When someone subscribes to your list, that moment of interest is as high as it'll ever be — and a welcome sequence is how you make the most of it.
A welcome sequence is a series of automated emails sent to new subscribers after they sign up through your Form or Landing Page. It's your chance to introduce yourself, deliver on your promise, and start building the kind of relationship that turns casual readers into loyal fans (and eventually, buyers).
Setting one up in Kit requires two pieces: a Sequence (the emails themselves) and a Visual Automation (the trigger that adds subscribers to that sequence).
Why it matters: Your email list is one of the few audience channels you truly own. Unlike social media, where algorithms change and platforms disappear, your list stays with you. A welcome sequence is the foundation that makes that list work for you from day one.
Step 1: Create Your Sequence
Think of your Sequence as the core of your welcome experience, the actual emails your new subscribers will receive. Before you build in Kit, it's worth sketching out a simple arc: what do you want a subscriber to know, feel, and do by the end of your sequence?
Once you have that sketched out, here's how to build a Welcome Sequence in Kit:
Go to Send > Sequences and click + New Sequence.
Add your first email. To send it immediately when someone subscribes, set the delay to 0 days or 0 hours after the previous email. Add additional emails with your preferred delays (e.g., 2 hours, 1 day, 3 days).
Publish each email by enabling the Published toggle on the individual email.
Go to the Settings tab of your Sequence and set it to Active.
Tip: Only the first email in a Sequence can be set to send immediately (0 delay). All subsequent emails need at least some delay.
Example welcome sequence:
Delay | Subject | |
1 | Immediately (0 hours) | Welcome to my newsletter! |
2 | 2 hours to 1 day | Check out these popular posts |
3 | 2 to 3 days | Here's an exclusive resource for you |
Strategy note: A common pattern is to send 2–3 emails in the first week while subscribers' interest is fresh, then slow the cadence to match your regular publishing rhythm. The goal is presence without overwhelm.
Step 2: Create a Visual Automation
The Visual Automation is what connects your Form or Landing Page to your Sequence — it's the trigger that ensures every new subscriber is automatically enrolled. Think of it as the engine running quietly in the background so you can focus on creating.
Go to Automate > Visual Automations and click + New Automation.
Click the entry point at the top and select Joins a form.
In the settings panel, choose the specific Form or Landing Page you want to trigger the sequence.
Click the + button below the entry point and select Action > Add subscriber to a sequence.
Choose the Sequence you created in Step 1.
Click the Active toggle at the top right of the builder to turn your automation on.
Don't skip the last step! Your automation won't run unless it's toggled to Active.
Strategy note: Visual Automations aren't just a delivery mechanism — they're a relationship tool. Once your welcome sequence runs, you can extend the automation to tag subscribers based on engagement, add them to a nurture sequence, or route them toward relevant offers. The welcome sequence is the entry point to a larger system.
Newsletter Plan Users
If you're on the Newsletter Plan, you can create one Visual Automation with one Sequence.
To make the most of it:
Use Joins any Form as your entry point so all new subscribers from any of your forms enter the same welcome sequence.
You can also add a tagging step (e.g., tag subscribers as "Nurtured") after the sequence action.
If you need more than one automation or sequence, you'll need to upgrade to the Creator plan.
Other ways to add subscribers to your sequence on the Newsletter Plan:
Bulk Actions: Go to the Subscribers page, select subscribers, and use Bulk Actions > Add to Sequence.
During import: When importing subscribers via CSV, enable the toggle to add them to your sequence.
FAQ
Can I add subscribers to a sequence from the Form's Incentive tab?
No. The Incentive tab is only for double opt-in settings, file downloads, and redirect URLs. To automatically add form subscribers to a sequence, you need to use a Visual Automation (or an Automation Rule on Creator/Creator Pro plans).
Will existing subscribers be added to my welcome sequence?
No. Visual Automations are not retroactive — only subscribers who sign up after the automation is activated will enter the sequence.
Workaround for existing subscribers: Add a temporary Tag as a second entry point to your automation (e.g., "Add to Welcome"). Then go to your Subscribers page, filter for the subscribers you want to include, and apply that tag via Bulk Actions. Once they've entered the automation, you can remove the tag entry point.
A subscriber re-submitted my form but didn't re-enter the automation. Why?
Kit forms remember previous subscribers. If someone has already submitted a form, resubmitting it will not re-trigger the automation entry point. This is expected behavior.
What's the difference between Visual Automations and Automation Rules?
These are two separate features:
Visual Automations (Automate > Visual Automations) — drag-and-drop workflow builder with delay/wait actions. Available on all plans (1 automation on Newsletter Plan, unlimited on Creator/Creator Pro).
Automation Rules (Automate > Rules) — simple if/then triggers without delays. Available on Creator and Creator Pro plans only.
For a welcome sequence with timed emails, you'll want a Visual Automation.