Win back the ones who stopped opening: a re-engagement flow

Over time, every list accumulates dormant contacts: people who signed up enthusiastically and haven't opened anything in months. Keeping them around isn't free — they drag your metrics down and, worse, hurt your reputation, because providers notice that part of your audience is ignoring you. But deleting them outright would throw away real opportunities: a lot of them just need a good reason to come back.

A re-engagement flow solves both problems at once: it gives them one genuine last chance and, depending on how they respond, either recovers them or cleans them out. Both outcomes are good ones. Here's the flow we're going to build:

1. What a re-engagement flow is

It's an automation: a flow that runs on its own whenever a contact enters an "inactive" state. Instead of continuing to send campaigns they never open (which sinks your reputation), you pull them into a special, short, and honest sequence designed for one single purpose: getting them to react. If they do, they're back on your active list. If they don't, you remove them — and your base ends up smaller but far healthier.

2. Identify the inactive ones

Before building the flow, define who counts as "inactive." The most common rule: contacts who haven't opened in 90 days. You build that with a segment based on last activity. Assign that group a tag — for example, inactive. That tag is what triggers the automation.

Tip: be generous with the timeframe. 90 days is reasonable for most cases; if your cadence is monthly, stretch it to 120. You don't want to "re-engage" someone who simply skipped the last two sends — give them real, meaningful absence before you act.

3. Create the flow and get to know the editor

Go to Automation › Create new flow. If you haven't spent time in the editor yet, here's a quick recap: at the top, the name and the Save and Pause buttons; on the left, the palette with its categories (Triggers, Actions, Conditions, Logic); on the right, the canvas where you drag and connect blocks. Here's what your re-engagement flow will look like:

If this is your first automation, it's worth starting with the welcome series, which walks through the editor at a more relaxed pace.

4. Trigger: the «inactive» tag

From Triggers, drag in «Tag added» and choose the inactive tag. From there, every contact that receives that tag enters the flow automatically. So as your inactive segment grows, the flow keeps picking them up on its own.

5. Email 1: are we still in touch?

The first email sets the tone for everything: warm, no guilt-tripping. No "we haven't seen you in a while" delivered with a side of blame. Acknowledge the absence kindly, remind them of the value you offer, and if you can, throw in a small incentive to come back. The underlying question is an honest one: are we still in touch?

6. Wait and condition: did they come back?

Add a wait (around 5 days) and then a condition: did they open or click? Here the flow branches:

• If they reacted: you recovered them. They exit the flow and you remove the inactive tag (they're back to life). No further nudging.
• If not: they move on to the second and final attempt.

7. Email 2 and final cleanup

The second email is the last reason: a concrete benefit, or a direct question — "do you still want to hear from us?" After another wait (around 7 days) and one final condition, the decisive moment arrives: anyone who still hasn't responded gets removed from your active list (with a flow action, or flagged for cleanup).

It sounds drastic, but it's actually the healthiest move available: a contact who's ignored two honest attempts isn't coming back, and keeping them only hurts you. A small, active list outperforms a large, dormant one.

8. Activate and measure

Set the global rules (a contact shouldn't re-enter while already inside the flow), tap Save, and set the flow to Active. Then measure: how many people from the inactive segment came back to open? How many did you clean out? Every recovered contact is value you were losing, and every one you cleaned out is reputation you protected.

Common mistakes to avoid

• A guilt-tripping tone. "We miss you 😢 you haven't opened in 6 months" reads as pathetic, not inviting. Keep it warm and dignified.
• Re-engaging too soon. Someone who missed two campaigns isn't dormant. Wait for real absence (90 days or more).
• Skipping the final cleanup. If you leave the ones who never responded, the flow didn't accomplish anything — you're still dragging your reputation down. Cleanup is part of the win.
• An endless sequence. Two well-crafted emails are enough. Sending five follow-ups to someone who's already ignored you is the exact opposite of protecting your reputation.

Next steps

1. Review every block a flow can have in automations.
2. Make sure your segments and tags are set up well in lists and subscribers.
3. Keep your deliverability healthy with avoiding spam: best practices.