Mastering LearnDash Email Automation
                     Mastering LearnDash Email Automation to Boost 
Student Engagement
Handling the expansion of a LearnDash-based eLearning platform means that you have to 
perform a long list of communication tasks, including sending out welcome emails, 
progress updates, completion certificates, and reminders. If you were to do these tasks 
manually, they would take up a lot of your time and you would feel overwhelmed, 
especially if the number of your students is increasing rapidly.
At this point, you really need to have some serious LearnDash email automation, which can 
help you handle this at scale. By creating automated workflows, you have the possibility of 
giving out personalized emails at a suitable time, thus keeping the learners involved and 
allowing a smooth course progress, all without a continuous and tedious manual effort. It 
not only saves time but also increases student satisfaction, and on top of all that, it enables 
you to scale your courses efficiently.
The Importance of Email Automation for LearnDash Courses
If you are utilizing LearnDash for your online courses, it is essential to keep the students 
interested other than producing quality content. Nevertheless, when you have a massive 
number of learners, it is practically impossible to send emails manually for each 
enrollment, reminder, certificate, etc. These kinds of tasks can be made straightforward 
with the LearnDash API and the proper setup.
For example, the user can make a few email tasks more straightforward, such as 
composing a welcome email, reporting the progress, or issuing a completion certificate, 
without any obstacles. This feature is where LearnDash email integration comes in handy
Increases Student Participation – Provide personalized reminders to the learners as well 
as updates that match their needs and thus, keep them informed with timely LearnDash 
email notifications.
Elevates Course Completion – On time notifications make students drive their lessons, 
quizzes, or courses to completion on time as well. Email automation setting for LearnDash 
is the tool that makes this possible.
Strengthens Retention and Upselling – You can promote the courses that are similar to 
the ones the students are studying or the premium bundles for them.
Keep Consistent Communication –Helps students enrolled in more than one course stay 
on track with timely updates and essential announcements.
Once LearnDash email automation is configured, instructors can dedicate more energy to 
courses and students rather than routine admin tasks.
Best Tools for LearnDash Email Automation
The right tools are a necessity if you want to comprehensively create a logical e-mail 
automation strategy for Learndash. These are some of the most efficient tools that are in 
perfect harmony with Learndash, thus permitting you to effortlessly automate, 
customize, and operate without any hassle.
1. LearnDash Notifications Plugin
With the LearnDash email Notifications add-on, you can start automatically, event-triggered 
email communications right from LearnDash. The range of applications can cover sending 
welcome emails, progress updates, inactivity reminders, as well as completion certificates.
Main Features:
Pre-Built Notification Triggers: This plugin offers pre-configured event triggers for courses, 
lessons, quizzes, and groups, giving you the ability to automate emails based on user 
activities.
Personalized Email Templates: Dynamic shortcodes allow you to develop customized 
emails, thus every notification becomes the most appropriate and personalized for each 
learner.
Custom Scheduling and Delayed Notifications: With the help of custom scheduling, the 
plugin gives you the option of sending the email right away or postponing it for a specific 
period that fits your communication plan.
Seamless LearnDash email Integration: Without additional instruments, one can easily 
establish, operate, and track all the email notifications in the LearnDash control panel with 
the help of this email notification system.
Pros:
Officially supported by LearnDash
Easy to set up and manage
Covers most student communication needs Cons:
Limited reporting and analytics
No built-in advanced segmentation
2. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is an extensively utilized email marketing tool that can be connected with 
LearnDash via Zapier or other external plugins. It’s perfect for sending bulk campaigns, 
segmenting learners, and tracking engagement. The LearnDash API makes these external 
integrations more flexible and reliable.
Looking to extend the capability of your LearnDash email automation to more advanced 
levels? By utilizing our LearnDash development services, you can tailor your LMS not only to 
complete detailed automations and integrations but also to provide unique learning 
experiences for your users.
Key Features:
Advanced Audience Segmentation: Categorize the users depending upon their 
engagement, registration status, or outcomes, and accordingly create a personalized email 
alert in LearnDash that will be the greatest utility of the recipient group.
Prebuilt Email Templates: Take advantage of eye-catching and responsive templates to 
effortlessly create emails that captivate the audience and fit the LearnDash email 
integration.
