Best Welcome Emails for New Customers in 2026: 12 Examples, Types, and Templates

What is a welcome email and why is it important?

A welcome email is a message to new subscribers telling them what to expect next. It usually looks something like this:

Welcome emails can contain videos, special offers, like in the example above or just a friendly hello to establish a relationship with a new contact.

However, a single welcome message is often not enough to deliver the customer retention and conversions you’re aiming for. It is usually expanded to a welcome series — a triggered series of emails, each with a unique story and purpose, all gradually leading your subscriber to purchase. Consistency does pay off!

Here is why you need a welcome email in the first place:

• Welcome emails aim to boost engagement and conversion. They are much more than just thank-you-for-coming messages. It is the first real interaction a company has with a new customer or a newsletter subscriber, sort of a honeymoon period — so don’t waste it! It is also a great opportunity to capture the subscribers’ attention, increase the engagement rate, and drive sales without lifting a finger — email marketing automation does it all for you. 
• Welcome emails are a brilliant opportunity to showcase your products, encourage a new audience to get to know your service or product and keep them engaged until they’re ready to convert. It is your chance to show off your best items so they can’t help but start browsing.
• What is even more important is that according to GetResponse, the average open rate of welcome emails is a whopping 80%, which is twice as effective compared to the general average opens. The same study found that welcome emails are clicked four times more often than regular email campaigns. Why? Because your subscribers are just waiting to get them – to get an incentive for their signup or to enjoy some personalized content. 
• As per Omnisend, of all the orders driven by email, 88% come from automated emails, including welcome campaigns.
• When welcome emails confirm a user’s subscription via double opt-in, they strengthen your sender reputation and help keep you out of that subscriber’s spam folder.
• Welcome emails are a great tool for storytelling and a story is a great way to give insight into your brand and values. It makes your brand easy to remember, gives it a personal touch and connection, and encourages the subscribers to start the journey with you.

What makes a good welcome newsletter?

So, how do you make a great welcome email? Here are some of the things to consider while creating your welcome email marketing campaign that can make your customers want to explore your business.

Creative subject lines

An email subject line is the first thing that your customers see. So, make it catchy, short, and simple. You may include some personalization elements and mention the benefits that the recipient might get by opening your email. It is also recommended to use emojis and playful language to catch your customers’ attention.

Here’s a great example of a solid welcome email subject line that fits the brand voice:

This subject line is great because it’s intriguing enough to open an email and contains a smart wordplay — Bark & Bitter produces non-alcoholic bitters for cocktails, so “bitter life” means both “sad life” (ironically, of course) and “life with bitters from this brand”. So, don’t be afraid of using funny subject lines for your welcome campaigns!

It’s also a good idea to give your brand/personal name in the From field (noreply@yourbrand.com won’t do), and be sure to welcome or thank your subscribers in the subject line.

More welcome emails subject line ideas from real brands:

• Welcome to Zapier!
• Success! 🤸🏾‍♀️
• 🎉 Smiles Davis, welcome to Hertz Gold Plus Rewards – Save 25%!
• 10% OFF Rally Welcome
• Welcome to And Repeat—take 15% off
• Welcome to Rest. Perfect timing.
• It’s a truck. It’s an SUV. It’s a Slate.
• Shift Into Strength: the official Peloton Strength+ newsletter
• Here’s 15% off your first order!
• It’s nice to meet you

Personal offers

Another popular tactic is to include a personal offer in your welcome email. It may be a discount, freebies, or free shipping for the first order. A promo code for the first order attracts new customers, drives sales, and increases the chances of new subscribers converting to loyal customers.

Here’s a welcome email from Roman, where the brand offers 20% off the first order. It provides a clear motivation for the subscribers to take action.

Content recommendations

Start your welcome email with a warm welcome and a brief introduction to your business. Then, confirm the subscription and express your gratitude. You can also let your audience know what content they can expect from your newsletter and what benefits they can get by being subscribed to you. Other points to consider are your call-to-action and personalization elements.

You also don’t have to focus on one objective of your welcome email — let’s take a look at this example from DEEPS. Notice how it has more than one CTA but doesn’t look overwhelming and gives a good general overview of the company and its product. Also, hey, discounts are always nice, right?

Unsubscribe link

One more element that has to be included in any of your business emails is an unsubscribe option. Apart from being a legal requirement, it is also an important aspect of email marketing. The option shows respect for your customers and creates a positive sender reputation.

