> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.emailfirst.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Kit Automations: Rules and Triggers for Hands-Free Email
> Kit's automation rules fire actions when subscribers meet conditions — apply a tag, start a sequence, or move buyers out of a sales flow automatically.
Automations in Kit are if-this-then-that rules that respond to subscriber behaviour automatically. When something happens — a subscriber fills out a form, clicks a link, or completes a sequence — Kit fires one or more actions instantly, without you having to do anything. The result is a marketing workflow that runs 24/7 and treats every subscriber as an individual.
## Automation Triggers
A trigger is the event that starts the automation. Kit supports the following triggers:
| Trigger | Description | Common use case |
| ----------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Subscriber subscribes to a form** | Fires when someone opts in via a specific form | Start a welcome sequence for new subscribers |
| **Subscriber is tagged** | Fires when a specific tag is applied to a subscriber | Begin a segmented sequence for a buyer or lead |
| **Subscriber clicks a link** | Fires when a subscriber clicks a tracked link in an email | Flag interest in a specific product or topic |
| **Subscriber completes a sequence** | Fires when a subscriber reaches the end of a sequence | Trigger an upsell offer or move to next nurture phase |
| **Subscriber purchases a product** | Fires when a Kit Commerce purchase is completed | Start customer onboarding, add 'customer' tag |
| **Custom field value changes** | Fires when a subscriber's custom field is updated | Personalise sequences based on subscriber data |
## Automation Actions
Once a trigger fires, Kit can execute one or more actions:
* **Add a tag** — Label the subscriber for segmentation or to trigger further automations
* **Remove a tag** — Clean up tags when a subscriber moves to a new stage
* **Subscribe to a sequence** — Enrol the subscriber in an email series automatically
* **Unsubscribe from a sequence** — Remove a subscriber from a sequence (e.g., when they've purchased)
* **Send an email** — Deliver a one-off email immediately in response to the trigger
* **Add to or remove from a segment** — Manage dynamic segment membership
* **Send a webhook** — Notify an external service (your CRM, Slack, custom app) via HTTP POST
## Common Automation Workflows
These four workflows cover the majority of what solopreneurs need:
1. **New subscriber onboarding** — Form sign-up → tag subscriber → start welcome sequence
2. **Sales intent signal** — Click on sales page link → tag as 'interested' → send follow-up email 24 hours later
3. **Post-purchase transition** — Purchase product → remove from sales sequence → add 'customer' tag → start onboarding sequence
4. **Course completion upsell** — Complete email course → tag as 'course-complete' → send upsell offer for the next product
## Simple Automations vs. Visual Automations
Kit gives you two ways to automate:
* **Automation Rules** (this page) — Single trigger → one or more actions. Fast to set up, ideal for straightforward workflows.
* **Visual Automations** — A drag-and-drop canvas with multi-step journeys, wait steps, and if/else branching logic.
Use automation rules for simple, single-step triggers. Use Visual Automations when you need conditions, multiple branches, or want to see the full subscriber journey mapped out. See the [Visual Automations](/kit/visual-automations) page for details.
## Setting Up a 'Link Click → Tag → Follow-Up Email' Automation
This is one of the most powerful simple automations you can create. Here's how to build it:
Before setting up the automation, send (or draft) a broadcast that contains a link you want to track — for example, a link to your sales page. Kit tracks clicks on all links in your emails automatically.
In your Kit dashboard, navigate to **Automations** in the left sidebar and click **New Automation**.
Select **Subscriber clicks a link**. Kit will ask you to specify which email and which link to watch. Choose the broadcast and the specific URL.
Click **Add Action** and select **Add Tag**. Create or choose a tag like `interested-in-[product]`. This tag captures the behaviour and lets you segment these subscribers later.
Click **Add Action** again and select **Send Email**. Write a short follow-up email — acknowledge their interest and provide more context or a direct offer. Set the send delay if you want it to go out after a pause rather than immediately.
Review your trigger and actions, then click **Activate**. The automation runs immediately for any new link clicks from this point forward.
The 'purchased product' trigger is one of the most powerful automations you can set up. It automatically moves buyers out of sales sequences and into a customer onboarding flow — so your customers never receive another pitch email for something they've already bought. Set this up the moment you launch any product.
## Tips for Keeping Automations Organised
* **Name your automations clearly** — Include the trigger and outcome in the name, e.g., "Form: Freebie Signup → Welcome Sequence"
* **Audit automations regularly** — Inactive automations from old campaigns can still fire if you don't deactivate them
* **Stack actions thoughtfully** — Multiple actions in a single automation fire in order from top to bottom; sequence matters
* **Use tags as connective tissue** — Tags let automations talk to each other. One automation applies a tag; another automation fires when that tag is applied