Mastering Workflow Automation with Brevo: A Beginner’s Guide

Imagine a world where your marketing emails, lead nurturing, and customer follow‑ups happen automatically—without you lifting a finger. That’s the power of workflow automation, and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) makes it accessible to businesses of all sizes. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics, show you how to set up your first workflow, and share tips to get the most out of Brevo’s automation engine.

Why Choose Brevo for Workflow Automation?

Brevo combines email marketing, SMS, chat, and CRM into one platform, allowing you to build multi‑channel workflows without juggling separate tools. Key benefits include:

• Visual drag‑and‑drop builder – create automations in minutes.
• Advanced segmentation – target contacts based on behavior, attributes, or custom events.
• Real‑time reporting – measure opens, clicks, conversions, and revenue per workflow.
• Scalable pricing – start free and grow as your contact list expands.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your First Workflow

1. Define Your Goal

Every automation should solve a specific problem—welcome new subscribers, recover abandoned carts, or nurture leads. Write a clear objective, e.g., “Increase newsletter sign‑up confirmations by 20%.”

2. Gather Your Audience

Use Brevo’s contact list or import contacts from your CRM. Apply tags or custom fields (e.g., source=webinar) to make segmentation simple later.

3. Choose a Template or Build From Scratch

Brevo offers ready‑made templates such as “Welcome Series,” “Birthday Greeting,” or “Re‑engagement.” For a custom flow, click “Create new workflow” and select the visual builder.

4. Set Triggers and Conditions

Triggers launch the workflow. Common triggers include:

• Contact subscribes to a list.
• Tag added (e.g., purchase_complete).
• Specific date or birthday.
• Custom event from your website or app.

Combine triggers with if/else conditions to branch the flow. Example: “If contact opened email 1, send email 2; else send reminder email.”

5. Design the Messages

Use Brevo’s drag‑and‑drop email editor or plain‑text templates. Keep these best practices in mind:

• Personalize with contact’s name or recent activity.
• Include a clear CTA button.
• Maintain brand consistency—logo, colors, fonts.
• Optimize for mobile (single‑column layout).

6. Add Delays and Actions

Insert wait times (e.g., 2 days) between steps to avoid overwhelming contacts. You can also add SMS, push notifications, or CRM updates as actions.

7. Test Before You Publish

Use Brevo’s “Test workflow” feature to send a mock run to a test contact. Verify links, personalization, and timing. Adjust any broken conditions.

Best Practices for Effective Brevo Automations

• Start simple. Begin with a 3‑step welcome series, then expand.
• Keep lists clean. Regularly remove inactive contacts to maintain deliverability.
• Use progressive profiling. Ask for additional data only when needed.
• Monitor metrics. Track open rates, click‑through rates, and conversion per step.
• A/B test subject lines and send times. Brevo’s split testing helps you refine each email.

Advanced Tips: Leveraging Brevo’s Unique Features

Dynamic Segmentation

Combine multiple criteria—e.g., contacts who clicked a product link and have a purchase value > $100. Save these segments for future automations.

Event‑Based Triggers

Integrate Brevo with your website via the API to fire an automation when a user adds a product to the cart but doesn’t checkout. This enables real‑time cart‑abandonment workflows.

Multi‑Channel Touchpoints

Blend email with SMS for time‑sensitive alerts (e.g., delivery updates). Use the same workflow to send an SMS if the email wasn’t opened within 24 hours.

FAQ

Can I use Brevo automation on a free plan?

Yes, the free tier includes basic workflows with up to 300 contacts. Premium plans unlock unlimited steps, advanced segmentation, and priority support.

How many emails can I send per workflow?

There’s no hard limit; the restriction is on total monthly email volume based on your plan.

Is it possible to pause a workflow for a specific contact?

Yes—use the “Pause” action or manually remove the contact’s tag, then re‑add it when you’re ready to resume.

Do I need coding skills to use event‑based triggers?

No, Brevo provides native integrations (e.g., WordPress, Shopify) and a simple API guide for developers. Beginners can start with built‑in triggers.

How do I measure ROI from my automations?

Track conversions by adding UTM parameters to links, then view revenue in Brevo’s analytics dashboard or connect to Google Analytics.

Conclusion & Next Steps

Brevo makes workflow automation approachable while offering room to grow into sophisticated, multi‑channel campaigns. Start by building a simple welcome series, monitor its performance, and iterate with the tips above. In just a few weeks, you’ll see higher engagement, fewer manual tasks, and a clearer picture of your marketing ROI.

Ready to automate? Log in to Brevo, create your first workflow, and watch your inbox work for you.

Call to Action

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