Top Win-Back Email Examples and Templates to Re-Engage Lost Customers

What is a win-back email campaign?

What are win-back emails, and how do they work

A win-back email is a message to re-engage inactive subscribers or customers that previously interacted with your company (visited your website, made a purchase, etc.) but for some reason stopped. A win-back email campaign is designed to regain their interest and trust in your products and services. 

Here is an example from Duolingo with a reminder to an app user who stopped practicing. Duolingo pushes heavily on emotional response and the cuteness of Duo the Owl.

Why re-engage lapsed customers 

Lapsed customers — those who were once active and engaged with your business but have stopped interacting with it — will cost you less than attracting new ones. In fact, it costs five times as much to attract a new customer as to keep an existing one. The goal of every business is to retain existing customers and build loyal relationships with them.

If you want to dive deeper into the topic, read our article about re-engagement email campaigns and study the tips on making effective win-back emails.

Why do subscribers become inactive?

To make the subscribers interested again, it is necessary to understand what made them lose interest in your company’s emails. It might happen because the customer:

• Had a bad experience with your customer service or the quality of your products.
• Was unsatisfied with the price.

• Made a single purchase but had no further interest in your brand/company.
• Had no intention to become your customer and buy anything to begin with.
• Disliked your tone of voice or something else about your brand.

Of course, you can’t win everyone with a single email or even a campaign, but it’s definitely worth a try. 

When to start your win-back email campaigns

Usually, win-back emails are sent within 3 months after the subscriber has become inactive (stopped interacting with your emails). The longer this period is, the harder and less effective it will be to bring your customers back.

When planning your re-engagement campaign, consider the length of your sales cycle or services. For example, if you sell expensive items, customers may not need to buy from you again right away. If your sales cycle is quite long, it may be okay for people to disappear for a couple of months and then suddenly make a purchase.

It is always better to re-engage your subscribers using a series of emails – a single message is easily lost in a pile of other marketing notifications. Let’s review the types of win-back emails you can send in the following chapter.

4 types of win-back emails you should send

We recommend you send several emails in the following order:

• Reminder or “We miss you” email. Your subscribers may simply forget about your business, so a simple “hello” can make them start interacting with you again.
• Incentive email. Sometimes a gentle reminder is not enough, so offering an incentive (bonuses, discounts, promo codes, free shipping, etc.) helps win your customers back.
• Feedback email. People love it when their opinion matters. Even if your subscribers haven’t bought anything, ask them about what they liked or disliked about your products or services. It will have a positive impact on your marketing efforts.
• Last chance email. It creates a required sense of urgency. Tell people that you’ll have to unsubscribe them unless they react to this email. Of course, you can skip this step and simply send an unsubscribe email.
• Unsubscribe confirmation email. This is the last one. You unsubscribe inactive prospects from your newsletter, but let them know that they’ll always be able to come back.

Let’s look at win-back email examples from every step.

1. “We miss you” email

Make your customer feel appreciated by sending them an email after 3-6 months of being inactive. It will help to refresh your customers’ minds, remind them of your brand and services, and everything they are missing out on. 

Below is an example of a “We miss you” email by Rabbit. It is short and to the point, reminds that the subscriber’s opinion matters, and has a prominent CTA button. Moreover, it looks cute: you’ve probably noticed that many brands use little animals in their re-engagement emails. This is because everyone likes them, and these pictures immediately catch the attention and activate “the aww factor”.

2. Incentive email

It would be naive to expect that everyone comes back to your business only because you said “hello” or showed them a cute, sad animal. The majority of your subscribers won’t even open the first email. That’s why in the second email, you should offer some benefits that’ll make them interested in your brand again.

Offering a discount is an obvious solution. You can also send your subscribers a bonus gift, offer free shipping, upgrade the product, give extra reward points, a free consultation, or other benefits.

Here is one of the simplest yet working options. Making it time-limited will strengthen the effectiveness of your offer – like in the example above.

Offering a discount is quite an obvious solution, so to stand out, you can send your subscribers a bonus gift, free shipping or upgrade of the product, extra reward points, a free consultation, or other benefits.

3. Feedback email

Show the customers that their satisfaction is your top priority by sending them a feedback email. The answers you’ll get may help you improve your product and your customer service.

People like giving feedback. Even if a feedback email won’t convince them to make a purchase, your subscribers probably will interact with your email newsletter. Take an email from Typeform — such a short and polite message shows that you care about customers’ experience. Giving a bonus for completing the survey is a nice motivational trick.

4. Last chance email and unsubscribe confirmation email

This is your last-ditch effort to convince the customer that your brand is worth their attention. If they don’t click on the CTA button, they’ll be removed from your email list within several days.

