MailerLite Tutorial 2026: Send Your First Email in 10 Minutes

Last Updated: 06 Jan 2026

I still remember the day I started using MailerLite.

Everyone said the same thing:
“MailerLite is beginner-friendly.”
“It’s simple and easy to use.”

Honestly, I didn’t fully believe it.

After getting lost in complicated email tools before, I expected the same confusion again.

But when I opened MailerLite for the first time, it felt different.

The dashboard was clean.
The options actually made sense.

Still, when I looked for MailerLite tutorials, most of them were either outdated or skipped important steps.

That’s why I created this guide.

This is the MailerLite tutorial I wish I had on day one — simple, clear, and made for absolute beginners.

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know exactly how to set up MailerLite and send your first email with confidence.

Let’s get started 🚀

MailerLite Tutorial – Understanding the MailerLite Dashboard

When you log into MailerLite for the first time, it feels clean —
but if you’re new to email marketing, it can still feel unfamiliar.

So instead of overwhelming you, let me give you a simple tour of the dashboard, focusing only on what actually matters as a beginner.

Think of this as me sitting next to you, showing you where to click and what to ignore for now.

The Main Navigation Menu (What You’ll Actually Use)

This is the first screen you’ll see.

It shows:

• Your latest email performance

• Subscriber growth

• Basic activity stats

👉 As a beginner, you don’t need to analyze anything here yet.
Just know this is where you’ll later check how your emails performed.

Create (Your Starting Point)

Whenever you want to create something new, you’ll click Create.

From here, you can start:

• An email campaign

• A signup form

• An automation

👉 As a beginner, you’ll mostly use:
Campaigns and Forms

Campaigns (Where You Create & Send Emails)

This is where all your emails live.

Inside Campaigns, you can:

• Create newsletters

• Edit drafts

• View sent emails

Think of this as your email workspace.

You’ll come here often.

Subscribers (Your Email List)

This section is all about the people on your list.

Here you can:

• View all subscribers

• Organize them using Groups and Segments

👉 This is where you’ll manage your email list — nothing complicated.

Forms (How People Join Your List)

This is where you create:

• Embedded forms

• Pop-ups

Any time someone subscribes to your emails, it starts here.

Automation (Optional for Now)

Automation lets you send emails automatically, like a welcome email.

👉 As a beginner, you only need one simple automation — or you can skip this for now and come back later.

The Only Thing You Need to Remember

You don’t need to use everything in MailerLite.

Right now, your focus is simple:
👉 Create a form → Collect emails → Send your first email

That’s it.

Step 1: Create Your MailerLite Account

Before you can send emails, you need a MailerLite account.
The setup is simple, but there are a few things beginners often get wrong — so follow these steps carefully.

1. Sign Up for MailerLite

Go to the MailerLite website and click Sign Up Free.

Enter:

• Your name

• Email address

• Password

After signing up, MailerLite will send you a verification email.
Confirm it to move forward.

2. Add Your Business Details

Once inside, MailerLite will ask for some basic information:

• Company or website name

• Website URL (if you don’t have one, you can still continue)

• Industry and business type

• Your physical address (required for email compliance)

👉 Tip: Even if you’re a blogger or creator, fill this honestly. This info appears in your email footer.

3. Verify Your Website & Email

MailerLite reviews new accounts to keep spam out of the platform.

You may be asked to:

• Verify your domain

• Confirm how you plan to collect subscribers

This usually doesn’t take long, but it’s an important step.

👉 Until approval, you can build campaigns and forms, but you won’t be able to send emails yet.

4. Access Your Dashboard

Once approved, you’ll land inside the MailerLite dashboard we just explored.

At this point:

• Your account is ready

• You can start adding subscribers

• You can create your first email

Step 2: Add Subscribers to MailerLite (Even If You’re Starting From Zero)

Before you can send emails, you need subscribers — real people who have given permission to hear from you.

MailerLite makes this simple, even if you’re just starting out.

There are two beginner-friendly ways to add subscribers.

