eol-communication
EOL Communication Expert
Overview
Create clear, empathetic End-of-Life (EOL) communications that preserve customer trust and facilitate smooth transitions. Sunsetting a product is a high-stakes communication challenge -- done poorly, it damages brand trust and accelerates churn across your entire portfolio. Done well, it strengthens customer relationships and drives migration to replacement solutions.
The work runs in four phases: (1) Pre-announcement planning (what, why, who, when, what support, what risks), (2) Craft the message (transition narrative, customer impact, transition solution, timeline, one CTA), (3) Segment and distribute (different message and channel per segment), (4) Support and monitor (support FAQ, migration tracking, churn watch). See the playbook reference for the full framework, templates, and timeline guidance.
Clarify First
Before crafting the EOL communication, confirm these inputs. If any is unknown or vague, ASK — do not assume:
- What is being sunset and why — drives the transition narrative and Phase 1 planning; a vague "why" reads as abandonment
- Replacement / migration path — drives the transition solution and the single CTA; if it is broken or absent, do not announce yet
- Timeline and key dates — drives the timeline section and varies sharply by product type (API vs paid product vs free feature)
- Customer segments affected — drives the Phase 3 segment/channel matrix; high-value accounts need different message and outreach than self-serve
Stop rule: ask only the 2-3 that most change the output. If the user says "just draft it," proceed and list your assumptions at the top of the artifact.