An automated email campaign is a message that sends itself. You set it up once, choose what triggers it, and Vagaro takes it from there, reaching the right customer at the right moment: a birthday treat, a nudge to someone you haven't seen in a while, a thank-you after a visit, or a follow-up on a purchase. You pick the trigger, the audience, and the message, and the campaign keeps running until you turn it off, so you stay top of mind and your calendar stays full.
Before sending out an email campaign, keep the following in mind:
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Each email you send costs one credit. 1,000 monthly email credits are included with your Vagaro subscription. Always check your usage frequently so automated campaigns don't use up all your credits.
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Campaigns will only be sent to customers with an email address associated with their Customer Profile.
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Campaigns may land in the customer's spam folder, bounce, or fail to send. Vagaro will not refund emails that fail to send.
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Campaigns will not be sent to customers you have blocked from online booking.
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Campaign recipient lists will not include customers who have opted out of marketing from Vagaro. However, this does not apply to customers who have blocked your email address. The system will attempt to send emails to these customers, resulting in a bounced email. Vagaro will not refund any of these emails.
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Any customers with invalid email addresses will not receive this campaign.
Prerequisites: This feature requires an Email Marketing plan.
Start by creating a new campaign from the Marketing area. Here you'll set the delivery method to email and write the subject line, which is the first thing customers see in their inbox and often what decides whether they open your message. You can write the subject yourself or let Vera, Vagaro's AI assistant, draft one for you, and you can personalize it with each customer's name.
To start your campaign:
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Select More
→ .
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At the bottom of the screen, select Create Campaign.
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Make sure the delivery method is set to Email, or choose to send an Email & Text.
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Enter the Email Subject Line. You can customize the header with the following options:
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While editing the subject line, select Insert First Name or Insert First & Last to add the customer's name. It appears as a placeholder at first, but when the message is sent, Vagaro replaces it with the customer's actual name from their customer profile.
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Select Next.
You'll go to the main campaign setup screen.
To start your campaign:
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Go to Marketing
, then select Create Campaign under Email & Text Marketing.
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On the campaign dashboard, select Create Campaign in the top-left corner. The Delivery Method pop-up appears.
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Make sure the delivery method is set to Email, or choose to send an Email & Text.
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Enter the Email Subject Line. You can customize the header with the following options:
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Select Save.
You'll go to the main campaign setup screen.
In this step, you'll choose your campaign type and set when the message goes out. The campaign type is the trigger that sends the message, such as a customer's birthday, a lost customer, or an upcoming visit. You can also build a custom campaign that fires on a trigger you choose. Because these campaigns are automated, you set one up once, and Vagaro keeps sending it until you turn it off.
To set your campaign type:
Tip
By default, all preset automations will send at 8 AM. To send at a different time, you will need to create a custom automation.
The Birthday campaign type automatically sends around each customer's birthday. Use it to send a warm birthday wish, a promo code, a form, or a link to your service page. Send the campaign right on the customer's birthday, or up to 30 days before.
To set up a Birthday Automation:
The Customer Anniversary campaign type automatically sends on the anniversary of a customer's first appointment with your business. Use it to thank customers for their loyalty with a kind message, a promo code, or a special offer. Send the campaign right on the anniversary, or up to 30 days before.
To set up a Customer Anniversary automation:
The New Customer campaign type automatically sends to customers who were recently added to your business. Use it to welcome them and encourage a return visit with a promo code, a form, or a friendly introduction. Send the campaign immediately after the customer's profile is created, or up to 30 days after.
To set up a New Customer automation:
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Select the New Customer campaign type, then select Next.
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Configure the automation settings:
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Move the slider to the left to send this campaign immediately after the customer is created.
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Move the slider to the right to send this campaign up to 30 days after the profile is created.
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Select Next or Save.
The Lost Customer campaign type automatically sends to customers who haven't visited in a while and don't have a future appointment booked. Use it to win them back with a reason to rebook, a promo code, or a feedback survey. Send the campaign anywhere from 1 to 52 weeks after a customer's last visit. This campaign only applies going forward, so it won't reach customers who were already lost before you created it.
Note
The customer's last visit is their last checked-out or completed appointment.
To set up a Lost Customer automation:
The Before Visit campaign type automatically sends before a customer's upcoming appointment or class. Use it to share what to expect, such as a pre-visit form, parking and directions, or products they can buy in-store. Send the campaign from 1 to 30 days before the visit. You can apply it to specific services and classes or your entire menu, and customers receive it only if they're booked for one you selected.
Note
This campaign won't reach customers who book outside the time frame you set. For example, if it's set to send 7 days before the appointment but a customer books only 5 days ahead, they won't receive the message.
To set up a Before Visit automation:
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Select the Before Visit campaign type, then select Next.