Good-case scenario — you win their attention, bad-case scenario — you move on. Cleaning inactive subscribers improves your email deliverability rate and reduces email bounce backs, so this is a necessary measure, even if it looks like you are losing some business.

As with the “We miss you” email, it is appropriate to use playful language and an informal tone. But avoid blaming subscribers and don’t burn bridges – these customers may return to you later.

Winback customer email template ideas and tips

Here are general recommendations for re-engagement emails.

Segment your inactive audience properly

Some inactive subscribers haven’t opened your emails in months, and others skipped just the last campaign. Email segmentation allows you to create more tailored and relevant win-back email campaigns, so you have more chances to engage inactive subscribers — or clean up your email list. Before sending win-back emails, group your readers based on their disengagement period — for example, 30, 60, or 90+ days. You can add another condition, such as the content they used to interact with. This way, you reduce customer dissatisfaction with your copy. 

Keep your subject line and copy succinct

A common strategy for a captivating win-back email subject line is using “we miss you” as a key. For example:  

• We Miss You (And You’re Missing Out)
• We Miss You Already
• Come back to beef up dinner!
• Let’s reconnect!
• Let’s start over
• We TOTALLY need to catch up

Emojis will give you a bit more attention in subscribers’ overcrowded inboxes:

• Because breaking up is hard to do…💔
• Let’s rekindle the friendship 💕
• 👻 Boo… We Miss You!
• Hey, we miss you! Like, a lot! So, here is a 🎁 gift, just for you!

Another strategy is adding the customer’s name to the email subject line, making them feel it’s a personal message:

• We know it’s been a while, {Name}. Come back now for 25% off
• WE MISS YOU, {Name} > $15 Off Your Next Order
• {Name}–We miss you. Here’s something you might like
• Hey {Name}! Our new menu is PERFECT for you!
• Let’s stay together, {Name}
• {Name}, give us another chance. We’ll give you 2 weeks free!

No matter the strategy, keep the subject line short and catchy. Inactive subscribers are not interested in long novel-like messages. Remember that brevity is the soul of wit, and follow this rule.

Create urgency with time-limited offers

Creating a sense of urgency is a proven technique to drive fast decisions. Yes, feel free to use the fear of missing out as your marketing strategy (we’ve got great FOMO email marketing examples for inspiration). 

Here is a great example of a time-limited offer by Spotify — the service put the time frame in the CTA button.

Another way to approach urgency is shown here by the 2025 Crocs email campaign. Notice “last chance”, “better hurry”, and — as a cherry on top — “Buy Today” CTA button. While no specific date is added, you can feel the urgency. 

Use a low-friction call-to-action

The other strategy is to be more gentle and nudge the customer towards the end-goal — visit your website, complete the purchase, etc. A lot of businesses use this tactic and show how much they care about customers. 

Take a look at the email from PMD Beauty. The tone is friendly and caring, the CTA is neutral — a great way to win back your subscribers.

10 best win-back email examples that bring customers back

Take a look at win-back email examples to find inspiration for your own campaign.

Hormbles Chormbles: A simple win-back offer

What do we like about this email:

• The subject line “You left. Chormbles stayed.” is attention-grabbing — and the design fits the theme. 
• This email doesn’t attempt to pressure customers, but offers a variety of products in one box — seduction instead of emotional blackmail. 
• The CTAs are clear and simple — exactly what you need to balance the over-the-top color scheme.

Olipop: Sweet time-limited discounts 

What do we like about this email:

• The subject line that Ollipop chose for this campaign is sweet and personal; it states: “Baby come back ??” You want to open that kind of email just out of curiosity and nostalgia. 
• This win-back email offers not one but two discounts. The first one is styled almost as a rom-com reference with “We’re going to admit: we want you back!” The discount itself is nice enough to pique customers’ interest in the offer. 
• The note at the end of the email clearly states what these offers include — it is written in simple and clear language. Though it could be even more visible, it still adds transparency. 

Rind: Stylish feedback

What do we like about this email:

• The copy is sweet and cute — it doesn’t put any blame on the customer, but offers three options to choose from. Notice that one of the options is unsubscribe — no pressure, no guilt, just a nice way out. 
• The layout makes it easy to skim through.
• The font gently reminds customers of the products.

Belgian Boys: Polite unsubscribe warning

Why do we like this email:

• This win-back email shows empathy with its customers. It’s polite, friendly, and calm — a nice way to keep in contact.
• The message offers subscribers a way back in with the “Wait, there’s been a mistake”. The phrase does not suggest whose mistake it’s been — and this is the clever way to keep the customer and the business on the same side.
• Belgian Brothers chose a photo with the variety of its products as a font — just as a reminder of how much the company has to offer.

