How to Make a MailChimp Contact Form in WordPress

Looking to build a MailChimp contact form for your WordPress website? Learn how a MailChimp contact form can add contacts to your audience automatically.

Approximate read-time: 5.5 minutes

MailChimp is one of the most popular email platforms out there. It's been around since 2001 and has slowly built a massive following.

But like many other email services, their built-in forms are clunky and difficult to use. It's a real head-scratcher when you consider how important forms are to the list building process.

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As frustrating as it is, there's good news: a better solution exists!

Not only is this solution easier, but it will give you more control over your audience. The solution? A third-party form builder plugin for WordPress!

There are many WordPress form builder plugins available that will turn MailChimp into an even more powerful marketing tool. In this guide, we're going to show you how to use Formidable Forms to make a MailChimp contact form in WordPress.

Why make a MailChimp contact form?

If you are looking to grow your MailChimp audience, don't overlook the mighty contact form. If properly set up, your contact form can allow you to build a highly qualified list of people who are interested in your business.

Connecting your contact form to MailChimp can make your life a lot easier. Rather than manually adding contacts to your audience after receiving their message, you can automatically add them and tag them at the same time.

You could even add contacts to an automated email marketing campaign. This automation can be made specifically for customers who use your contact form. After all, a potential customer who contacts you directly is very different than a newsletter subscriber. Why treat them the same way?

What you need to get started

Note: The MailChimp integration is included in many of our premium bundles. Check out our Pricing Page to find the best package for your needs. There's a 14-day money-back guarantee, which gives you plenty of time to test it out.

Formidable's Pro version has a bunch more features beyond MailChimp contact forms too. We're biased, but we think you'll really like it!

Add MailChimp to WordPress contact forms

From start to finish setup should take less than 15 minutes. Most of that time is spent creating a MailChimp account, so you're even closer if you already have one set up.

Follow these 5 steps to turn your contact forms into powerful list building tools!

Set up a MailChimp account
Find your MailChimp API key
Install the Formidable MailChimp for WordPress add-on
Insert your MailChimp API key to connect your account
Create a new contact form in Formidable
Add a MailChimp form action to your contact form

Step 1 - Set up a MailChimp account

For this to work, you'll need a MailChimp account. Signing up for a MailChimp account is very easy and only takes 4 or 5 minutes. If you already have an account, even better.

Once your account is up and running, you need to handle the following:

Verify your account
Enter your organization info
Create a new list (this is where your contact form will send new leads)

Step 2 - Find your MailChimp API key

To find your API key, log into your MailChimp account, and go to Account → Extras → API Keys. Click "Create A Key" if you don't have one already. This key is needed to create a link between MailChimp and your contact forms.

Keep your MailChimp API key handy for a few minutes since you'll need it in step 4.

Step 3 - Install the Formidable MailChimp for WordPress add-on

If you haven't already, you'll need to install and activate Formidable Forms. Then, you'll need to install and activate the Formidable MailChimp WordPress add-on. You'll find the MailChimp add-on in the Add-Ons section of Formidable.

Step 4 - Insert MailChimp API key to connect your account

Next, go into your WordPress dashboard → Formidable → Global Settings and click the MailChimp tab. Insert your MailChimp API Key from step 2 and click the "Update Options" button. Your website is now connected to your MailChimp account!

Step 5 - Create a new contact form in Formidable

If you haven't already created a contact form, follow these steps to get started. You can save time by using our Contact Form template. This will provide you with a basic template that you can easily customize.

Step 6 - Add a MailChimp form action to your form

Finally, the last step is to add a MailChimp form action to your newly created contact form.

Find your contact form and click on Settings → Form Actions. Here you will notice a new action is available: Add to MailChimp.

Select the MailChimp list where you would like to add subscribers. The list you created in step 1 should be visible in the dropdown. Select the Email Address and any other options as desired.

Note: To comply with anti-spam laws, it's best to tell people that you are adding them to your list when they fill out the form. MailChimp requires you to have express permission to add email addresses to your lists. See their article on The Importance of Permission.

I have a MailChimp contact form for WordPress. Now what?

Having a MailChimp contact form is just the start. The next big challenge is to make sure your forms convert as many visitors as possible so you can build your mailing list FAST!

Check out our other blog posts to help you maximize the effectiveness of your email subscription and lead generation forms. Design forms to increase user engagement, and put our tips to capture leads into action.

As your list grows, you can begin thinking about your email marketing campaign. Make use of the MailChimp groups feature. Design something awesome to show your subscribers the very best you have to offer.

Include value-added content, helpful hints, and occasional special offers on your landing pages. Share them on social media and capture even more contacts. The sky is the limit!