Send personalized re-engagement email when subscription is put on hold

When a WooCommerce subscription is put on hold, this workflow sends the subscriber an email you write, addressed by name and mentioning their subscription, inviting them to get it running again.

WooCommerce Subscriptions

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2 steps Setup ~5 min Used on 749 sites Free to import

What this workflow does

A subscription on hold is not cancelled yet. The customer may have a card problem, may have paused on purpose, or may have forgotten. A personal note at that moment reminds them what they signed up for and how to pick it up again, instead of a generic system email or nothing at all.

The WooCommerce Subscriptions trigger fires when a subscription is put on hold. The subscription and customer details are passed on, such as the subscriber's name, email and what they subscribe to. The Email step then sends a message using WordPress's built-in mail function or the custom SMTP you set up. You write the subject and body once and drop in those details, so each email reads as written for that person.

The email goes out every time a subscription moves to on hold, for whatever reason, including holds you or the customer started on purpose. Write the message so it fits both cases. Check Task History after a test to confirm the email was sent and to see which fields you can personalise with.

Coffee or snack subscriptions

A monthly box goes on hold, and the customer gets a friendly note naming their plan with a link to their account page to restart deliveries.

Membership sites

A member's subscription is placed on hold, and they receive an email reminding them what their membership includes and how to pick it back up.

Software licences sold as subscriptions

A licence subscription is put on hold, and the customer is told in plain terms what that means for updates and how to resume.

How this workflow runs

What happens at each step once the workflow is on, and what you need before you import it.

Step 1Trigger
WooCommerce Subscriptions Subscription On Hold
Fires when a WooCommerce subscription is put on hold. The subscriber's details and the subscription data are passed to the email step for personalising.
Step 2Action
Email Send Email
Sends an email through WordPress mail or your SMTP settings. Map the subscriber's email as the recipient and use their name and plan details in the subject and body.

What you need

FlowMatticCore
WooCommerce Subscriptions PluginPlugin

After importing, map your own data. To keep the template universal, not every step is pre-filled. Open each step in the builder and connect your accounts and fields (channels, lists, sheets, recipients) before you switch the workflow on.

Make it yours

Changes worth making after you import it.

Add a Delay of a day before the email, then WooCommerce Subscriptions' Get Subscription and a Filter that continues only if the status is still on hold, so customers who sorted it out already aren't emailed.
Include a link to the customer's My Account page in the email body, so they can update payment details or reactivate without searching.
Use the Email app's Send Template Email action instead if you prefer to design the message once as a template.

Questions about this workflow

Does this replace WooCommerce Subscriptions' own on-hold emails?

No. The workflow sends its own email. Any emails WooCommerce Subscriptions already sends keep going out as they are set up in WooCommerce.

Will customers who put their own subscription on hold get this email?

Yes. The trigger fires whenever a subscription goes on hold, whatever the cause. Write the email so it reads well for a deliberate pause too.

Do I need an SMTP service to send the re-engagement email?

No. Without SMTP details, the on-hold email goes out through the mail function WordPress already has. A custom SMTP setup is an option if you want to send through your own mail provider.

Can I reactivate the subscription from the workflow?

WooCommerce Subscriptions has a Reactivate Subscription action in FlowMattic, but this template leaves that choice to the customer and only sends the email.