Automated email reminders in Bubble use scheduled backend workflows that search for records matching time-based conditions and send emails to relevant users. You create a recurring daily workflow that checks for upcoming events, overdue tasks, or expiring subscriptions, then sends personalized emails. This tutorial covers scheduled workflows, date-based triggers, recurring digests, and dynamic email content from your database.
Overview: Automated Email Reminders in Bubble
This tutorial shows you how to build automated email reminder systems in Bubble. You will create backend workflows that run on a schedule, search your database for records matching time-based conditions, and send personalized reminder emails to users. The guide covers one-time reminders, recurring digests, and best practices for reliable email delivery.
Prerequisites
- A Bubble app on a paid plan (Growth or higher for backend workflows)
- Email configured in Settings (Bubble's built-in email or a third-party service like SendGrid)
- A Data Type with date fields that trigger reminders (e.g., event date, due date, expiry date)
- Backend workflows enabled in Settings → API
Step-by-step guide
Enable backend workflows and create the reminder workflow
Enable backend workflows and create the reminder workflow
Go to Settings → API and ensure 'Enable Workflow API' is checked. Navigate to the backend workflows editor (Pages dropdown → Backend workflows). Create a new API workflow called 'send_daily_reminders'. This workflow will run once per day and process all users who need reminders. Do not check 'Expose as public API workflow' since this is internally scheduled.
Expected result: A backend workflow exists that can process reminder logic server-side without any user interaction.
Search for records that need reminders
Search for records that need reminders
Inside the 'send_daily_reminders' workflow, add a 'Do a search for' step to find records needing reminders. For example, to remind users about appointments tomorrow: search for Appointments where date is within the range of 'Current date/time plus 24 hours' to 'Current date/time plus 48 hours' and reminder_sent is no. Store the search result for the next step. This approach finds all appointments happening tomorrow that have not yet received a reminder.
Pro tip: Add a 'reminder_sent' (yes/no) field to your Data Type to prevent sending duplicate reminders for the same record.
Expected result: The workflow identifies all records that match the reminder criteria and have not yet been reminded.
Send personalized reminder emails
Send personalized reminder emails
After the search, use a 'Schedule API workflow on a list' action to process each matching record individually. Create a second backend workflow called 'send_single_reminder' that takes a record ID as a parameter. In this workflow, send an email using the 'Send email' action. Set the To field to the record's user's email. Build the subject and body with dynamic data: 'Reminder: Your appointment [appointment name] is tomorrow at [appointment time]'. After sending, mark the record's reminder_sent field as yes.
Expected result: Each user receives a personalized email reminder with specific details from their database record.
Schedule the reminder workflow to run daily
Schedule the reminder workflow to run daily
To make the workflow run automatically every day, you have two options. Option A: Create a 'Do every' page-level event on an admin page that schedules the backend workflow — but this only runs when the admin page is open. Option B (recommended): Use a recursive backend workflow. In 'send_daily_reminders', after processing reminders, add a final step: 'Schedule API workflow' → schedule 'send_daily_reminders' to run again in 24 hours. Kick off the first run manually or from an admin page, and it will repeat itself daily forever.
Pro tip: Schedule the daily run for early morning (e.g., 6 AM in your target timezone) so reminders arrive at the start of the day. Use a fixed time calculation to avoid drift.
Expected result: The reminder workflow runs automatically every 24 hours, processing all pending reminders without manual intervention.
Add a weekly digest email option
Add a weekly digest email option
Create a separate backend workflow called 'send_weekly_digest'. Search for all relevant records for the coming week (next 7 days). For each user, compile a summary of their upcoming items. Send one digest email per user that lists all their upcoming appointments, tasks, or events for the week. Schedule this workflow to run every 7 days using the same recursive scheduling pattern. Add a 'digest_preference' field to the User type so users can opt in or out.
Expected result: Users who opted in receive a weekly summary email listing all their upcoming items for the next 7 days.
Monitor and troubleshoot email delivery
Monitor and troubleshoot email delivery
Check the Logs tab in your Bubble editor to verify that scheduled workflows are running and emails are being sent. Look for any errors in the workflow execution. If emails are not being delivered, check Settings → Email to ensure your email sender is properly configured. For production apps, consider using a third-party email service like SendGrid or Mailgun via the API Connector for better deliverability, analytics, and higher sending limits.
