Most product launch plan templates hand you a task list and wish you luck. This one doesn’t stop there. You also get the funnel your buyers will see and the emails that move them to the order form.
Think of it as the 3-Part Launch Kit:
1. The plan: a free launch workbook with your launch calendar, timeline, channel checklist, launch-day runbook, metrics, and email templates.
2. The funnel: an 8-page launch funnel that takes people from sign-up to a free lesson series to your order form.
3. The emails: 12 copy-ready launch emails that follow the funnel, one step at a time.
It’s made for creators, course sellers, and online stores with something new to sell. Small team? No team at all? You’re exactly who this is for.
One honest note before you start. If your launch has a lot of departments, you’ll still want a project tool for the inside work: tasks, approvals, and handoffs. This kit covers the other side, the part your buyer actually sees. That’s everything they see and read, from the first sign-up page to the last “cart closes tonight” email.
Download the Product Launch Plan Template
The workbook is free, and there’s no form to fill out. Click here to make your own free copy in Google Sheets. Prefer Excel? Open the view-only version, then go to File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). Inside, you’ll find six tabs, and each one has a specific job.
Tab 1: Start Here
This is where your launch starts. You’ll type in your product name, price, order bump price (if you have one), revenue goal, and the date and time your cart closes. You only fill in the yellow cells. The workbook does the math for everything else.
The template recommends closing on a Friday or Sunday night. Sunday works best, so buyers get the weekend to talk it over with family. Pick your close date, and it works out when your first video should go live. Then it builds your launch calendar from there.
| Milestone | Friday-night close | Sunday-night close |
|---|---|---|
| Video 1: your story and the opportunity | Day 0 | Day 0 |
| Video 2: the inside doubt (“Can I do this?”) | Day 2 | Day 2 |
| Video 3: outside doubts and your method | Day 4 | Day 6 |
| Video 4: the offer (cart opens) | Day 7 | Day 8 |
| Live re-pitch webinar (optional) | Day 8 | Day 9 |
| Cart closes (night) | Day 11 | Day 12 |
Day 0 is the day Video 1 goes live. Change the close date, and every date in the workbook moves with it.
Tab 2: Timeline
This is the heart of the plan. You get about seven weeks of prep, a two-week launch, and a short wrap-up. The tasks fall into six phases: Plan, Build, Test, Registration, Launch, and Post-launch.
Each row is one task, with a day, a date, an owner, a status (Not started, In progress, Done, or Blocked), and notes. The Day column counts from Video 1, so Day -7 means one week before it goes live.
You won’t start from a blank page. It comes filled in with a worked example for a solo creator or small team, with tasks split between you, an assistant, and a designer. Change, delete, or add rows until it fits your launch.
Tab 3: Channel Checklist
This tab lists everything you’ll send or post, by channel: email, social media, your community group, partners, paid ads, page updates, and optional text messages. Each item has an owner, a go-live date, and two boxes: “Ready?” and “Live?”
It’s how you catch the post you forgot to schedule, before it’s too late. It also reminds you to switch the order page to a “doors closed” page once the cart closes.
Tab 4: Launch-Day Runbook
Your two biggest days are the day the cart opens and the day it closes. The runbook gives you an hour-by-hour plan for both, so you’re not making it up as you go. Each step has a time, an owner, and a “Done?” box.
On cart-open day, you start at 6:00 a.m. with a final check and a test purchase (refund it right after). The cart-open email goes out at 8:00 a.m. On cart-close day, it lines up your closing emails, ending with a last-chance email about an hour before the cart closes.
Tab 5: Metrics
This tab helps you set targets before the launch and see how you’re doing during it. Enter your revenue goal and price on Start Here. It works backward to show the orders, registrations, and opt-in page visitors you’ll need.
It starts with example rates from public benchmark reports, and each source is listed on the tab. Treat them as a starting point for planning, not a forecast. Swap in your own numbers as soon as you have them. During the launch, log what actually happens: registrations, video views, email opens and clicks, orders, order bumps, revenue, and refunds.
Tab 6: Email Templates
This tab has the full 12-email launch sequence, plus 2 optional emails for after the cart closes. It starts with an invite, a welcome email, and a reminder the day before Video 1. Then comes one email for each video, and the last one opens the cart. After that come a customer story, an answer to the top objection, a 24-hours-left reminder, and two close-day emails. Each one has a send date, who gets it, a subject line, preview text, and a body, with brackets to fill in.
