Customer Segment Email Automation v25.11+

Maho's Customer Segment Email Automation enables you to send targeted, multi-step email campaigns automatically when customers enter or exit specific segments. Transform your customer engagement with personalized email sequences, dynamic coupon generation, and intelligent timing.

Overview

Email automation in Maho combines the power of customer segmentation with sophisticated email sequencing to create highly targeted marketing campaigns:

• Trigger-based sequences: Automatically send emails when customers enter or exit segments
• Multi-step campaigns: Create complex email journeys with configurable delays
• Dynamic coupon generation: Generate unique, personalized coupons for each customer
• Newsletter integration: Respects customer subscription preferences
• Progress tracking: Monitor delivery status and campaign performance

Use Cases

1. Cart Abandonment Recovery

Scenario: Customer adds items to cart but doesn't complete purchase

Segment Conditions:

- Shopping Cart: Status equals "Active"
- Shopping Cart: Updated 1+ hours ago
- Newsletter: Subscribed

Email Sequence:

Expected Results: 15-25% recovery rate with significant revenue impact

2. Welcome Series for New Customers

Scenario: New customer registers but hasn't made their first purchase

Segment Conditions:

- Customer: Registered in last 7 days
- Customer: Number of orders equals 0
- Newsletter: Subscribed

Email Sequence:

Expected Results: Higher engagement, increased lifetime value, reduced churn

3. Win-Back Campaigns

Scenario: Previously active customer hasn't purchased in 90+ days

Segment Conditions:

- Order: Days since last order > 90
- Order: Total orders > 1
- Newsletter: Subscribed

Email Sequence:

Expected Results: 5-10% reactivation rate

4. Birthday & Anniversary Marketing

Scenario: Customer's birthday is today

Segment Conditions:

- Customer: Days until birthday equals 0
- Newsletter: Subscribed

Email Sequence:

Expected Results: Emotional connection, increased purchase likelihood

5. VIP Customer Nurturing

Scenario: Customer reaches high-value tier

Segment Conditions:

- Customer: Lifetime sales > $1000
- Customer: Number of orders > 5

Email Sequence:

Expected Results: Increased loyalty, higher average order value

Key Features

Dynamic Coupon Generation

Each customer receives a unique, trackable coupon code:

• Custom prefixes: Brand your coupons (e.g., CART, VIP, BDAY)
• Configurable expiration: Create urgency with time-limited offers
• One-time use: Prevent coupon sharing
• Sales rule integration: Leverage existing discount rules

Example coupon codes:

CART12345ABC      # Cart abandonment for customer #1
BDAY67890DEF      # Birthday offer for customer #6
VIP11223GHI       # VIP exclusive for customer #11

Intelligent Sequencing

Build sophisticated email journeys:

• Flexible timing: Delays from minutes to days
• Progressive engagement: Escalate offers over time
• Exit handling: Stop sequences when customers leave segments
• Overlap control: Prevent sequence conflicts

Newsletter Integration

Respects customer preferences:

• Subscription status: Only sends to subscribed customers
• Automatic cleanup: Stops sequences on unsubscribe
• Template system: Uses Maho's newsletter template engine
• Variable support: Rich personalization options

Configuration

1. Create Your Segment

Navigate to Customers → Customer Segments → Add Segment:

1. Set segment conditions (e.g., cart status, customer attributes)
2. Save the segment

2. Configure Email Sequences

The segment edit page has two dedicated tabs for email automation:

• Enter Segment tab - Configure sequences triggered when customers join the segment
• Exit Segment tab - Configure sequences triggered when customers leave the segment

This allows you to configure both enter and exit sequences for the same segment!

Adding Enter Sequences

In the Enter Segment tab:

1. Click "Add Email Step"
2. Select newsletter template
3. Set delay (in minutes)
4. Optionally enable coupon generation:
5. Choose sales rule
6. Set coupon prefix
7. Set expiration days
8. Save

Repeat for additional steps.

Adding Exit Sequences

In the Exit Segment tab:

Follow the same process as Enter sequences. Exit sequences are perfect for: - Thank you emails when customers complete a purchase - Win-back campaigns when high-value customers become inactive - Feedback requests after issue resolution

3. Create Newsletter Templates

Create templates at Newsletter → Newsletter Templates:

Use available variables:

<p>Hi {{var customer_firstname}},</p>

<p>Your cart is waiting! Complete your purchase with code:</p>
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">{{var coupon_code}}</p>
<p>Save {{var coupon_discount_text}} - expires {{var coupon_expires_formatted}}</p>

See the Email Template Variables reference for all available variables.

4. Set Up Cron

Email automation requires cron to be configured:

# Email processing runs every 5 minutes
*/5 * * * * /path/to/maho cron:run customersegmentation_process_emails

Or rely on the main cron job:

*/5 * * * * /path/to/maho cron:run

Email Template Variables

Standard Variables (Always Available)

Coupon Variables (When Enabled)

Example Templates

Cart Abandonment (Step 1)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .cart-item { border: 1px solid #ddd; padding: 10px; margin: 10px 0; }
        .cta-button { background: #4CAF50; color: white; padding: 15px 32px;
                      text-decoration: none; display: inline-block; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h2>Hi {{var customer_firstname}},</h2>

    <p>You left something in your cart!</p>

    <p>We noticed you didn't complete your purchase. Your items are still waiting:</p>

    <a href="{{var store.getUrl('checkout/cart')}}" class="cta-button">
        Complete Your Purchase
    </a>

    <p>Need help? Reply to this email or call us at {{var store.getPhone()}}</p>
</body>
</html>

