Integrate WordPress with Mailchimp and Activate Email Automation

George Allen Subito
Web & Graphic Designer

Requirements:

1. Mailchimp account
2. WordPress CMS
3. Gravity Forms plugin
4. Gravity Forms Mailchimp Add-on

Part I – Setup

1. Install and Activate Gravity Forms
   • • Install the Gravity Forms plugin in WordPress.
     • Activate Gravity Forms.
     • In your WordPress Dashboard, locate Gravity Forms and open it.
2. Install Mailchimp Add-on for Gravity Forms
   • Inside Gravity Forms, install the Mailchimp add-on.
     
     

• Create/Login your account on Mailchimp.
• In Gravity Forms, go to Settings and click on the Mailchimp icon.
  
• Connect the Mailchimp add-on to your Mailchimp account.
  
• Click “Allow” to authorize the integration.
  

Part II – Form Creation

1. Create a New Form
   • In your WordPress Dashboard, open Gravity Forms.
     
   • Click on the “Add New” button.
     
   • Choose a template or create a new form from scratch (e.g., use the Simple Contact Form template).
     
   • Title your form and add a description if needed.
   • Click “Use this template”.
     
   • Customize the fields as desired. You can add fields from the options on the right side of the screen.
     
   • Click “Save Form”.
     

Part III – Adding Post Tags

1. Add Post Tags for Automation
   • In the form builder, locate “Post Fields” and select “Post Tags”.
     
   • In the Post Tags settings, go to Advanced and input a default value (e.g., “Contact”).
   • For multiple tags, separate them with commas.
     
   • Set the visibility to Hidden to prevent users from adding their own tags.
     
   • Click “Save Form”.

Part IV – Connecting Form to Mailchimp

1. Configure Mailchimp Settings
   • In the Gravity Forms dashboard, go to Settings and select Mailchimp.
     
   • Create a new feed by clicking “Add New”.
     

• Name your feed settings and select your audience.
  
• Map the form fields to Mailchimp fields (e.g., select the email field).
  
• Uncheck “Double Opt-in” if you plan to notify users using automation.
  

• Under Tags, select the field we created in the form (e.g., “Post Tags”).
  
• Click “Save Settings”.

Part V – Embedding the Form

1. Embed the Form in a Page
   • In the form dashboard, locate the header and click on the “</> Embed” button.
   • Choose one of the following options to add the form to your website:
     1. Select an existing page.
     2. Create a new page.
     3. Copy the shortcode and paste it into your page builder.

• Paste the shortcode into your desired page.
  

• Preview the form by clicking the Preview button.
  
• Test the form to ensure it works correctly and check if the data appears in Mailchimp.
  
  

Part VI – Creating an Automation in Mailchimp

1. Create an Automation Workflow
   • Log in to your Mailchimp account.
   • Navigate to the Automations tab.
   • Click on “Create” and select “Customer Journey”.
     
2. Set Up the Automation Trigger
   • Name your journey and click “Start Building”.
     
   • Click on “Choose a starting point” and select “Tag added”.
     
   • Choose the tag you set in the Gravity Form (e.g., “Contact”).
     
3. Add Actions to the Automation
   • Click on the “+” button to add an action.
   • Select “Send Email” to create an automated email that will be sent when the tag is added.
   • Design your email template or choose a pre-designed one.
   • Configure the email settings, such as the subject line, sender name, and email content.
4. Review and Activate
   • Review your automation workflow to ensure everything is set up correctly.
   • Click “Save & Exit”.
   • Activate your automation by toggling the switch at the top right corner to “On”.
5. Test the Automation
   • Submit a test entry through your form to verify that the tag is added and the automation triggers the email.

Note: Your Mailchimp account must have a premium subscription to utilize its ‘Automation’ feature.

George Allen

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