> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.amply.tools/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.amply.tools/recipes/reactivation-after-inactivity.md).

# Reactivation after inactivity

Detect when a user returns after a quiet stretch and route them into a welcome-back flow instead of the normal home screen.

**Use this when** you want a calendar-based signal — days since last open — and a coarse "they drifted" cutoff is good enough to act on. **Don't use this when** you have behavioral data that can detect slowdowns before the calendar gap opens; reach for [Winback at-risk users](/recipes/winback-at-risk.md) instead. Also skip for apps with high daily-use cadence where a 7-day gap is noise.

## Goal

A user who returns after a 14-day gap is effectively a new user again — they have forgotten where things are, what the value was, and why they were paying. Dropping them on the home screen wastes the moment. This recipe fires a reactivation flow on the first session back: a short recap, a contextual offer, or a reminder of the one feature they used most.

## Setup

### In the dashboard

* Create a campaign `reactivation-inactive-7d`.
* Trigger: session start.
* Conditions: `days_since_last_session >= 7` and `days_since_last_session < 30` and `subscription_status = "free"`.
* Action: fire `yourapp://reactivation/welcome-back` with a trial extension or a feature recap.
* Create a second campaign `reactivation-inactive-30d` with `days_since_last_session >= 30`. Use a stronger offer; these users are closer to uninstall.
* Frequency: once per returning session. A user who comes back, leaves again, and returns a week later should see it fresh.
* Exclude paying users unless you specifically want to retain lapsed payers.

### In the app (engineering hand-off)

* On every session start, compute the gap from the last session timestamp and write it before Amply evaluates campaigns:

  ```swift
  amply.setCustomProperty(key: "days_since_last_session", value: gapDays)
  amply.setCustomProperty(key: "last_core_feature", value: lastFeatureUsed)
  ```
* Register `yourapp://reactivation/welcome-back` to present the recap screen. Populate it with `last_core_feature` so the screen refers to something the user actually did.
* Track the outcome:

  ```swift
  amply.track("ReactivationShown")
  amply.track("ReactivationConverted")
  ```

## How it runs

1. User installs, uses the app for a week, then stops.
2. Fourteen days later, the user opens the app. SDK starts a session.
3. App reads `last_session_at` from local storage, computes `days_since_last_session = 14`, writes it as a user attribute.
4. Amply evaluates campaigns. `reactivation-inactive-7d` matches.
5. Amply fires `yourapp://reactivation/welcome-back`. The app shows the recap screen with the user's previous favorite feature and a trial-extension button.
6. User either converts (app tracks `ReactivationConverted` and the campaign stops matching for this session) or dismisses. Either way, next time the user opens the app within a few days, the gap is small and the campaign no longer matches.

## Metrics to watch

* Return-session-to-conversion rate. Compare the cohort that saw the reactivation flow to a hold-out.
* 7-day retention after the reactivation session. The point of the flow is to restart the habit, not just extract one purchase.
* Uninstall rate in the 72 hours after the flow. A pushy offer can accelerate churn it was meant to prevent.
* Feature re-engagement: did the user actually use `last_core_feature` again in this session?

## Related

* [Post-trial recovery](/recipes/post-trial-recovery.md) — reactivation for the trial-specific case
* [Winback at-risk users](/recipes/winback-at-risk.md) — a finer-grained version triggered by a behavioral signal, not a calendar gap
* [Sessions and events](/concepts/sessions-and-events.md) — how session boundaries are defined
* [Targeting an audience](/user-guide/targeting-an-audience.md) — composing the inactivity condition
* [Tracking events](/developer-guide/tracking-events.md) — instrumenting the reactivation outcome
* [AI-assisted integration](/getting-started/ai-assisted-integration.md) — describe this campaign in plain language and have your AI assistant build it