Struggling to write SaaS onboarding emails that stand out? It’s easy to fall into the habit of using popular formulas like AIDA and PAS. While popular formulas like AIDA and PAS are practical and widely used, they often fail to make your SaaS email unique.
Sticking to what “works” can lead to predictable copy that feels safe but misses the mark. It holds you back from connecting authentically, solving real user problems, and showing exactly why your product is the one they’ve been looking for—that’s what makes the difference in a crowded inbox.
The truth is that formulas are meant to guide, not limit, you. They help you focus on what matters most: guiding users to their first activation, download, or click.
That’s why this post skips AIDA and PAS altogether. The email copywriting examples will show how SaaS brands create emails that drive results without feeling overdone.
Instead, I’ll draw from real onboarding emails at different stages of the user journey and introduce you to frameworks that feel fresh, align with your brand voice, and help your emails connect authentically with your users.
In this post, you’ll find 10 effective copywriting formulas for SaaS onboarding emails that build connection, foster engagement, and drive conversions—without the limitations of overused frameworks.
Before You Write an Onboarding Email
Before you dive into creating SaaS onboarding emails, there are two crucial things to remember:
- Onboarding emails are different from other emails. They have a clear purpose: to guide, educate, and motivate users to take action during their first interactions with your product.
- An onboarding email isn’t just a welcome email: While a welcome email is part of the journey, onboarding emails are strategically sent in the first 14 days (often during a free trial) to show users how to get value from your product and why it’s worth continuing to use.
Onboarding emails are your best opportunity to educate, nurture, and convert new users into long-term customers. But how do you make them as effective as possible?
According to Anna Saryana, successful SaaS onboarding emails should:
- Encourage users to upgrade with timely calls to action.
- Acknowledge and thank your user for signing up.
- Provide clear next steps so they don’t feel overwhelmed.
- Show how your product solves their pressing problem and how it’s helped others like them.
- Keep your product top of mind with reminders.
Let’s dive into the standard SaaS onboarding email flow to give you a solid framework and ensure your flow has everything your users need.
What Does a Typical SaaS Onboarding Email Flow Look Like?
As I mentioned in my previous post, the key to a successful SaaS onboarding email flow is to write enough emails to convert your users—not just follow a generic template.
Here’s what a standard SaaS onboarding email flow might include:
1. Welcome the user and tell them their first step to get started
Your welcome email should remind users why they signed up and provide clear next steps so they know exactly what to do next, like this example from Encharge:
2. Introduce your team
To add a human touch and strengthen the connection, include a personal introduction from the founder, marketing manager, or product manager.
3. Share relevant resources
Help users make the most of your product by providing guides, tutorials, or links to explore your ecosystem.
For example, Huel’s welcome email:
Zapier’s email about speakers is another great example of offering value upfront:
4. Show social proof
Share a customer success story, testimonial, or review. This isn’t just about bragging—it helps users envision the results they can achieve with your product. For instance:
5. Nudge users to complete unfinished steps
Remind users to finish setting up their account or return to the product to keep their momentum going, like MicroAcquire:
6. Send trial reminders
For free trials, remind users to upgrade 1–7 days before their trial expires. Shopify does this effectively with a clear and timely nudge:
7. Encourage users to upgrade
Send an email that highlights the benefits of your paid plan, like this Kickresume promotion offering 30% off the Premium plan:
Or Grammarly’s email featuring 40% off their Premium plan:
The exact emails in your flow will depend on your goals and what your users need most—there’s no one-size-fits-all. In the next section, I’ll show you the copywriting formulas and examples that make these emails effective and genuinely resonate with your audience.
Forget AIDA: Here Are 10 Copywriting Formulas for SaaS Onboarding Emails That Work
Here are 10 powerful copywriting frameworks to inspire your SaaS onboarding emails—from the welcome email to upgrade pitches.
1. AICDA or IDCA (Attention, Interest, Conviction, Desire, Action)
This variation of AIDA incorporates “Conviction” to address skeptics and build trust.
Attention: Grab the reader’s attention
Interest: Keep them engaged with new, unusual, or counter-intuitive information
Conviction: Use guarantees, testimonials, statistics, or demos to convince your reader to trust you (and satisfy skeptics).
Desire: Make them want what you’re offering
Action: Ask them to take the next step
Check out how Coda and SurveyMonkey bring this formula to life, using it to connect with their users and drive action effortlessly:
Coda’s email addresses a common frustration: taking meeting notes that make sense later. It grabs attention by introducing an easy-to-use template that simplifies note-taking and improves productivity.
Clear examples demonstrate how the template works, building trust and making it easy to see its value. When the email shows how much faster and more efficient your workflow could be, you think, “Okay, this could work for me.” With a clear call to action, getting started feels like the obvious next step.
