Shopify Email Marketing: Built-In Email Tool for Ecommerce Stores

Shopify email marketing provides you with a native, powerful way to connect with your customers without ever leaving your store admin. This tool allows you to create, send, and track email campaigns using the same data that powers your products and orders. You can now build professional newsletters and automated messages that drive sales directly from your dashboard.

Managing an online store requires you to juggle dozens of tasks at once. Often, setting up a separate email platform feels like a step too far. It adds cost and complexity to your day. Shopify built this tool to remove those barriers. You get a direct line to your buyers that is affordable and incredibly easy to use.

What Is Shopify Email?

Shopify Email is a native marketing app designed specifically for ecommerce merchants to send branded emails directly through the Shopify admin. It allows you to use your existing store data, product images, and customer lists to build campaigns. This tool simplifies your marketing by keeping everything under one roof and offering a generous free tier.

When you use this app, you are tapping into the core of your business. You do not need to export lists or sync data between different platforms. Every customer who buys from you is already in the system. Every product you want to promote is available with one click. This level of connection makes your workflow faster and less prone to errors.

How Does It Differ From Standalone Platforms?

Standalone platforms often require you to install a complex tracking code. They charge you based on how many contacts you have, even if those people never open an email. This app changes that. You are charged based on the number of emails you send, not the size of your list. This makes it a great choice if you are just starting out or if you have a large list that you do not message every single day.

Native Features for Your Store

• Data Accuracy: Your stock levels and prices are always up to date in your emails.
• No Coding Needed: You use a visual editor that matches the look of your online store.
• Quick Setup: You can send your first campaign in minutes after installing the app.

How Does Shopify Email Marketing Work?

You use Shopify Email by selecting a template, adding your products, and choosing your audience from your customer list. It works by pulling your store’s branding, such as your logo and colors, directly into your email layout. Once you send a campaign, the app tracks every click and purchase so you can see your exact return on investment.

The process is designed to be as simple as adding a new product to your store. You are guided through each step, ensuring your messages look professional on both desktop and mobile screens.

Campaign Creation Inside Your Admin

To start, you go to the “Marketing” section of your Shopify admin. From there, you select “Create Campaign” and choose “Shopify Email.” You will see a variety of templates designed for specific goals. Some are for announcing new arrivals, while others focus on sharing a discount code. You simply click the sections you want to change and type your text.

Using Customer and Order Data

Because the app lives inside your store, it knows exactly what your customers are doing. You can choose to send an email only to people who have spent over $100. Or, you can target people who haven’t bought anything in the last six months. This data allows you to send more relevant messages that people actually want to read.

Templates and Branding

You do not have to be a designer to make your emails look good. The templates automatically pull in your store’s logo and primary colors. This keeps your brand consistent. When a customer opens your email, it feels like an extension of your website. This builds trust and makes them more likely to click through to your shop.

Who Should Use Shopify Email Marketing?

Shopify Email is the best choice for small to mid-sized store owners who want an easy, affordable way to send marketing campaigns. It is perfect for brands that prefer a simple interface over complex automation. If you want to spend more time making products and less time managing software, this is the tool for you.

Your choice of tool depends on your current stage of growth. Not every store needs the most expensive software on the market.

Ideal Users: Small to Mid-Sized Brands

If you are running your store alone or with a small team, your time is your most valuable asset. You need tools that work without a long learning curve. This app gives you the power to look like a big brand without needing a big budget. It is particularly strong for:

1. Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brands: When you need to tell your story and sell products directly.
2. New Merchants: When you are still testing your market and want to keep costs low.
3. Creators: When you want to send simple updates to your fans.

Who Should Look Elsewhere?

There are times when you might outgrow this tool. If your marketing strategy relies on highly complex “branching” logic—such as sending different emails based on which specific link someone clicked three days ago—you might find it limiting.

• Large Enterprises: Brands with massive teams and complex data needs.
• Omnichannel Marketers: If you need to coordinate SMS, push notifications, and email in one visual flow.
• SMS-Heavy Brands: This app focuses primarily on email, so you would need another tool for text marketing.

What Are the Core Features of Shopify Email Marketing?

The core features of Shopify Email include a drag-and-drop editor, prebuilt ecommerce templates, and basic automation for abandoned checkouts. It also offers purchase-based customer segmentation and revenue tracking. These tools work together to help you send targeted messages that result in sales, all within your existing Shopify environment.

Email Campaign Builder

The builder is the heart of the app. You can move blocks of text, images, and buttons around with your mouse.

• Product Blocks: You can pull a specific product into your email. The app automatically adds the image, the title, and the price.
• Discount Codes: You can drop a discount block that allows customers to copy a code or have it applied automatically at checkout.

Customer Segmentation

You shouldn’t send every email to every person. This app allows you to group your customers based on their behavior. You can create segments for:

• First-time buyers: Send them a “thank you” and a discount for their next order.
• High-value customers: Give them early access to a new sale.
• Inactive users: Try to win them back with a special offer.

Automation Basics

Automation helps you make money while you sleep. While this app keeps things simple, it covers the most important bases.

1. Abandoned Checkout: Send an email to someone who left items in their cart.
2. Welcome Emails: Automatically greet new subscribers.
3. Order Follow-ups: Ask for a review or suggest a related product after a purchase.

Analytics and Reporting

You need to know if your hard work is paying off. The app provides a clear report for every email. You can see:

• Open Rates: How many people opened the message.
• Click Rates: Which links were the most popular.
• Revenue: Exactly how much money that specific email generated in sales.

