Transactional emails
What is a transactional email?
Transactional emails are automated emails that are triggered by a specific action taken on a website/application or simply an interaction with a service. This often acts as an acknowledgement or shares information of the action taken.
Key characteristics of a transactional email
While transactional emails vary depending on the purpose, recipient, and business, all transactional emails have a few traits in common. An email has to match the following characteristic to be a transactional email:
It has to be triggered by a user action.
It has to be personalized and sent to one recipient at a time.
It has to communicate acknowledgement or specific information rather than promote a service or product.
The user is expecting the email as a response to the action.
Types of transactional emails and common examples
Transactional emails can be broadly categorized into different types based on their purpose. Here are the types with examples.
Account notification emails
These emails convey information about changes or actions in the user's account. They serve informational and security purposes for the user. Here are some examples:
Order updates
Login alerts
New comments on a blog
Username or profile update
Account settings modification
User-requested emails
Transactional emails are requested by the user through an action. They’re often time sensitive and carry information that the user needs to proceed. Here are some examples:
Password reset link
Verification codes
Exported files
Requested download files
Recording of a call or meeting
Periodic update emails
Transactional emails are scheduled at a regular interval to keep the user informed of account activity over the period. Here are some examples:
Monthly bank statements
Investment portfolio summary
Weekly trading reports
Loan summary
Receipts and invoice emails
These emails are an acknowledgement and a final step of a transaction between the user and the service. They can be in the form of:
Order confirmations
Product invoice
Subscription receipt
Investment portfolio
Reminder emails
These transactional emails act as a reminder for actions that the user needs to take in the account or service. Here are some examples:
Payment reminders
Account renewal reminders
Upgrade reminders
Event reminders
Appointment reminders
Support and feedback emails
These emails are sent after the transaction between the user and the business, as a way to gather user feedback and relay requests to the relevant teams. Here are some examples:
Support requests
Customer feedback
Contact forms
Experience surveys
Referrals and invites
These transactional emails are triggered from a service to invite a user to join or create an account. They are often triggered by existing users. They can be:
Invitation emails
Referral links
Why are transactional emails important?
Transactional emails are operation-critical and are often requested or triggered by the user. They provide timely and relevant information that helps users proceed in their customer journey or stay informed. They have high engagement, and can aid trust and retention when delivered well.