How to Automate WooCommerce Post-Purchase Surveys and Campaigns

Automate WooCommerce post-purchase surveys and campaigns across email, SMS, and more channels. Learn how we’re turning sales into surveys into more sales.

TLDR? 100-word Summary

Post-purchase surveys boost loyalty and drive growth. You can automate and personalize your post-purchase surveys for free with WPForms and Uncanny Automator Lite. Learn how to launch high-engagement follow-ups right from your WordPress site.

Best practices: timing, segmentation, incentives, closing the loop, and more
Post-purchase surveys build loyalty, establish brand trust, and fuel future growth
Options compared: WooCommerce emails vs CRMs vs Uncanny Automator
Step-by-step: build an automated, personalized post-purchase survey workflow
Omnichannel ideas: email, SMS/WhatsApp, and on-site forms

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: post-purchase surveys, upsells, and campaigns are the secret weapons that fuel our growth and the growth of your favorite brands.

Here at Uncanny Automator, we’ve been using these post-purchase tools to great effect for years. (It’s part of the strategy we used to grow from a niche plugin to a WordPress essential.)

A well-timed, multi-channel post-purchase campaign can turn one-time shoppers into loyal customers—and loyal customers into your best marketers.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to use Uncanny Automator to create smart, automatic follow-ups that collect feedback, build trust, and bring customers back for more.

Let’s turn every order into the start of a lasting relationship.

Why Post-Purchase Surveys Are E-Commerce Essentials

So, you’ve made the sale—great! Now, you might be thinking that it’s time to simply kick up your feet and count your earnings. I get that urge, too. But there’s more work to be done if you want to grow your business.

Simply put, loyal customers are the bedrock of your growth, and customer loyalty isn’t a product of luck. It’s the result of a carefully curated strategy.

Post-purchase surveys—especially if they’re well-timed and using the right channels—are an essential tool in that strategy.

They help you build stronger relationships, earn trust in your brand, and gather insights to better serve your current and future customers. Oh, and they also boost your bottom line.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here are the numbers:

Post-Purchase Surveys Build Loyalty

Following up with your customers after they have your product in-hand and/or have already used your service shows that you actually care. To the customer, it says, “You’re more than just a sale to us.”

The appreciation customers feel shows in their response rates.

Emailed post-purchase surveys have response rates of between 15-30% when timed correctly.
In-app or web-based surveys typically average 20-40% participation.
Short surveys of 1-3 questions see completion rates of over 80%, with incentives (such as discounts on future purchases) increasing participation by 30%.

Loyal Customers Deliver Better ROI

Growth doesn’t always mean getting more new customers. In fact, penny for penny, pound for pound, existing customers do more to drive growth for small businesses:

It is 5x cheaper to retain a customer than it is to acquire a new one.
Nearly two-thirds of a company’s business comes from previous customers.
A 5% boost in retention can increase profits by 25–95%.
Loyal customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more.
Selling to existing customers succeeds 60–70% of the time (vs. 5–20% for new ones).

Customer Retention Runs on Communication

Once you have loyal customers, retaining them becomes a matter of communicating. After all, loyal customers are part of your community.

Keeping channels of communication open and active is key to customer retention.

89% of marketers use email to keep customers coming back.
83% of consumers say loyalty programs make them stay with a brand longer.

Loyal Customers Draw New Customers

Getting and keeping loyal customers actually helps you attract new ones. When customers stick with a business and become part of their community, they are more likely to become unofficial brand ambassadors.

Post-purchase surveys help you give your most loyal customers a platform to help you drive future sales:

66% of shoppers trust brands with lots of online reviews.
90% of Americans say reviews are key to purchase decisions.
Even a few negative reviews can increase credibility—68% of consumers distrust brands without them.

Methods for Creating Post-Purchase Surveys in WordPress

Ok. Now, you know how valuable post-purchase surveys are and how they fit into your sales funnel. So, now you’re probably wondering, “How do I actually create post-purchase surveys for my WooCommerce store?”

You have a few options, each with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. Let’s explore.

Native WooCommerce Order Emails

WooCommerce gives its users the ability to set order status notification emails. From your WordPress Admin Dashboard, simply navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails.

From there, you can set which emails you want to send (upon order completion, for example) and draft the email.

However, these built-in notifications are designed for logistics, not relationships.

