How to add an email signup form to your website

A signup form is the front door to your email list. Every email tool lets you create one, and every website can show one. The steps depend on how your site is built, so this guide covers the common options.

First, create the form in your email tool

Whatever tool you use, the process is similar:

• Open the forms area and create a new embedded form. This is a form that sits inside your page, not a popup.
• Keep it short. Email address is required. First name is optional but nice for personal emails.
• Write a clear reason to join right above the box. "Get one simple marketing tip every Tuesday" is better than "Subscribe".
• Turn on double opt in so new subscribers confirm their email.
• Write a friendly thank you message for after someone signs up.

When the form is ready, your tool will offer a few ways to publish it: a link to a hosted page, a code snippet to paste into your site, or a direct connection to popular website builders.

Option 1: WordPress

You have two simple choices.

• Use the official plugin for your email tool if it has one. Install it, connect your account, then add the form to a page using a block or a shortcode.
• Paste the embed code. Edit the page where you want the form, add a Custom HTML block and paste the code your email tool gave you. Save and preview.

Good places on a WordPress site are the end of each blog post, the footer and a dedicated signup page.

Option 2: Website builders

Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and similar builders all let you add code or connect email tools.

• Look for an embed or code block. Paste your form code there.
• Some builders also have their own newsletter blocks that connect directly to popular email tools. Check your builder's help pages for your tool.

Option 3: Hand coded sites

If you or your developer write the site's code, you can paste the embed snippet directly into your page. Most embeds are a small block of HTML that posts the email address to your email tool. A simplified version looks like this:

<form action="YOUR-FORM-ACTION-URL" method="post">
  <label for="email">Email address</label>
  <input id="email" type="email" name="email" required>
  <button type="submit">Subscribe</button>
</form>

Always use the exact code from your email tool, because it includes hidden fields that tell the tool which list or tag to use. Developers can also use the tool's API to add subscribers from a custom form, which gives full control over design and behaviour.

Option 4: No website at all

No problem. Use your email tool's hosted signup page or landing page. You get a link you can share in your social bio, on business cards, in your email signature or as a QR code at events.

Where to place your form

• End of blog posts: readers who finish a post are your warmest audience.
• Footer: shows on every page without getting in the way.
• A dedicated signup page: gives you one simple link to share anywhere.
• A gentle popup: shown after someone scrolls or reads for a while, never the instant they arrive. Make it easy to close on phones.

Test it properly

Before you call it done:

• Sign up with your own email address.
• Check the confirmation email arrives and the link works.
• Make sure your test contact appears in the right list or tag.
• Try it on your phone as well as your computer.

Make it legal and friendly

Say clearly what people are signing up for and how often you will email. If you have readers in places with strict privacy laws, link to your privacy policy near the form. Never tick consent boxes for people. Let them choose.

A simple, honest form in the right places will grow your list steadily, day after day, without any extra work from you.