How to switch to EmailOctopus
Welcome to EmailOctopus! We're happy you've decided to switch over, and we're here to help you through the whole process. Depending on the platform you're moving from and your previous setup, the process will vary slightly, but here are some general steps we'd recommend:
Import your lists to EmailOctopus
First, you'll need to export your lists from the platform you're currently using. Make sure to include all custom fields and tags you might need in the future. Then, when you import the lists into your EmailOctopus account, make sure to include the fields and tags you'd like to see on your lists. Tags can also be used to identify your previously engaged contacts – it's especially useful if you don't want to lose that data while migrating.
If you haven't sent to your list in a while, you may want to clean it before sending your first campaign.
If you have multiple lists and you're unsure how to organise your contacts, take a look at this article.
Recreate your automated sequences
You can recreate your automated messages by setting up an automation and adding automated emails to it. If you'd like to keep your email design, you can copy its HTML code and paste it into our Code your own editor. Make sure to include our required merge tags and update any existing ones, as we might use different merge tags than your previous platform.
You can also design your email from scratch with our Drag and drop editor and set up your Branding, which you'll be able to reuse in all templates. If you're using your own code, we'd recommend testing it to make sure all the images work, and the email appears correctly on web and mobile.
When setting up an automation, you can choose whether it should be sent to imported contacts – you might want to keep this setting off if you're adding contacts who have already received it (you can switch it on later).
Integrate or recreate your sign-up forms
You can integrate your forms using our API, or set up new ones. If you're using WordPress you can check our official plugin, otherwise, we'd recommend setting up a form or a landing page that you can create within your Dashboard.
If you'd like to enable double opt-in for your list, you can switch it on within your list.
Verify your domain
If you're using a private domain, to ensure better deliverability, we recommend verifying your domain before sending your first campaign. It will enable you to build your sender's reputation and get a better inbox placement in the long term.
Suppress undesired contacts
If you'd like to exclude some contacts from your emails, you need to import them as "Unsubscribed" to all your lists. Unsubscribed contacts don't count towards the subscriber limit of your plan, and you can't send to them. Keeping them on your lists as "unsubscribed" prevents you from inadvertently adding them as "Subscribed" in the future.