Somewhere in your email list, there are people who used to love hearing from you. They opened everything, clicked links, maybe even bought something. And now? They scroll past your subject lines like you're a stranger at a party they're pretending not to recognize.
Win-back emails are your one shot at snapping them out of it before you have to cut them loose entirely. Research shows 45% of subscribers who receive a well-crafted win-back email will open future messages from that brand, not just the win-back itself, but everything after it. That's not a Hail Mary. That's a legitimate re-engagement strategy with actual data behind it. (For the full strategy, see our re-engagement campaign guide, win-back campaign framework, and win-back email examples.)
Here's how to write ones that work.
What Is a Win-Back Email?
A win-back email is a targeted message you send to subscribers who used to engage but have gone quiet. Maybe they haven't opened an email in 90 days. Maybe they haven't purchased in 6 months. Maybe they've been scrolling past your subject lines like they're invisible.
The goal is simple: get them to do something. Open. Click. Buy. Anything that signals they still want to hear from you.
And before you roll your eyes at another "we miss you" email, consider this: research shows 45% of subscribers who receive a win-back email will open future emails from that brand. Not just the win-back email. Future emails.
That's not a one-time revival. That's pulling someone back into your engaged audience for good.
| Win-Back Email Component | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Urgency in subject line | Creates FOMO, increases open rate |
| Personalized references | Shows you remember them as a person |
| Acknowledge the gap | Makes it clear you noticed they left |
| Incentive to return | Gives them a reason to act now |
| Clear CTA | Removes friction from taking action |
| Easy unsubscribe | Lets disinterested people self-select out |
Why Your Subscribers Went Silent (It's Not What You Think)
Most marketers assume dormant subscribers just lost interest. That's lazy thinking.
People go silent for specific reasons, and if you don't diagnose the actual problem, your win-back email is just noise.
Inbox overload. They subscribed to too many lists. Yours got buried. Not personal.
Life happened. They moved. Changed jobs. Had a kid. Your emails became irrelevant to their current situation.
You annoyed them. Too many emails. Irrelevant content. That one subject line that felt desperate.
They found a competitor. Ouch. But at least you know.
They already bought. For some products, one purchase is all anyone needs. A mattress brand shouldn't expect repeat purchases every quarter.
Here's the thing: a generic "we miss you" email addresses exactly zero of these issues. You're just shouting into the void hoping something sticks.
The best win-back campaigns diagnose the problem first. More on that in a minute.
When to Send Win-Back Emails (Timing Matters)
The "right" timing depends entirely on what you sell.
For most ecommerce brands, 90 days of inactivity is a reasonable trigger. For subscription services or consumable products, you might fire sooner, maybe 30-60 days. For high-ticket items with long purchase cycles (furniture, appliances, B2B software), you might wait 6-12 months.
A good rule: find the timeframe where 75-85% of your customers would normally repurchase. That's your benchmark. If someone hasn't bought by then, they're slipping.
Win-back timing by business type:
- Consumables (coffee, supplements, skincare): 30-60 days
- General ecommerce: 90 days
- Subscription services: 30 days after last engagement
- High-ticket items: 6-12 months
- B2B/SaaS: 90 days of no product usage
Don't send too early. Someone who bought running shoes two weeks ago doesn't need a "come back" email. That's weird. You'll train them to expect discounts.
Don't wait too long either. After a year of silence, your emails are basically spam to them. Their inbox has moved on.
7 Win-Back Email Examples That Get Results
1. The Straight Shooter (Girlfriend Collective)
Subject line: "We miss you. Here's $20."
No games. No elaborate copy. Just a simple, human acknowledgment that they've noticed the absence, paired with a concrete incentive.
This works because it respects people's time. If someone hasn't engaged in months, they don't want to read a novel. They want a reason to care. Twenty bucks is a reason.
2. The Soft Goodbye (Our Place)
Subject line: "This is the last email you'll see"
This one flips the script. Instead of begging for attention, they announce they're leaving. It's a reverse psychology move that triggers loss aversion.
The email gives subscribers two choices: click to stay on the list or do nothing and get automatically removed. Clean. Respectful. No desperation.
