Triggered emails

Triggered emails are automated messages sent in response to specific user actions or events. They can be transactional, behavioral, or marketing-focused, depending on the content and purpose of the message. 

A trigger refers to the event that causes the email to be sent – not the type of email itself. 

Examples of triggered emails: 

• Transactional: Order confirmations, password resets (content is account- or purchase-related) 
• Marketing: Welcome sequences, abandoned cart nudges, re-engagement campaigns (content is promotional or engagement-driven) 
• Behavioral: Milestone emails, post-purchase surveys, upsell suggestions based on browsing 

While all transactional emails are triggered by an event related to a transaction, not all triggered emails are transactional – and that distinction matters for both compliance and deliverability. For instance, transactional emails may not require an unsubscribe link, but marketing emails almost always do under laws like CAN-SPAM and GDPR.