To connect Mailchimp to Slack, use the Slack integration listed in Mailchimp's directory. It posts to a Slack channel when people subscribe or unsubscribe and when a campaign finishes sending. You authenticate your Mailchimp account, choose the lists to monitor and the notification types to post. For other triggers, such as clicked links, Zapier offers Mailchimp and Slack templates.
Which Mailchimp events do you want your team to see in Slack? That one question decides your route, because the native integration covers a short, specific list, and anything outside it needs a connector.
What each route can post
| Event | Native Slack integration | Zapier templates |
|---|---|---|
| New subscribers | Yes (Subscribes) | Templates, including posts to private Slack channels |
| Unsubscribes | Yes | Template for new unsubscribes |
| Campaign sending status | Yes | Slack messages for new campaigns |
| Clicked links | Not named | Channel messages for new clicked links |
| Slack users into Mailchimp | Not named | New Slack users become Mailchimp subscribers |
For most small teams, the native three are enough: a ping when someone joins, a ping when someone leaves, and confirmation that the newsletter went out. Zapier earns its place when you want something more specific, such as a heads-up when a subscriber clicks a link in a campaign, or when you need alerts in a private channel that only a few people can see.
Setting up the native integration
Mailchimp's directory page for the Slack integration describes the setup in a few lines. The integration's developer is listed as Slack, and the page doesn't give button-by-button labels, so here's the sequence it describes.
- Open the Slack integration from the Mailchimp integrations directory.
- Authenticate your Mailchimp account so the integration can read your lists.
- Pick the lists to monitor. Only the lists you choose post to Slack.
- Choose the notification types: subscribes, unsubscribes and campaign sending status.
- Select the Slack channel the messages should go to.
The directory page also lists a separate Help contact, a Mailchimp + Slack integrations link for sending Slack messages for new campaigns, and Tray.io as a related link.
Choosing the right channel and lists
A subscribe alert on a busy list can post dozens of times a day, and a channel that pings constantly stops being read. If you've got one main newsletter list, monitoring just that list is usually right. Send the alerts to a dedicated channel, such as one for marketing updates, rather than a general team channel. Campaign sending status is the alert most teams find useful: it confirms the send finished without anyone logging in to check.
Unsubscribe alerts are worth a thought too. A steady trickle is normal, but a sudden run of them straight after a send is a signal to look at that campaign. Seeing it in Slack means someone notices on the day rather than at the end of the month.
The listing looks dated
Mailchimp Integrations' Slack page shows a last updated date of Mar 6, 2020, and names only three events: subscribes, unsubscribes and campaign sending status. That doesn't mean it's broken, but it does mean the native listing hasn't grown. Anything beyond those three, such as alerts on clicked links, has to go through a connector like Zapier.
When Zapier is the better fit
Zapier lists templates for this pair that go further than the native list. There are Slack notifications for new Mailchimp subscribers and unsubscribes, Slack messages for new Mailchimp campaigns, channel messages for new clicked links in Mailchimp, and posts to private Slack channels about new subscribers. One template runs the other way, turning new Slack users into Mailchimp subscribers, which suits communities that run on Slack and want members on the newsletter too.
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My advice for Mailchimp alerts in Slack
Start with the native integration on your main list, posting campaign sending status and unsubscribes to one marketing channel. Add subscribe alerts only if your list grows slowly enough that they're welcome rather than noisy. Reach for Zapier when you need clicked-link alerts or the Slack-to-Mailchimp direction. If you're also reconsidering your email platform, my Klaviyo versus Mailchimp comparison is worth a look.
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Frequently asked questions
What does the Mailchimp Slack integration notify me about?
Subscribes, unsubscribes and campaign sending status.
Can I choose which lists post to Slack?
Yes. After authenticating, you pick the lists to monitor.
Can I get Slack alerts for clicked links?
Not from the native listing. Zapier lists a template for new clicked links.
Can Slack members become Mailchimp subscribers?
Yes. A Zapier template turns new Slack users into Mailchimp subscribers.
How old is the native listing?
The directory entry shows a last updated date of Mar 6, 2020.