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After selecting the Before Visit campaign type, use the Services/Classes list to choose the services you want this campaign to apply to.
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Set when the campaign will be sent to customers.
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Leave the slider to send the campaign one day before their appointment.
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Move the slider to the right to send this campaign up to 30 days before their appointment.
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Select Next or Save.
The After Visit campaign type automatically sends after you check a customer out for a service or class. Use it to stay connected with a rebooking link, post-visit care tips, or a feedback survey. Send the campaign immediately after checkout, or up to 30 days after. You can apply it to specific services and classes or your entire menu, and the countdown starts only once you check the customer out in Vagaro.
Note
Check out your customers promptly when you use this campaign. The countdown starts from the appointment time, not when it's checked out. If the checkout isn't completed within the time frame you set, the message won't be sent.
To set up an After Visit automation:
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Select the After Visit campaign type, then select Next.
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Use the Services/Classes list to choose the services you want this campaign to apply to.
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Set when the campaign will be sent to customers.
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Leave the slider to send the campaign immediately after their appointment.
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Move the slider to the right to send this campaign up to 30 days after their appointment.
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Select Next or Save.
The Purchase campaign type automatically sends to customers after they buy an item you've selected. Use it to follow up on what they bought with a post-purchase survey, care instructions, or a related offer. Choose which purchases trigger it from any category, including memberships, packages, and products, then send the campaign immediately after the purchase, or up to 30 days after.
Note
If you're looking to send a campaign for service and class purchases, we recommend using the Before Visit or After Visit campaign instead.
To set up a Purchase automation:
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Select the Purchase campaign type, then select Next.
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Use the Items list to choose the items you want this campaign to apply to.
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Set when the campaign will send to customers.
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Leave the slider to send the campaign immediately after their purchase.
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Move the slider to the right to send this campaign up to 30 days after their purchase.
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Select Next or Save.
The Custom Automation campaign type lets you build your own campaign when none of the preset types fit. Use it to set a custom trigger and decide who receives the message and when.
To set up a custom automation:
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Select the Custom Automation campaign type, then select Next.
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Enter the Automation Name.
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Set up your Trigger and other settings for the automation.
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Select Next or Save.
Saving a custom automation will save it for future use as well. You can find these in My Automations.
Now choose who receives your automated campaign. Use a quick filter to target a common group, such as new or high-spending customers, or build custom filters to reach an audience that meets the exact criteria you set.
A filter is a rule that picks out a group of customers, such as everyone who spent over $100 in the last year. Bundle several filters into a filter group to define exactly who receives your campaign, or add more groups to target several audiences at once.
To choose campaign recipients:
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From the campaign setup screen, select Recipients.
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Next to Quick Filters, select All Customers.
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Choose from the preset filters or create a custom one:
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All customers: Do not filter customers any further than the trigger you set for the Campaign Type.
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Specific customers: Not available for automated campaigns
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Customers who aren't currently booked: Filter this campaign to customers with no upcoming bookings.
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Customers who haven't visited in a while: Filter this campaign to customers who haven't visited in a set number of months. A customer's last visited is their last completed or checked-out appointment.
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New customers: Filter this campaign to customers who have no or very few bookings.
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High-spending customers: Filter this campaign to customers who've spent more than a certain amount.
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Custom: Create your own filters for this campaign.
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If you choose a filter other than All Customers, customize the campaign filters as needed.
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Configure Filter Group 1:
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Attribute: The customer data you're filtering for. It's the "what" you're checking, like Customer Info, Things We Sell, Activity, Employee/Customers and Custom Fields.
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Operator: The comparison or logic applied to that attribute. It's the "how" you're checking for and defines the relationship between the attribute and the value.
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Value: The specific input you're comparing against. It's the "what to match" and the target the operator measures the attribute against. This option may not appear if a value isn't required.
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Add Filter: Add an additional filter.
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AND/OR: Choose whether both of these filters should apply (AND) or whether they're separate (OR) and only one needs to apply to capture the cohort.
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Delete: Remove the additional filter you added.
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Optionally, select Add Filter Group to configure another group of filters.
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AND/OR: Choose whether both of these filter groups should apply (AND) or whether they're separate (OR) and only one needs to apply to capture the cohort.
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Delete
: Remove this filter group.
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Select Save.
You'll return to the main campaign setup screen.
To choose campaign recipients:
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From the campaign setup screen, select Recipients.
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Choose from the preset filters or create a custom one:
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All customers: Send this campaign to all customers in your Customer List.
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Specific customers: Not available for automated campaigns
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Customers who aren't currently booked: Filter this campaign to customers with no upcoming bookings.
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Customers who haven't visited in a while: Filter this campaign to customers who haven't visited in a set number of months. A customer's last visited is their last completed or checked-out appointment.
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New customers: Filter this campaign to customers who have no or very few bookings.
