To connect Gravity Forms to Mailchimp, install the Mailchimp Add-On, go to Forms, Settings, Mailchimp, click Connect to Mailchimp and allow access. Then add a Mailchimp feed to each form, choose the audience and map your fields. The Zapier Add-On is the other route, for services without an official add-on.
Which route fits your site?
You've got two ways to get form submissions into Mailchimp, and the choice is simpler than it looks. The native Mailchimp Add-On is the route built for this job. It comes with every Gravity Forms licence tier, Basic, Pro, Elite and Nonprofit, so if you've got the plugin, you've got the add-on.
The Gravity Forms Zapier Add-On is the other option, and it's worth being clear about what it's for. The Gravity Forms documentation says it doesn't replace the Mailchimp add-on. It connects your forms to services that don't have an official add-on, and it needs a Zapier account. For Mailchimp, the native add-on is where I'd start every time.
| Question | Mailchimp Add-On | Zapier Add-On |
|---|---|---|
| Built for Mailchimp? | Yes, the official route | No, it's for services without an official add-on |
| Extra account needed? | Your Mailchimp account | A Zapier account as well |
| Where you set it up | Forms, Settings, Mailchimp in WordPress | The Zapier Add-On settings |
Connecting the add-on, start to finish
Before you begin you need two things: the add-on installed and activated in WordPress, and a Mailchimp account. Make sure the audience you want people to join already exists in Mailchimp, because the feed can't create one.
- Install and activate the Mailchimp Add-On in WordPress, with your Mailchimp login ready.
- In WordPress, go to Forms, Settings, Mailchimp and click Connect to Mailchimp.
- Log in to Mailchimp in the window provided and click Allow. Check the settings page now shows Connected to Mailchimp as your username, with a Disconnect from Mailchimp button.
- Open the form you want to link, choose Settings then Mailchimp, and click Add New to create a feed.
- Name the feed, select the Mailchimp audience and map the email field and any other Mailchimp fields to your form fields. Without the email mapping nothing can be added.
- Set any groups, tags, Double Opt-In or an Enable Condition, save the feed and send a test submission.
A feed is the instruction that says when and how a submission is sent across. Each form gets its own, so a newsletter sign-up and a webinar booking form can feed different audiences.
The feed settings worth switching on
- Double Opt-In: Mailchimp sends a confirmation email before the person is added.
- Mark subscriber as VIP: a checkbox for contacts you want flagged.
- Tags: a comma-separated list, and from add-on version 4.4 tags can use merge tags, so a tag can carry a value from the form.
- Note: a private note on the subscriber.
- Enable Condition: conditional logic, so only submissions that meet your rules are sent.
Groups can be assigned from submissions too, either always or only when a condition is met. The group has to exist already in Mailchimp and belong to the audience you picked in the feed. If you lean on tags heavily, my round-up of WPForms alternatives shows which other plugins handle tagging well. Marketing permissions also need GDPR fields enabled on the Mailchimp audience, and the audience needs at least one member.
Field matching rules that cause most failures
For radio buttons, drop downs and checkboxes, the choice values in your form must match the values in Mailchimp exactly, and that's case sensitive. Mapped fields also have to be the same type, so a Checkboxes field can't map to a Drop Down. The Mailchimp address field expects a full address, including the street and zip code.
When something goes wrong, the add-on saves a generic error as a note on the entry: Unable to add/update subscriber: Invalid Resource. On its own it won't tell you much. Turn on Gravity Forms logging, read the Mailchimp error log, and check your mapped field types and values against the rules above.
When a former subscriber can't sign up again
This one catches people out, and the Gravity Forms Documentation is clear about it. Someone who has unsubscribed from Mailchimp can't be resubscribed through the add-on, because it's a limit of the Mailchimp API. Their repeat sign-up looks as if it failed. The only way back in is through one of Mailchimp's own subscription forms, so keep a hosted Mailchimp form link handy to send them.
Other form plugins with a Mailchimp link
WPForms has its own Mailchimp addon that maps form fields to Mailchimp custom fields and assigns Mailchimp tags. If you're choosing a form plugin from scratch, my list of Gravity Forms alternatives compares the wider field.
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My advice before you go live
Use the native add-on, check the audience and groups exist first, and match every choice value letter for letter. Then submit a test entry yourself and look for it in Mailchimp before you send any traffic to the form. Ten minutes of checking saves you a week of wondering why your list isn't growing.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I need Zapier to connect Gravity Forms to Mailchimp?
No. The Mailchimp Add-On is the native route. The Zapier Add-On is for services without an official add-on.
Which licences include the Mailchimp add-on?
All of them: Basic, Pro, Elite and Nonprofit.
Can I add people to Mailchimp groups or tags?
Yes. Groups must already exist in the chosen audience, and tags are a comma-separated list in the feed.
Can I only send some submissions?
Yes. Tick Enable Condition on the feed and set your criteria.
Why do I get Unable to add/update subscriber?
It's a generic error. Turn on logging, read the Mailchimp error log and check your mapped field types and values.
