In this article, our team, alongside email marketing experts, explores the key considerations for balancing automation efficiency with avoiding intrusiveness.
During our expert interviews for the Email marketing trends 2025 guide and other discussions, we observed that they have increasingly warned about the dangers of over-automation in email campaigns. This marks a shift where business representatives no longer need to be convinced that email campaign automation helps save time and resources. However, they must now learn to implement it carefully.
Overuse of automation can lead to subscriber irritation, erode trust, and harm the ’brand’s reputation. Automation should enhance customer interactions, not overwhelm inboxes with excessive message.
What is over-automation in email marketing?
Email automation is the process of setting up automated email workflows that send messages based on subscriber actions, attributes, or specific events. But it doesn’t stop at email — integrating a cross-channel approach with SMS, WhatsApp, and other platforms can expand your reach and boost conversions.
The real power of email automation lies in its ability to adapt to customer behavior in real time, ensuring that messages remain relevant and well-timed. For businesses, implementing automation gradually helps streamline marketing efforts, saving time and improving efficiency without overwhelming recipients.
The risk of over-automation arises when marketers use email automation without considering ’recipients’ context, interests, or behavior.
Excessive automation can backfire. Bombarding subscribers with automated emails may lead to fatigue, disengagement, and, ultimately, higher unsubscribe rates. Finding the right balance is crucial — automation should enhance the subscriber experience rather than overwhelming them.
Below, we examine the most noticeable signs of over-automation in email marketing.
Signs of over-automation in email marketing
Signs of over-automation in email campaigns often stem from poor email timing and data usage, leading to an intrusive experience for recipients. A striking example of over-automation was shared by Casper Ackerman, Senior Director and Head of Marketing Automation at s360:
“A classic example that many — if not all — email marketers encounter is an automated flow sent under the wrong conditions. This typically happens in one of three ways:
- The flow is sent to the wrong audience segment.
- The content of the emails doesn’t align with the recipient’s interests or behavior.
- The same profiles receive the flow too frequently.
I’ve personally seen how these issues can negatively impact campaign performance. For instance, a remarketing flow intended for inactive subscribers was mistakenly triggered for highly engaged customers due to a segmentation error. As a result, engaged subscribers received repetitive reminders for products they had already purchased, leading to frustration and a noticeable increase in unsubscribe rates.”
This experience emphasized the critical need for thorough quality assurance across every part of the setup. Testing trigger conditions, reviewing segmentation logic, and setting proper frequency caps are essential to prevent these mistakes. The key takeaway was that even the most well-designed automation can backfire if not properly monitored and tested. Regular audits and safeguards help ensure that automation enhances, rather than harms, the customer experience.
Casper Ackermann,
Let’s examine examples of over-automation in greater detail.
Excessive email frequency
If your email automation results in a subscriber receiving multiple emails daily, this often leads to frustration, which may result in unsubscribes or spam reports. This issue arises when, for instance, an online store sends a reminder about an abandoned cart, a promotional email, and a “hot offer” — all within a few hours.
This issue can also arise when a subscriber gets caught in multiple overlapping automation sequences triggered by different actions.
Timing is an important factor in email marketing. Personalization also involves knowing when to send emails. This means using the right triggers, setting up proper exclusion rules in automated flows, and creating thoughtful segmentation. Timing ensures subscribers receive messages when they are most likely to engage without feeling overwhelmed or targeted inappropriately.
I believe that people only start questioning personalization when it’s poorly executed. In email marketing, relevancy is always the goal of personalization, but not all personalization efforts naturally lead to relevancy. Striking this balance requires thoughtful data use, respect for subscriber privacy, and a focus on delivering value in every interaction.
Casper Ackermann,
Emails that are too “fast”
Ensure subscribers do not feel surveilled — rather than immediately reacting to their visit with a “we saw you” message, wait a few hours before sending a relevant and subtly personalized email.
When something triggers minutes after a webpage or app visit and says, “we noticed you noticing us,” or something creepy like that. Don’t note you are stalking people’s behavior, rather subtly send an email a few hours after they visit with relevant content to what they viewed or engaged with.
Jenny Maglio,
Owner and Marketing Automation/Email Marketing Consultant at Maglio Marketing.
Email automation fails to consider external factors
Automation mistakes often stem from ignoring real-time factors — such as sending upsell emails before product delivery or promoting out-of-stock items — which frustrates customers and erodes trust.