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High-spending customers: Filter this campaign to customers who've spent more than a certain amount.
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Custom: Create your own filters for this campaign.
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If you choose a filter other than All Customers, customize the campaign filters as needed.
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Configure Filter Group 1:
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Attribute: The customer data you're filtering for. It's the "what" you're checking, like Customer Info, Things We Sell, Activity, Employee/Customers and Custom Fields.
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Operator: The comparison or logic applied to that attribute. It's the "how" you're checking for and defines the relationship between the attribute and the value.
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Value: The specific input you're comparing against. It's the "what to match" and the target the operator measures the attribute against. This option may not appear if a value isn't required.
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Add Filter: Add an additional filter.
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AND/OR: Choose whether both of these filters should apply (AND) or whether they're separate (OR) and only one needs to apply to capture the cohort.
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Delete: Remove the additional filter you added.
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Optionally, select Add Filter Group to configure another group of filters.
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AND/OR: Choose whether both of these filter groups should apply (AND) or whether they're separate (OR) and only one needs to apply to capture the cohort.
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Delete
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Select Save.
You'll return to the main campaign setup screen.
Now give your email its look and feel. A theme sets the colors, fonts, and imagery that carry your brand through the message, while a layout sets the structure, or where the header, text, images, and buttons sit on the page.
You can pick a ready-made theme and layout to get going quickly, or build your own from scratch for full control. Whichever you choose, nothing is locked in, so you can always make changes to the design later on.
To choose your email template:
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From the campaign setup screen, select Email Design.
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Hover over or select the theme you like, then select Select Theme. All the available layouts will appear.
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Hover over or select the layout you like, then select Use This Layout to begin designing your campaign or select Preview to see a preview of the email.
You can now begin building out your email.
To build an email theme from scratch:
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From the campaign setup screen, select Email Design.
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Select Build Your Own to open the theme builder.
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Customize the look and theme of your email by selecting options in the Colors, Images, and Font tabs.
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Colors: This is the color palette of your site used for font colors, the background, headings, and so on. Select the color options at the top to see palettes that contain that color.
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Images: This is the image set you used on your home page and cards on your site. At the top, select an industry type, like salon or spa, to see images tailored for your business.
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Fonts: This is the font pairing, the two fonts used for your paragraphs and headings. Select the font types at the top to see pairings that include that font.
The preview on the right will update based on your selections.
Tip
Get inspired by selecting Generate Combination to create a random theme.
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Select Apply Theme to move on to the email layout.
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Hover or select Start from scratch, then select Use This Layout.
You can now begin building out your email.
With your theme and layout set, the email designer opens. This is your workspace for building the body of the email, piece by piece. Everything a customer sees in the message is made of elements, the individual building blocks such as text, headings, buttons, and images, and many of them fill in automatically with your business information, like your logo, address, and booking links.
If you started from a template, the designer is already filled with placeholder elements that you can edit, rearrange, or remove. If you built your own theme, you'll start with a mostly blank canvas and add each element yourself. Either way, nothing is permanent, so you can keep adding, moving, and fine-tuning elements until the email looks exactly the way you want.
Every email is built from a handful of element types you can mix and match. Here are the elements you can add:
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Banner Image: A wide, full-width image across the top of your email, ideal for a hero shot or headline graphic.
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Business Logo: Your business's logo, pulled from your Vagaro profile.
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Image: A photo or graphic you upload or choose to add visual interest.
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Text: A block of body copy for your main message, details, or fine print.
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Heading: Larger, bold text that titles a section or draws the eye to a key point.
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Divider: A horizontal line that separates sections and adds visual spacing.
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Button: A clickable call-to-action, such as Book Now, that links to a page you choose.
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Service: Features one or more services you offer so customers can book it.
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Class: Features one or more classes so customers can view it and sign up.
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Product: Showcases a retail product from your inventory.
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Daily Deal: Promotes a daily deal you're running.
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Membership: Displays a membership customers can purchase.
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Package: Displays a package that bundles services together.
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Discount: Highlights a discount or promotion.
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Fill a Form: Invites customers to complete one of your forms.
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Staff: Introduces a staff member or your team.
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Leave a Review: Invites customers to leave a review of your business.
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Social Links: Adds links to your social media profiles.
Note
The placeholder prompts on banners and footers, such as Drop Text, Button, or Image here, are just on-screen guides in the designer. They won't appear in the email your customers receive.
To add an element, select Elements at the bottom of the screen, then select the one you want. It drops into the builder, where you can slide it into place.
When you drop an element, its settings open along the bottom of the screen. To change an element that's already in your email, select it to reopen those settings. Each element has its own set of options, so take a moment to look through them, since what you can adjust changes from one element to the next.
