop-down menu to choose an audience.
   

6. Click Begin.
   

Edit settings

Your overall automation workflow settings include your Workflow name, From name, From email address, and tracking options. To access your workflow settings, navigate to the Emails step of the automation builder and click Edit Settings.

The From name and from email address you specify for your automation are used on each email in the series. To change the from email address on an individual email, manually update the email's settings in the automation.

Edit Google Analytics link tracking in settings

Google Analytics link tracking is automatically enabled within the automation settings for accounts integrated with Google Analytics. Turn tracking off or on within your automation settings, and edit the title for the automated email.

After results come in, you can find analytics data in your Mailchimp email reports, or in your Google Analytics account. In Google Analytics, the source / medium will display the Mailchimp marketing email name and type. For example, if your automation name is “New User Onboarding,” the source / medium will be “New User Onboarding / email.”

Edit emails

In the Emails step of the classic automation builder, you'll add, remove, or reorder the emails in your automation, and design their content. You can also edit tracking and other settings for the overall workflow, or edit trigger, delay, schedule, segment, or activity settings for an individual email.

Design email

To design an email in an automation, follow these steps.

1. Click Design Email.
   
2. On the Setup step, input names for Name your email, Email subject, Preview text, From name, From email address, and your default Google Analytics title.
   To display the numbered position of the email in the automation, use Automation merge tags in your subject line.
3. Click Next.
4. On the Template step, choose your template.
5. On the Design step, design your email.
6. Be sure to test each of your emails using our preview and test tools, or by sending yourself a test email.
7. Click Save and Return to Workflow, to return to your automation timeline.

Confirm and start

Now that you've designed your emails, configured your workflow settings, and tested everything, it's time to review and start your automation!

To start your classic automation, follow these steps.

1. On the Confirm step, review the checklist provided and click Resolve or Edit to make any changes to your automation.
   
2. When you're ready, click Start Sending to start sending your automation.
   
3. In the Start Automation Workflow pop-up, click Start Sending.
   

Nicely done. We'll take care of everything else, so you can get back to work.

• After you start an automation, you can manually add subscribers to the automation.