Email Node
The Email node sends an email to profiles as they pass through a Marketing Automation flow. You can create a new email directly inside the node or reuse an existing email from the Email tool or another flow.
Each email sent from a Marketing Automation flow respects your consent settings — only profiles who hold the required Subscription will receive the message.
In this Article
When to use the Email node
Use the Email node whenever your flow needs to send an automated email to a profile. Here are the most common scenarios:
Welcome email
A profile subscribes via a form → the Listen node triggers → an Email node sends a welcome message immediately (or after a short Time node delay).
Nurture sequence
A multi-step flow with several Email nodes spaced by Time nodes. Each email builds on the previous one — for example, an onboarding series over 14 days.
Re-engagement
Profiles who haven't interacted in 90 days enter via a scheduled Listen node → an Email node sends a "We miss you" message → a Wait for Event node checks if they respond.
Event-triggered follow-up
A profile clicks a specific link in a campaign → the Listen node triggers → an Email node sends a follow-up with related content, personalised with event data from the click.
Post-purchase confirmation
A custom event fires when a purchase completes → the flow triggers → an Email node sends a thank-you email with order details pulled from event data personalisation.
Create a new email, reuse an existing one, or duplicate the node?
When adding an email step to your flow, you have three approaches. Here's when to use each:
Create a new email | Duplicate an existing email | Duplicate the node itself |
The email is unique to this flow step — different content, subject line, or design from anything you've sent before. | You already have an email that works well (e.g. a proven welcome email template) and want to reuse or adapt it. | You need another Email node in the same flow with similar or identical configuration — for example, a second step in a nurture sequence with the same layout and settings. |
You're starting from scratch or a blank template. | You want to save time by starting from a design that's already built — from the Email tool or from another flow. | You want a head start on the node setup — the duplicate copies the node's configuration, and you then edit the email content inside it. |
The email content is tightly tied to this specific flow context. | You need consistent branding across multiple flows — start from the same base and tweak the content. | You're building a multi-step sequence and want each step to follow the same structure with minimal repetitive setup. |
💡 Good to know
Duplicate an existing email (inside the Email node) creates a copy of the email content from the Email tool or another flow. The copy is independent — changes won't affect the original.
Duplicate the node (Click the ⋮ icon in the top right corner of the node) creates a copy of the entire node including its email. The duplicated node appears on the canvas ready to be connected. You'll still need to edit the email content inside it to make it unique. See Duplicate a Node.
Setting up the Email node
Option A: Create a new email
Drag the Email node onto the canvas and click it to open the configuration panel.
Click "Create an email".
Enter a working name for the email. This is an internal name — profiles won't see it. Choose something descriptive that helps you identify the email later (e.g. "Welcome - Step 1" or "Re-engagement - Final reminder").
Select the Subscription. This determines which consent the profile needs to receive this email. If this is your first Email node in the flow, the subscription you choose here will also be set as the default for all subsequent Email nodes in this flow.
Choose a template. Go to the Pre-defined tab and select a starting point — either a Blank template, one of your templates or one of the available pre-designed templates.
Design your email in the Email Editor. Add your content, subject line, sender name, and any personalisation. For a full walkthrough of the editor, see Create and Send Email — Step by Step.
Click "Finish" in the bottom right corner, save the email in status Draft or Ready to send and return to the Marketing Automation canvas.
Option B: Duplicate an existing email
Click the Email node to open it, then go to the "Duplicate Existing Email" tab.
Browse and select the email you want to reuse. You'll see all emails from both the Email tool (drafts and sent) and the Marketing Automation tool.
Edit the email if needed. The editor opens with a full copy of the original — modify the subject line, content, or design as needed.
Click "Finish" in the bottom right corner, save the email in status Draft or Ready to send and return to the Marketing Automation canvas.
Option C: Duplicate the node itself
If you already have an Email node set up in your flow and want to create another one with the same configuration, you can duplicate the entire node directly on the canvas.
Click the ⋮ icon in the top right corner of the node.
Select "Duplicate". A copy of the node appears on the canvas — including all its configuration and the email content inside it.
Connect the duplicated node to the appropriate position in your flow.
Click the duplicated node to open it and edit the email content — update the subject line, body, and working name so it's distinct from the original. The duplicate is a fully independent copy, so no changes will affect the original node nor email.
⚠️ Important — Always edit the duplicated email
A duplicated node starts as an exact copy. If you forget to update the email content, two nodes in your flow will send identical email — which is almost never what you want. Always change at least the working name, subject line, and body content after duplicating.
Folder & Subscription settings
When you create your first Email node in a flow, you'll select a Folder and Subscription. These settings apply to all Email nodes in the flow — not just the first one.
Folder — the overarching structure of subscriptions to which the consent used in the flow belongs.
Subscription — determines which consent record a profile must hold to receive emails from this flow. Only profiles with an active subscription will receive the message. Profiles without it are silently skipped — they continue through the flow but don't receive the email.