How Much Does Shopify Email Cost?

Shopify Email offers a generous pricing model where the first 10,000 emails you send each month are completely free. After you pass that limit, you pay only $1 USD for every 1,000 additional emails you send. There are no monthly subscription fees for the app itself, making it one of the most cost-effective options for ecommerce stores.

This pricing is a major advantage for your business. Most other platforms start charging you more as soon as you add more names to your list. With this model, your costs only go up if you are actually sending more mail.

Cost Predictability

You can easily calculate your monthly bill. If you send 15,000 emails in a month, your total cost will be $5. This transparency helps you manage your marketing budget without worrying about sudden price hikes.

Ease of Use and Setup

Setting up Shopify Email is faster than almost any other marketing tool because it is already built into your store. You do not need to deal with API keys, complex integrations, or syncing databases. You simply go to your apps, ensure it is installed, and you are ready to start your first campaign.

The Native Experience

The interface looks and feels just like the rest of Shopify. If you know how to navigate your orders or products, you already know how to use this app. This reduces the time you spend learning a new system and lets you focus on your actual marketing strategy.

Learning Curve for Beginners

Even if you have never sent a marketing email before, you can succeed here. The app guides you through the process of choosing a subject line, adding your “from” email address, and testing your message before it goes live. You can send a test email to your own inbox to see exactly how it looks on your phone.

Deliverability and Compliance

Shopify Email uses a reliable infrastructure to ensure your messages reach the inbox instead of the spam folder. The platform manages the technical side of email sending, including authentication like SPF and DKIM. You are also given tools to stay compliant with laws like the CAN-SPAM act and GDPR automatically.

Authentication and Trust

When you send email through a professional service, you need to prove that you have permission to send from your domain. Shopify handles much of this in the background. If you use a custom domain, the app provides clear instructions on how to verify it. This verification tells email providers like Gmail that your message is legitimate.

Staying Compliant

Your emails must include an “unsubscribe” link and your physical business address. This app adds these for you by default. It also manages your subscriber list, ensuring that if someone clicks “unsubscribe,” they are immediately removed. This protects you from legal issues and keeps your reputation high.

Shopify Email Pros and Cons

Choosing the right tool requires you to look at both the benefits and the limitations. While this app is incredible for many, it might not be the perfect fit for a store that requires advanced logic.

Pros

• Built-in: No need to sync data or manage a second account.
• Affordable: 10,000 free emails a month is a massive value.
• Easy to Use: Designed for store owners, not technical experts.
• Accurate Data: Uses real-time inventory and customer information.

Cons

• Basic Automation: You cannot build multi-step, complex journeys.
• Shopify-Only: You cannot use this if you move your store to another platform.
• Limited Customization: Advanced designers might find the drag-and-drop builder too restrictive.

Shopify Email vs Other Email Marketing Tools

You might be wondering how this compares to heavy hitters like Klaviyo or Mailchimp. The choice usually comes down to whether you want simplicity or deep, data-driven power.

Shopify Email vs Klaviyo

Klaviyo is the “gold standard” for ecommerce automation. It allows you to build incredibly detailed flows based on almost any customer action. However, it is expensive and has a steep learning curve. You should choose Shopify Email if you want to save money and keep things simple. You should move to Klaviyo when you have a dedicated person to manage your email and need advanced features.

Shopify Email vs Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a general-purpose tool. It works well for bloggers and service businesses, but its connection to Shopify has been rocky in the past. Shopify Email feels more “at home” because it was built specifically for the platform. If your business is 100% ecommerce, the native app is usually a better fit than Mailchimp.

Shopify Email vs Omnisend

Omnisend is great if you want to combine email and SMS in one platform. While Shopify Email is getting better, it doesn’t yet have the same level of multichannel coordination. If you rely heavily on text messages to drive sales, Omnisend might be worth the extra cost.

Real-World Use Cases for Your Store

How can you use this tool to actually grow your sales? You don’t need a complex plan to see results. Focusing on the basics often yields the best returns.

Product Announcements

When you launch a new collection, you want your best customers to know first. You can create a beautiful email with a product grid showing your new items. Because the app pulls the images directly from your store, you can put this together in under ten minutes.

Promotions and Sales

Whether it’s Black Friday or a flash sale, you can send out a series of emails to build excitement. Use the countdown timer or discount code blocks to create a sense of urgency. You can then track the revenue in real-time to see which days performed the best.

Abandoned Checkout Reminders

This is perhaps the most important email you will ever send. Many people add items to their cart and then get distracted. A simple, friendly reminder with a link back to their cart can recover a significant portion of those lost sales. This app makes setting up this automation a one-click process.

Customer Re-engagement

If someone hasn’t bought from you in 90 days, they might have forgotten about your brand. You can send a “We miss you” email with a small discount. This is a great way to turn a one-time buyer into a loyal customer.

Final Verdict: Should You Use Shopify Email?

If you want a cost-effective, easy-to-manage solution that lives directly inside your store, the answer is yes. It is the perfect starting point for almost every merchant. It allows you to build your list and start generating revenue without the stress of managing a separate, expensive platform.

As your business grows, you can always decide to move to a more complex tool later. But for many stores, this app provides everything you need to build a successful, profitable email strategy. You own your customer relationships. Use this tool to nurture them, share your story, and grow your sales.

By keeping your marketing simple and focused on your products, you give yourself the best chance to succeed. Start with the free 10,000 emails and see the impact it has on your bottom line. You might find that you never need to look anywhere else.