How to create a subscription form in Mailrelay, step by step
Create your form, choose its fields and design, set up the confirmation and publish it on your website in just a few minutes.
A subscription form is the most direct way to get contacts who actually want to receive your emails. With Mailrelay you can build one without writing any code, give it your brand’s look and publish it on your website as an embedded form or as a pop-up.
This guide walks you through it step by step, using the tool’s current screens. If you’d like to review first what it is and what it should include, take a look at our post on the subscription form.
Step 1: create the form and choose the groups
Go to Subscribers > Signup forms > Add. On the first screen you set up the basics:
Name. Give it a name that helps you recognize it, such as “Blog newsletter” or “Guide download”.
Field type used to display groups. Choose Checkbox if you want subscribers to tick the lists they’re signing up for, or Hidden if you’d rather assign them yourself without them seeing it.
Groups. Select the subscriber groups that each person who signs up will be added to.
Then click Next.
Step 2: add the fields you need
The Form tab is where you build your subscription form. The email field is included by default, and you can add more elements:
Built-in fields. Privacy policy acceptance, phone number for SMS or WhatsApp, address, city, country, birthday or website.
Custom fields. The ones you’ve already created in Subscribers > Custom fields. You’ll use them later to segment your list. We explain them in our post on custom fields.
Text and image. To explain what subscribers will receive or to show your logo.
Spam protection. Turn on the captcha and the honeypot field. They stop fake sign-ups from bots and keep your list clean.
You can edit every field: its width, label, hint and whether it’s required or not. Only ask for the data you’re going to use: every extra field means fewer sign-ups.
Create your form for free
With Mailrelay’s free account you get forms, up to 80,000 emails a month and 20,000 contacts.
Step 3: match the design to your brand
In the Design tab you choose the colors of your subscription form:
Background. The background color of the body and of the content.
Text. The color of the labels, the hints and the placeholder text inside each field.
Errors. The color shown when a field is missing or invalid.
Button. The text and background color of the submit button.
Use your website’s colors and a button that stands out. The preview updates as you make your changes.
Step 4: set up the confirmation pages
In the Content tab you decide what subscribers see at two moments:
Confirmation email sent. The screen that appears right after they fill in the form, while the subscription is still waiting to be confirmed.
Subscribe success. The final screen, once they’ve confirmed.
For each one you can use the default page, a custom page with your own text, or redirect to a URL on your website. Redirecting to your own thank-you page lets you track sign-ups in your analytics.
A sign-up confirmed by email is called double opt-in. It guarantees that the email address is real and that its owner wants to receive your messages.
Step 5: review the configuration and the advanced options
In the Configuration tab you can change the name, the sender of the confirmation email, and the groups and tags assigned to each new subscriber.
Under Advanced options you’ll find two useful settings:
New subscriber notifications. You get an email every time someone signs up.
Hidden field values. They assign a fixed value to the subscriber, such as where the sign-up came from. That way you’ll know which form works best.
Step 6: save the form and publish it
Click Save. You’ll see a summary of the subscription form and several options:
Generate code. Copy the code for the Embedded form to paste it on your website, or the code for the Pop-up form to show it in a pop-up window. If you use WordPress, see how to add the Mailrelay form to WordPress.
View form. Opens the direct link to the form. You can share it on social media or in your email signature.
Conversions. Shows the email addresses that have signed up through that form.
Log. Records who created or modified it and when.
Start attracting subscribers today
Create your account, design your form and publish it on your website in just a few minutes.
Tips to help your subscription form get more sign-ups
Explain what they’ll receive. A line like “One email a month with offers and news” works better than “Subscribe”.
Offer something in return. A discount, a guide or a template. It’s what’s known as a lead magnet.
Put it where people can see it. At the end of your articles, in the sidebar or as a pop-up once the visitor has been reading for a while.
Pay attention to the copy. You’ll find ideas in our post on how to write your subscription form.
If you want to see each option in more detail, check out the help article How to create signup forms in Mailrelay in the Mailrelay knowledge base.
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Frequently asked questions
These are the most common questions about subscription forms in Mailrelay.
Where do you create subscription forms in Mailrelay?
In the Subscribers > Signup forms > Add menu.
Can I put the form on my website?
Yes. When you save it, Mailrelay generates the code for the embedded form and the pop-up so you can paste it on your website. You also get a direct link to the form.
Do subscribers have to confirm their subscription?
Yes, they receive a confirmation email. You can customize the screens they see before and after confirming.
Can I add custom fields to the form?
Yes. First create them in Subscribers > Custom fields, then add them from the Form tab.
How do I prevent fake sign-ups?
Turn on the captcha and the honeypot field in the Form tab.