The short answer: The best welcome email examples for online stores do four things in the first message: thank the new subscriber, deliver what the signup form promised (often a first-order discount), show who you are, and point to a few bestsellers. Two or three follow-ups over the next two weeks then build trust and earn the first order.
Below are eight welcome email examples you can adapt, a ready-to-use four-email series for a Shopify store, subject lines, and the mistakes that cost first orders. You'll also see the welcome email tinyAlbert wrote for a real test store.
What is a welcome email?
A welcome email is the automated message a store sends as soon as someone joins its email list, usually through a signup form or popup, or by ticking the marketing box at checkout. It is the one email a new subscriber is actively waiting for, especially if you promised them a code. That makes it the best moment to set expectations and earn a first purchase.
A welcome series (also called a welcome sequence or welcome flow) is the same idea stretched over several emails: the first delivers the welcome and the offer, the next ones tell your story, show social proof and remind people about the offer before it ends.
What should a welcome email include?
- A clear subject line that says it's a welcome and, if there is one, names the offer: "Welcome! Here's your 10% off".
- A short thank-you in your brand's voice. One or two sentences is enough.
- The promised incentive, easy to find: the discount code near the top, in large text, with a button that applies it or takes people to the shop.
- Who you are: one line on what you sell and why it is different.
- Where to start: three or four bestsellers or your most popular collection.
- What happens next: what you'll email about and how often.
- One main call to action: "Shop bestsellers" or "Use my 10% off", not five competing buttons.
- The basics in the footer: your store address and a visible unsubscribe link.
8 welcome email examples for online stores
Each example shows what the email is for, when to send it and copy you can adapt to your store.
1. The first-order discount welcome
Send: immediately after signup, when your popup offered a discount.
This is the welcome a discount popup leads to, so its first job is to keep the promise. Put the code where nobody can miss it and make the button do the work.
Copy to adapt: "Thanks for joining us! Here's your code for 10% off your first order: WELCOME10. Use it on anything in the store, including our bestsellers below."
Subject line idea: "Welcome! Your 10% off is inside".
2. The simple thank-you (no discount)
Send: immediately, when the signup form promised news, early access or content rather than a discount.
Not every store wants to train customers to wait for a code. A warm, short thank-you that says what subscribers will get from you can suit premium brands and stores with tight margins.
Copy to adapt: "You're in. Every Thursday we'll send you new arrivals, restocks and the odd behind-the-scenes story. Nothing else. To start, here are the three pieces our customers love most."
3. The founder's note
Send: day 2 or 3 of a welcome series.
A plain-looking email from the person who started the business, with a photo and a few lines on why the store exists. Invite replies, and send it from an address someone reads.
Copy to adapt: "Hi, I'm Sam. I started [store] in [year] because I couldn't find [product] that [benefit]. Everything we sell is still [made / chosen / tested] by our team of four. If you ever have a question, just reply to this email."
4. The bestseller storefront
Send: as part of the first email, or on its own on day 3 or 4.
New subscribers don't know your range. Show four products with images, prices and a one-line reason each is popular, and link each one straight to its product page.
Subject line idea: "Where to start: our 4 most-loved products".
5. The how-to email
Send: day 4 to 6, for products that need a little explaining.
If your products have sizes, ingredients, refills or set-up steps, a short "how to choose" or "how to use" email removes the doubts that stop a first order. Link to your size guide or FAQ page.
Subject line idea: "Not sure which one to pick? Start here".
6. The reviews email
Send: day 5 to 7.
Let customers do the convincing. Quote three real reviews from your store, with the product they reviewed and a link to it. Only use real reviews, and quote them word for word.
Subject line idea: "What our customers say (in their own words)".
7. The "what are you shopping for?" email
Send: day 2 to 4, for stores with clearly different product groups.
Offer three or four buttons, one per category ("For me", "Gifts", "For my dog"), each linking to the right collection. It helps the subscriber and tells you what they're interested in.
8. The last reminder before the code expires
Send: a day or two before the welcome discount ends, only to subscribers who haven't bought yet.
A short, honest nudge. If your code doesn't expire, don't invent a deadline; remind them it's still there instead.
Copy to adapt: "Just a reminder: your 10% off code WELCOME10 ends on Sunday. Here's what new customers are ordering this week."
Subject line idea: "Your 10% off ends Sunday".
A 4-email welcome series you can copy
Here is how the examples fit into one welcome series. Stop the series for anyone who places an order, so new customers move on to your post-purchase emails instead.
| When | Goal | What it contains | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Welcome | Immediately | Deliver the promise | Thank-you, discount code (if offered), 3 to 4 bestsellers, what you'll send |
| 2. Your story | Day 2 | Build trust | Founder's note or what makes your products different |
| 3. Proof and help | Day 4 or 5 | Remove doubts | Real reviews, how to choose, delivery and returns in one line |
| 4. Reminder | Day 7 to 10 | Ask for the first order | Code reminder or a nudge back to bestsellers, only to non-buyers |
If you don't offer a discount, keep the same structure and make email 4 about your most popular product or a new arrival instead.
Should your welcome email include a discount?
