Omnisend Platform Help
Help the user with Omnisend platform questions — from email/SMS campaign setup and automation workflows through popups, segmentation, reporting, ecommerce integrations, and API.
Step 1 — Gather context
Ask the user:
-
What area of Omnisend do you need help with?
- A) Email campaigns — creating, designing, sending broadcasts
- B) SMS campaigns — setting up SMS marketing
- C) Automation workflows — welcome, cart abandonment, browse abandonment, win-back, custom
- D) Popups & forms — signup forms, exit-intent, wheel of fortune
- E) Segmentation — creating segments, targeting by behavior/purchase history
- F) Web push notifications — browser push setup and campaigns
- G) Reporting & analytics — campaign performance, revenue attribution
- H) Integrations — Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Zapier, API
- I) Deliverability — domain authentication, warmup, sender reputation
- J) Admin — billing, plan features, account settings
- K) Something else — describe it
-
What's your ecommerce platform?
- A) Shopify
- B) WooCommerce
- C) BigCommerce
- D) Wix
- E) Custom / other
- F) Not using ecommerce
-
What are you trying to accomplish? (describe your specific goal or question)
If the user's request already provides most of this context, skip directly to the relevant step. Lead with your best-effort answer using reasonable assumptions (stated explicitly), then ask only the most critical 1-2 clarifying questions at the end — don't gate your response behind gathering complete context.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
If the request maps to a specialized skill, route:
- Email marketing strategy (platform-agnostic) →
- SMS marketing strategy (platform-agnostic) →
- Cross-platform deliverability →
- Push notification strategy →
- Tool integration architecture →
- List/audience growth strategy →
Otherwise, answer directly from platform knowledge using the reference below.
Step 3 — Omnisend platform reference
Email Campaigns
- What it is: Broadcasts sent to contacts or segments — newsletters, promotions, product announcements
- Editor: Drag-and-drop email editor with 250+ templates, product picker (pulls from your store), dynamic discount codes, product recommendations
- A/B testing: Test subject lines, sender name, and content on Standard+ plans. Split audience automatically, send winner to remainder.
- Campaign Booster: Auto-resend campaign to non-openers with a different subject line after a configurable delay
- Best practices: Use product recommendation blocks for ecommerce. Segment by engagement. A/B test subject lines on every campaign.
SMS Marketing
- What it is: SMS campaigns and automated SMS messages sent to opted-in contacts
- Opt-in: Separate SMS consent required (not inherited from email opt-in). Collect via popups, checkout, or keyword opt-in.
- SMS credits: Pro plan includes SMS credits; Standard plan has SMS as paid add-on. Credits vary by country.
- Character limits: 160 chars (GSM-7) or 70 chars (Unicode). Messages over limit split into multiple segments at higher cost.
- MMS: Supported — include images in SMS messages for higher engagement
- Two-way SMS: Contacts can reply to SMS messages. Replies visible in Omnisend.
- Compliance: TCPA compliance built in — automatic quiet hours, opt-out handling ("STOP" keyword), consent tracking
Automation Workflows
- What it is: Trigger-based automated message sequences — the core of Omnisend's value
- Pre-built workflows (ready to activate):
- Welcome series (new subscriber)
- Abandoned cart (cart created, not completed)
- Browse abandonment (product/category viewed, no purchase)
- Order confirmation & shipping updates
- Post-purchase follow-up (review request, cross-sell)
- Win-back / re-engagement (lapsed customer)
- Birthday / anniversary
- Back-in-stock notification
- Custom workflows: Build from scratch with any trigger + conditions + actions
- Multi-channel: Each workflow step can be email, SMS, or web push — mix channels in one automation
- Splits and conditions: A/B split testing within workflows, conditional branches based on segment membership, purchase history, engagement
- Timing: Configurable delays between steps (minutes, hours, days)
- Exit conditions: Auto-remove contacts from workflow when they take the desired action (purchase, resubscribe)
Popups & Forms
- Types: Popup, embedded form, landing page, Wheel of Fortune (gamified spin-to-win), teaser (small persistent trigger)
- Targeting: Show based on URL, device, referral source, time on page, scroll depth, exit intent, new vs returning visitor
- Multi-step forms: Collect email first, then SMS on a second step (increases overall opt-in rate)