SurveyMonkey’s email grabs attention by using the recipient’s name to create an instant connection. It highlights its core value of making survey creation and distribution simple, using clear and direct language to build trust. By showing how easy and effective the tool is, the email motivates readers to try it and ends with a strong call to action to start their first survey.
2. The 4 U’s
This formula evaluates your offer on four criteria:
Is it ultra-specific?
Is it useful to your reader?
Does it create a sense of urgency to act?
What makes it unique?
Here’s an example from Brian Dean, shared by Joanna Wiebe, that applies the 4 U’s formula. It grabs attention with specific results, highlights a unique tactic, and provides actionable steps readers can follow. It’s clear, helpful, and engaging.
3. FAB (Features, Advantages, Benefits)
This formula focuses on connecting product features to user outcomes:
Features: Highlight your product’s functionality.
Advantages: Explain how those features improve the user’s experience.
Benefits: Show the tangible value your product provides.
Asana’s email demonstrates how SaaS onboarding emails can connect features to real-world user benefits. It highlights the Premium plan’s features, which boost collaboration and streamline workflows. It connects these tools to tangible outcomes, like improved team productivity and smoother project success, highlighting the value of upgrading.
4. PAPA (Problem, Advantages, Proof, Action)
Problem or pain
Advantages of solving the problem
Proof that you can solve it
Action the reader should take
For example, Zenefits nails the PAPA formula by addressing a common problem and showing how its solution makes workflows smoother and more efficient. The email builds trust with proof through access to a private beta and ends with a clear call to action, inviting readers to sign up and see the benefits for themselves.
Perplexity’s objection-handling email is another excellent example of the PAPA formula in action. It tackles users’ concerns about the reliability of AI-generated information while positioning Perplexity as a trustworthy solution. The email builds trust by showcasing its unique advantage—providing sourced information upfront—and reinforcing credibility with transparent, accurate examples. It wraps up with a clear call to action, encouraging users to dive in and experience the platform’s benefits firsthand.
5. PASTOR (Problem, Amplify, Story, Transition, Offer, Response)
Joanna Wiebe describes this formula as:
Person, problem, pain.
Amplify the consequences of not solving the problem and eliminating the pain.
Story, solution, system.
Testimonials.
Offer. (Spend 80% of your offer section talking about the transformation.)
Response.
ChartMogul’s email is an excellent example of the PASTOR formula in action. It focuses on the challenge of subscription analytics, a key need for SaaS growth, by pointing out the risks of missed revenue and inefficiencies. This creates urgency for better insights.
The email positions ChartMogul as the solution, offering a personalized demo call to build trust and show support. It closes with a clear offer and call to action, encouraging the reader to book a demo and take the next step toward smarter analytics.
6. ACCA (Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction, Action)
The ACCA formula is your go-to for turning awareness into action. It helps readers see the problem, understand it better, and feel confident to take that next step. Here it is:
Raise awareness about a problem
Increase comprehension of the problem by explaining it
Create the conviction to do something about the problem in your prospect
Call them to action
Zapier’s email is an excellent example of the ACCA formula in action. It grabs attention with a bold headline and countdown timer to highlight the trial’s end and create urgency. The email explains the impact of losing premium features, helping readers understand what’s at stake. It builds trust by showcasing benefits like enhanced automation and advanced workflows. The email wraps up with clear “Upgrade now” buttons that make it easy for users to take action and continue their subscription.
7. QUEST (Qualify, Understand, Educate, Stimulate, Transition)
An excellent formula for qualifying your users, QUEST stands for:
Qualify the user
Understand where they’re at
Educate them on a better, easier way
Stimulate them so they want that way
Transition from where they are to your customer
How do you guide new users without overwhelming them? SE Ranking’s onboarding email uses the QUEST formula to answer this question.
It welcomes new users, recognizes their unique SEO needs, and highlights the platform’s tailored support. By showcasing tools like website audits and keyword analysis, the email also educates readers and emphasizes the benefits of improving their SEO strategies. Finally, it ends with a clear call to action, inviting users to log in and start.
8. PAPA (Problem, Advantages, Proof, Action)
Joanna Wiebe’s take on Victor Schwabb’s AAPPA formula is all about proof—it’s like building a bridge of trust between the problem and the solution.
Problem
Advantages of solving the problem
Proof that you can solve it
Action
Raygun’s SaaS email example shows the PAPA formula in action. It meets users where they are—frustrated with incomplete setup—and guides them to a solution. The email emphasizes the benefits of better error monitoring, proves its value with trusted real-time diagnostics, and finishes with a clear call to action that feels like an open invitation to get started.
9. BAB (Before, After, Bridge)
This formula is all about connecting where your users are now to where they want to be.
Before: Dive into their current challenges or struggles.
After: Help them imagine how much better life could be with the problem solved.
Bridge: Show them how your product is the key to making that transformation happen.