Here are some examples Mike Arsenault, Founder & CEO at Rejoiner, shared with us.
“Two common mistakes we’ve encountered with automation include:
- Post-purchase emails ignoring delivery dates: A post-purchase upsell email was sent shortly after the order confirmation. However, the email reached customers before they had received the product. This misalignment caused frustration, as customers felt pressured to take an action (like leaving a review) before they had the product.
- Abandonment programs ignoring stock availability: An abandoned cart campaign promoted out-of-stock products. Customers clicked through, only to discover the items were unavailable, leading to disappointment and a drop in trust.”
Marketers must account for external factors, such as shipping timelines and inventory levels, to ensure automated emails remain relevant and aligned with the customer’s journey. Synchronize automation with real-time data to ensure messages feel timely and thoughtful.
Mike Arsenault,
Irrelevant emails
Personalization in email marketing should focus on creating relevant experiences, not just using a subscriber’s name. True effectiveness comes from tailoring content and timing based on ’subscriber data. When personalization goes wrong, emails may not align with the ’subscriber’s interests or actions. For example, a customer who has already purchased a product receives an email with an offer to “Buy what you recently viewed.”
I firmly believe that relevancy is the most important factor in email marketing, and personalized email campaigns are essential to achieving that. However, personalization should be driven by the goal of creating relevant experiences — not just for the sake of personalization itself. In my view, effective personalization is built on two key pillars: content and timing.
The first pillar is content personalization. This goes beyond simply inserting a recipient’s first name into an email. It’s about using data to deliver the right content to the right person. When companies leverage data to showcase products, services, or messages that truly align with a subscriber’s interests and behaviors, the result is a more relevant and engaging experience.
Casper Ackermann,
Too much personalization
If personalization seems too detailed and intrusive, it can be intimidating. Over-personalization that relies on using excessive data and searching for ways to apply it crosses the line when it feels intrusive. Rather than using excessive data to mention personal details, focus on insights that help deliver genuinely useful and relevant offers.
It is possible to get more information about a person or company through outside sources. If you are doing this, don’t then email about someone’s three kids and their labradoodle pet. Instead, utilize any supplemental data to help understand a customer or lead better by offering them the things they need.
If a customer has multiple children, do you offer products or services that improve efficiency? If someone is a recent college graduate, can you provide business attire recommendations for their first job and tailor messaging accordingly?
Jenny Maglio,
Owner and Marketing Automation/Email Marketing Consultant at Maglio Marketing.
In other words, you need to understand what you will gain from using certain subscriber data in your email and select it carefully.
One clear sign that email automation is becoming intrusive is when recipients start disengaging — higher unsubscribe rates, increased spam complaints, or declining open and click-through rates. Over-personalization that feels invasive, excessive frequency, and irrelevant content are also strong indicators that automation is crossing the line.
Tali Hasanov,
Key metrics that indicate over-automation issues
Experts agree that the key metrics to monitor when analyzing your automated email chains include engagement metrics, higher-than-normal unsubscribe rates, and sender reputation.
Mike Arsenault, founder and CEO at Rejoiner, proposes to think of this in terms of three lines of defense:
- Customer feedback: Your customer support team serves as the frontline. If recipients feel intruded upon, they often reply to the offending message. Ensure emails are sent from a monitored inbox where a human can respond, address concerns, and relay feedback to the marketing team. This direct input is invaluable for identifying issues early.
- Engagement metrics: Keep a close eye on your engagement data. Declining open rates, click-through rates, or an uptick in unsubscribes and spam complaints for automated triggers indicate that your campaigns may be crossing the line.
- Sender reputation: Monitor your sender reputation using tools like Google Postmaster Tools, Yahoo Complaint Feedback Loop, or Microsoft SNDS. A drop in reputation or an increase in spam folder placements suggests that your email practices are not resonating well with recipients and may be viewed as intrusive.
Additionally, Casper Ackermann, Senior Director and Head of Marketing Automation at s360, emphasizes the importance of tracking remarketing flow metrics:
“Engagement metrics provided by email marketing platforms are key indicators of whether automation strategies are becoming too intrusive for recipients. For example, a remarketing email flow that triggers too frequently or targets the wrong subscribers often results in an above-average unsubscribe rate. This is a clear signal for marketers to review and adjust their strategy to prevent further disengagement.