- Discount delivery: Auto-apply discount codes to form submissions
- A/B testing: Test form design, copy, and offers
Segmentation
- Segment types: Based on shopping behavior (purchased, viewed, added to cart), email/SMS engagement (opened, clicked, subscribed date), contact properties (tags, location, custom fields), and campaign activity
- Dynamic segments: Auto-update as contacts match/unmatch conditions
- Lifecycle stages: Omnisend auto-assigns lifecycle stages — New Subscriber, Active Customer, At Risk, Lapsed, Champions
- Product-based segments: Contacts who bought/viewed specific products or categories
- RFM analysis: Built-in Recency-Frequency-Monetary scoring for customer value segmentation
Web Push Notifications
- What it is: Browser push notifications to opted-in website visitors
- Unlimited on all plans: Including free plan — no extra cost
- Triggers: Manual send or automation workflow step
- Content: Title, message, image, URL, action buttons
- Limitation: Web push only — no native mobile app push (use with Shopify's native push or a dedicated push tool for mobile)
Reporting & Analytics
- Campaign reports: Opens, clicks, unsubscribes, revenue attributed per campaign
- Automation reports: Revenue per workflow, conversion rate, per-step performance
- Sales dashboard: Revenue attribution across all channels (email, SMS, push), customer lifetime value trends
- Segment performance: Compare performance across segments
- Click maps: Visual heatmap of where contacts click in your emails
Omnisend data model
Core entities — understand these to navigate the UI and work with the API:
| Entity | What it represents | Key relationships |
|---|
| Contact | A person in your audience (email, phone, or both) | Has Tags, belongs to Segments, has Events |
| Campaign | A one-time email/SMS broadcast | Sent to a Segment or list of Contacts |
| Automation (Workflow) | A trigger-based multi-step sequence | Contains Steps (email, SMS, push, delay, split) |
| Product | A product from your ecommerce store | Synced from Shopify/WooCommerce/BigCommerce |
| Order | A completed purchase | Belongs to a Contact, contains Products |
| Event | A tracked action (page view, cart, purchase) | Belongs to a Contact, triggers Automations |
| Segment | A dynamic group of contacts based on rules | Used as campaign audience or workflow condition |
| Form | A popup, embedded form, or landing page | Creates/tags Contacts on submission |
API & Integrations
For detailed API documentation including all endpoints, authentication, rate limits, and data models, always consult references/omnisend-api-reference.md
Point the user to this file for the full endpoint catalog, request/response schemas, and rate limit details.
Quick reference: Base URL
https://api.omnisend.com/api/
, API key auth (
header), header-based versioning (
Omnisend-Version: 2026-03-15
), cursor-based pagination. Key capabilities: contact management, campaign CRUD, product sync, event tracking, segment management, analytics.
Native integrations
- Ecommerce: Shopify (deep — products, orders, carts, customers, browse events), WooCommerce (plugin), BigCommerce (native), Wix, Ecwid
- Ecommerce features: Product sync, order sync, cart tracking, browse tracking, customer data sync, revenue attribution
- Automation: Zapier (triggers for new subscriber, new order; actions for adding contacts), Make
- Reviews: Shopify product reviews, Loox, Judge.me, Yotpo, Stamped
- Loyalty: Smile.io, LoyaltyLion
- Other: Google Ads (audience sync), Facebook Ads (audience sync), Gorgias, Zendesk
Pricing (as of April 2026 — verify current pricing)
- Free: 250 contacts, 500 emails/mo, unlimited web push, all features, 60 SMS credits
- Standard: From $16/mo (500 contacts, 6,000 emails/mo, SMS add-on)
- Pro: From $59/mo (unlimited emails, advanced reporting, higher SMS allowance)
- Scales by contact count. 30% discount for 3-month prepay on first subscription.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Based on the user's specific question:
- Step-by-step instructions — numbered steps with Omnisend UI navigation paths
- Configuration recommendations — specific settings to change
- Common pitfalls — what can go wrong and how to avoid it
- Verification — how to confirm the change worked
- For API questions — always include a pointer: "For the full endpoint catalog, request/response schemas, and rate limits, see
references/omnisend-api-reference.md
Gotchas
Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.
- Don't confuse "campaign" with "automation." In Omnisend, a campaign is a one-time broadcast. An automation (workflow) is a trigger-based sequence. Claude often generates automation advice when the user asks about campaigns and vice versa.