A/B Testing Capabilities: By means of email automation, the user is allowed to do the 
setting up and then test the subject lines, the content, or the schedule so as to find out 
which gets the most engagement.
Detailed Analytics and Reporting: Track the number of opens, clicks, and engagement 
tokens, and employ the LearnDash API for amalgamating data with different
modules.
Pros:
Interface suitable for beginners
Robust automation capabilities
There is a free plan Cons:
Requires integration setup with LearnDash
Limited automation on free plans
3. Groundhogg
Groundhogg is a self-hosted CRM and marketing automation plugin for WordPress. It 
allows a direct integration with LearnDash, thus being a powerful option for any LearnDash 
email automation within your site.
Main Features:
Trigger LearnDash Email Notifications: Email notifications are sent automatically when a 
learner performs certain activities. The emails can follow the events of enrollment, course 
completion, quiz results, or even inactivity.
Flexible LearnDash Email Integration: You can create funnels, drip sequences, and nurture 
campaigns with this tool alone without needing any other software.
Tagging and Segmentation: Email automation for LearnDash can be improved with 
personalized communication for learners resulting in more engagement.
LearnDash API Support: Introduces efficient data sharing between your tools and 
automate workflows with the help of the LearnDash API.
Pros:
Native LearnDash automation.
Unlimited email (no cost per subscriber).
Advanced funnel builder.
None of the user data is sent to third-party services (GDPR-friendly). Cons:
It may be overwhelming for beginners.
Your hosting/server resources are used when sending large volumes of emails.
4. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a cloud-based email marketing tool popular among creators, bloggers, and 
course instructors. It’s known for its simplicity and automation builder, making it a good 
option for email automation for LearnDash.
Main Features:
LearnDash Email Integration through Connectors: Most integrations utilize third- party 
services such as Zapier, WP Fusion, or Uncanny Automator to achieve LearnDash email 
integration. The LearnDash API, on the other hand, enables a more efficient LearnDash 
email integration.
Automated LearnDash Email Notifications: By employing personalized LearnDash email 
notifications, you can send out the following messages: a welcome message, a progress 
reminder, or even a promotional newsletter.
Graphical Automation Designer: With the support of your LearnDash automation, you can 
easily map out the learner pathways and manage the processes.
Tagging and Segmentation: Segment learners (e.g., by course enrolled) to enhance 
engagement and support email automation for LearnDash.
Pros:
Very user-friendly and intuitive.
Excellent for creators selling courses and memberships.
Strong email deliverability.
Great landing pages & forms for lead capture. Cons:
Not a native LearnDash plugin (requires integration).
Pricing grows with subscriber count.
Fewer advanced CRM features compared to Groundhogg. 
Looking to scale your LMS with automation and custom 
features? Hire LearnDash developer today!
Essential LearnDash Email Tools at a Glance!
Here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of the top LearnDash email automation tools, 
with their key use cases, and pricing to help you choose the right solution.
Setting Up Email Automation in 
LearnDash
Tool Ideal Choice for Pricing
LearnDash Course Creators who want a simple, native solution This tool comes free as an add-on 
Notifications for LearnDash email notifications without extra included with your LearnDash license.
setup.
Mailchimp Users who need a popular external email marketing Mailchimp offers a free plan up to 500 
service with strong automation and analytics, and contacts, with paid plans starting at 
don’t mind setting up LearnDash email integration. around $13 per month.
Groundhogg Instructors who want a self-hosted WordPress Groundhogg is a premium plugin, with 
solution with full control and no per-subscriber fees. plans starting at $20 per month, billed 
annually, depending on extensions.
ConvertKit Creators who prefer a cloud-based tool with a ConvertKit offers a free plan up to 1,000 
simple interface, excellent deliverability, and subscribers, with paid plans starting at 
support for email automation for LearnDash. $15 per month.
Through the Notifications add-on for LearnDash, you can automatically schedule the 
student emails that correspond to particular occurrences in the student journey without 
having to put in any manual work. Correspondingly, you have the potential to raise 
interaction, commitment, and loyalty.
The procedure is as follows —
Step 1: Install the LearnDash Notifications Add-On and Activate It
Through your WordPress Dashboard,
Go to LearnDash LMS → Add-ons.
