Automated push notifications: Must-have scenarios for every app

Unlike generic blasts, automated push notifications make every message timely, relevant, and effective — turning routine outreach into real results, from higher engagement to increased revenue. In this post, we’ll explore key push notification automation use cases that deliver measurable outcomes, with real examples.

If you’re looking for a tool to automate push notifications, Pushwoosh will help you implement this process with minimal effort.

Promotional offers to drive revenue

Instead of sending generic offers, you can set up rules that send push notifications based on user behavior, purchase intent, or a scheduled plan. This ensures every push notification looks personal, timely, and helps drive conversions.

Personalized product recommendations

Suggest items based on browsing history or purchase behavior to maximize upsells and cross-sells.

📌 Example #1: HungryNaki, a food delivery app, streamlined high-ROI push notification campaigns with personalized messaging and event-triggered recommendations.

Trigger event: 5+ orders from the Burger Xpress restaurant in the last 30 days.
Content:

📌 Example #2: Bantoa, a fashion social e-commerce platform, sends automated, personalized push notifications that invite app users to explore products similar to those they’ve recently viewed.

Trigger event: User visited the school/university section.
Content:

Abandoned cart notifications

Automated notifications can remind users of the exact items left behind, highlight product images, and offer an incentive to finish checkout.

The quality of personalization largely depends on the efficiency of the engagement tool. Once you can segment the right audiences based on location and event preferences, the rest comes down to tailoring messaging and content to match their interests.

Kumaresan Thangadurai

Digital Marketing Lead at Kynhood

Recurring offers

Scheduled automated workflows can create urgency and excitement, motivating users to return. These recurring campaigns can run daily, weekly, or seasonally — all without extra manual work.

📌 Example: Bladestorm increased revenue from push notifications by 4.58% through automation. Among other automated campaigns, they send weekly recurring offers and keep players engaged with special offers.

Scheduled launch: Every week
Content:

Lifecycle campaigns to boost retention

To sustain growth, mobile apps need continuous communication across the user lifecycle — from welcoming newcomers and guiding them through onboarding to re-engaging lapsed users and gathering feedback. Automated workflows help you activate early, boost retention, and increase user LTV.

Automated welcome messages

The first few days after install are critical for activating new users and improving user retention.

A simple personalized notification sent soon after the app install can guide new users toward the activation action. If it’s the first order, nothing beats a good old welcome offer:

Step-by-step onboarding flows

Automated onboarding flows go beyond a one-time welcome message — they guide users further, helping them finish registration, explore key features, and encourage long-term usage.

📌Example: AvaTrade achieved a 12% conversion rate into registered accounts with an automated onboarding campaign highlighting product benefits and offering welcome bonuses.

Automated workflow made with Pushwoosh Customer Journey Builder

To prove the effectiveness of our automated messaging, we track all key metrics related to user activation — DAU, returning users, and conversions. We also monitor CTR to evaluate both the effectiveness of our messaging and the performance of creative content.

Kumaresan Thangadurai

Digital Marketing Lead at Kynhood

Re-engagement campaigns

Even the best mobile apps face churn. Automated win-back campaigns help bring users back when activity drops off. These campaigns are triggered by churn-risk signals, ensuring you target the right people with the right message.

📌Example: Beach Bum tripled its engaged audience with automated push notifications featuring emojis, custom sounds, and playful perks.

Target audience: “At-risk” users
Content:

At KYN (a neighbourhood discovery and connectivity app), we use automated push notifications to keep users coming back rather than using the app just once. We segment users across multiple funnels and cautiously consider the reasons why they might drop off — price, location, or even the complexity of an event suggested in the app. To address these differences, we run A/B tests with different types of messages and act based on interaction patterns. For example, if cost is the main factor, users tend to engage more with offer-related push notifications.

Kumaresan Thangadurai

Digital Marketing Lead at Kynhood

Feedback requests

Asking for feedback is a smart way to re-engage app users while gathering valuable insights. Automated surveys sent at the right moment demonstrate your care for user experience and help improve ratings.

📌Example: Bladestorm asks for reviews after positive actions like cash withdrawals. Result: 10% of invited users participated in polls, driving both engagement and app store ratings.

Campaign made with Pushwoosh Customer Journey Builder

Transactional & service notifications to improve customer experience

Transactional and service-related push notifications — like ride updates, order confirmations, or billing reminders — are an integral part of many mobile apps. By automating them with a reliable platform, you ensure uninterrupted value delivery, engage customers, build loyalty, and improve customer satisfaction.

Ride/trip status updates

Mobility apps can send automated push notifications with real-time updates on trip progress, ride status, or service-related issues. These timely notifications reduce uncertainty and enhance trust.

📌Example: Ryde sends automated trip and scooter alerts, helping them become a Top 5 travel app in their region:

Order confirmations & delivery alerts

From retail to food delivery, order and delivery confirmations reassure users and keep them updated in real time. Automating these time-sensitive notifications improves transparency and customer satisfaction.

Subscription renewals or payment reminders

Automated billing reminders prevent failed payments, boost retention, and sustain revenue for subscription-based apps.

Real-time information & content alerts to become the go-to source of news

In industries where speed matters, real-time push notifications keep your mobile app top of mind.

Sports updates

Sports fans expect live coverage. Automated push notifications deliver updates the moment they happen, driving engagement during games and improving click-through rates.

📌Example: SPORT1 and FIBA send real-time, event-triggered sports updates faster than competitors:

Breaking news

Media apps can become indispensable by pushing breaking stories directly to users’ lock screens. Fail-proof automation ensures you’re always first.

📌 Example: Real-time automation helps GB News deliver updates faster than competitors and automatically trigger push notifications inviting viewers to join broadcasts:

Stock/market updates

Finance apps can increase engagement and retention by sending real-time trading or market alerts tailored to each user’s needs and behaviors.

Automated pushes can be triggered by API events, like trading signals, that keep users informed and encourage immediate action:

How to automate push notifications with Pushwoosh

Automated push notifications are essential for modern app marketing — they save time, scale efficiently, and drive measurable growth.

With Pushwoosh, a leading customer engagement platform, you can set up automated workflows in minutes through the marketer-friendly interface, without requiring technical expertise, or build advanced scenarios by integrating your backend with the API.