- Don't assume SMS is included on all plans. The Free plan has only 60 SMS credits. Standard plan requires SMS credits as a paid add-on. Pro plan includes SMS credits but they're country-dependent and limited. Always check the user's plan before recommending SMS workflows.
- Don't skip SMS consent. Omnisend requires separate SMS opt-in consent. Email opt-in does NOT grant SMS permission. Multi-step popups (email first, then SMS) are the recommended approach.
- Don't recommend features without checking the plan. Campaign Booster, advanced reporting, and higher SMS allowances are plan-gated. A/B testing for automations requires Standard+.
- Don't overlook the ecommerce platform connection. Most Omnisend features depend on an active ecommerce integration. Product recommendations, cart abandonment, browse abandonment, and order-based segments all require product/order data syncing from Shopify/WooCommerce/BigCommerce.
Step 5 — Related skills
- — Cross-platform email marketing strategy (broadcasts, nurture, automation, segmentation)
- — Cross-platform SMS marketing strategy (opt-in, compliance, campaign types)
- — Cross-platform email deliverability — SPF/DKIM/DMARC, warmup, inbox placement
- — Cross-platform push notification strategy (opt-in, timing, frequency)
- — Growing your email/SMS list (lead magnets, popups, cross-promotion)
- — Connect Omnisend to other tools via webhooks, Zapier, or API
- — Klaviyo platform help (if using Klaviyo instead of Omnisend)
- — Mailchimp platform help (if using Mailchimp instead of Omnisend)
- — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:
npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skills sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Cart abandonment automation
User says: "How do I set up abandoned cart emails in Omnisend?"
Skill does:
- Confirms ecommerce platform is connected (Shopify/WooCommerce/BigCommerce required)
- Walks through enabling the pre-built Abandoned Cart workflow: Automation > Pre-built Workflows > Abandoned Cart
- Recommends 3-step sequence: email at 1 hour (reminder + product image), email at 24 hours (social proof), SMS at 48 hours (urgency + discount)
- Explains exit conditions (auto-stop on purchase) and split testing options
Result: User has abandoned cart automation active with multi-channel sequence
Example 2: Setting up SMS marketing
User says: "I want to start sending SMS campaigns in Omnisend. I'm on the Standard plan with Shopify."
Skill does:
- Explains SMS credit add-on requirement for Standard plan
- Walks through SMS opt-in setup: create a multi-step popup (email → SMS consent)
- Configures SMS compliance settings (quiet hours, STOP keyword handling)
- Shows how to add SMS steps to existing automation workflows
- Warns about character limits and per-country credit costs
Result: User has SMS opt-in collection, compliance configured, and SMS added to key automations
Example 3: API product sync
User says: "I'm on a custom ecommerce platform and need to sync products and orders to Omnisend via API"
Skill does:
- Points to
references/omnisend-api-reference.md
- Explains Product and Order endpoints — POST to sync catalog, POST events for order tracking
- Covers authentication (X-API-KEY header) and versioning (Omnisend-Version header)
- Shows how to send custom events for cart/browse tracking without a native integration
Result: User has an API integration plan for product sync, order tracking, and event-based automation
Troubleshooting
Low open rates on campaigns
Symptom: Campaign open rates below 15%
Cause: Sending to full list without segmentation, missing domain authentication, or poor subject lines
Solution: Authenticate your sending domain (Settings > Sender Domains — add SPF/DKIM/DMARC). Segment by engagement — send to 90-day active contacts first. Use Campaign Booster to auto-resend to non-openers. A/B test subject lines. See
for a full diagnosis.
Automation not triggering
Symptom: Workflow is active but contacts aren't entering
Cause: Trigger conditions not met, ecommerce platform not connected, or contacts don't match entry conditions
Solution: Check that the ecommerce integration is active and syncing (Settings > Integrations). Verify the trigger event is firing (check Events tab on a test contact). Ensure the workflow's audience filter isn't excluding contacts. Test with a known contact by triggering the event manually.
SMS credits running out fast
Symptom: SMS credits depleted faster than expected
Cause: Messages exceeding 160 characters (split into multiple segments), sending to international numbers (higher credit cost), or automation sending more frequently than expected
Solution: Keep SMS messages under 160 characters (GSM-7 encoding — avoid emojis and special characters which switch to Unicode at 70 chars). Check per-country credit costs in Settings > SMS. Review automation frequency — add rate limiting or cooldown periods between SMS steps.