You can change both the Folder and Subscription later in Flow Settings → Consent. See Navigate the Canvas.
⚠️ Important — Consent is enforced
The Email node will not send to profiles who lack consent in the required Subscription — regardless of whether they match the flow trigger. This is by design for consent compliance. If you notice profiles passing through the Email node without receiving a message, check their subscription status in Audience
Personalisation in Marketing Automation emails
Emails created inside a Marketing Automation flow support two types of personalisation:
1. Data tags (profile attributes)
Use data tags to insert profile data into your email — for example, the profile's first name, company, or city. These work exactly the same as data tags in the regular Email tool.
In the Email Editor, use the inline text editor to insert a data tag. See Data Tags and Segments.
2. Event data personalisation (MA-exclusive)
This feature is only available in Marketing Automation emails. It lets you pull data from the triggering event — the event that brought the profile into the flow via the Listen node.
For example, if your Listen node triggers on a form submission, you can include the submitted form values in the email. If it triggers on a product purchase custom event, you can include the product name, order value, or any other data in the event payload.
To use event data personalisation:
Open the email in the Email Editor.
In the inline text editor, expand the Event dropdown.
Select a data point from the triggering event.
Event data tags work the same way as regular data tags — they insert the value dynamically for each profile based on their specific triggering event.
💡 Tip — Personalisation in links
You can also use data tags and event data in the links of your email — for example, to pass a profile's email address or event-specific parameters in a URL. See Link Settings.
💡 Good to know
Event data personalisation is tied to the triggering event in the Listen node. If you change the Listen node's trigger, the available event data fields may change too. Always verify your personalisation tags after modifying the Listen node.
Viewing the email report
Each Email node in an active flow tracks delivery and engagement metrics. You can view the email report directly from the canvas:
Click the Email node on an active or completed flow.
Open the Node Stats view to see the email report.
The report shows standard email metrics: sent, delivered, opened, clicked, bounced, and unsubscribed — scoped to this specific node in this specific flow.
💡 Tip — Compare performance across a flow
If your flow has multiple Email nodes (e.g. a 3-step nurture sequence), compare the reports across nodes to see how engagement changes at each step. A drop in open rates at step 3 might mean you're spacing emails too closely — try adding a longer Time node delay. For a broader view of flow performance, see Marketing Automation Report.
Troubleshooting: Email node not sending any emails?
If profiles are reaching the Email node but not receiving the email, work through this checklist:
Check this | Why it matters |
Does the profile have the required Subscription? | Profiles without the correct subscription are silently skipped. Check the profile's subscription status in Audience, and verify the subscription set in Flow Settings → Consent. |
Is the email content complete? | An Email node with no email created (or an unfinished email) won't send. Click the node to verify the email is saved and complete — it should show the email's working name and subject line. |
Does the profile have a valid email address? | Profiles without an email address attribute, or with an invalid address, won't receive the email. Bounced addresses may also be suppressed. |
Has the email already been sent to this profile? | If the flow's Entry Limit allows re-entry, a profile may pass through the Email node again. Check if the email was already delivered in a previous pass. |
Is the flow Active? | If the flow is Paused, profiles queue at the Listen node and don't reach the Email node. If Stopped, no profiles move through the flow at all. |
Check the Node Stats | Click the Email node and check its stats. If "sent" is 0 but profiles have "passed through", the issue is likely with consent or email completeness. If "bounced" is high, you may have data quality issues. |
💡 Good to know — Delivery vs. engagement
If emails are sending but open/click rates are low, the issue isn't the Email node — it's the email content, timing, or audience. Consider A/B testing with a Split node before the Email node to test different subject lines or content variants.
Tips & best practices
Always preview and test before activating your flow. Use the test segment approach in the Listen node to send yourself a test email through the flow.
Use descriptive working names for every email. When you have 10+ flows with multiple Email nodes each, good naming saves hours of searching.
Don't duplicate when you should create fresh. If the content is significantly different from the original, start from a blank template. Over-edited duplicates often carry leftover content or broken formatting.
Check personalisation fallbacks. If a profile doesn't have a value for a data tag (e.g. no first name), the tag will render blank. Consider using default/fallback values where supported.
Space your emails. In multi-email flows, always add a Time node between Email nodes. Sending multiple emails in rapid succession increases unsubscribe rates and spam complaints.
Monitor bounce rates. A high bounce rate on an Email node suggests data quality issues. Clean your audience and verify email addresses regularly.
Related articles
Marketing Automation Nodes — Overview of every node type.
Create and Send Email — Step by Step — Full walkthrough of the Email Editor.
Data Tags and Segments — How to use personalisation tags in your emails.
Link Settings — Using personalisation tags in email links.
Profile Data in Nodes — How profile data flows through your nodes.
Time Node — Adding delays between emails in your flow.
Split Node — A/B testing different email variants.
Marketing Automation Report — Broader flow reporting.
Navigate the Canvas — Flow settings, consent tab, and canvas features.
Key Terms Glossary — Definitions for all Marketing Automation terms.