Kartra provides different ways to send emails depending on what you want to send and what should cause the email to be sent.
You can use:
Emails for one-time commercial messages sent to a selected group of contacts.
Sequences for series of commercial messages and other actions that should happen automatically over time.
Email Notifications for automatic emails triggered by specific events or activities.
The right option depends on what you're trying to accomplish.
Send a one-time message to your audience
Use an Email when you want to send a message once to a group of contacts you select.
For example, use an Email to:
Send a newsletter.
Announce a new course, product, or service
Promote a limited-time offer
Announce an upcoming webinar or event
Share a business update or new piece of content
Send a message to contacts who match particular criteria (for example, a tag or list subscription)
You choose who should receive the Email and can send it immediately or schedule it for later.
Example: You're launching a new course and want to announce it to everyone on your newsletter list on Monday morning. Create an Email, select your audience, and schedule it for Monday.
Learn more in Intro to Emails.
Send several messages automatically over time
Use a Sequence when contacts should receive a series of messages or go through other actions automatically over time.
For example, use a Sequence to:
Send a welcome series after someone joins your list.
Nurture leads with educational content over several days or weeks.
Follow up with customers after a purchase.
Promote an offer through a series of emails.
Onboard new customers or students.
Change what happens next based on a contact's behavior.
Contacts subscribe to the Sequence, and Kartra moves them through its steps based on the timing and conditions you configure.
Example: Someone downloads your free guide. You want to send them a welcome email immediately, an educational email two days later, and an invitation to your course five days after that. A Sequence can automate the entire flow.
Learn more in Intro to Sequences.
Send an email automatically when something happens
Use an Email Notification when Kartra should automatically send an email because a specific event or activity occurred.
Unlike Emails and Sequence emails, Email Notifications are sent independently of a contact's commercial email preferences.
For example, Email Notifications can be used to:
Send a purchase confirmation.
Confirm an appointment booking.
Provide membership information.
Notify an affiliate about relevant activity.
Notify you or your team when something happens in your account.
Example: A customer purchases your course and needs an order confirmation. Kartra can automatically send the appropriate Email Notification when the purchase occurs.
Learn more in Intro to Email Notifications.
You may need more than one sending method
Emails, Sequences, and Email Notifications aren't mutually exclusive. The same customer journey can use more than one method because each serves a different purpose.
For example, imagine a customer purchases your online course:
An Email Notification sends the customer their purchase confirmation.
The purchase subscribes the customer to a Sequence that provides onboarding tips over the next several days.
Later, you send an Email to your customers announcing a new live workshop.
Each message is related to the same customer relationship, but the reason and timing for sending it are different.
Quick guide
If you want to... | Use |
Send a newsletter or announcement once | |
Send a promotion to a selected group | |
Send several emails automatically over time | Sequence |
Create a welcome, nurture, or onboarding flow | Sequence |
Send a confirmation when an event occurs | Email Notification |
Send purchase, appointment, or access information automatically | Email Notification |
Notify yourself or your team about account activity | Email Notification |
If your workflow includes several of these goals, you can combine Emails, Sequences, and Email Notifications as needed.
Get ready to send
Once you've decided which sending method fits your goal, make sure your email sending setup is ready before you start creating and sending messages.
1. Set up how your emails will be delivered
KartraMail is Kartra's built-in email delivery service and is the initial default email gateway. You can use KartraMail or configure one of the supported third-party email delivery services.
See Intro to KartraMail to understand your email delivery options.
2. Set up your sending domain and sender details
Using your own business domain helps you establish a consistent sender identity. If you use KartraMail with your own domain, authenticate the domain with DKIM before using it to send emails.
Make sure you also have an appropriate sender address and a working reply-to address for messages where recipients may reply.
See Email authentication explained for more information about domain authentication.
3. Test before sending
Once your delivery and sender setup is ready, test your emails before sending them to your audience.
Testing can help you review your content and design, check links, and confirm that your email behaves as expected. The appropriate testing method depends on whether you're testing an individual message, personalized information, or a complete automated flow.
See Test emails before sending for the available testing methods.