The Product Launch Template Timeline, Walked Through
Most launch plans assume you’re a big company with a team for every task. This product launch template assumes you’ve got one to three people. Here’s how the workbook’s timeline plays out, phase by phase. The days count from Video 1 (Day 0).
| Phase | Days | Main tasks |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Day -49 to -37 | Define the offer, pick the close date, outline the 4 videos, set the revenue goal, choose channels, write your guarantee, and set up support |
| Build | Day -35 to -12 | Set up the funnel, record the videos, build the order form, write the emails, set up automations and buyer access, add tracking and legal links, build the doors-closed page, and invite partners |
| Test | Day -14 to -10 | Test the whole funnel with a test purchase (refund it right after), check pages on a phone, schedule posts and ads, turn off test mode |
| Registration | Day -7 to -1 | Open registration, send reminders, share a sneak peek of Video 1 |
| Launch | Day 0 to cart close | Release Videos 1 to 4, open the cart, run the optional webinar, send the closing emails |
| Post-launch | Up to 8 days after close | Welcome buyers, thank non-buyers, log final numbers, hold a launch review |
Plan: About 7 Weeks Before Video 1
Start with your offer: the product, the price, and the bonuses. Here’s a handy rule from the template: give one bonus for each doubt buyers have. Then pick your cart-close date on Start Here, and the rest of the calendar fills in.
Next, outline the four videos. Video 1 tells your story and shows the opportunity. Video 2 answers the inside doubt: “Can I do this?” Video 3 handles the outside doubts that seem to stand in the way. It also shows your method. Video 4 makes the offer.
Then set your revenue goal and use the Metrics tab to see how many registrations you need. Write your guarantee and refund policy in plain language, set up a support inbox, and pick your traffic channels and partners.
Build: About 5 Weeks Before
Set up the launch funnel: opt-in, thank-you, the four video pages, the order form, and the confirmation page. Write the opt-in page with a curiosity headline, three short reasons to sign up, and one button. Tease the series, but don’t give away the answers.
Record the videos and make a one-page worksheet for Videos 1 to 3. Build the order form with the offer stack, price, order bump, and countdown. Make sure the checkout price matches the price in the stack.
Then write your emails and set up the automations that send them. Set up buyer access to the product. Add tracking and legal links, build the doors-closed page you’ll swap in at close, and invite partners with your dates and swipe copy.
Test: 2 Weeks Before
Go through the whole funnel in a private browser window, just like a buyer would. Opt in, click through the pages, and make a test purchase (refund it right after). Check every page on a phone. Then schedule your social posts and ads, and turn off test mode on the checkout.
Registration: The Week Before Video 1
Open registration a week before Video 1. Send your invite email and announce it on social media. Over the next few days, send a reminder, have partners mail their lists, and share a short sneak peek of Video 1. Then, the day before, let everyone know it goes live tomorrow.
Launch: Video 1 to Cart Close
Don’t drop all the videos at once. Release them two to four days apart. That gap gives people time to watch and comment. Video 4 makes the offer and opens the cart.
Once the cart is open, send a customer story, answer the top objection, and send a 24-hours-left reminder. You can also run an optional live webinar, about 90 minutes long, that recaps the four videos for people who missed some.
On the last day, send the closing email plus two or three short reminders. Time the last one for about an hour before the cart closes. Launch expert Jeff Walker says the last day of open cart is the day you’ll probably make most of your sales.
Post-Launch: The Week After
Welcome your buyers, and make sure everyone can get into what they bought. Thank the people who didn’t buy and move them back to your regular emails. Then enter your final numbers on the Metrics tab. Finish with a short launch review: what to keep, what to cut, and what to test next time.
The Product Launch Funnel Structure, Page by Page
This funnel follows an idea from Jeff Walker. He calls it the “sideways sales letter.” Instead of one long sales page, you spread the pitch across several days of free content. The offer comes at the end, after people have already learned something from you.