Alleypop: Big deal to retain subscribers

What do we like about this email:

• The design and layout are simple and super positive — a photo of smiling girls, a small white block with the offer, and a “We miss you” colorful sticker. 
• The insensitive is repeated three times — first in the heading, then in the block with the main offer, and in the CTA button. 

Turnbull & Asser: Showcase as a win-back

What do we like about this email:

• Turnbull & Asser takes the opportunity to showcase its products in the win-back email. It’s an elegant way to frame any message and an opportunity for the customer to see what the brand has to offer. 
• The layout makes this email easy to skim, including both the products and the benefits of buying them. 
• CTAs give two options — new arrivals and an “Archive sale”. It works for customers who like to be trendy and for those who prefer less expensive options.

Grammarly: Curiosity gap as win-back

What do we like about this email:

• Unusual — bright and round — CTA button immediately catches attention. 
• The playful tone of the message creates a casual atmosphere and helps to establish friendly relations with the subscriber. 
• The subject line (“You’ve Earned a New Badge!”) generates interest and makes the reader want to open the email.

Girlfriend Collective: Time-sensitive text

What do we like about this email:

• This email is straightforward, minimalistic, and very clear. The message tells you exactly what the sender is expecting from you.
• Time-limited discount urges to take action — and motivates subscribers more. Once again, it proves that sometimes you don’t even need email countdown GIFs; just plain text is enough.

Animoto: Communication updates

What do we like about this email:

• Email design is quite offbeat — the message looks like a real envelope with a postcard.
• The subscribers are offered a choice here: To update their email preferences or unsubscribe. It shows care and consideration for the customer, plus plenty of opportunities to keep the contact but on their terms.

Netflix: A gentle reminder

What do we like about this email: 

• Netflix’s campaigns are examples to be followed when it comes to email personalization. So every email is based on preferences — and it’s a great win-back email strategy. If you offer something people might like based on their data, the chances of their return are gradually increasing. 
• Notice that there are three options in every category — “Watch again”, “Top picks for you”, etc. While you can give a lot of options, it’s better to limit them and keep the focus on the most exciting products.

Advanced win-back campaign strategies

Personalize based on past behavior

Analyze past purchases, content preferences, and other data you know about customers on your email list. Your win-back emails should be personalized and tailored to those who receive them. The more relevant the offer, the higher the chance of re-engagement.

Add omnichannel elements

Don’t rely on email alone. Combine your campaigns with other marketing channels like messengers, social media, or SMS texts. This way, you can reach more inactive subscribers on multiple platforms.

Use predictive segmentation or RFM analysis

Recency, Frequency, and Monetary (RFM) analysis helps you to identify subscribers that are most likely to return. It’s easier to focus your efforts on them instead of the broader base (though even the broader base deserves your attention!).

Use the right ESP

Finding the right email service provider is instrumental in creating a great win-back email campaign. Not to brag, but Selzy is the right tool to choose. With Selzy, you can:

• Re-engage subscribers across multiple channels. Pair email with Telegram chatbots, trigger at the right moment through your website, app, or CRM data.
• Personalize win-back flows. Use Selzy’s 70+ segmentation criteria and merge tags — for example, you can remind customers of abandoned carts, offer a birthday discount, or highlight products they liked but didn’t buy.
• Automate “We miss you” sequences. Send follow-ups like incentives, reminders, or last-chance emails — all automated.
• Strategize. Create A/B-tests, check analytics, and use data to reach subscribers when they’re most likely to respond.

Selzy makes it simple to build automated win-back campaigns that feel personal, timely, and relevant. Plus, you can try it for free.

FAQ

What is a win-back email campaign?

A win-back email campaign is a series of emails to re-engage your inactive customers or subscribers and get them interested in your services. It can be just one plain text email or a series of messages with different means to get readers’ attention. 

Is retaining customers and winning them back worth the effort?

Yes, retaining customers (or subscribers) is much cheaper than attracting new ones. So don’t skip the win-back email campaign. 

When to send win-back emails? 

Send win-back emails within 3 months. The longer this period is, the harder and less effective it will be to bring your customers back.

How does a win-back email work? 

You can re-engage your subscribers using a series of emails:

• A reminder or “We miss you” email
• An incentive email with some benefits
• A feedback email to know what has gone wrong
• Last chance email to create a required sense of urgency
• Unsubscription email

Final thoughts

With the win-back email example, tips, and tools, it will be much easier to create your next email campaign to re-engage customers and keep your email list active. Don’t forget: It’s better to retain customers and subscribers than attract new ones!