First Steps After Installing the Plugin
Welcome to MailPoet! After installing our plugin, you're ready to go, but where do you start?
In this article, we'll discuss steps you can take to begin configuring MailPoet and the various features you can try out.
In case you haven't already done so, you can download the MailPoet plugin from the WordPress.org repository here and install it on your WordPress website, or just search for "MailPoet" on your WordPress dashboard > Plugins > Add New page.
1. Create a mailing list
Importing an existing list
If you already have an existing mailing list, you can import it to the MailPoet plugin by going to the MailPoet > Subscribers page and clicking on the "Import" button.
If you are switching to MailPoet from Mailchimp, there are options for migrating your Mailchimp subscribers over as well.
Starting fresh
If you're starting fresh and do not have any subscribers yet, you can create a List and jump to the next step, which is to set up a subscription form.
2. Set up a subscription form
To allow new subscribers to sign up for your mailing list, you'll want to create Subscription Forms.
You can use the built-in form settings to display them on your site or add them to any pages/posts using the block editor.
Pro tip! We strongly recommend securing your forms with a captcha to prevent fake sign-ups and bot attacks.
3. Set up your sending method
Whether you'll be sending via our MailPoet Sending Service, or your own host / third-party sending method, you can configure your sending method under MailPoet > Settings > Send With... tab.
The plugin is completely free (without the Premium features) for up to 500 subscribers. If you have more than 500 subscribers or want to have access to our Premium features, you should check out our paid plans.
We offer a free "Starter" sending plan for 500 subscribers if you want to try our professional sending service as well.
MailPoet Sending Service
If you have a MailPoet.com plan, you can activate your key (and install the MailPoet Premium plugin if you have a paid plan) by going to the MailPoet > Settings > Key Activation tab.
To start sending your emails with us, please ensure that:
- Your subscription has been approved by our team;
- Your FROM email address is added as an authorized email address to your account;
- Once your volume increases past some initial test emails, it will also be important to set up domain authentication for your Sender Domain as described in our guide here. This will automatically authorize all addresses on your domain as well.
4. Create a newsletter
The Email editor is where you will likely spend the majority of your time with MailPoet, so it's good to get comfortable with its features: The MailPoet Email Editor Overview
You can use the editor to create Standard Newsletters, automated Welcome Emails, Post Notification Emails, WooCommerce Emails, or Re-engagement emails.
You can also customize the template for your default WooCommerce transactional emails (i.e. new order, order processing, order completed, etc).
Pro tip! If you're planning to send with MailPoet Sending Service, but your subscription is still Pending Approval, you can send preview emails to one of your Authorized Email Addresses, or temporarily switch your sending method to send via your own host in the meantime.
Next Steps to Consider
- While MailPoet provides default pages, you can also customize things like your Confirmation page, Manage Subscription page, and Unsubscribe page if you prefer;
- You can customize the content of the confirmation email that is sent after a subscriber signs up;
- There are various other Advanced options you can configure to get things working just the way you want.