Drip Campaign

A drip campaign is a series of automated emails sent on a schedule or trigger, so each contact receives the sequence from the beginning no matter when they enter it. The name comes from drip irrigation: steady, small doses instead of one flood.

Drip campaign definition

The defining trait of a drip campaign is that the sequence is pre-written and delivered automatically, one message at a time, based on time intervals or user actions. Someone who signs up today gets email one today and email two in three days; someone who signs up next month gets the same experience. That makes drips different from campaigns, which are one-time sends to a segment on a date you choose.

Drip campaign examples

Onboarding drip. A welcome message, then a setup nudge, then a use-case email over the first two weeks, see our onboarding email examples.

Trial conversion drip. Value recap mid-trial, social proof near the end, and a clear upgrade ask on the final day.

Re-engagement drip. Two or three emails to inactive users highlighting what changed since they left, ending with a preference check.

Education drip. A short course or feature series that builds toward nurturing a purchase decision.

Drip campaign vs lifecycle emails

Classic drips run on fixed schedules. Lifecycle email goes a step further and adapts to behavior: someone who already completed setup skips the setup nudge. In practice modern tools blend both, schedules provide the spine and events branch the path, see our lifecycle email guide and email automation.

How to build a drip campaign in Loops

In Loops, drips are workflows: pick a trigger such as a signup or an event from your product, add emails with time delays between them, and branch on what contacts do. Exit rules remove people who complete the goal so nobody gets an upgrade pitch after upgrading.

FAQ

What does drip campaign mean?
An automated email series delivered in small, scheduled doses. Every contact who enters the campaign receives the messages in order, starting from message one.

How many emails should a drip campaign have?
Three to seven works for most goals. Long enough to build an argument, short enough that the last email still gets attention.

What is the difference between a drip campaign and a newsletter?
A newsletter is written fresh and sent to everyone at once. A drip is pre-written and each person receives it relative to their own start date.

Related: Email automation, Autoresponder, Lead nurturing, Welcome email.