You can also rearrange and manage elements at any time:
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Move: Select an element and drag it to a new spot. For a text element, select the Move
icon first, then drag. As you position an element, circular markers appear on screen to show where it can go. Use them to divide your email into clear sections and keep everything aligned.
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Delete: Select the element, then select Delete
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Duplicate: Select the element, then select Duplicate
to drop in an identical copy.
To add an element, find it in the Email Elements panel and drag it into the builder. Release it where you want it to appear.
As you drag, circular markers appear on screen to show where the element can go. Use them to divide your email into sections and line everything up neatly.
When you drop an element, its settings open in a panel on the right side of the screen. To edit an element that's already in your email, select it to reopen that panel. Each element has its own set of options, so review them carefully, since what you can adjust varies from one element to the next.
You can also rearrange and manage elements at any time:
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Move: Select an element and drag it to another spot in the email. For a text element, select the Move
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Delete: Select the element, then select Delete
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Duplicate: Select the element, then select Duplicate
With your elements in place, it's time to fine-tune the wording and lock in your design. If you started from a template, the copy is already written for you, so you can keep it as is or select any text to make it your own. Rewrite the wording, personalize it with each customer's name, and style it to match your brand. When everything reads the way you want, save your design to move on.
If you started from a template, the written content is already added for you. If you like it as is, select Save in the top-right corner to finalize your design, or edit the text to make it your own.
To change existing text, select it and start typing, just like any other editor. To add more, select Elements at the bottom of the screen and choose a Text or Heading element.
When your email looks the way you want, select Save in the top-right corner to keep your design.
If you started from a template, the written content is already added for you. If you like it as is, select Save to finalize your design, or edit the text to make it your own.
To change existing text, select where you want to make a change and start typing, just like any other editor. To add more, drag and drop a Text or Heading element into the builder.
When you select text, a formatting toolbar appears at the top of the designer. Here's what each tool does, grouped by what it's for:
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Write
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Vera
: Use Vagaro's AI assistant to write the text for you.
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Appearance
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Font Color: Change the color of the selected text.
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Font: Change the typeface of the selected text.
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Size: Change the size of the selected text.
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Text Style: Set the selected text as a paragraph or heading (Paragraph, Heading 1, or Heading 2).
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Format
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Bold
: Make the selected text bold.
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Italicize
: Make the selected text italic.
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Strike Through
: Add a line through the selected text.
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Underline
: Underline the selected text.
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Align
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Align Left
: Line up the selected text along the left margin.
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Align Center
: Center the selected text.
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Align Right
: Line up the selected text along the right margin.
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Lists and spacing
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Bullet Point
: Format the selected text as a bulleted list.
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Numbered List
: Format the selected text as a numbered list.
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Indent
: Move the selected text farther from the margin.
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Outdent
: Move the selected text back toward the margin.
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Insert and remove
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Insert: Insert the customer's first name or first and last name. It appears as a placeholder at first, but when the message is sent, Vagaro replaces it with the customer's actual name from their customer profile.
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Link
: Add a hyperlink to the selected text.
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Delete
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When your email looks the way you want, select Save to keep your design.
Finally, give your campaign one last review and send it on its way. You'll confirm you've checked everything for accuracy, then send the blast to your recipients. Not quite ready? Save it as a draft and pick up where you left off later. If you're short on email credits, you'll have the option to upgrade your plan or send anyway and accept the extra charge.
To confirm and start the campaign:
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From the campaign setup screen, select the checkbox to confirm you've reviewed all changes for accuracy.
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Select Send.
Note
You can save a draft of your campaign by selecting Save as Draft instead of announcing it right away.
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If you don't have enough credits for the campaign, the Usage Alert popup will appear. You can choose to Upgrade Plan or Announce your campaign and accept the extra charge.
Comments
2 comments
How do I add a discount code into the email that is unique to each birthday recipient? What about adding the expiry date so they use it within two weeks? Once they have received the email, what are the next steps?
Hi Tara, you aren't able to send each customer a unique promo code with each email. However, you can ensure that each customer who's received the promo code can only use it once with the Limit to One Use Per Person setting.
For your question about the expiration date, there is an option to set an expiry date, but this is a set date and will not change based on when the customer receives the promo code. As a workaround, you can create a code that expires after 2 weeks to one month to even one year, then announce a campaign with that code. You'll then need to update your promo code when it expires and then reannounce the campaign with the new code. This is a bit more manual effort than you wanted, but that is my current suggestion.
For the next steps question, any customer who receives your code can purchase a service or class and use the promo code for a discount. They can also use the promo code in-house. Note that promo codes only apply to purchasable items. Your customer will not be able to use a promo code at online checkout if you don't require a deposit or the customer doesn't pay for the service in full.
Here are some articles covering what I mentioned above:
Hopefully, this answers all your questions. Feel free to reach out if you need any more help.
Thanks,
Jamie
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