Black Friday falls on Friday, November 27, 2026, and Cyber Monday on Monday, November 30. Here are 36 items to check off your list, broken down into five steps from two months before the event through the weeks afterward.
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Five Steps
From September through December
This checklist is based on what the Rules Customer Success team observes among customers leading up to each Black Week. The strategy behind these points is outlined in our Black Friday guide.
- 1Two months beforeSeptember8 points
- 2One month beforeOctober9 points
- 3The week beforeNovember 16–229 items
- 4Black Friday and Cyber MondayNovember 27 and 305 points
- 5After the CampaignDecember5 points
September
Step 1: Two months before
In September, you'll lay the groundwork: what the campaign is intended to achieve, what you'll offer, and what data you have to work with.
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Black Week involves the marketing, warehousing, customer service, and IT departments. Having one person coordinate the plan ensures that nothing falls through the cracks.
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Focus on profitability, not just volume: average order value, new customers, repeat customers, and new subscribers.
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Which mailings, segments, and products performed well, on which day did you sell the most, and when did the order volume reach inventory levels?
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Which products, for which target groups, and in what form: discounts, bundle deals, free shipping, or priority access for club members.
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Talk to suppliers and logistics partners well in advance, order packaging materials with a buffer, and plan for the volumes you can deliver.
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Click prices rise when everyone is advertising at the same time, so expect a higher cost per click than in a typical week.
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E-commerce, booking systems, and CRM should be integrated with Rule so that purchase and behavioral data flows in automatically.
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Decide how to treat existing and loyal customers—for example, by giving them early access to the sale or an extra discount at the end.
October
Step 2: One month before
October is the most important month. Anything that isn't in place by now rarely has time to be corrected once Black Week has begun.
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Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook require them from anyone who sends more than 5,000 emails per day.
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This is a requirement from Gmail and Yahoo, and the cancellation must be processed within two days.
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Remove bounce addresses and send a reactivation campaign to inactive recipients. Send only to those who have given their consent.
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Collect contact information via forms and Facebook Lead Ads, and ask for consent to receive both emails and SMS messages. Offering early access to the sale in exchange for subscribing to the newsletter works well.
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The discount must be calculated based on the lowest price over the past 30 days, in accordance with the Price Information Act.
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Will the campaign start at midnight or in the morning? The same times should apply in the online store, in the ads, and in all mailings.
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Welcome flow, abandoned cart, product reminders, order confirmations, and shipping notifications.
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Product recommendations based on past purchases, and variations that provide different content to different recipients in the same mailing.
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Keep it live year-round at the same URL, so it has time to be indexed and drive traffic to every Black Week.
November 16–22
Step 3: The week before Black Week
The week leading up to the event is all about planning, testing, and building anticipation, so you can focus on your customers when it all kicks off.
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A complete day-by-day schedule, including channels and receivers, is available in the guide.
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Test a small portion of the list early in the week and use the winner in your major mailings.
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In the email and on the website, to set a clear deadline. The countdown should end when the offer expires.
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Give loyal customers and VIPs access to the offers before anyone else.
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Go through the entire process—from the email to checkout—on a regular phone, and make sure the pages load quickly.
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Show payment methods, delivery times, and the last day to order before Christmas. Consider extending the return window until after Christmas.
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Update the FAQ, chat, and response templates regarding deliveries, returns, and returns policy, and plan staffing.
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Pause any codes that might conflict with the campaign, and make sure the campaign prices appear on Google Shopping and price comparison sites at the right time.
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Decide what to display when a best-selling item is out of stock: alternatives, a notification, or a backorder option.
November 27 and 30
Step 4: Black Friday and Cyber Monday
On big days, it’s all about pace and relevance. Let the schedule and automations do the work, and spend your time on follow-ups.
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Since iOS 27, RCS has also been available on iPhones in Sweden, so images and buttons reach both Android and iPhone users.
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Keep track of opens, clicks, conversions, and revenue, and tailor your next email campaign based on what works.
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Send a thank-you note and, if possible, a follow-up offer instead of a reminder.
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To those who clicked but didn't make a purchase. Two to three SMS messages throughout the week are enough.
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A new offer or a new angle will get customers to open up again.
December
Step 5: After the campaign
It is after Black Week that the campaign pays off in the long run, when new customers become repeat customers.
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With a welcome message that tells people who you are—not just a receipt.
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Gift ideas, the last day to order for delivery before Christmas, and information about returns.
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About a week after the delivery, take care of new club members so they stick around.
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Many Black Week purchases are returned after Christmas. Set aside capacity in January and offer exchanges instead of refunds.
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Compare revenue, new customers, average order value, and cancellations by channel, and write down what you’ve learned.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Black Friday Checklist
When should I start working on my Black Friday checklist?
In September. Goals, offers, and integrations need to be finalized two months in advance, and deliverability, pricing, and automations in October.
What's most important if I'm short on time?
Deliverability (SPF, DKIM, and DMARC), ensuring that promotional prices comply with the 30-day rule, and verifying that the abandoned cart automation is working properly.
Does the checklist also apply to Cyber Monday?
Yes. Cyber Monday is Monday, November 30, 2026, and the same preparations apply. Feel free to plan your own Cyber Monday promotion.
Do I need both email and SMS?
Email is used for promotional offers, while SMS or RCS is used for time-sensitive reminders. This combination reaches the most customers, but SMS requires separate consent.
Does the checklist work for industries other than e-commerce?
Yes. The media, the travel industry, and nonprofit organizations can follow the same steps. For nonprofits, Giving Tuesday on December 1 is just as important as Black Friday.
Ready to check things off your list?
Rule is a Swedish platform for data-driven, automated customer communication via email, SMS, and RCS. With automation, segmentation, and scheduling all in one place, it’s easier to check most items off your list.
Already a customer? Schedule a Black Friday overview with Customer Success.
