Mailchimp Classic Automation Is Gone. What Now?

If you’re reading this, you’ve likely already noticed a major shift in your Mailchimp account: as of June 1, 2025, the Classic Automation Builder in Mailchimp is officially gone. 

This Mailchimp automation update marks a significant change for small businesses, creators, and marketers who relied heavily on automated email sequences. Mailchimp’s Classic Automation was a staple for nurturing leads, welcoming new subscribers, and keeping customers engaged. Now, its retirement has left many wondering how to adapt to the new changes. 

Are you one of them? No worries! At Mavlers, where we specialize in over 50 ESPs, we’ve conducted numerous free audits for brands who need quick help, especially in the wake of CRM shifts or platform overhauls like the Mailchimp Classic Automation retiring.

In today’s post, we’ll break down what’s changed, what it means for your campaigns, and what you should be doing to adapt and thrive in Mailchimp’s new automation landscape. Let’s get started. 

A quick recap: What was Classic Automation?
Who’s most affected?
What are your options now?
How to move forward?
What’s new in Customer Journeys?
Wrapping Up

A quick recap: What was Classic Automation?

Mailchimp’s Classic Automation Builder was a tool that let you set up automated emails triggered by subscriber actions, specific dates, or other events. It was beloved for its simplicity and reliability, powering everything from welcome emails to birthday greetings to abandoned cart reminders.

But, as email marketing evolved, so did the need for more advanced, sophisticated automation. 

Enter Mailchimp’s Customer Journeys, a more advanced system designed to handle complex workflows, conditional logic, and multi-step sequences. So, with Customer Journeys gaining traction, Mailchimp Classic Automation is now a thing of the past. 

Who’s most affected? 

Mailchimp’s automation changes in 2025 affect nearly all user tiers:

• Free plan users: You’ve lost the ability to run automated campaigns (except for the basic Final Welcome Email).
  
• Paid plan users: You must rebuild your automations using Customer Journeys. While you have access to more advanced features, the transition may have disrupted your workflows if you didn’t migrate in time.
  
• Legacy accounts: Even if you had a free legacy account with extra features, automation is restricted.

If your Classic Automations were actively sending before June 1, 2025, they have now stopped. New contacts will not enter these workflows, and contacts already in a queue will not complete the workflow.

What are your options now?

1. Upgrade to a Paid Mailchimp Plan

If automation is essential to your marketing, upgrading is the best, quickest way to restore and even improve your workflows. Paid plans start at around $13.37/month for 500 subscribers (as of June 2025), but prices increase with your list size.

2. Rebuild your automations in Customer Journeys

If you’re already on a paid plan (or just upgraded), your next step is to migrate Mailchimp automation into Customer Journeys.

3. Consider other ESPs

If Mailchimp’s new pricing or features don’t fit your needs, this may be the convenient time to shop around. 

In fact, many users have chosen to switch from Classic Automation in Mailchimp to more customizable ESPs.

But for you to take any such step, consider a few things:

• If cost is a major concern and you have a small to mid-sized list, alternatives like MailerLite or Moosend can be significantly cheaper than Mailchimp for similar features.
  
• Upgrading Mailchimp is the fastest and least disruptive. Migrating to a new ESP is more time-intensive, but can be a one-time investment if you gain long-term benefits.
  
• Newer users can switch ESPs with less friction. Older users may prefer upgrading Mailchimp unless the cost or feature gap is significant.
  
• If you need advanced automation or want to future-proof your marketing stack, switching may be better. 

Mailchimp still serves a wide range of businesses and industries, but its strategic direction, product development, and integrations strongly indicate a much more ambitious and dedicated push into the e-commerce market. It’s no longer just an email tool that happens to work with e-commerce; it’s positioning itself as a core marketing engine for online stores. 

We sat with our Senior Campaign Manager, Shruti Karpe, to discuss Mailchimp’s update. Here’s how it unfolded:

Susmit: Mailchimp has retired Classic Automation. Are existing users’ automations simply stopped or removed from the platform?

Shruti: No, existing automations won’t be simply deleted. Instead, they will be archived and accessible for viewing reports. However, they will no longer be editable or reusable. 

Susmit: How do you think users should navigate the transition? And is it really a big shift?

Shruti:  Yes, it’s a shift, but not overwhelming. Classic was linear and basic; the new Customer Journey Builder is more visual and flexible. Core automation features (like triggers, delays, and emails) still exist—just in a more dynamic format. The new Customer Journey Builder is a visual and flexible tool that lets you create smarter automations using branches, delays, goals, tags, and user behavior triggers.

While the discontinuation of Classic Automations may feel like a big change, it’s ultimately a step forward. The Customer Journey Builder gives you more tools to engage with your audience meaningfully and efficiently. By embracing the new system, you’ll be better equipped to run personalized, high-performing email campaigns.

Susmit: Is it better to upgrade to Mailchimp Paid or migrate to another ESP? 

Shruti: It depends on your needs. Mailchimp has decided to remove the automations from the free plan.

But its interface remains very user-friendly. Their customer support is excellent, and they regularly offer free webinars on various features. Plus, they keep users informed about upcoming changes through email updates.

Susmit: Finally, do users need to manually recreate the existing automations on Customer Journey?

Shruti: No. You can seamlessly migrate classic automations to the new customer journey builder. Simply navigate to Classic Automation, select the desired automation, click the three-dot menu, and choose the option to switch to the new builder.

How to move forward?

Step 1: Audit your existing automations

List every automation you previously ran on Classic Automation. Note the timing, triggers, and content for each. 

Step 2: Re-evaluate your ESP options

Upgrade if needed, then rebuild automations in Customer Journeys.

Or, pick a new platform, export your lists, and set up new workflows. 

Step 3: Rebuild and test

Recreate each workflow in your chosen system. Test every trigger and message to ensure smooth operation. 

Use this opportunity to improve your sequences. 

Step 4: Monitor performance 

Track open rates, click rates, and other relevant KPIs on your new automations. Adjust as needed to optimize results. 

What’s new in Customer Journeys?

If you’re sticking with Mailchimp, here’s what’s new:

• Conditional branching: You can send different emails based on subscriber actions or attributes.
  
• Multiple entry/exit points: Add or remove subscribers from journeys based on behavior.
  
• Advanced scheduling: Set delays, wait for specific dates, or trigger based on custom events.
  
• Integration: Connect with e-commerce platforms, CRMs for more dynamic workflows. 

The road ahead

The retirement of Mailchimp Classic Automation Builder is a big shift, but it’s also an opportunity. Whether you upgrade to Customer Journeys or explore new platforms, now is the time to rethink your email marketing strategy, modernize your workflows, and ensure you’re getting the best value for your business.

If you need help figuring out how to update Mailchimp automation, get in touch for a FREE audit, and let’s plan your next steps.