How many emails to use in a welcome series

It’s a tricky question. Most marketers recommend creating three to seven emails in a welcome series that spans between two weeks to two months. It all depends on your business, your target audience, your segmentation settings, and your product. If it’s a big purchase that requires some consideration, the series may need to be longer than that of an impulsive e-commerce commitment. In this case, it’s a good idea to A/B test your series to understand what works best for your contacts at each stage. 

1. 1st email. Email confirmation (if it’s a double opt-in). Thus, you will have only a loyal audience on your list, those who are willing to sign up. Such an audience is unlikely to mark you as spam.

When: Right after the user signs up.

2. 2nd email. Thank-you message, user registration data, and a welcome bonus. Besides, it heats up interest in the subscriber by telling them what’s coming next.

When: A few minutes after sign-up.

3. 3rd email. Access to your freebies.

When: 1 day after the thank-you email.

4. 4th email. Your products/services guide.

When: 2 days after the previous email in the series.

5. 5th email. Offer to purchase, e.g. a special offer available only to subscribers.

When: 2-3 days after the previous email in the series.

You can tailor your welcome email series based on what stage in the sales funnel your customer is and create relevant content. This way, you can personalize their experience with your brand making it more about the customer – thus, more caring and efficient. 

How to automate welcome emails in Selzy

You can create any welcome sequence in Selzy’s omnichannel automation scenario builder in a few steps:

1. Start a new automation 

Go to Scenarios, create a new one, and choose the trigger you want — for example, a new subscriber joining your list or data coming from your website.

2. Add your welcome emails

Drag in Email blocks and arrange them in the order you want.

3. Personalize your messages

Add your subscriber’s name, offer, or other details right in the editor. If you’re sending data from your website or store, Selzy can insert it automatically.

4. Test and launch

Preview your flow, send a test email, and activate the scenario — Selzy will send every message at the right moment.

For a deeper walkthrough (including dynamic content and API triggers), see the full help center article.

Types of welcome emails

There are different types of welcome emails. As we’ve mentioned before, some of them might offer a promo code, while others can just introduce the brand. Below, we’ve gathered three of the most common kinds of welcome emails. Keep reading to see what works best for your business!

Hello emails for new subscribers

Hello welcome emails aim at greeting new subscribers and introducing your business. It is also a great opportunity to make a strong value proposition. In this type of email campaign, provide a brief overview of what subscribers can expect from your company and its newsletter. The content of the email doesn’t have to include a discount offer or a call-to-action but rather send a welcome message, leave a good first impression, and prepare your customers for future engagement with your business.

In the email from Cars.com, the brand lists what it has to offer, so that new customers can understand which types of help they can get from the company.

Offer emails

Offer emails are the ones that include a special deal for new subscribers. This type of email campaign is the best for capturing your audience’s attention and encouraging them to make purchases or take other actions to drive sales. Offer emails are a great choice for your business if you aim to increase conversion and engagement rates.

Here’s an offer email from GAP. Although it’s quite simple, it captures the customers’ attention and makes a great deal.

Thank you emails

Thank-you emails are meant to express gratitude for signing up and connecting with your business. They positively affect customer loyalty and build good relationships with your new subscribers. Although such email campaigns don’t necessarily have to include a special offer, they can make your customers feel appreciated and want to explore your brand — in its turn, that will drive your sales in the future.

In this email from reMarkable, the brand expresses gratitude towards its new subscribers and makes a brief introduction. It sparks interest and makes a good call to action.

12 best welcome email examples

Now that you’ve learned some theory, it’s time to explore the best examples of welcome emails. Get some inspiration for your marketing campaign and get ready to drive your business’ sales!

Wunderkin Co.

Wunderkin Co. is a kids’ hair accessories brand. In their welcome email campaign, they offer new subscribers a promo code for free shipping on the first order. The email demonstrates the benefits the customers can get by staying with the brand. The first free shipping is also a great choice to leave a good first impression, build customer engagement, and create a bond.

The email is simple and matches the business’ aesthetics. It doesn’t have too much information but rather gets straight to the point.

Eve

Eve is a UK brand specializing in mattresses and bedroom furniture. In the brand’s welcome email, they state some of the information about the company, its values, and some of the recommended items. It is an effective strategy to leave a good impression on customers who are not familiar with the brand, as they can learn more about the company and what it has to offer.

Thinx

Thinx is a reusable period underwear brand. As for their welcome email, they chose to introduce the brand and let the subscribers know what they can expect from the newsletter. By doing that, the brand demonstrates what other benefits the audience can get by following them. The email also mentioned the brand’s activism, which helps build trust and encourages engagement with the business, even though it doesn’t feature a special first-order offer.

