Getting started with Automate

Automate enhances subscription management and simplifies the subscriber experience from the first order, boosting subscription conversion rates and customer lifetime value.

This guide provides instructions on using templates to build automated flows, explore use case ideas, and understand key considerations when working with Automate.

Before you start

• You can run multiple Automate flows simultaneously. Recharge evaluates active flows in priority order, and multiple flows may run for the same charge if their trigger conditions are met.
  • Use mutually exclusive trigger conditions where possible to avoid unintended behavior when multiple flows apply to the same subscription.

Key features

Use Recharge’s Automate to implement dynamic subscription management strategies tailored to your business needs. Automate is an easy-to-implement, no-code solution that automates the customer experience while improving key store performance metrics.

Automate the customer experience

Use Automate to streamline subscription management and deliver a dynamic, engaging shopping experience for customers.

For example, you can let customers try products before committing to a subscription, or automatically swap to new items as their needs evolve. Automate lets you streamline the customer subscription journey, giving you and your customers more time and flexibility.

You can also select subscription plans when adding, swapping, or updating subscriptions, allowing you to apply predefined pricing and quantity rules.

Easy to implement, no-code solutions

Recharge offers the following pre-built templates to automate customer and order management. See Use cases for ideas on when to use each template, and how it can positively impact you and your customers.

• Kit unpacking: Convert a kit of products into individual subscriptions after the customer's first order.
• Starter pack to refill swap: Swap Starter Kit items for refills or alternative products.
• Ongoing sequence: Send customers a sequence of products they receive in a set order. Once completed, the sequence restarts automatically.
• Fixed sequence: Send customers a sequence of products they receive in a set order. The sequence ends when completed.
• Trial to subscription: Swap trial products for recurring subscriptions after the trial period.
• Welcome offer: Offer a discounted subscription for the first order, then adjust the product and price for recurring orders.

Reduce customer churn and increase Customer Lifetime Value

Automate the customer experience to keep customers engaged and improve their subscription journey. Automate reduces churn and boosts Customer Lifetime Value by offering flexibility and upsell opportunities.

Flow nodes

Each template uses nodes to build the flow:

• Trigger node: The Trigger node determines which orders can enter the flow. By default, it runs after Recharge processes each checkout and recurring order. You can add trigger conditions to limit the flow to a specific set of customers or orders.
• Smart loop node: The smart loop node evaluates each item individually rather than the entire order. The smart loop starts when a customer matches the trigger and continues until all remaining items have been evaluated. You cannot edit the smart loop nodes.
• Conditional Branch node: Use the Conditional Branch node to create multiple branches in the template based on specific conditions. Use this node to target or exclude customers based on the products they purchase.
• Subscription node: The subscription node automatically creates or updates a customer subscription.
• Subscription update node: This node updates existing subscription properties after the trigger event occurs.
• Update a subscription node: Directly update a specific subscription's properties (such as price, frequency, or charge date). See Understanding Update a subscription node for more details. 
• Swap a subscription node: Automatically replace one subscription product with another based on variant or collection targeting within a flow. See Understanding Swap a subscription node for more details.
• Update shipping rate node: Use this node to set or override the shipping price for a subscription address when a charge is processed. The updated rate persists across future charges until it is changed again. See Understanding the Update shipping rate node for more details.
• Update customer tags node: Add or remove Shopify customer tags within a flow to automate customer segmentation and trigger downstream workflows. See Understanding the update customer tags node for details.
• One-time node: The one-time node lets you automatically add a one-time product to upcoming orders.
• Issue credit node: The issue credit node adds credit to a customer’s account during the automated flow. This node is available if you have the Retain module and use credits in Rewards.

You can add nodes from the Add a node menu to segment customers, offer different subscription options, or cancel subscriptions altogether. See the setup instructions for each Automate template for tips on adding additional nodes.

Use cases

See the following use cases to understand the benefits of each template, and when you may want to activate it for your store:

Set-up instructions

Template instructions differ depending on the type of Automate flow you’re configuring. See the set-up instructions listed below for detailed instructions that apply to a specific template: 

• How to set up a Kit unpacking automated flow
• How to set up a Starter pack to refill swap automated flow
• How to set up an Ongoing sequence automated flow
• How to set up a Fixed sequence automated flow
• How to set up a Trial to subscription automated flow
• How to set up a Welcome offer automated flow
• How to set up a Scheduled quarterly shipments experience

Considerations

Consider the following when using Automate: