Every SaaS company knows that onboarding is make-or-break. If new customers get lost or bored, you’ll see churn before you even get a chance to help them. This guide is for anyone in customer success, ops, or product who wants to actually automate onboarding in a way that saves time and feels human. We’ll use Custify—a popular customer success tool—but the real goal here is building a workflow that works for you, not just ticking boxes.
Let’s get straight to it.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you dive into automation, make sure you’ve got a few basics down:
- A clear onboarding process. If you don’t know what your onboarding steps are, automation just means automating confusion.
- Data flowing into Custify. You’ll need user data (signups, product usage, etc.) piped into Custify, usually via API or integrations.
- Defined goals. What do you want users to actually do in their first week or month? Set these up as milestones.
If you’re missing any of these, pause here and sort it out. Otherwise, you’re just building a Rube Goldberg machine.
Step 1: Map Your Onboarding Journey
Don’t touch Custify yet. Seriously. Start by sketching what you want your onboarding to look like. This isn’t just busywork—it’ll save you hours.
- List the key steps. (e.g., “User verifies email,” “User connects integration,” “User invites team,” “First usage of core feature”)
- Decide who does what. Are some steps automated? Does Customer Success need to step in?
- Identify red flags. Where do people typically get stuck or drop off?
Pro tip: Keep it simple. You can always add more steps later. Overcomplicating things is what ruins most onboarding automation.
Step 2: Get the Right Customer Data into Custify
Automation is only as good as your data. In Custify, you’ll want:
- User properties: Name, company, signup date, plan type, etc.
- Product events: What features are being used, and when?
- Health scores: If you track these, make sure they’re feeding into Custify.
How to connect data: - Use Custify’s integrations with popular CRMs, support tools, and data sources. - If you need custom events, send them via API. It’s not rocket science, but you’ll probably need a developer for this.
Honest take: Don’t expect plug-and-play. Plan for at least a week of data wrangling if you haven’t done this before.
Step 3: Create Segments for New Customers
Now it’s time to set up segments in Custify. Segments are groups of users based on filters (e.g., sign-up date, plan, activity level).
- Why segment? You probably don’t want to onboard a 10-seat team the same way you do a solo founder.
- Common segments to start with:
- New signups (last 7 days)
- Upgraded customers
- High-value accounts (based on plan size or ARR)
- Users who haven’t completed onboarding
How to set up: - In Custify, go to “Segments” and create rules based on user attributes and events. - Test your logic—make sure people fall into the right buckets.
Tip: Don’t go wild with segments. Three to five is plenty to start.
Step 4: Build Your Automated Playbooks
This is where the automation happens. In Custify, “playbooks” or “workflows” let you trigger actions when certain events occur or conditions are met.
Typical onboarding workflow might look like: 1. Welcome email when an account is created. 2. Task for CSM if user hasn’t done key action in 3 days. 3. Nudge email if user is stuck on a step. 4. Celebrate milestone when user completes onboarding.
Setting up a playbook in Custify: - Go to Playbooks (sometimes called Workflows). - Choose your trigger (e.g., “user created,” “no login in 3 days,” “connected integration”). - Set up actions (send email, create task, update status). - Add delays or conditions as needed.
What works: - Automated emails for the basics (welcome, reminders). - Assigning CSM tasks for stuck users. - Personalization—use merge fields for names, company, and relevant product info.
What doesn’t: - Sending 10 emails in the first week. You’ll just annoy people. - Overly generic messaging. If it feels like a mass email, it gets ignored. - Automating everything. Some high-value customers need a human touch.
Step 5: Personalize, But Don’t Overdo It
Everyone loves “personalization” until it becomes a time sink or, worse, creepy. In Custify, you can use merge fields to add names, company, usage details, etc.
- Do personalize: Subject lines, first lines of emails, tips based on what the user hasn’t done yet.
- Don’t personalize: With huge blocks of variable content or by referencing every mouse click. Keep it relevant.
Example welcome email:
Hey {{first_name}},
Welcome to {{company_name}}! Here’s how to get the most out of your trial...
[short, actionable tip]
Step 6: Add Manual Touchpoints for High-Value Accounts
Automation saves time, but don’t let it turn you into a robot. For your top-tier customers:
- Create tasks for CSMs when key steps aren’t completed on time.
- Set reminders for calls or check-ins after big milestones.
- Use Slack or CRM integrations to alert your team about important events.
Reality check: No tool can replace a real conversation. Use automation to prompt the human touch, not to replace it.
Step 7: Test Your Workflow (Break It On Purpose)
Before you roll this out to every customer, test it with a dummy account or two.
- Walk through the whole onboarding as a new user.
- Watch for:
- Wrong segments
- Emails that don’t send
- Tasks that don’t get created
- Annoying timing (like emails at 2 a.m.)
Pro tip: Ask someone not on your team to go through it. They’ll notice weird stuff you’re blind to.
Step 8: Measure and Iterate
Once you’re live, watch how people actually move through onboarding.
- Track completion rates for each step.
- Watch for drop-off points. Where are people bailing out or going silent?
- Send a quick feedback survey after onboarding. Ask if it was clear, helpful, and not too spammy.
Don’t: Obsess over vanity metrics like open rates. Focus on whether users actually finish onboarding and start using your product.
What to Ignore (for Now)
- Over-engineered multi-touchpoint branches. Start simple. You can always get fancier later if you need to.
- Automating upsells in onboarding. You’re trying to help them use the product, not annoy them into buying more.
- Copying someone else’s process exactly. What works for a big SaaS company probably won’t fit your business.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Keep Improving
Automated onboarding in Custify is powerful, but it’s not magic. The winners are the ones who start simple, pay attention, and keep tweaking. Don’t get distracted by shiny features. Focus on getting new customers to their first “aha” moment fast—and don’t be afraid to jump in with a real human when needed.
Automate the boring stuff, personalize where it counts, and iterate as you go. That’s how you build onboarding that actually works.