A getting started email is your best shot at turning a signup into an active user. It arrives when engagement is at its peak—someone just took action, they're paying attention, and they're waiting to hear from you. Yet most getting started emails end up ignored. They sit unopened in crowded inboxes, their generic subject lines blending into the noise. The user moves on, forgets about your product, and eventually churns before ever experiencing its value.

The difference between a getting started email that gets opened and one that doesn't comes down to a handful of decisions: what you say in the subject line, how you structure the content, when you send it, and how personal it feels. Get these right, and you'll see open rates above 60%. Get them wrong, and you'll struggle to crack 30%.

This guide breaks down exactly what makes getting started emails perform. You'll learn specific subject line formulas, the single-CTA principle, personalization strategies that go beyond first names, and how to time your emails for maximum impact.

Why Most Getting Started Emails Fail

Before fixing the problem, you need to understand what's going wrong. The most common issues with getting started emails fall into predictable categories.

Generic subject lines are the primary killer. "Welcome to ProductName" or "Your account is ready" sound like every other SaaS email in the inbox. There's no hook, no curiosity, no reason to click. These subject lines confirm the signup happened, but they don't promise anything worth reading.

Information overload is the second problem. Many companies try to accomplish too much in one email—introducing the team, listing all features, explaining the company mission, and asking users to complete five different tasks. The result is an overwhelming wall of text that users skim past without taking any action.

Delayed sending is the third issue. Some companies batch their emails or wait for manual review before sending. By the time the getting started email arrives, the user has closed the tab and moved on to other things. The moment of peak engagement has passed.

Lack of personalization makes emails feel like form letters. When an email addresses "Dear User" and makes no reference to what the user signed up for or who they are, it signals that the company doesn't really know or care about them as an individual.

The Anatomy of a High-Performing Getting Started Email

A getting started email that achieves high open rates and drives action follows a specific structure. Every element serves a purpose.

The subject line creates curiosity or promises immediate value. It stands out from other emails in the inbox without being clickbait. It hints at what's inside while leaving enough open to reward the click.

The opening line continues the momentum from the subject. It acknowledges what the user just did (signed up) and immediately transitions to what matters next. No fluff, no pleasantries, just straight to value.

The body is short—under 150 words in most cases. It tells the user exactly what to do next and why it matters. Benefits are specific, not vague. The path forward is clear.

A single, prominent call-to-action drives all attention toward one specific action. No competing links, no secondary options. One button, one goal.

A brief mention of what's coming next sets expectations for future emails. This primes users to open subsequent messages in your onboarding email sequence.

The signature feels personal. It comes from a real person, not "The Team" or "[email protected]". It invites replies.

Subject Line Formulas That Drive Opens

Your subject line determines whether the rest of your carefully crafted email gets seen at all. Here are six formulas that consistently outperform generic alternatives.

The Next Step Formula: "[First Name], here's your first step"

This works because it's specific and action-oriented. It implies there's something concrete to do, not just information to absorb. The personalization with their name makes it feel directed at them specifically.

The Quick Win Formula: "Your 5-minute setup guide"

Time-bound promises reduce friction. Users know exactly how much effort is required. Short time frames (5 minutes, 2 minutes) work better than longer ones because they feel achievable even when busy.

The Benefit Hook Formula: "Start [achieving outcome] today"

Lead with what they'll accomplish, not what they need to do. "Start automating your emails today" is more compelling than "Complete your email setup." The outcome matters more than the task.

The Curiosity Gap Formula: "One thing before you get started"

This creates an open loop that users want to close. What's the one thing? They have to open to find out. Use sparingly because overuse trains users to expect gimmicks.

The Direct and Clear Formula: "Ready to [specific action]?"

Questions engage because they invite a mental response. Framing it as "ready" implies they're prepared and capable. Pair this with a specific action that matches your activation goal.

The Personal Touch Formula: "[First Name], quick question from [Your Name]"

This feels like a personal message, not a marketing email. It stands out in an inbox full of automated communications. The implied conversation creates social pressure to respond.

Test these formulas with your audience using A/B testing for subject lines. What works depends on your product, your users, and your voice. But these patterns provide a starting point that's proven to outperform generic alternatives.

The Single-CTA Principle

One of the most common mistakes in getting started emails is asking users to do too many things. "Complete your profile! Connect your integrations! Invite your team! Watch this tutorial!" Each additional ask dilutes attention and reduces the likelihood that users do anything at all.

The single-CTA principle is simple: one email, one action. Decide what the most important next step is for a new user, and make that the only thing you ask them to do.

For most SaaS products, this is the activation action—whatever behavior correlates most strongly with long-term retention. It might be creating a first project, sending a first email, adding a first teammate, or completing a setup wizard. Whatever it is, your getting started email should drive toward that single goal.

Everything in the email supports this CTA. The subject line hints at it. The body explains why it matters. The button makes it easy to do. There's no competition for attention.