Cart Abandonment (Step 2 - With Coupon)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        .coupon-code { background: #f4f4f4; padding: 20px; text-align: center;
                       font-size: 32px; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 2px; }
        .expiration { color: #ff0000; font-weight: bold; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h2>Hi {{var customer_firstname}},</h2>

    <p>Still thinking it over? Here's an exclusive offer just for you!</p>

    <div class="coupon-code">{{var coupon_code}}</div>

    <p>Use this code for <strong>{{var coupon_discount_text}}</strong> on your order</p>

    <p class="expiration">⏰ Expires {{var coupon_expires_formatted}}</p>

    <a href="{{var store.getUrl('checkout/cart')}}" class="cta-button">
        Apply Code & Checkout
    </a>
</body>
</html>

Welcome Email (With First Purchase Coupon)

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>
    <h1>Welcome to {{var store.getName()}}, {{var customer_firstname}}! 🎉</h1>

    <p>We're thrilled to have you join our community of happy customers.</p>

    <p>To get you started, here's an exclusive welcome offer:</p>

    <div class="coupon-code">{{var coupon_code}}</div>

    <p>Enjoy <strong>{{var coupon_discount_text}}</strong> on your first order!</p>

    <p><em>Valid until {{var coupon_expires_formatted}}</em></p>

    <h3>What's Next?</h3>
    <ul>
        <li><a href="{{var store.getUrl('catalog')}}">Browse our catalog</a></li>
        <li><a href="{{var store.getUrl('customer/account')}}">Complete your profile</a></li>
        <li><a href="{{var store.getUrl('about')}}">Learn about us</a></li>
    </ul>
</body>
</html>

Monitoring & Analytics

View Automation Stats

Each segment shows email automation statistics:

• Total sequences started: How many customers entered
• Emails scheduled: Pending emails
• Emails sent: Successfully delivered
• Emails failed: Delivery failures

Sequence Progress Tracking

Track individual customer progress:

• Status: Scheduled, Sent, Failed, Skipped
• Scheduled time: When email will/was sent
• Queue ID: Link to newsletter queue
• Step number: Current position in sequence

Cron Jobs

The automation system includes several cron jobs:

Logs

All automation activity is logged to var/log/customer_segmentation.log:

2025-10-21 05:35:00 INFO: Started email sequences for 1 customers entering segment 1
2025-10-21 05:35:00 INFO: Sent automation email to customer 3, template 1, queue 2
2025-10-21 05:35:00 INFO: Generated coupon CART3ABC123 for customer 3 using rule 1

Best Practices

1. Segment Design

• Be specific: Narrow segments = more relevant emails
• Test conditions: Verify segment matches expected customers
• Monitor size: Track matched customer counts
• Use website context: Ensure segments work for specific websites

2. Email Timing

• Start gentle: First email should be informative, not salesy
• Escalate gradually: Increase incentives over time
• Respect time zones: Consider customer timezone (via store view)
• Test sequences: Run through the entire sequence yourself

3. Coupon Strategy

• Progressive discounts: Increase discount in later steps
• Add scarcity: Shorter expiration creates urgency
• Track redemption: Monitor which steps convert best
• Set minimum order: Use sales rule conditions to protect margins

4. Template Design

• Mobile-first: Most emails are read on mobile
• Clear CTA: One primary call-to-action per email
• Test rendering: Preview in multiple email clients
• Include unsubscribe: Respect customer preferences

5. Performance Optimization

• Limit active sequences: Don't overwhelm customers
• Monitor bounce rates: Clean invalid email addresses
• A/B test: Try different templates and timings
• Regular cleanup: Remove old progress records

Sales Rule Configuration

For coupon generation to work, sales rules must be configured correctly:

1. Coupon Type: "Specific Coupon"
2. Auto Generation: Enabled
3. Uses per Coupon: Recommended 1 (one-time use)
4. Uses per Customer: Recommended 1
5. Conditions: Add any restrictions (minimum order amount, product categories, etc.)

Example sales rule for cart abandonment:

Name: Cart Abandonment 10%
Discount: 10% off entire cart
Minimum Cart Amount: $50
Coupon Type: Specific Coupon
Auto Generation: Yes
Uses per Coupon: 1
Uses per Customer: 1

Troubleshooting

Emails Not Sending

Check these items:

1. ✅ Customer is subscribed to newsletter
2. ✅ Segment "Auto Email Active" is enabled
3. ✅ Email sequence steps are active (is_active = 1)
4. ✅ Newsletter template exists and is valid
5. ✅ Cron is running (customersegmentation_process_emails)
6. ✅ Check var/log/customer_segmentation.log for errors

Coupons Not Generating

Check these items:

1. ✅ Sales rule is active
2. ✅ Sales rule has "Auto Generation" enabled
3. ✅ Sales rule coupon type is "Specific Coupon"
4. ✅ Sequence step has generate_coupon = 1
5. ✅ Valid sales rule ID is configured
6. ✅ Check logs for generation errors

Duplicate Sequences

Possible causes:

• Segment refreshing too frequently
• Customer re-entering segment
• Overlapping segment logic disabled

Solutions:

• Review segment refresh schedule
• Add conditions to prevent re-entry
• Check sequence progress before starting new ones

Advanced Usage

Exit Sequences

Trigger emails when customers leave a segment:

Use case: Customer exits "Active Cart" segment (purchased or cart expired)

Trigger: Exit Segment
Step 1 (immediate): "Thank you for your purchase!" (for purchasers)
Step 1 (immediate): "Item sold out" (for cart expirations)

Conditional Templates

Use Maho's template directives for conditional content:

{{depend customer.getGroupId() == 1}}
    <p>As a wholesale customer, you get extra benefits!</p>
{{/depend}}

{{if store.getId() == 2}}
    <p>Free shipping on this store!</p>
{{/if}}