Advantages:

Built-in email notifications means you don’t need another tool.
Minimal set-up required as WooCommerce provides these templates for free.

Disadvantages:

Limited copy editing and customization limits the marketing functionality of these emails.
No delays and/or scheduling means that your customers may be getting post-purchase surveys before they have had a chance to use the product/service.
No segmentation, resulting in all customers getting the same emails regardless of their purchase history, cart total, etc.
Email only; multi-channel communication (SMS and WhatsApp) not available.

CRMs

CRMs such as HubSpot, Mailchimp, and ActiveCampaign are powerful tools for launching campaigns that convert. They are how most businesses manage their customer relationships—it’s in the name!

For launching your WooCommerce post-purchase campaigns, CRMs are a great option, but still need some help in generating engagement.

Advantages:

Powerful segmentation, so you can send personalized post-purchase campaigns.
Delays that help you time your post-purchase surveys perfectly.
Advanced copy editing and customization so you optimize your email content.

Disadvantages:

Still requires integration with WooCommerce to properly take full advantage of marketing features.
Costly; many CRMs are out of the budget for most small businesses.
Steep learning curves mean that you can sink hours into learning different features and still make mistakes.

Uncanny Automator: The WordPress Way to Automate Surveys

Not to brag (ok, I’m bragging a little), but Uncanny Automator hits the sweet spot for managing your customer feedback.

Not only does Automator have all of the features that you need to send high-engagement post-purchase surveys, but it’s an easy-to-use, low cost solution.

Integrate everything. Automate anything.

Automator connects your favorite apps and plugins (such as WooCommerce to your CRM and form-building plugin) so you can automate your workflows.

When it comes to automating post-purchase surveys, here’s what make Automator stand out:

Trigger immediate or delayed surveys when an order status changes to completed, delivered, or refunded.
Send survey invitations via email, SMS, or even WhatsApp.
Integrate WooCommerce with your CRM to segment customers based on what they bought, how much they spent, or any other parameters you choose.
Encourage engagement and reward responses with loyalty points, discount codes, or exclusive follow-up campaigns.

And unlike other automation tools, Automator doesn’t charge per-automation fees—so you can collect unlimited feedback without worrying about paying more.

In short: native WooCommerce emails handle transactional communication, CRMs add complexity, but Uncanny Automator gives you the best of both worlds—simplicity, control, and the flexibility to run every post-purchase survey your way.

Get Automator >>>

In the next section, I’ll walk you through a simple automation for collecting those post-purchase surveys.

Step-by-Step: Automating WooCommerce Post-Purchase Surveys

Creating an automated post-purchase survey is a lot easier than you might think. Just follow these steps and get started for FREE!

Step 1: Create a Survey Form

First, if you’re creating a custom survey and not simply using WooCommerce’s native product review feature, you’ll need a form-building plugin like WPForms.

If you have WPForms Pro and the Survey and Polls addon, you can simply start with the Survey Form template and customize it however you’d like.

WPForms survey form template with fields for name, email, and experience rating, offering buttons to use the template or view a demo.

Alternatively, if you’re using the free version of WPForms, create a form with at least:

an email field (Automator will need this field to attach the survey to a customer),
a “Number Slider” field where users can rate your product/service on a predefined scale, and
a “Paragraph Text” field where users can provide more detailed feedback.

Simple post-purchase survey form with fields for email, product rating slider, feedback text box, and a submit button.

You can add more fields to give customers the ability to provide more detailed feedback. Keep in mind, however, that simple surveys have higher completion and submission rates.

Once you’re satisfied with your post-purchase survey form, click Save and exit the builder. Place the survey form on a page on your site.

Step 2: Create and Name a New Automator Recipe

From your WordPress Admin Dashboard, navigate to Automator > Add new recipe. In the modal that appears, select Logged-in users.

Automator modal titled 'Select a recipe type' with two options: 'Logged-in users' (selected, with blue border) which will be triggered by logged-in WordPress users, and 'Everyone' which will be triggered by logged-in WordPress users or logged out visitors. Warning states 'Recipe type cannot be changed later.' Cancel and Confirm buttons at bottom.

Next, give your recipe a name that makes it easy to recognize at a glance. For example, we have named this recipe “WooCommerce Post-Purchase Survey Automation”.