A first-order discount gives people a reason to sign up and a reason to buy now. It also costs margin on every first order and can teach customers to wait for codes. The deciding factor is what your signup form promised:
- The popup offered a discount: the welcome email must deliver it, immediately and visibly.
- The form offered news, early access or a guide: deliver that instead, and lead with your story and bestsellers.
- You're not sure: run the discount version for a few weeks, then the non-discount version, and compare first orders from new subscribers.
If you do offer a code, create it in Shopify under Discounts and, under Maximum discount uses, tick Limit to one per customer so it is a genuine first-order offer (Shopify Help Center).
Welcome email subject line ideas
These are ideas to adapt to your brand's voice:
- "Welcome to [store]! Here's your 10% off"
- "You're in. Here's what happens next"
- "Thanks for joining us, [first name]"
- "Your welcome gift is inside"
- "Where to start: our bestsellers"
- "The story behind [store]"
- "Still deciding? Here's what customers say"
- "Your code ends tomorrow"
Keep the subject line short enough for a phone screen and use the preview text for the detail, such as the code's end date. For more ideas, see our email subject lines for online stores.
Common welcome email mistakes
- Sending it late. The first email should go out within minutes. A welcome that arrives the next day has missed the moment.
- Hiding the code. If the popup promised 10% off, the code belongs at the top of the email, not below three paragraphs of story.
- Not stopping after a purchase. A buyer who keeps getting "your code ends soon" emails feels ignored. Exit people from the series when they order.
- Seasonal copy left in. A welcome series runs all year. Check it after each season for mentions of Christmas, summer sales or old shipping dates.
- Too many asks. Follow us, download the app, take a quiz and shop now, all in one email, means none of them gets done. Pick one.
- Weak sender set-up. Welcome emails go to new addresses, so authentication matters. Make sure SPF, DKIM and DMARC are in place for the address you send from.
How tinyAlbert writes your welcome emails
tinyAlbert is an AI email marketing app for Shopify stores. It plans a year of campaigns, writes them and your core automations in your brand's voice, and sends them. Two of those automations are welcome flows, ready from the day you install: Welcome Series 10% Discount, which gives new subscribers a first-order code, and Welcome Series.
Here is what the Welcome Series 10% Discount email looked like in our test store, written by tinyAlbert from the store's onboarding answers: the subject line "Welcome [CUSTOMER_FIRST_NAME]!", a "Thank you for joining!" headline, a short paragraph saying subscribers will be first to hear about discounts and offers, a 10% code in a box, a "Shop Now With 10% Off" button, and the store's address and unsubscribe link in the footer. It follows the checklist above, and you can edit any part of it.
- Written in your voice. At set-up you choose one of 7 tones of voice (from Formal to Entertaining) and one of 10 languages, and the emails are written to match, with your logo and colours.
- Connected to your signup form. tinyAlbert includes four ready-made signup forms. Switching on the "10% Off Your First Order" form also enables the Welcome Series 10% Discount automation, and forms go live through the Shopify theme editor with no code. Read more about tinyAlbert signup forms.
- Review before it goes live. Preview each email on desktop and mobile, edit it, send yourself a test or regenerate it, then switch the automation on with one toggle.
- Authenticated sending from day one. DKIM, SPF and DMARC are verified on a tinyAlbert-managed sending address, and you can add your own domain later.
Shopify's own Campaign Autopilot can also generate welcome series for new subscribers in Shopify Messaging (Shopify Help Center). tinyAlbert covers welcome emails as part of a wider set: a year of planned campaigns, signup forms, and abandoned cart, post-purchase, review and win-back automations. See how the tinyAlbert welcome emails work, read the Shopify email marketing guide, or see pricing: tinyAlbert starts at $3 a month for up to 100 contacts after a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What should a welcome email include?
A thank-you, whatever the signup form promised (such as a discount code, placed near the top), one line on who you are, three or four bestsellers, what you'll email about and how often, a single main call to action, and a footer with your address and an unsubscribe link. Keep it short enough to read in under a minute.
How many emails should be in a welcome series?
Three or four emails over the first one to two weeks is a practical structure for most online stores: the welcome itself, your story, social proof or product help, and a final reminder. Stop the series for anyone who buys, and move them on to your post-purchase emails.
When should you send a welcome email?
Immediately after signup. The subscriber has just given you their address and, often, is waiting for a code to use on the order they are about to place. Set the first email to send automatically within minutes, then space the rest of the series a day or more apart.
Should a welcome email include a discount?
Only if your signup form promised one. A first-order discount can turn more subscribers into customers, but it costs margin and can train people to wait for codes. If you offer one, limit it to one use per customer; if you don't, lead with your story and bestsellers instead.
How do I set up a welcome email on Shopify?
Use an email app, or Campaign Autopilot for Shopify Messaging, to create an automation triggered when someone subscribes, write the first email, and connect it to your signup form. With tinyAlbert, the Welcome Series and Welcome Series 10% Discount automations are already written in your brand's voice; you review them and switch them on with one toggle.
tinyAlbert is an AI email marketing app for Shopify stores, made by tinyCo, the company behind tinyEmail. About tinyAlbert.