The funnel has 8 pages in three phases:
1. Sign up: the optin page and the thank-you page.
2. Learn: four lesson pages, released two to four days apart.
3. Buy: the order form and the order confirmation page.
You won’t find separate “cart open” or “cart closed” pages. The cart opens when Lesson 4 goes live. It closes when the countdown on the order form runs out. Until then, your emails keep nudging the people who haven’t bought. After the cart closes, you can swap the order page for a “doors closed” page with a waitlist sign-up.
To compare this funnel with other types, browse our sales funnel templates.
Page 1: The Optin Page
This is where people sign up for your free video series. Keep it tight: a curiosity headline, three short reasons to sign up, and one button. Hint at what the series covers without giving away the answers.
For more ideas on this page, see our guide to building a landing page for a product launch.
Page 2: The Thank-You Page
The thank-you page tells people they’re in. It also tells them when Video 1 goes live and what they’ll learn. Put the video dates right on the page so people can save them. Our thank-you page examples show more ways to use this page.
Pages 3 to 6: The Four Lessons
All four lesson pages use the same layout. Each one has a curiosity-driven headline, the lesson video, and a worksheet to download. Each also has a comments area for social proof and a progress marker like “Video 1 of 4” so people know more is coming.
In the template, Lesson 1 is built once and copied for the other three. So you only swap the headline, the video, and the unlock status.
Each lesson has its own job:
- Lesson 1, the opportunity: your origin story, why this exists, and what’s possible.
- Lesson 2, the inside doubt: an answer to “Can I actually do this?”
- Lesson 3, the outside doubts: the time, money, or other things people think are holding them back, plus your method for getting past them.
- Lesson 4, the offer: show the full value, make the pitch, and send people to the order form. The worksheet button becomes a buy button here.
Everything before Lesson 4 is free. That’s the whole point of the sideways sales letter. By the time you make the offer, people have had three lessons to decide if they trust you.
Page 7: The Order Form
This is a standard checkout page with contact, product, and payment fields. Next to the form, show the offer stack, so buyers can see what’s included and what each part is worth. Make sure the checkout price matches the price in the stack.
You can also add an order bump, a small add-on buyers can tick before they pay. The workbook has a line for its price, so your revenue targets include it.
This is also where your deadline lives. Add a countdown and a short line that says when the cart closes. A real deadline gives people a reason to decide now, as our guide to urgency and scarcity in sales funnels explains.
Page 8: The Order Confirmation
The confirmation page says thank you, shows the order details, and tells buyers how to get support. Later on, it’s also a natural place to ask happy buyers for a review.
The optin, lesson, and order pages in this section come from a free ClickFunnels template you can set up for your own launch.
Get the Free Product Launch Funnel Template
It’s the same 8-page funnel shown above, ready to customize with your videos, offer, and deadline.
What’s included:
- The optin and thank-you pages, for sign-ups and video dates
- Lesson pages 1 to 3, each with a video and a worksheet download
- The Lesson 4 page, where a buy button replaces the worksheet
- The order form, with an offer stack and an FAQ section
- The order confirmation page
Already on ClickFunnels? It imports straight into your account.
New to ClickFunnels? You’ll start a free trial first.
That covers the funnel pages. Next up: the emails that bring people back to them.
12 Product Launch Email Templates
Your funnel only works if people come back for each video. Getting them back is your emails’ job. This set has 12 core product launch email templates, plus 2 optional ones for after the cart closes. Each email has one job, and most of them point to one page in the funnel.
Emails 1 to 7 go to your list and everyone who signs up. Emails 8 to 12 go only to people who haven’t bought yet. First, you’ll see the whole sequence at a glance. Then you’ll get copy-ready text for four key emails. The Email Templates tab in the workbook has full copy for all 14, with send dates that fill in from your close date. For more on writing and timing follow-ups, see our guide to the sales funnel email sequence.
