Affiliate disclosure: Creator Systems Hub may earn a commission if you sign up to EmailOctopus through links in this guide, at no extra cost to you. This guide follows EmailOctopus’s official documentation and does not claim hands-on testing where none occurred.
Still choosing your platform? Read our EmailOctopus vs MailerLite comparison before committing to the setup process.
A newsletter setup is more than choosing a template and pressing send. You need a clean list structure, a properly authenticated sending domain, a clear sign-up promise and a welcome email that confirms what subscribers will receive.
This guide takes a UK creator through the practical EmailOctopus setup sequence, from planning the newsletter to testing the first campaign.
What to decide before opening EmailOctopus
Write down these five decisions first:
- Who the newsletter is for
- What useful result or information it will provide
- How often you can publish consistently
- What someone receives immediately after subscribing
- How the newsletter supports your wider business
A narrow promise is easier to explain and maintain than “news and updates”. For example, “one practical course-platform tip every Tuesday” tells a reader what to expect.
Step 1: Choose the right EmailOctopus plan
EmailOctopus’s free Starter plan currently supports up to 2,500 subscribed contacts and 10,000 emails per month. It includes core campaign and automation features but limits forms, landing pages, users, report history and automation size, and adds EmailOctopus branding.
Start free when you are validating the newsletter. Consider Pro when brand control, permanent reporting, several users, more forms or longer automations are essential.
See our EmailOctopus pricing guide for the current limits and upgrade considerations.
Step 2: Use one main list
A new EmailOctopus account includes an empty list under Contacts. Its documentation says most users do not need several lists because separate lists add complexity and duplicate subscribed contacts can count more than once for billing.
Use one main list, then organise subscribers with:
- Tags for source, interests or actions
- Fields for information such as first name
- Segments for dynamic groups based on data or activity
Collect only information you genuinely need. Every extra required field creates more work for the subscriber and another piece of personal data to manage.
Step 3: Set your sender name and verify your domain
Your sender name should be immediately recognisable, such as “Adam at Creator Systems Hub”. Use an address on a domain you control rather than relying on a free personal mailbox.
EmailOctopus strongly recommends verifying your domain to improve authentication and inbox placement. In the Senders area, choose Verify new sender, then Verify domain. Enter the root domain without “www” or “https”.
EmailOctopus then provides DNS records to add at your domain’s DNS provider. Its current instructions describe four CNAME records and one TXT record. Copy every name and value exactly, allow time for DNS changes to propagate, then return to EmailOctopus and select Complete verification.
Domain verification configures authentication including DKIM, SPF alignment and DMARC. It does not mean email is sent from your own web server; EmailOctopus still handles delivery.
Step 4: Decide between single and double opt-in
EmailOctopus uses single opt-in by default and lets you enable double opt-in from the list’s Consent & customisation settings.
With double opt-in, a new form subscriber remains pending until they click the confirmation link. This can improve list quality and gives you an additional record of confirmation, although the extra step can reduce completed sign-ups.
Choose deliberately based on your audience, acquisition method and legal advice. Do not import people merely because you have their email address; ensure you have an appropriate basis and permission to send marketing.
Step 5: Create the sign-up form
Go to Grow > Forms and create a form. EmailOctopus currently offers inline, hello-bar, slide-in and pop-up formats.
A good first form needs:
- A short description of what subscribers will receive
- An email field and, only when useful, a first-name field
- A clear subscribe button
- Consent wording appropriate to your use
- A link to your privacy information
- A helpful success message or thank-you-page redirect
You can add a tag automatically to identify where the subscriber joined. EmailOctopus also provides reCAPTCHA and consent-checkbox options in the form settings.
Step 6: Add the form to WordPress
When the form is ready, use Add to your website to obtain its embed code. On WordPress, you can place that code in a Custom HTML block on the relevant page, or use EmailOctopus’s WordPress integration where appropriate.
Test the form in a private browser window and on a phone. Confirm that the subscriber appears in the correct list with the expected field values and tags.
Do not add the same form code more than once on one page. EmailOctopus’s documentation advises duplicating a form when you need a second instance.
Step 7: Build a simple welcome automation
Go to Automations and create a “Simple welcome” automation or start from scratch. Connect it to the correct list while it is still a draft, because the connected list cannot be changed after activation.
Use “Contact added” as the trigger, then add an email step. A useful first welcome message should:
- Thank the subscriber
- Deliver any promised lead magnet
- Restate the newsletter’s subject and frequency
- Tell the reader what to do next
- Invite a reply or point to one strong resource
Check whether imported contacts should enter the automation. People who already received an equivalent welcome sequence should not be sent it again accidentally.
Step 8: Create a reusable email design
Set up your logo, colours, fonts and social links in the Brand area. EmailOctopus provides drag-and-drop templates and an HTML editor.
Keep the first template restrained:
- One recognisable header
- A readable single-column body
- Short paragraphs
- One primary call to action
- A visible unsubscribe link and required business information
Test on desktop and mobile and send a test to more than one inbox provider before using the template with your full list.
Step 9: Prepare and test the first campaign
Choose the correct list or segment, write a specific subject line and add preview text that complements it rather than repeating it.
Before scheduling or sending, check:
- Sender name and address
- Subject and preview text
- Personalisation fallbacks
- Every link and button
- Image alternative text
- Mobile layout
- Unsubscribe and business details
- The recipient segment
Send a test, click every link and read the message on a phone. A two-minute check can prevent a broken campaign reaching the entire list.
Step 10: Review results without chasing vanity metrics
After sending, review delivery, clicks, unsubscribes, complaints and the actions people take on your website. Open tracking can be affected by privacy features, so it should not be treated as a perfect measure of individual interest.
Compare campaigns over time using consistent goals. A smaller newsletter that drives replies, useful conversations or sales can be healthier than a larger list with weak engagement.
A sensible starter newsletter system
- One main list
- One inline website form
- One focused landing page
- One welcome email
- One reusable campaign template
- One regular publishing day
- A monthly review of growth, clicks, unsubscribes and conversions
Add complex segmentation and multi-step automation only when the basic newsletter is publishing reliably.
Final pre-launch checklist
- The newsletter promise and frequency are clear
- The sender domain is fully verified
- Consent and privacy wording have been reviewed
- The form works on desktop and mobile
- Tags and fields are saved correctly
- Double opt-in behaves as intended
- The welcome automation is active
- Test emails arrive and all links work
- The unsubscribe route is visible
- The first campaign targets the correct audience
For a broader assessment of the platform, read our EmailOctopus Review UK.
Start with EmailOctopus’s free plan →
Official sources checked September 2026: creating a list, domain verification, sign-up forms, double opt-in and welcome automation. Product steps and limits may change.