Bite

Bite is a brand that produces all-natural, zero-waste toothpaste tablets and claims that its mission is to become the world’s most sustainable personal care company. Its welcome email is simple and short but it feels very personal thanks to its sender — Lindsay McCormick, the CEO of Bite, describing the story of her life and Bite’s substance and meaning.  

Kurk

Kurk is a supplement brand from London. In its welcome email, the brand included a discount offer for the first order and put some positive reviews. It is a great strategy for introducing the brand to a new audience as they are not familiar with the product. Including positive reviews helps build trust between the potential customers and the company.

Penningtons

Penningtons is a Canadian plus-size fashion leader. In the welcome email marketing campaign, the company provides some information about the brand and a 20% off reward for completing a customer profile. 

Although the email is quite long, the content is presented in blocks that are easy to read. The reward is also an effective way to increase engagement and drive sales.

Stills

Stills is a platform for image licensing. In its welcome email marketing campaign, the brand uses a picture that matches the brand’s aesthetic. The content includes the invite codes. It is an effective word-of-mouth marketing strategy that can reach new potential customers. It leaves a good impression by creating a sense of exclusivity and making the audience feel special.

Little Sleepies

Little Sleepies is a pajama and daywear company. The brand’s welcome email marketing campaign focuses on greeting new subscribers and introducing the brand. It also provides a promo code for the first order and lets the audience know what they can expect from the company’s newsletter. 

The email design makes it stand out while matching the aesthetics at the same time. It also includes some fun content, such as the link to a test that can help choose your kid’s outfit. These CTA elements make the campaign informative and effective.

Brooks Running

Brooks Running is a sports equipment company. As for its welcome email marketing campaign, the brand decided to offer a discount for the first order and motivate the subscribers to take action. The email includes links to the website, which together with the promo code makes an effective marketing move for driving sales.

COSRX

COSRX is a leading Korean skincare brand. The brand’s welcome email is rather long and features a number of sections designed for different purposes (there’s even a quiz!). It’s very easy to take in, though, thanks to the clear layout and design choices.

Lyka

Lyka is an Australian-based company that produces fresh dog food made from high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. 

Their welcome email does a great job at solidifying the brand’s image in a lead’s eyes, highlighting all the major selling points that distinguish their product from other pet food brands.

All that along with some social proof (55 million meals!) and a generous 30% discount.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that sends pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes to customers’ doors.

They start their welcome email with just a simple thank-you note and then go straight to informing a new subscriber that they now have access to 10 free meals, yay! 

What also stands out is the very well-structured user guide on what to do next, with the big and noticeable “Get started” CTA at the end. 

Welcome email templates

Selzy has a library of 1,000+ mobile-responsive email templates ready for your use!

Our welcome email templates are designed to greet new subscribers and instantly connect them to your brand. 

Easily customize a pre-built design with your branding and AI writing tools to create a warm, engaging welcome that sets the tone for your relationship and drives engagement from day one.

Final thoughts

Time to summarize.

• Currently, not all businesses send welcome emails, so use the opportunity to stand out and build trust!
• Introduce yourself in the most interesting and personal way – tell a story your subscribers will remember and showcase what you have to offer to them.
• When making an email, always keep in mind the benefits you can give to your subscriber. Actually, it should be your priority number 1.
• Properly thank your subscribers using words, or gifts, or both, which is much better.
• Mind the design and stick to a clear structure to help your subscribers navigate your email.

FAQ about welcome emails

What is a welcome email?

A welcome email is the first message a new subscriber receives after joining your list. It confirms their subscription, introduces your brand, and sets expectations for future communication.

Why are welcome emails important?

They have extremely high engagement — on average, open rates above 80% and 4× more clicks than regular campaigns. This makes them ideal for building trust, showcasing key offers, and driving early conversions.

What should I include in a welcome email?

A friendly greeting, a short brand introduction, a clear CTA, optional incentive, and essential links. You can also add video, product highlights, or personalized content.

How many emails should be in a welcome series and when should I send them?

Most marketers use 3-7 emails sent over several days. 

The best idea is to start your welcome flow immediately after someone joins your list. Delaying the first touchpoint reduces engagement and conversion potential.

Should I personalize my welcome emails?

Yes. Personalized emails feel more relevant and help build trust. You can personalize using a name, interests, or actions taken on your website.

Can I automate welcome emails?

Absolutely. This is actually the only way to do them properly. For best results, use the omnichannel automation scenario builder to create a flow that sends welcome emails automatically.