The Full Sequence at a Glance
Where a row shows two days, the first is for a Friday close and the second is for a Sunday close.
| Send | Who gets it | Job | Subject line | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Invite | Day -7, with a resend on Day -5 | Your list | Get sign-ups | I’m teaching [topic] for free next week |
| 2. Welcome, you’re in (copy below) | Right after sign-up | New sign-ups | Confirm the sign-up and share the video dates | You’re in. Here’s what happens next |
| 3. Video 1 is tomorrow | Day -1 | Everyone signed up | Get people to show up | Video 1 goes live tomorrow |
| 4. Video 1 is live | Day 0, morning and evening, plus a Day 1 resend to people who didn’t open | Everyone signed up | Get Video 1 watched | Video 1 is live: [video title] |
| 5. Video 2 is live | Day 2 | Everyone signed up | Answer “Can I do this?” | “Can I actually do this?” |
| 6. Video 3 is live | Day 4 or 6 | Everyone signed up | Answer “What could stop me?” | What’s really stopping you from [result]? |
| 7. Video 4 is live, the cart is open (copy below) | Day 7 or 8 | Everyone signed up | Open the cart | Video 4 is live (and [product name] is open) |
| 8. Customer story | Day 8 or 9 | Non-buyers | Show it works, and invite people to the optional webinar | How [customer first name] [got result] in [timeframe] |
| 9. Top objection and FAQ (copy below) | Day 9 or 10 | Non-buyers | Remove the main doubts | “But I don’t have time for [X]” |
| 10. 24 hours left | Day 10 or 11 | Non-buyers | Make the deadline clear | 24 hours left for [product name] |
| 11. Closing tonight | Close day, in the morning | Non-buyers | Remind them it’s the last day | Closing tonight at [time] |
| 12. Final hours (copy below) | Close day, 3 to 6 hours before close, plus a short note 1 hour before | Non-buyers | Catch last-minute buyers | [Product name] closes in [X] hours |
| 13. Buyer welcome (optional) | When someone buys, or the day after close | Buyers | Get buyers started | Welcome to [product name]: start here |
| 14. Non-buyer thank-you (optional) | 2 days after close | Non-buyers | Say thanks and move them back to your regular emails | Thanks for watching the series |
Email 2: Welcome, You’re In
Send: right after someone signs up.
Subject: You’re in. Here’s what happens next
Preview: Video 1 goes live on [date].
Hi [First name],
You’re signed up for [name of video series]. Over the next [number] days, I’ll send you four short videos on how to [result your offer helps with].
Video 1 goes live on [date] at [time]. In it, you’ll learn [one-line teaser for Video 1].
Save the dates so you don’t miss anything:
- Video 1: [date]
- Video 2: [date]
- Video 3: [date]
- Video 4: [date]
Talk soon,
[Your name]
Customize: copy the four video dates from the Start Here tab of the workbook.
Email 7: Video 4 Is Live, the Cart Is Open
Send: the day Video 4 goes live, to everyone who signed up. This is your product launch email template for opening the cart.
Subject: Video 4 is live (and [product name] is open)
Preview: Everything from the workshop, done with you.
Hi [First name],
The last video is up. In it, I show you how [product name] helps you [result] without [main struggle].
[Watch Video 4]
Over the last week, you’ve seen:
- [Video 1 in one line]
- [Video 2 in one line]
- [Video 3 in one line]
Today I’m opening the doors to [product name]: [one-sentence promise: the result, for whom, and how fast].
Inside, you get:
- [Core product]: [what it does for them]
- [Bonus 1]: [the doubt it removes]
- [Bonus 2]: [the doubt it removes]
- [Support or community]: [how they get help]
It’s [price] (or [payment plan]) until [close day and time]. After that, [what changes: the doors close, the price goes up, or the bonuses go away].
[Join [product name]]
[Your name]
[Optional, if you’re running the live webinar:] P.S. Got questions? I’m going live on [day, date] at [time + time zone] to walk through the workshop and answer them. Save your seat here: [webinar link]
Customize: state the deadline exactly as it appears on your order form. If the deadline isn’t real, don’t use one.
Email 9: Top Objection and FAQ
Send: two days before the cart closes, to people who haven’t bought.
Subject: “But I don’t have time for [X]”
Preview: The top reason people wait, and why it’s backwards.
Hi [First name],
The question I’ve gotten most since the doors opened: “[the objection, in your buyer’s words]?”
Fair question. Here’s the honest answer: [a direct answer].
[Two or three sentences on why this is a reason to start now, not a reason to wait.]
[The detail that removes the doubt, like how short each lesson is, how long they keep access, or your guarantee.]
A few other questions keep coming up:
[Question 1]
[Short answer]
[Question 2]
[Short answer]
[Question 3]
[Short answer]
If one of these was holding you back, you can join here:
[Join [product name]]
Still have a question? Just reply. I read every one.
