How often should I email my waitlist before launch?
19 September 2026 · by Nordva, who make Nordva Launch
The short answer
Rarely, and only when you have something worth saying. A welcome email when they join, an update when there is real progress (roughly monthly at most), and one clear email on launch day. Every email should give them something: a preview, a decision they can influence, or access. Silence for months makes people forget why they signed up; weekly updates make them leave.
The three emails that matter
- Welcome, right away. Confirm they’re on the list, say what they’ll get and roughly when, and ask one question: “What would you use this for?” The replies are the best research you’ll get.
- Progress, when it’s real. A short note when something meaningful happens: the first screens, a beta, a decision you’d like their view on. If nothing changed, don’t write.
- Launch day. One email: it’s live, here’s what it does for you, here’s the link. This is the email the whole list was for.
How often is too often?
There’s no universal number, but the pattern is consistent: people signed up for access, not a newsletter. Frequent updates without anything new train people to ignore you, or to unsubscribe. Months of silence mean that when you do write, half the list has forgotten who you are.
A rhythm that works for many small products: welcome, then an update when there’s real news (roughly monthly at most), then launch. If you’re building in public, point people to where you post progress instead of emailing it.
What makes an update worth opening
- Something they can see: a screenshot, a short video, a changelog entry.
- Something they can decide: “Which of these two should we build first?”
- Something they get: early access, a spot moved up for referring a friend.
Keep it honest and easy to leave
Every email needs an unsubscribe link, and people who unsubscribe should never get the launch email. A smaller list of people who want to hear from you is worth more than a big one that marks you as spam.
Measure the one that counts
Tag the launch email’s link so visits from it are counted, and check a few weeks later which of the people you told became customers. That tells you how many of your waitlist were real buyers.
With Nordva Launch
Launch sends the welcome (with a confirmation step on Indie and up) and, on Indie, one launch announcement to everyone waiting, with an unsubscribe link and a tagged link, queued within your daily email quota. The launch report then shows who you told, who clicked and who paid within 30 days. There are no drip sequences, on purpose.
When Launch is the wrong tool
If you want automated drip sequences, segments and newsletters, use an email platform; Launch sends the welcome, invites and one launch announcement, on purpose.
- Should I send updates to my waitlist?
- What should I email my waitlist before launch?
- How do I keep my waitlist engaged?