How to automate email campaigns in Brevo

How to Automate Email Campaigns in Brevo

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) provides a visual automation builder for creating triggered email workflows. As of April 2026, the Automation feature is available on Starter ($25/month for 20,000 emails), Business ($65/month), and Enterprise plans. The free plan includes basic automation with limited workflow steps.

Step 1: Access the Automation Module

Navigate to Automation in the left sidebar and click "Create a workflow." Choose between:

• Pre-built templates — Welcome series, abandoned cart, birthday, anniversary, page visit follow-up
• Custom workflow — Build from scratch with full control over triggers and actions

Step 2: Choose an Entry Trigger

Select the event that enrolls contacts into the workflow:

• Contact added to list — When a contact joins a specific list (sign-up forms, imports, API)
• Contact attribute updated — When a contact field changes value
• Website event — When a contact visits a specific page (requires Brevo tracking pixel)
• Transactional event — When a purchase, sign-up, or custom event occurs via API
• Date-based — Anniversary, birthday, or custom date field triggers

Step 3: Add Email Actions

Click the "+" icon below the trigger to add steps:

1. Send email — Select or create an email template using the drag-and-drop editor
2. Wait — Add a time delay (hours, days, or weeks)
3. Send email — Add the next email in the sequence

For each email, design the content using Brevo's template editor. Personalization variables (contact name, company, custom attributes) are inserted using the {{contact.ATTRIBUTE}} syntax.

Step 4: Add Conditions and Splits

Insert conditional logic between steps:

• If/else condition — Branch based on contact attribute, email engagement (opened/clicked), or list membership
• A/B split — Send two email variants to different percentages of contacts
• Wait for event — Pause the workflow until a contact takes a specific action (clicks a link, visits a page)

Example branch: If the contact opened the first email, send a product-focused follow-up. If not, resend with a different subject line.

Step 5: Set Workflow Goals and Exit Conditions

Define a goal for the workflow (for example, "Contact makes a purchase"). Contacts who achieve the goal exit the workflow and do not receive further emails. Exit conditions prevent irrelevant messaging.

Step 6: Activate the Workflow

Click "Activate" in the top-right corner. Brevo processes the workflow in real time; new contacts matching the trigger enter immediately. The workflow dashboard shows active contacts at each stage, delivery rates, open rates, and click rates per email.

Practical Example: Product Launch Sequence

1. Trigger: Contact added to "Product Launch 2026" list
2. Email 1 (immediately): Announcement email with product overview
3. Wait: 2 days
4. Condition: Did contact open Email 1?
   • Yes: Email 2 — Detailed features and use cases
   • No: Email 2 — Resend announcement with new subject line
5. Wait: 3 days
6. Email 3: Limited-time launch offer with call-to-action

Multi-Channel Automation

Brevo workflows also support SMS, WhatsApp, and web push notifications alongside email steps. Add an SMS action after an email action to follow up via text for contacts who did not open the email within 48 hours.

Pricing Note

Brevo charges per email sent rather than per contact, making it cost-effective for large contact lists with moderate send frequency. Unlimited contacts are included on all paid plans as of April 2026.