[Your name]
Customize: use the real questions people ask in comments and replies, and change the subject line to match your top objection. Only mention a guarantee if you offer one.
Email 12: Final Hours (Plus a Last-Hour Note)
Send: about 3 to 6 hours before the cart closes, to people who haven’t bought. Then send the short note below about an hour before close.
Subject: [Product name] closes in [X] hours
Preview: Last call for [product name].
Hi [First name],
This is one of my last emails about [product name]. The doors close at [time] tonight.
If it’s not the right fit, that’s OK. You’ll keep getting my regular emails, and [what they keep, like the free videos until a set date].
If it is the right fit, here’s the link:
[Join before [time]]
[Your name]
Last-hour note (send about 1 hour before close)
Subject: 1 hour left
[First name], [product name] closes in one hour, at [time]. If you want in, here’s the link: [Join now]. After that, [what changes].
[Your name]
Customize: the “that’s OK” line matters. A calm last email respects people who decide not to buy, and it keeps them on your list for the next launch.
Want more email ideas beyond your launch? Our email marketing guide covers the basics.
How to Adapt the Kit to Your Launch Type
The 3-Part Launch Kit works best for digital products. But each part can bend to fit other kinds of launches, too.
| Launch type | Plan | Funnel | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital product or course | Use the plan as written | Use all 8 pages | Use the full email sequence |
| Online store product drop | Add tasks for stock, shipping, and product photos | Make the lessons shorter: the story, how it’s made, how to use it | Base the deadline on a real limit, like launch pricing or limited stock |
| New feature for current customers | Shorten to 3 or 4 weeks | You may skip the optin, since you already have their emails | Cut to a welcome, 1 or 2 lesson emails, and a launch-day email |
Digital Products and Courses
This is where the kit shines. The lesson series gives buyers a taste of your teaching before they buy. That matters most when the thing you’re selling is teaching. If you’d rather teach live, the same idea works as a webinar. Our guide to the webinar marketing funnel covers that path.
Online Store Product Drops
A physical product doesn’t need four long videos. Short clips can do the same jobs: why you made it, what makes it different, and how people use it. Add stock and shipping tasks to your timeline. Only use a deadline or “limited stock” line if it’s true.
Feature Launches
Launching to people who already know you? Your warm-up can be much shorter. Skip the sign-up step if you already have their emails. Keep the parts that help people understand and use the new feature.
Want a bigger list before your next launch? Start by giving away something free. Our list of lead magnet ideas can help you pick one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a product launch plan include?
A product launch plan should include your offer, your goal, and a dated timeline with an owner for each task. It should also list your channels, a launch-day schedule, and the numbers you’ll track. A complete launch kit also includes the pages and emails your buyers will see. The free template in this post covers all of these.
How long before launch should I start planning?
About seven weeks before your first video goes live. The product launch plan template starts planning 49 days before Video 1 and opens registration one week before it. The cart closes 11 or 12 days after Video 1. So the launch itself, from opening registration to closing the cart, takes about two and a half weeks. Plan on about one more week after that to welcome buyers and review your numbers.
What emails do I send for a product launch?
Send an invite to your list, a welcome email when someone signs up, and a reminder the day before Video 1. Then send one email for each video, and open the cart with the last one. To people who haven’t bought, send a customer story, an answer to the top objection, a 24-hours-left email, and two close-day emails. That’s 12 emails in total, plus 2 optional ones after the cart closes: a buyer welcome and a thank-you to people who didn’t buy.
What’s the difference between a product launch plan and a go-to-market plan?
A go-to-market plan is the big-picture strategy: who you sell to, how you position and price the product, and which channels you use. A product launch plan is the dated, step-by-step schedule for one release. Many teams write the go-to-market plan first. Then they use a launch plan to carry it out.
Is there a free product launch template?
Yes. The product launch plan template in this post is free and ungated. Make a copy in Google Sheets, or download your copy for Excel. The launch email templates are free to copy, and the Product Launch Funnel template is free to claim.
Launch With the Whole Kit
Launches go smoother when your plan, your pages, and your emails work together. So start with the workbook and pick your close date. Outline your four videos. Then load your emails, so each one points to the right page at the right time.
Want the plan and the funnel from this guide?