When to use this email
A day or two after the welcome email, once the account is active
The customer hasn't completed setup yet
You want to drive them to a clear activation milestone
You want to offer a call without making it the only option
Tips for making it yours
Name the milestone that means they're set up, not only logged in
Keep the steps to three; a longer list stalls people
Offer the call as an option, not a requirement
Tie the last step to the payoff they signed up for
Other versions of this email
The same situation rarely arrives in the same shape twice. These are the two variations worth having ready.
Onboarding a team, not one person
The account has multiple seats and the person who signed up is not the person who will use it daily.
Subject
Getting your team set up on [product]
Hi [first name], Now that [company]'s account is live, the fastest way to get value is to bring the rest of the team in — most of the setup only pays off once more than one person is using it. Two things worth doing this week: 1. Invite [teammates] from [settings location]. There's no per-seat charge on your plan up to [number]. 2. Decide who owns [key workflow], so notifications land with the right person from day one. If it's easier, reply with the names and I'll set the invitations up for you. Best, [Your name]
Restarting a stalled setup
The customer started onboarding, went quiet, and is now several days in without finishing.
Subject
Picking up where you left off on [product]
Hi [first name], You got as far as [completed step] and then things went quiet — which usually means the next bit was harder than it should be, or the week got in the way. Either is fine. The only step that really matters is [the one high-value action], and it takes about [time]. Here's the direct link: [link] If you hit something confusing, tell me which screen and I'll walk you through it. No need to start over — everything you set up is still there. Best, [Your name]
What not to say
- “Here's a link to our documentation to get started.”
- Handing someone a docs site is delegating your onboarding to them. Name the one next step and link directly to it.
- “Let us know if you have any questions!”
- Puts the burden on a customer who does not yet know enough to have specific questions. Ask a specific question instead.
- “Here are all 12 features you can now use.”
- A feature list at onboarding is a choice paralysis machine. One action, done, beats twelve explained.
- “Your free trial expires in 14 days.”
- Leading with the deadline makes the email about your billing, not their setup. Urgency belongs in a later email, if at all.
If they don't reply
Send three or four days after the onboarding email if the key setup step still has not happened. Reference the specific step, not the account in general.
Subject
Still stuck on [step]?
Hi [first name], I noticed [key step] is still outstanding. That's usually a sign it isn't obvious rather than that you've changed your mind. If you tell me what you're trying to do with [product], I'll tell you the shortest path to it — or set it up for you if that's quicker. Best, [Your name]
Questions about customer onboardings
- What should a customer onboarding email include?
- One next action, a direct link to it, and a reason it matters to that specific customer. Everything else — feature tours, documentation indexes, team introductions — reduces the chance the action gets taken. If the email names more than one thing to do, it is a newsletter, not onboarding.
- How is an onboarding email different from a welcome email?
- The welcome email confirms the account exists and sets the tone. The onboarding email gets the customer to first value. Sending only the welcome is the most common mistake: it feels complete, but nobody has actually done anything yet.
- How many onboarding emails should I send?
- Three is usually enough for a support or SaaS product: welcome, first key action, then a check-in that references what they did or did not do. Sequences longer than that tend to be written for the sender's completeness rather than the customer's progress, and unsubscribe rates show it.
Plan the whole sequence with our free onboarding checklist template →