Paperform’s email perfectly applies the BAB formula. It focuses on a problem many users face—creating forms efficiently—and envisions how simple and streamlined the process can be with its intuitive platform. Then, it bridges the gap by positioning Paperform as the tool that makes this transformation possible.
Here’s how Restream uses the BAB formula in a relatable and actionable way. It begins by addressing the challenge creators face in reaching a wider audience with live streams, a hurdle many know all too well.
From there, it helps users see how they can effortlessly broadcast across multiple platforms, making their content more accessible and expanding their reach. Finally, it positions Restream as the tool that makes this transformation happen, enabling creators to stream simultaneously and connect with a broader audience.
10. The 4 P’s (Picture, Promise, Prove, Push)
Created by Henry Hoke Sr., this formula works like a vision board for your users, helping them see the transformation your product can bring to their lives. It takes a step-by-step approach to guiding users from where they are now to where they want to be.
Picture – Start by helping them visualize their current struggle or a future they dream about. Make the scenario vivid and relatable so they can see themselves in it.
Promise – Show them how your product will eliminate that pain or make their ideal future possible. Keep it clear and aspirational.
Prove – Build trust by backing your promise with evidence. Use testimonials, data, or examples that reassure them you can deliver.
Push – End with a strong call to action that motivates them to take the next step toward solving their problem or achieving their goal.
Here’s how Xero brings this formula to life, making managing finances seamless and achievable for its users.
Xero’s email opens by helping users envision a simpler way to manage their finances, removing the stress and complexity of the process. It then promises efficiency, flexibility, and easy integration with existing apps.
The email highlights over two million global subscribers and affordable plans to prove their credibility, giving users confidence in their solution. Finally, it pushes users to take action with a clear call to “Log in to get started,” making it easy to take the first step toward better financial management.
Also, in this example, Vend brings the 4 P’s formula to life, showing users just how effortless retail management can be with the right tools.
Vend’s email begins by helping users picture a well-oiled retail system where outlets, taxes, and payments flow seamlessly. It promises a fast and straightforward setup with detailed guides that make even complex tasks feel manageable.
The email highlights actionable steps to prove its reliability and emphasizes the team’s dedicated support, reassuring users they’ll have help at every step. It then invites users to log in and explore Vend’s tools, making the path to retail success simple and achievable.
3 Tips To Optimize Your Onboarding Emails
Your SaaS onboarding emails are more than just touchpoints—they’re the first steps in building trust, guiding users to take action, and converting them into loyal customers. Once you’ve drafted your emails, here are three key strategies to ensure they perform and resonate:
- Speak your users’ language: Use Voice of Customer (VOC) data to speak directly to their desires, challenges, and pain points. The more your emails reflect what they care about, the more likely they will engage. For example, instead of just listing features, focus on how those features solve their biggest problems.
Check out my SaaS Message Map Template to help you effectively organize and apply VOC insights. It’s designed to make it easier to turn customer feedback into emails that resonate and drive action. - Measure what matters: Track your emails’ performance using KPIs like click-through rates (CTR) and open rates. These metrics give you actionable insights to fine-tune your strategy and identify what’s working (and what’s not).
- Test, tweak, and improve: Run A/B tests on subject lines, CTAs, and email layouts to see what resonates best with your audience. A minor tweak, like emphasizing a benefit in the subject line, can significantly boost your engagement.
With these tips (and the SaaS Message Map Template), you’ll create SaaS onboarding emails that resonate with users and drive action.
You now have 10 proven copywriting formulas—beyond AIDA and PAS—to inspire and structure your emails, plus more than 15 examples in different user journey stages to reference. These frameworks aren’t just practical; they’re designed to help your onboarding emails stand out, connect deeply, and drive meaningful results.
If you’re ready to create SaaS onboarding emails that connect and convert, I can help. From audits to whole sequences, let’s make your emails work for your users and goals.
Your users deserve onboarding emails that Get those ‘aha!’ moments—emails that connect, guide, and inspire them to achieve their goals.
Here’s how to work with me to create emails that make it happen.
Your SaaS onboarding emails can be the difference between a user who churns and one who becomes a loyal customer. I’m here to make sure they stick around.
Whether you need a quick review or a complete email overhaul, here’s how we can work together to create emails that genuinely connect and convert:
- Quick Wins With a Free 10-Minute Audit
Send me your first two onboarding emails, and I’ll help you identify missed opportunities and easy changes you can make today to boost engagement and clicks. - Full Journey Audit + Action Plan
In 4 Days to Better Emails, I’ll review your onboarding or trial journey, uncover where users might drop off, and deliver a clear, actionable plan (The Swift Action Blueprint™) to strengthen every step of your email sequence. - Custom Onboarding Emails
With the Email Conversion Cure, I’ll write a 4-10 SaaS onboarding emails that speaks directly to your users, highlights your product’s impact, and drives them to take meaningful actions—like upgrading their plan, becoming loyal customers, or actively engaging with your product.
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