3. The Product Reminder (Rufflebutts)
Subject line: "Oh Joy"
Instead of dwelling on the relationship, this one leads with product. Here's what we have now. Here's your discount. Here's the button.
Works well for brands where the product speaks for itself. Sometimes people just forgot what you sell. Showing them is more effective than telling them you miss them.
4. The Exclusive Offer (Printfresh)
Subject line: "Let's get reacquainted"
This one frames the discount as rare. "We don't hand these out often." It's positioned as a gift, not a desperate sales tactic.
Adding social proof (a magazine quote calling their pajamas "almost too beautiful to wear to bed") reinforces that this is a brand worth coming back to.
5. The Feedback Ask (Dollar Shave Club)
Subject line: "Did we do something wrong?"
This one goes full diagnostic. Instead of assuming the subscriber wants a discount, it asks what happened. Was it something we did? Did you find a better option? Are you just not shaving anymore?
Brilliant for two reasons: it gets actual intel on why people leave, and the self-deprecating tone makes the brand feel human. People respond to vulnerability.
6. The FOMO Play (Sephora)
Subject line: "Your points are about to expire"
If your subscribers have loyalty points, reward credits, or any stored value, this is gold. Loss aversion is stronger than the desire for gain. People hate losing things they already have.
The urgency is built in. No manufactured scarcity needed.
7. The New Arrival Alert (Brooklinen)
Subject line: "A lot has changed since we last talked"
Instead of a discount, this one leads with newness. Here's what you've missed. New products. New collections. New reasons to come back.
Works particularly well if your brand has actually evolved. If someone churned because your selection was limited, showing them how much you've grown can flip their perception.
Win-Back Email Subject Lines That Get Opens
Your subject line does one job: get the open. Here are patterns that work:
Urgency + Benefit:
- "Last chance for 20% off"
- "Your cart expires tonight"
- "Final hours: free shipping ends"
Personal + Direct:
- "We miss you, [First Name]"
- "It's been a while"
- "Can we talk?"
Curiosity + FOMO:
- "You missed this"
- "A lot has changed"
- "Before you go..."
Loss Aversion:
- "Your points are expiring"
- "Don't lose your VIP status"
- "This is the last email you'll see"
Avoid anything that sounds like every other "we miss you" email in existence. "Come back to us!" is not a subject line. It's a plea.
How to Structure a Win-Back Sequence
One email rarely does the job. A proper win-back campaign is a sequence, usually 2-4 emails spaced 3-7 days apart.
Email 1: The soft nudge. Acknowledge the absence. Light incentive or none. Just check in.
Email 2: The real offer. Discount, free shipping, bonus item. Make it compelling.
Email 3: The deadline. Urgency. Your offer expires. Last chance.
Email 4: The goodbye. We're removing you from the list. No hard feelings. Click here if you want to stay.
Not everyone needs all four emails. Some people will re-engage after email one. The point is to have a sequence that escalates, giving multiple opportunities to reconnect before you sunset them.
And yes, you should actually remove unengaged subscribers eventually. A smaller, engaged list beats a large, dead one every time. Your deliverability depends on it.
FAQ
How many win-back emails should I send?
Most brands see results with a 3-4 email sequence. Fewer and you're not giving people enough chances. More and you're annoying them. Space them 4-7 days apart.
What discount should I offer in a win-back email?
Start with 10-15% and escalate to 20-25% if needed. Don't lead with your biggest offer. You'll train subscribers to wait for the desperation discount.
When should I remove inactive subscribers?
After your win-back sequence completes with no response, typically 30 days post-sequence. If someone ignores 4 emails plus your normal campaigns, they're not coming back.
Do win-back emails hurt deliverability?
They can if you're sending to addresses that hard bounce or mark you as spam. Suppress hard bounces before your win-back sequence. If spam complaints spike during win-back, shorten the sequence or adjust timing.
What's the best time to send win-back emails?
Same as your regular campaigns. Most brands see peak engagement Tuesday-Thursday, late morning. But test your own audience. Dormant subscribers might actually respond better to off-peak times when their inbox is less crowded.
Win-back emails aren't about desperation. They're about giving subscribers who drifted away a clear path back. Make it easy. Make it worthwhile. And if they still don't bite, let them go.
A clean list beats a big list every time.