What it is for

A re-engagement sequence goes to the part of your list that has stopped opening or clicking. Most of those people did not decide to ignore you. They changed roles, their inbox got busier, or your emails slid into a folder they never check. This template gives them three honest chances to come back, then removes the people who do not. A smaller list of people who read is worth more than a big list that hurts your deliverability.

The three emails have three different jobs. The first checks in and gives one reason to stay. The second shows the best of what they missed, or what has changed since they last read. The third asks for a clear choice: stay or go. Anyone who does not act after the third email is unsubscribed or moved to a dormant segment.

When to use it

A segment of your list has not opened or clicked anything in [number] months, whatever threshold you set.
Your open rate has been sliding and you suspect a growing dormant segment is dragging it down.
You are about to clean your list before a big send, such as a launch or an event.
You changed what the newsletter is about and want to re-confirm interest from older subscribers.

The template

Square brackets mark what you fill in. Timings are starting points.

Email 1

Subject: Still useful? One question

Send: Day 0, sent to the dormant segment only

Hi [first name], you signed up for [newsletter or list name] a while ago, and it looks like the emails have not been landing for you lately. That is fine. Inboxes change.

Here is what we send now: [one plain sentence on what the newsletter covers today and how often]. The most useful thing we published recently was [title with link], which [one sentence on what it helps with].

If that still sounds relevant, you do not need to do anything. If you want to tell me what would make it more useful, reply with one line. I read every reply.

[Your name], [role] at [company]

No guilt, no "we miss you". One honest reason to keep reading.

Email 2

Subject: The [number] most useful things we sent this year

Send: Day 5

Hi [first name], if you have not opened these emails in a while, here is what you missed, in order of how useful readers found them:

[Title 1, with link]: [one sentence on what it helps with]. [Title 2, with link]: [one sentence]. [Title 3, with link]: [one sentence].

[If something changed: Since you last read, we also [what changed, e.g. moved to a monthly format, added a section on X, or launched Y]. The short version is [one sentence].]

Pick one that matches what you are working on. If none of them do, the next email will give you an easy way out.

[Your name]

Show your best, not your most recent. If nothing on the list is strong, fix the newsletter before re-engaging anyone.

Email 3

Subject: Should we stop emailing you?

Send: Day 10

Hi [first name], last one. You have not opened our emails in a while, and I would rather remove you than keep sending to an inbox that does not want them.

Two options. Click here to keep getting [newsletter name] [cadence]: [stay link]. Or do nothing, and we will remove you from the list on [date]. You can always sign up again later.

Either way, thanks for reading when it was useful.

[Your name]

The "stay" link should be a real one-click action that updates the segment. Then actually remove the people who did not click.

How to adapt it

If your newsletter is monthly, widen the gaps: send the three emails over four to six weeks instead of ten days.
If your dormant definition is based on opens only, be aware that some email clients record opens without the reader seeing anything. Use clicks or replies as the stay signal where you can.
If the segment includes current customers, send them a separate version from their account owner and do not remove them from product and billing emails.
If you recently changed the newsletter's focus, make Email 2 about what changed rather than a best-of list.
Decide in advance what happens to people who do not respond: unsubscribe them, or move them to a dormant segment that only gets a quarterly email. Then do it on the date you promised.

The thinking behind this template: How do you write a re-engagement email sequence?.

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This is one of Sawa's illustrative frameworks, not a copy of client work. It claims no result. Last updated 2026-10-08.