Overview
Inactive subscribers hurt your deliverability and skew your engagement metrics. Every 90 days, Mailchimp's automation can identify subscribers who haven't opened anything and send them a 3-email win-back attempt. Those who re-engage stay on your list; those who don't get automatically cleaned — keeping your list healthy and your inbox placement strong.
Before you start
- Mailchimp account with at least 6 months of send history
- Audience with 100+ subscribers
Step-by-step guide (5 steps)
Create an inactive subscriber segment
In Mailchimp, go to Audience > Segments > Create Segment. Set the condition: 'Campaign activity — has not opened — in the last 90 days.' Save as 'Inactive 90 Days.'
Build the re-engagement automation
Go to Automations > Customer Journeys. Create a new journey triggered by 'Joins a segment' (your Inactive 90 Days segment). Add a 3-email sequence.
Email 1: The check-in
Subject: 'Still want to hear from us?' — Honest, human check-in. Remind them who you are, what you send, and why it's valuable. Include a clear 'Yes, keep me subscribed' button.
Email 2 (Day 4): Your best content
Send your highest-performing email of all time as a reminder of the value you provide. 'In case you missed this one...' framing works well.
Email 3 (Day 8): The goodbye
Subject: 'We're about to remove you...' — Honest, no drama. 'If we don't hear from you by Friday, we'll stop emailing.' Scarcity drives action from fence-sitters.
After the sequence, use Mailchimp's Archive feature (not delete) for non-responders — you keep the data but stop emailing them.
What you'll get
Improves email deliverability (ISPs reward engaged lists)
Reduces cost on paid Mailchimp tiers (fewer contacts)
Identifies your actual engaged audience size
Some win-backs re-become customers
Common mistakes to avoid
Running this too frequently (quarterly is right, monthly is too aggressive)
Not personalizing the 'what you'll miss' message
Deleting non-responders instead of archiving
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coding experience to set up this Mailchimp automation?
No coding is required. This guide walks you through everything using Mailchimp's built-in features and Zapier's visual interface. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this guide.
How long does this automation take to set up?
Most users complete this setup in 30–60 minutes on their first try. Once set up, it runs completely automatically with zero ongoing effort.
What happens if the automation fails?
Zapier and Make both have error notifications and task history, so you'll know immediately if something goes wrong. We cover troubleshooting steps in the guide above.
Can I customize this automation for my specific business?
Absolutely. The guide includes notes on common customizations. Most automations have multiple variation points — timing, conditions, notification recipients, and more.