Clime
← Back to Blog
Strategy

Mastering Sunset Notifications: A Comprehensive Workflow Guide

June 18, 2026 · The Clime Team
Mastering Sunset Notifications: A Comprehensive Workflow Guide

Sunset notifications are a strategic approach to managing email subscribers who have become inactive over time. By implementing a well-structured sunset workflow, you can re-engage these subscribers or gracefully phase them out, ensuring your email list remains active and your engagement metrics stay healthy.

What Are Sunset Notifications?

Sunset notifications are targeted communications sent to subscribers who have not interacted with your emails over a specified period. The goal is to re-engage these subscribers by reminding them of your value or to remove them from your list if they remain unresponsive, thereby improving your email deliverability and engagement rates.

Why Implement a Sunset Workflow?

Maintaining an active and engaged subscriber base is crucial for the success of your email marketing campaigns. Inactive subscribers can negatively impact your sender reputation, leading to lower deliverability rates and reduced engagement. A sunset workflow helps you identify and address inactivity, ensuring your email list remains effective and your marketing efforts yield optimal results.

Steps to Create an Effective Sunset Workflow

  1. Identify Inactive Subscribers

Begin by defining what constitutes inactivity for your audience. This could be based on criteria such as no opens, clicks, or purchases over a set period. By segmenting these subscribers, you can tailor your approach to re-engage them effectively.

  1. Set Up a Sunset Segment

Create a segment within your email platform that includes all subscribers who meet your inactivity criteria. This segment will serve as the target audience for your sunset notifications.

  1. Design a Sunset Flow

Develop a series of emails aimed at re-engaging inactive subscribers. These emails should be spaced out over a period to avoid overwhelming recipients. Each email should include compelling content and a clear call to action, encouraging subscribers to re-engage with your brand.

  1. Monitor Engagement and Adjust

Track the performance of your sunset flow by monitoring open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. Use this data to refine your approach, testing different subject lines, content, and timing to optimize re-engagement.

  1. Suppress Unresponsive Subscribers

After completing the sunset flow, suppress subscribers who have not engaged with your emails. This means removing them from your active mailing list to maintain a healthy sender reputation and improve overall deliverability.

Best Practices for Sunset Notifications

  • Personalize Your Emails: Use the subscriber's name and tailor content to their previous interactions with your brand to make the emails more engaging.

  • Offer Incentives: Provide exclusive offers or content to entice subscribers to re-engage with your brand.

  • Maintain a Consistent Schedule: Send sunset notifications at regular intervals to keep your brand top of mind without overwhelming subscribers.

  • Test and Optimize: Continuously test different elements of your sunset flow, such as subject lines, email design, and calls to action, to determine what resonates best with your audience.

Leveraging Automation Tools for Sunset Workflows

Implementing automation tools can streamline the sunset workflow process, making it more efficient and effective. These tools can help you segment subscribers, schedule emails, and analyze performance metrics, allowing you to focus on strategy and content creation.

Conclusion

Implementing a sunset notification workflow is a proactive strategy to manage inactive subscribers, re-engage them, and maintain a healthy email list. By following the steps outlined above and adhering to best practices, you can enhance your email marketing efforts, improve deliverability, and foster stronger relationships with your audience.

(help.klaviyo.com)

Frequently Asked Questions