However, relying solely on the unsubscribe rate to measure intrusiveness can be misleading. A lack of engagement — such as consistently low open or click-through rates — paired with a stagnant or delayed unsubscribe rate can also suggest that the content being sent is either intrusive or simply failing to capture interest.”
Remarketing flows typically highlight this problem. If these flows cause unsubscribe rates to rise above the platform average, it’s a sign that the emails may be sent too frequently or to poorly targeted segments. In the end, engagement metrics as a whole provide the most accurate insights into how audiences perceive automated emails, helping marketers fine-tune their strategies for better performance.
Casper Ackermann,
Why over-automation is bad for business
While automation can enhance efficiency, excessive use can backfire, leading to disengagement, frustration, and a weakened brand-customer relationship.
Reduced trust
When subscribers receive an overwhelming number of automated emails, they may view the brand as pushy, overly aggressive, or insincere. Instead of feeling valued, they feel like a mere entry on a mailing list, leading to frustration and disengagement. This increases the likelihood of spam complaints and harms the sender’s reputation, potentially affecting email deliverability. Striking the right balance between automation and genuine, thoughtful communication is crucial to maintaining trust and fostering long-term customer relationships.
Email is one of the most personal communication channels — recipients receive emails directly, unlike visiting a website or scrolling through social media. This directness creates a sense of ownership, making people more protective of their inboxes. Respecting that space means every email must have a clear purpose and value to the recipient. And this is what gets harder with a series of emails — maintaining a clear purpose for each touch.
Brian Riback,
Information overload
Bombarding subscribers with too many automated emails can quickly lead to “email fatigue,” where recipients become overwhelmed and ignore messages. Engagement rates drop when subscribers are inundated with frequent, repetitive, or irrelevant emails, and many may unsubscribe to declutter their inboxes. Instead of increasing conversions, over-automation can backfire, pushing potential customers away. A well-paced, thoughtful email strategy ensures that each message delivers value rather than fading into the background.
Loss of emotional connection
Automation can streamline communication, but overly automated emails may fail to foster a meaningful connection with the audience if they feel too robotic or impersonal. When messages lack warmth, personality, or a human touch, subscribers are less likely to engage, which can make the brand seem distant and unrelatable. Emotion-driven content fosters trust and loyalty, so balancing efficiency and authenticity is essential. Thoughtfully crafted automated emails should feel personal, relevant, and aligned with the brand’s voice.
6 tips on how to avoid over-automation
1. Collect the right data and use it wisely
Effective personalization balances relevance and privacy by focusing on zero- and first-party data gathered through direct engagement, such as surveys and preference centers, rather than outdated third-party sources. Use customer-provided data thoughtfully — initiate follow-ups at the right time to enhance engagement without feeling intrusive, ensuring a personalized experience that feels helpful rather than invasive.
When personalized marketing is done transparently and responsibly, there shouldn’t be a trade-off between personalization and privacy. The key lies in how you obtain zero- and first-party data. Relying on third-party data appends is both outdated and fraught with privacy concerns. Instead, focus on direct engagement — ask your audience questions through surveys or preference centers. People enjoy sharing information about themselves when they understand how it will be used. When data is willingly provided, privacy concerns become significantly reduced.
Brian Riback,
Data is great, but don’t get too crazy with it. The best way to capture information about your customers and prospects is to encourage them to share with you through engagement or progressive profiling. Zero-party data is valuable because your contact has offered it up for you. Additionally, don’t be, as my kids would say, “thirsty” triggering communications to contacts. Be timely but not creepy about following up on an action someone took. Be thoughtful in how you utilize the data, and think about how you, as a consumer would want to have data collected about you utilized to make a great experience with a brand.
Jenny Maglio,
Owner and Marketing Automation/Email Marketing Consultant at Maglio Marketing.
2. Set up sending frequency
Limit the number of emails a subscriber receives in a given period. Include a “subscription management” option in emails, allowing recipients to choose how often they want to receive messages.
To do this, follow these recommendations from Mike Arsenault, Founder & CEO at Rejoiner:
“The most effective programs create opportunities for customers to state their preferences and control their engagement with your marketing. Use tools like:
- Entrance pop-ups: Ask customers what types of products, offers, or content they’re interested in right from the start.