(Note: If you allow guest checkout, you can select the recipe type “Everyone”. Depending on the trigger that you choose, it may require Automator Pro.)

Step 3: Trigger Survey After Product Purchase

In the Trigger panel, from the menu of available integrations, select Woo.

Grid of WordPress integrations for Uncanny Automator. The highlighted icon in the center reads “Woo” in purple, representing WooCommerce.

From the dropdown list that appears, select, “A user’s order status changes to a specific status”.

WooCommerce trigger dropdown list in Uncanny Automator. The user has highlighted the trigger “A user’s order status changes to a specific status”.

(Note: This is an Automator Pro trigger. If you are using Automator Lite, you can select the trigger, “A user purchases a product”.)

Next, Automator will prompt you to select the status. I have selected the status “Completed”. Select the order status that indicates that your customer has received their order.

Once you’re finished, click Save.

Step 4: Send an Email With Your Post-Purchase Survey Link

Next, in the Actions panel, click Add action and select Emails.

Integration selection screen highlighting the Emails option among other apps like Facebook Pages, Formatter, and Google Calendar.

From the dropdown list, select Send an email. Automator will present you with a form to configure your email and draft your message.

In the To field, we’re going to use a token (i.e., dynamic data from your WordPress site) to get the email to the right customer.

To use a token, click the Asterisk and select the corresponding token.

Dropdown under 'To' showing 'Search tokens', 'Only email tokens' checked, 'Triggers' section, and 'Billing email' highlighted.’

Next, draft your subject line and email body. To write a compelling email that gets engagement, here are some things you should include:

an enthusiastic, action-oriented subject line,
personalization using tokens to refer to the customer by name,
a reference to the customer’s last purchase,
a brief mention of the value that their feedback represents, and
a clear CTA to fill out the survey.

Email editor with subject field reading “We would love to hear from you!” and a sample post-purchase email message inviting the recipient to fill out a short survey.

Once you’re satisfied, click Save.

Want to learn how to style your WordPress emails? Check out our nifty guide on how to create stunning WordPress emails that fit your brand >>>.

Step 5 (for Automator Pro users): Delay Your Post-Purchase Survey

Before your customers can give you honest and informed feedback, they’ll need some time with your product(s). That’s why sending a post-purchase survey along with a “delivered” or “completed” email won’t get the best response rates.

With Automator Pro, you can set a delay to your post-purchase survey email.

Automator “Actions” panel showing an email action set to send to “Billing email” from a WooCommerce order. The user has highlighted the “Delay” button.

The length of your delay will depend on the nature of your business. As a general rule of thumb, you should wait between 7-30 days after purchase to request feedback from customers.

This window gives customers enough trial time while simultaneously falling within most refund and/or return windows.

Once you have decided on your delay, click Set delay.

Step 6: Automate Your Post-Purchase Surveys!

You’re just about ready to automate your post-purchase surveys. All that’s left for you to do is toggle the recipe from Draft to Live.

Uncanny Automator recipe titled “WooCommerce Post-Purchase Survey Automation”, showing a WooCommerce trigger and an email action with delay.

That’s it! You’re ready to start collecting post-purchase surveys, building customer loyalty, and laying the foundation for your growth.

But this was just an introduction to get you familiar with Uncanny Automator. Want to see what else you can do to build loyalty with post-purchase campaigns?

Best Practices for Post-Purchase Surveys

Now that you’re automating your WooCommerce post-purchase surveys, it’s time to optimize.

To get real results—responses, reviews, and repeat buyers—you’ll need to fine-tune how and when those messages go out. Over the years, we’ve learned a few tricks that separate “just another email” from “Wow, this brand actually cares”.

1. Time It Right

Every industry has its own sweet spot. A customer who buys a digital download can respond the same day; a customer waiting for a physical shipment needs time to unbox and test. Start with one survey within a week of delivery, then follow up a few days later if needed.

2. Make It Personal

No one likes a “Dear Customer” email or a generic, “How did we do?” message. Use Automator’s tokens to include the customer’s name and order details. Create product-specific surveys and automations so that customers can tell you about their personal experience.

3. Segment Smartly

Your returning customers with whom you already have a relationship can give more detailed feedback than a new customer. Similarly, VIP and high-value customers who have spent more money may have higher expectations.

