A rule reacts automatically when something happens on a subscription — a renewal, a failed payment, a cancellation and more.
WHEN this happens → THEN do this.
- Push to autoresponder — add the customer to a list or tag in your email service
- Send a webhook — send the event data to your CRM, Zapier, Make or Slack
✅ Why use rules?A one-time purchase has one moment: “bought.” A subscription has many — renewed, failed, cancelled, paused and more. Rules let you save sales, recover failed payments and keep records right, automatically.
New to rules? Start with the general Set Product Rules article — this one uses the same screen.
Create a Rule in 5 Steps
1 Open Set Rules
- Product settings → Set Rules (left menu)
- Click the green Set Product Rules button (top right)
2 Meet the rule window
- The Create automation rule window opens
- WHEN = the trigger · THEN = the action
3 Choose the trigger (WHEN)
- Click the first dropdown under WHEN
- Pick from the Subscription group (the list also has Product and Manual member)
| Trigger | Fires when… |
|---|---|
| subscription is renewed | A payment succeeds and the next cycle starts |
| subscription payment fails | A recurring charge is declined |
| subscription is cancelled | The customer or you cancel it |
| subscription is paused | It is put on hold, not cancelled |
| subscription is resumed | A paused subscription starts again |
| subscription expires or completes | It reaches its natural end (for example, a fixed plan finishes) |
| subscription is refunded | A subscription payment is refunded |
| card is about to expire | The card on file is nearing expiry — an early warning |
| free trial converts to paid | A trial ends and becomes a paid subscription |
| free trial is ending | A trial is about to end — a heads-up |
The list also has product is purchased and the cart is abandoned (Product), and Manual member access is given (Manual member). You build those rules the same way.
Pricing option
- Second dropdown: for all pricing options or for a specific pricing option
- Handy for tiers, like Monthly vs. Annual
4 Choose the action (THEN)
- Pick one card: Push to autoresponder or Send a webhook
Option A: Push to autoresponder
- Autoresponder — pick your connected email platform
- Action — add them to
- This list — the list to add them to
- Autoresponder Tags — optional; at least 3 characters
⚠️Connect the autoresponder first in Settings → Integrations, and make sure the list already exists in your autoresponder.
Option B: Send a webhook
- Tick the events that should send data to your URL
- Webhook Name — your own label (for example, “CRM sync”)
- Webhook URL — where the data goes (Zapier catch hook, Make webhook or your server)
- Open Sample subscription event payload to see the JSON that is sent
⚠️All events are ticked by default, including product is purchased. For a subscription-only webhook, untick it — or your URL also gets the first sale.
Each event is sent with a name in the type field:
| Event | Sent as type |
|---|---|
| product is purchased | purchased |
| is renewed | subscription.renewed |
| payment fails | subscription.payment_failed |
| is cancelled | subscription.cancelled |
| is paused | subscription.paused |
| is resumed | subscription.resumed |
| expires or completes | subscription.expired |
| is refunded | subscription.refunded |
| card is about to expire | subscription.card_expiring |
| free trial converts to paid | subscription.trial_converted |
| free trial is ending | subscription.trial_ending |
?One URL for all events: tick several events — your endpoint reads
A different URL per event: make one rule per event, each with a single box ticked and its own URL.
Webhook and autoresponder together: each rule has one action, so make two rules with the same WHEN.
type to tell them apart.A different URL per event: make one rule per event, each with a single box ticked and its own URL.
Webhook and autoresponder together: each rule has one action, so make two rules with the same WHEN.
5 Save the rule
- Click Save rule (bottom right)
- The rule is live and fires the next time that event happens
Rule Ideas
| Goal | WHEN | THEN |
|---|---|---|
| Win back failed payments | subscription payment fails | Autoresponder: tag “Payment-Failed” → send “update your card” emails |
| Clean up your list on cancel | subscription is cancelled | Autoresponder: move to “Cancelled” list, tag “Churned” |
| Celebrate trial conversions | free trial converts to paid | Autoresponder: move “Trial” → “Paid Customers”, tag “Converted” |
| Remind trial users | free trial is ending | Autoresponder: tag “Trial-Ending” → send a reminder |
| Stop expiring-card churn | card is about to expire | Autoresponder: tag “Card-Expiring-Soon” → send “update your card” email |
| Sync everything to your CRM | all subscription events | Webhook to your CRM, Zapier or Make |
| Alert your team on cancel | subscription is cancelled (only) | Webhook to a Slack or Zapier URL |
Quick Fixes
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| My “cancelled” rule didn’t fire | Pick exactly subscription is cancelled (not “expires or completes”) · click Save rule · check the autoresponder or webhook URL is filled in |
| My webhook gets events I don’t want | All boxes are ticked by default. Untick the ones you don’t want and save again |
| I want different URLs per event | Make one rule per event, each with a single box ticked and its own URL |
| My tag didn’t apply | Tags need at least 3 characters · check the tag exists (or can be created) in your autoresponder |
| What is the “type” field? | It names the event that happened, like subscription.payment_failed. Open the Sample subscription event payload to see the full JSON |
| Webhook AND autoresponder on one trigger | One action per rule — make two rules with the same WHEN |
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