- Preference centers: Allow subscribers to customize the frequency and type of communications they want to receive.
- Surveys and feedback forms: Gather insights directly from customers about their needs and preferences.
By building transparency and control into your data collection process, you respect subscriber privacy and enhance the quality of your personalization efforts.”
3. Use smart segmentation
Segment your audience based on behavior, interests, and their stage in the buying journey. For example, send cart reminders only to customers who have not revisited within 24 hours.
To balance personalization and subscriber privacy in automated email campaigns, focus on using first-party data carefully, ensuring transparency, and providing value-driven content. Leverage segmentation based on subscriber preferences and behaviors without over-relying on sensitive data. Always comply with privacy regulations (GDPR, CASL) and offer clear unsubscribe links.
Tali Hasanov,
4. Make content relevant
Use behavioral data to make emails truly useful. If a customer has purchased a product, offer related products or usage tips.
Automated journeys often focus heavily on peak periods in industries with highly seasonal engagement, like tax software. However, continuing to send automated emails without adjusting content or frequency during the “off” season can lead to disengagement or higher unsubscribe rates.
In such cases, I revisit two key questions: Why are we emailing this person? and Why should they care? Ensuring every automated touchpoint respects these principles helps maintain relevance and audience trust, even outside peak periods.
Brian Riback,
5. Automation is not the same as templates
Give your emails a “human” voice. Craft unique messages that feel like genuine communications from the brand team.
6. Analyze results regularly
Track engagement metrics and adjust campaigns to prevent audience fatigue.
One example from my practice was an automated email nurture sequence set up with overly aggressive triggers based on recipient behavior. The sequence sent follow-up emails too frequently, leading to email fatigue and a spike in unsubscribes.
The key lesson was that more automation doesn’t always mean better engagement. It is crucial to analyze subscriber engagement patterns and adjust the automation cadence to align with their preferences. Implementing testing phases and monitoring feedback closely can help balance automation enhancements and subscriber experience.
Tali Hasanov,
Inspiring successful automation examples that feel personal, not mechanical
Here are some examples of automated email marketing campaigns that leverage accurate data collection and demonstrate why these emails resonate with subscribers.
Spotify
Spotify’s annual “Spotify Wrapped” campaign exemplifies meaningful yet unobtrusive personalization by providing users with a customized summary of their listening habits over the past year. This feature offers insights into top songs, favorite artists, and preferred genres, making personalization feel like a gift rather than an intrusion. The campaign’s success lies in delivering meaningful personalization without encroaching on user privacy, resulting in high engagement and widespread sharing.
(Source: Spotify)
Amazon
Amazon’s email marketing strategy effectively uses personalized product recommendations, such as “Customers who bought this item also viewed…,” to improve the customer experience without overwhelming recipients. For instance, after a customer browses or purchases a camera, Amazon might send emails featuring top-rated models from leading brands or suggest complementary items like camera packages. This approach provides helpful suggestions and encourages additional purchases by showcasing relevant products.
’For example, customers who browse dog clothing might receive an email featuring seasonal pet costumes ahead of Halloween:
(Source: Vero)
Starbucks
Starbucks effectively uses personalized email campaigns by leveraging customers’ order histories to offer discounts on their favorite drinks. For instance, if a customer frequently orders vanilla lattes, Starbucks may send an email suggesting a new flavored latte or a special offer on vanilla lattes. The Starbucks mobile app also provides personalized drink suggestions based on a customer’s previous purchases, further personalizing the customer experience.
(Source: MailCharts)
Duolingo
Duolingo gathers user data and sends weekly automated emails featuring user progress statistics to encourage and motivate users. Tracking progress is inherently motivating for users, making this type of data collection intuitive and ensuring these emails resonate with recipients.
(Source: Email from Duolingo)
Get inspired by these examples of email marketing automation that help build relationships with subscribers ’while maintaining a non-intrusive approach.
Wrapping up
If used poorly, over-automation can damage audience relationships. However, balancing automation and personalization can increase subscriber engagement, trust, and loyalty.
Use this checklist to avoid over-automation:
- ensure you are collecting the right data;
- determine the optimal email frequency;
- use segmentation and tailor emails to subscriber behavior.
- ensure email templates and messaging feel human and authentic.
- allow recipients to manage their subscription preferences.
- regularly analyze complaints and engagement metrics.
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