With Automator, you can segment by new and returning customers, order value, or even product type. This way, you can tailor surveys to customers at different stages of their relationship with your brand.

4. Keep It Simple and Mobile-Friendly

eCommerce is increasingly mobile—and I’m not just talking about delivery. Most customers will open your survey on their phone. Stick to plain-text or lightly styled templates, short sentences, and clear buttons. Your survey link should be obvious and easy to tap.

5. Short and Sweet Is Neat

Surveys with 1-3 questions get the best engagement and completion rates. Design your surveys to collect limited amounts of targeted feedback. For your repeat customers, you may be able to get away with longer surveys, but you still need to let your customers know that you value their time.

Which brings me to my next point…

6. Offer Value for Time

A small discount, free shipping on the next order, store credit, or loyalty points are all powerful incentives that signal to your customers that you actually value their feedback. For longer surveys, offering your customers something in exchange for their time will boost your completion rates.

7. Go Omnichannel

Don’t limit yourself to just email. You can send surveys via SMS, WhatsApp, or even embed them directly on your site using Automator’s Dynamic Content Addon—perfect for frictionless feedback.

8. Close the Loop

Finally, show your customers that their voices do matter. Share updates, thank them for their input, and highlight how their feedback has shaped your WooCommerce store and products. That’s how you turn a survey into a relationship.

Conclusion

By now, you know that post-purchase surveys are more than just data collection—they’re the foundation of loyalty and long-term growth.

With Uncanny Automator, you can set these gears of growth into motion and put them on autopilot. Turning your WooCommerce post-purchase surveys into valuable insights to strengthen relationships and boost repeat sales is as easy as creating more Automator recipes.

Start small, test your timing, and keep refining. Before long, your surveys will be working quietly behind the scenes, turning every sale into an opportunity to learn, improve, and grow.

Get Automator today >>>

Until next time, happy automating!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a post-purchase survey?

A post-purchase survey is a short feedback form sent after a customer completes an order. It helps you understand their experience—from the checkout process to the product itself. With the right timing and tools (like Uncanny Automator), you can automatically collect this feedback via email, SMS, or even directly on your site to improve your products, service, and customer relationships.

What’s the best timing for sending post-purchase surveys?

Timing is everything. For digital products, you can send a survey the same day or within 48 hours of delivery. For physical products, wait 3–14 days so customers can try them out. Automator makes this easy—you can delay your survey email automatically based on product type, delivery speed, or even location.

Do I need a CRM to send post-purchase emails in WordPress?

Nope! While CRMs like HubSpot or ActiveCampaign can help, they’re not necessary, especially for small businesses. With Uncanny Automator, you can send personalized, automated post-purchase emails right from your WordPress dashboard—no third-party platform or extra subscription required.

How can I personalize my post-purchase campaigns without coding?

Using tokens (i.e., dynamic data) in Uncanny Automator, you can include customer names, product titles, and order details in your messages—no coding needed. You can even segment your surveys by product, order value, or customer type (new, returning, or VIP) to deliver hyper-relevant campaigns that feel personal.

Can post-purchase surveys increase repeat sales?

Absolutely. Post-purchase surveys show customers that you value their feedback, building trust and loyalty. The result? More repeat business. In fact, loyal customers are 50% more likely to try new products and spend 31% more than new shoppers. Feedback today becomes growth tomorrow.

How do I get more customers to complete my post-purchase surveys?

Keep surveys short (1–3 questions), make them mobile-friendly, and offer incentives—like a coupon or loyalty points—for completing them. Timing also matters: send your survey when the experience is fresh but after the customer’s had time to form an opinion. And don’t forget to follow up with a “thank you” or highlight how their feedback shaped your store—it encourages even more participation next time.

Brendan Da Costa

Brendan Da Costa is a WordPress content writer with a Shakespearean-level gift of gab (his words, not ours). He left a successful career in economics to pursue his passion for writing and discovered the wonderful world of WordPress while building his own website to showcase his work. As a self-taught enthusiast who spends more time tinkering with plugins and themes than he would care to admit, Brendan writes equally for WordPress beginners and veteran developers alike. With his unique blend of expertise and creativity, he continues to elevate the digital landscape one WordPress article at a time.

See Full Bio

How to Automate WooCommerce Post-Purchase Surveys and Campaigns