Waitlist email best practices

The welcome email is the first thing a new signup receives from you. It goes out automatically, within seconds of the signup. Most people will read it. Few will remember it. The goal is to leave them with their position number, a clear expectation, and a reason to keep you in mind.

#What to include

The position. This is the point. "You're #47 of 1,203 people on the waitlist." Both numbers matter: the position tells them where they are, the total tells them how many others want the same thing. One without the other is less useful.

What happens next. When will they hear from you? "We'll invite the first batch of users in January." If you don't know, say something vague but honest: "We'll send invites as we open capacity." Don't leave them wondering if they'll ever hear from you again.

One link, if any. A product screenshot, a short video, a changelog. Not three links. Not a newsletter pitch. One thing you want them to see while they're paying attention.

#What to leave out

Social sharing asks in the first email. The user just signed up and doesn't know your product yet. Asking them to share before they've seen anything reads as desperate. If you have a referral program, mention it, but make it secondary.

Unsubscribe pressure. "If you don't want these emails, unsubscribe." Don't prime them to leave in the first message. You can comply with email regulations without making opting out the second thing they read.

Long copy. Nobody reads 500 words in a transactional email. Tell them their position, what happens next, and stop. If you have more to say, link to it.

#Subject line patterns that work

Include the position number:

• "You're #47 on the Enlist waitlist"
• "#47 of 1,203: you're on the list"

The number is specific and personal. It stands out in an inbox full of "Thanks for signing up" subjects.

Be literal:

• "You're on the waitlist"
• "Your waitlist spot: confirmed"

Curiosity-bait subject lines ("You won't believe what's coming...") feel out of place in a transactional context and often lower open rates in developer-focused audiences.

#Email template variables

Enlist welcome emails support four built-in variables:

If your waitlist has custom field definitions, the value submitted at signup time is also available as {{key}} — for example, {{company}} or {{plan}}. Optional fields with no submitted value render as an empty string rather than the literal {{key}}.

A minimal, effective template:

Subject: You're #{{position}} on the {{waitlist_name}} waitlist

Hi,

You're #{{position}} of {{total}} people on the {{waitlist_name}} waitlist.

We'll send invites as we open capacity. We'll email you at {{email}} when it's your turn.

— The team

Plain text with auto-wrapped HTML. No images, no hero sections. It loads instantly and looks intentional rather than templated.

#Delivery tracking

Once the email goes out, Enlist tracks whether it was delivered, opened, and clicked. Those states are available per signup via the API:

{
  email_status: 'delivered',
  email_delivered_at: '2026-01-15T09:23:11Z',
  email_opened_at: '2026-01-15T09:24:03Z',
  email_clicked_at: null,
}

Useful for: identifying bounced addresses before you try to invite them, understanding which segment of your list is engaged, and deciding whether a re-engagement email is worth sending.