The autoresponder is the original email automation. At its simplest, it's the instant "thanks for subscribing" email; at its most powerful, it's a multi-email sequence that nurtures new subscribers on autopilot.

How does an autoresponder work?

You create the emails and set the timing (immediately, then a day later, and so on). When someone triggers it — usually by signing up — the sequence sends automatically, spaced by your chosen delays.

Autoresponder examples

Welcome sequences, lead-magnet delivery, onboarding series, and educational email courses are classic autoresponders. They work because they reach people right when interest is highest.

Autoresponder vs. broadcast

A broadcast is sent once to a group; an autoresponder sends the same sequence to each new subscriber based on their own signup date, so it keeps working with no ongoing effort.