If you truly have multiple important actions, sequence them. The getting started email covers step one. Tomorrow's email covers step two. Breaking tasks into separate emails with single CTAs outperforms overwhelming users with a multi-step checklist in a single message.

Personalization Beyond First Name

Using someone's first name in the subject line or greeting is table stakes. It's expected, not impressive. To stand out, you need personalization that demonstrates you actually know something about the user.

Use what you learned during signup. If users selected their role, company size, or use case during registration, reference it. "Since you're building a SaaS product, here's where to start" shows you paid attention to their context.

Reference their company name when appropriate. If you captured company information, using it shows this isn't a mass email. "Getting [Company Name] set up on ProductName" feels customized even though it's automated.

Customize based on signup source. Users who came from a specific blog post, comparison page, or integration partner have different contexts. An email that acknowledges "Since you found us through the Stripe integration page" is more relevant than a generic welcome.

Adjust content for user segment. A developer evaluating your API needs different information than a marketing manager exploring your campaign builder. If you can identify segments at signup, serve different versions of your getting started email to each group.

The deeper the personalization, the higher the engagement. Each additional data point you incorporate makes the email feel less like a broadcast and more like a conversation.

Timing: Immediate vs. Delayed

The ideal timing for a getting started email is immediate—within seconds of signup completion. Here's why this matters.

User attention is highest immediately after action. The user just signed up. They're still on your site, or at least still thinking about your product. They're expecting to hear from you. An email that arrives in this window feels like a natural continuation of the experience.

Immediate emails have the highest open rates. Industry data consistently shows that transactional and triggered emails sent within minutes of user action achieve 50-80% open rates. The same email sent an hour later might only see 30-40% opens. The content is identical, but the timing changes everything.

Delayed sends lose the moment. When your email arrives an hour or a day after signup, the user has mentally moved on. They've checked other emails, started other tasks, possibly even forgotten they signed up. You're no longer catching their attention; you're competing for it.

The only exception is email verification. If your signup flow requires users to verify their email address, send the verification email immediately and the getting started email after verification. Sending both at once is confusing, and sending the getting started email to unverified addresses wastes effort on users who may have provided invalid emails.

For comprehensive guidance on verification flows, see our guide on setting up welcome emails.

A/B Testing Your Getting Started Email

Even with best practices, you won't know what works for your specific audience until you test. Getting started emails are excellent candidates for A/B testing because they have high volume (every new signup gets one) and a clear success metric (open rate, followed by activation rate).

Start by testing subject lines. Create two versions that use different formulas—maybe a benefit hook versus a curiosity gap. Run the test on 30% of your signups, wait for statistical significance, and send the winner to everyone else.

Then test email length. Try a 100-word version against a 200-word version. Some audiences prefer brevity; others want more context before clicking. Let the data decide.

Test different CTAs. "Start Your Free Trial" versus "Create Your First Project" versus "Complete Setup Now." The specific wording affects click rates more than you might expect.

Test sender name. "Sarah from ProductName" versus just "ProductName" versus "The ProductName Team." Personal names often win, but not always.

For a complete framework on testing email subject lines, see our guide on A/B testing subject lines. Apply the same principles to your getting started email tests.

Getting Started Email Template

Here's a template that incorporates all the principles covered above. Adapt it for your product, but maintain the structure.

Subject: [First Name], your first step in [Product]

Body:

Hey [First Name],

You're all set. Your [Product] account is ready to go.

The first thing I'd recommend is [specific activation action]. It takes about [time estimate] and immediately unlocks [specific benefit].

[Button: Get Started Now]

That's the single most important thing right now. Once you've done that, I'll send you a quick email tomorrow with the next step.

Questions? Just reply to this email. I read every response.

[Your Name] [Title] at [Product]

Why this works:

Subject line uses personalization and promises a specific next step
Opening confirms the signup without wasting words
Body is under 80 words
Single CTA with specific action and benefit
Sets expectation for future emails
Personal signature invites replies
Total reading time: under 30 seconds

Measuring Success

Track these metrics for your getting started emails:

Open rate should be above 50%, ideally above 60%. If you're below 40%, your subject line isn't working. Test alternatives.

Click rate should be above 15%, ideally above 25%. If users open but don't click, your CTA isn't compelling enough or the ask is too big.

Activation rate is the metric that matters most. What percentage of users who open your getting started email complete your activation milestone within 48 hours? Compare this to users who didn't open. The delta shows your email's true impact.

Reply rate indicates engagement quality. Even a 2-3% reply rate means users see you as approachable. These replies are valuable feedback about what's working and what's confusing.

Next Steps

Your getting started email is just the first touchpoint in the user journey. It sets the tone for everything that follows—the rest of your onboarding sequence, your ongoing communication, and ultimately your relationship with the customer.

Once your getting started email is performing well, extend the momentum with a full onboarding sequence. See our guide on creating a SaaS onboarding email sequence for the complete framework.

The goal isn't just getting emails opened. It's turning signups into active users who experience your product's value. A high-performing getting started email is the first step toward that outcome.