The list is where you will find LearnDash Notifications.
Next, click on Install Now → then on Activate.
Once the installation has been carried out successfully and the add-on activated, a new 
LearnDash Notifications menu will be available right below the LearnDash LMS section.
Step 2: Go to Notification Settings
Go to LearnDash LMS → Notifications.
To create your first automated email notification, you should click on Add New. Step 3: 
Choose the Notification Trigger
The basic principle that LearnDash uses to operate the Notifications system is to associate 
event-driven triggers to recipients. Among others, you can create an email for the following 
learner activities:
User Enrolled in a Course → A welcome email must be sent.
Course Completed → Enable the student and issue the certificates.
Lesson or Topic Completed → Praise the progress and offer the next steps.
Quiz Completed → Provide the results and encourage the learners.
Group Enrollment → Email the students when they are added to a group.
Inactivity Triggers → Give reminders if a student has not logged in for X days. It would be 
best to choose the trigger that suits your objective.
Step 4: Write Your Email Content Once the trigger is set:
Add a Notification Title (for admin reference).
Enter the Email Subject and Body Content.
Use LearnDash shortcodes to personalize emails:
 {user_firstname} → Displays student’s name
{course_title} → Shows the relevant course name
{quiz_score} → Inserts quiz results
{certificate_link} → Adds a certificate download link Step 5: Set Notification 
Recipients
You can send emails to:
Individual Students
Group Members
Admins/Instructors
Custom Email Addresses
Giving this freedom ensures targeting the best audience for every message. Step 
6: Schedule or Send Instantly
Decide on the time for sending the email:
Right after the trigger
Delayed (e.g., 2 days after registration)
Recurring Reminders for continuous participation Step 7: Test Your 
Notifications
The Send Test Email feature is used to preview the formatting and 
personalization.
Before getting live, check the links, certificates for attachment, and the use of 
merge tags.
Step 8: Monitor Email Deliverability
Even though the tool lacks extensive statistics, you can improve email follow-up 
and delivery by associating it with SMTP plugins (like SureMail or WP Mail SMTP).
Want professional assistance with creating email workflows and advanced 
automations? Our LearnDash developers will provide you with the most suitable course-
based solutions.
Best Email Automation Strategies for LearnDash
A smart use of the LearnDash Notifications plugin can lead to easy accomplishment of 
event- based automated emails that can substantially boost the user’s engagement and 
make the communication process smooth. Different core types of email notifications could 
be easily configured by this add-on.
1.Welcome Email Automation
 As soon as a learner registers for a course or group, send tailor-made welcome 
emails.
 Incorporate login details, course navigation tips, and contact information.
2.Progress-Based Notifications
 Emails should be triggered when a student finishes a lesson, topic, or quiz.
 Cheer them on to proceed and hyperlink to the next stage in their learning path.
3. Course Completion & Certification Emails
 Automatically congratulate students on finishing their courses.
 Use the {certificate_link} shortcode to link the course completion certificate.
4. Inactivity Reminders
 Rethink students who, for whatever reason, have neither logged in nor made any 
progress regularly for a predetermined number of days, although this is done 
automatically.
 Let them visit the platform again and continue their learning journey.
5. Quiz Result Notifications
 Automated emails deliver quiz results, including scores and feedback.
 The best time to inform students of how well they have done is immediately after 
they have taken their tests.
6. Group Enrollment Notifications
 Inform learners of their enrollment when they have been added to a group
 Perfect for membership programs and cohort-based learning.
7. Assignment Notifications
 Notify students if their assignments have been approved, rejected, or graded.
 Help to keep open and timely communication. Final Verdict
LearnDash email automation is not only a necessity of the time, it’s a terrific way to boost 
learner engagement, through your courses, and simplify your daily routines. You are able 
to automate welcome emails, progress reminders, inactivity alerts, and completion 
certificates thus saving time and ensuring each learner is accompanied for their whole 
journey.
Among the various tools, the LearnDash Notification plugin is unique for its user-
friendliness, adaptability, and ability to personalize communication at scale.
If you are keen on developing your online courses to a large extent, then the most rational 
next move would be to put money into email automation.