How to add Mailchimp form via custom plugin?

To connect a subscribe/newsletter element on your WordPress site to the Mailchimp plugin system, you’ll need to follow these steps. This process assumes you’re using the official Mailchimp for WordPress plugin or a similar integration plugin.

1. Install and Activate the Mailchimp for WordPress Plugin

• First, log in to your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
• Search for Mailchimp for WordPress (MC4WP).
• Install and activate the plugin.

2. Create a Mailchimp Account (If You Don’t Have One)

• Go to Mailchimp’s website and sign up for a free account if you don’t already have one.
• Once your account is set up, you’ll need to create an email list (now referred to as an “audience” in Mailchimp).

3. Get Mailchimp API Key

• Log in to your Mailchimp account.
• In the top-right corner, click on your profile icon and go to Account.
• Navigate to Extras > API keys.
• Click on “Create A Key” if you don’t already have one.
• Copy your API key.

4. Connect the API Key in WordPress

• Go back to your WordPress dashboard.
• Navigate to MC4WP > Mailchimp.
• Paste the Mailchimp API key into the appropriate field and save the settings.

5. Create a Signup Form

• In the WordPress dashboard, go to MC4WP > Form.
• The plugin should automatically create a basic signup form for you.
• You can customize this form to include fields like first name, last name, or other information.
• When you’re done customizing, save the form.

6. Embed the Form in Your Subscribe/Newsletter Element

There are different ways to integrate the form into your site depending on how your subscribe/newsletter element is built:

• For a widget: Go to Appearance > Widgets and add the Mailchimp Signup Form widget to your desired widget area (e.g., sidebar or footer).
• For a page or post: Edit the page where you want the subscription form and use the MC4WP Form shortcode to insert the form. You can find the shortcode in MC4WP > Form (usually looks like [mc4wp_form id="123"]).
• For a custom HTML element: If your theme or page builder allows custom HTML or code, you can paste the Mailchimp form’s HTML directly into the element.

7. Test the Signup Form

• After setting up the form, test it by subscribing to a test email address to ensure it’s working properly.
• Go to your Mailchimp dashboard and check if the email was added to your audience list.

8. Customize the Form and Success Message (Optional)

• You can further customize your Mailchimp form by going to MC4WP > Form and adjusting the form fields, design, and messages (e.g., “Success” or “Error” messages).
• For advanced customization, you can add custom CSS to style the form according to your website’s design.

9. Enable Double Opt-in (Optional)

• Mailchimp offers a double opt-in feature, which requires users to confirm their email address by clicking a link sent to their inbox.
• To enable this, go to your Mailchimp account’s Audience Settings, and turn on double opt-in.

10. Set Up Mailchimp Automation (Optional)

• Once people start subscribing, you can set up email automation or welcome emails using Mailchimp’s automation features.
• In your Mailchimp account, go to Automation> Customer Journeys or Classic Automation to create a series of automated emails for new subscribers.