Expected result: You can verify that reminder emails are being sent successfully and troubleshoot any delivery issues.
Complete working example
1EMAIL REMINDERS — WORKFLOW SUMMARY2=====================================34BACKEND WORKFLOW: send_daily_reminders5 Step 1: Search records needing reminders6 Appointments where:7 date > now + 24h AND date < now + 48h8 reminder_sent = no9 Step 2: Schedule API workflow on list10 → send_single_reminder for each result11 Step 3: Schedule self to run again in 24 hours12 (recursive daily scheduling)1314BACKEND WORKFLOW: send_single_reminder15 Parameter: appointment_id (text)16 Step 1: Find Appointment by unique_id17 Step 2: Send email18 To: Appointment's user's email19 Subject: 'Reminder: [name] tomorrow at [time]'20 Body: Dynamic content from record21 Step 3: Make changes to Appointment22 reminder_sent = yes2324BACKEND WORKFLOW: send_weekly_digest25 Step 1: Search Users where digest_preference = yes26 Step 2: For each user, search their items (next 7 days)27 Step 3: Send digest email with item summary28 Step 4: Schedule self in 7 days2930MONITORING:31 Logs tab → verify workflow execution32 Settings → Email → check sender config33 Optional: SendGrid/Mailgun for productionCommon mistakes when automating Email Reminders in Bubble
Why it's a problem: Not adding a 'reminder_sent' flag to prevent duplicate emails
How to avoid: Add a 'reminder_sent' yes/no field and set it to yes after sending, then filter for reminder_sent = no in searches
Why it's a problem: Using a frontend 'Do every' event instead of recursive backend scheduling
How to avoid: Use recursive backend workflow scheduling so reminders run automatically regardless of who is using the app
Why it's a problem: Not handling timezone differences in date comparisons
How to avoid: Store the user's timezone and adjust the date range calculation accordingly, or send reminders with enough buffer
Best practices
- Always mark records after sending reminders to prevent duplicates
- Use recursive backend workflow scheduling for reliable daily/weekly execution
- Process reminders individually (schedule on a list) rather than in one bulk workflow for error isolation
- Include an unsubscribe option in every reminder email to comply with email regulations
- Use a third-party email service (SendGrid, Mailgun) for production apps for better deliverability
- Schedule reminders for early morning in the target timezone
- Log reminder sends in a separate Data Type for debugging and analytics
Still stuck?
Copy one of these prompts to get a personalized, step-by-step explanation.
I have a Bubble.io appointment booking app and want to send automated email reminders 24 hours before each appointment. I also want a weekly digest of upcoming appointments. How do I set up the backend workflows?
Create an automated email reminder system. Set up a daily backend workflow that finds all Appointments happening tomorrow and sends a reminder email to the user. Add a weekly digest email for users who opt in. Schedule everything to run automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Bubble's built-in email for reminders?
Yes, for low volumes. Bubble's built-in email works for sending reminders. For production apps with many users, use SendGrid or Mailgun via the API Connector for better deliverability.
How many emails can I send per day from Bubble?
Bubble's built-in email has limits that vary by plan. For higher volumes, integrate a third-party service — SendGrid's free tier allows 100 emails per day.
Can I let users choose their reminder timing?
Yes. Add a 'reminder_hours_before' field on the User type or the specific record. Use this value in your date search calculation instead of a fixed 24-hour window.
What happens if the recursive scheduling fails one day?
If a scheduled workflow fails, it does not reschedule itself. Monitor the Logs tab and set up a backup: an admin page with a 'Restart reminders' button that re-initiates the scheduling chain.
Can RapidDev help build automated notification systems in Bubble?
Yes. RapidDev can build complete notification systems including email reminders, SMS alerts, push notifications, and in-app notifications with proper scheduling in Bubble.
Can I include HTML formatting in reminder emails?
Yes. Bubble's Send Email action supports HTML in the body. You can create formatted emails with headers, colors, buttons, and dynamic data for professional-looking reminders.
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