Method 1: Add Subscribers Manually (Best for Small Lists)

If you already have a few email addresses (friends, clients, or test emails), this is the fastest way.

Steps:

1. Go to Subscribers

2. Click Add subscribers

3. Choose Add manually

4. Enter the email address and name

5. Assign them to a Group

6. Click Save

👉 Use this only for people who gave you permission to email them.

Method 2: Import Subscribers Using a CSV File

If you’re moving from another tool or already have a list:

Steps:

1. Go to Subscribers

2. Click Add subscribers

3. Choose Import from CSV

4. Upload your file

5. Match the fields (email, name, etc.)

6. Assign them to a Group

7. Complete the import

MailerLite may ask where you collected these emails — answer honestly.

Groups vs Segments

This confuses many beginners, so here’s the simple version:

• Groups → Manual labels you assign (example: “Newsletter”, “Leads”)

• Segments → Automatic lists based on rules (example: “Opened last email”)

👉 As a beginner, just use Groups.
You can learn Segments later.

Step 3: Create Your First Signup Form in MailerLite

If you don’t have subscribers yet, this is where everything begins.

A signup form allows people to enter their email address and join your list automatically — no manual work needed.

MailerLite makes this very beginner-friendly.

1. Go to the Forms Section

From your dashboard:

• Click Forms

• Click Create form

You’ll see a few options, but don’t worry — we’ll keep it simple.

2. Choose a Form Type

MailerLite offers different types of forms, but as a beginner, focus on these two:

• Embedded form – placed inside a blog post or page

• Pop-up form – appears on your site after a delay or action

👉 If you have a blog or website, start with an Embedded form.

3. Design Your Form

MailerLite opens a drag-and-drop editor.

Here’s all you really need:

• An email field

• A short headline (example: “Get free tips in your inbox”)

• A subscribe button

Avoid adding too many fields.
The simpler the form, the higher the signup rate.

4. Connect the Form to a Group

Before saving, MailerLite will ask you to assign the form to a Group.

This is important.

Anyone who signs up using this form will automatically be added to that group.

👉 Example group name: Newsletter Subscribers

5. Set the Success Message

After someone signs up, they should see a success message like:
“Thanks for subscribing! Check your inbox.”

You can customize this text, but keep it short and friendly.

6. Publish Your Form

Once you’re done:

• Click Save

• Copy the embed code (for embedded forms)

• Paste it into your website where you want the form to appear

That’s it — your signup form is live 🎉

Step 4: Create and Send Your First Email Campaign in MailerLite

This is the moment everything comes together — sending your first email.

Don’t worry. MailerLite keeps this process simple and beginner-friendly.

1. Start a New Campaign

From your dashboard:

• Click Campaigns

• Click Create campaign

• Choose Regular campaign

This is the option you’ll use for normal newsletters and announcements.

2. Name Your Campaign & Write the Subject Line

You’ll be asked to:

• Give your campaign a name (for internal use)

• Write your email subject line

👉 Tip: Keep your subject line short and clear.
Example: “Welcome! Here’s what you’ll get from me”

You can also add a preheader text, which shows next to the subject in inboxes.

3. Choose the Email Editor

MailerLite will ask how you want to design your email.

Choose:

• Drag & Drop editor (best for beginners)

This opens the visual email builder.

4. Design Your Email

Inside the editor, you can:

• Add text blocks

• Insert images

• Add buttons or links

For your first email, keep it simple:

• A short introduction

• One clear message

• One link or call-to-action (optional)

👉 Simple emails usually perform better than heavily designed ones.

5. Select Your Recipients

Next, choose who should receive this email.

• Select the Group you connected to your signup form

• Double-check that the right group is selected

6. Preview & Test Your Email

Before sending:

• Preview the email on desktop and mobile

• Send a test email to yourself

• Click every link to make sure it works

Never skip this step.

7. Send or Schedule Your Email

Finally, you can:

• Send now, or

• Schedule it for later

Once you click send, your first MailerLite email is officially on its way 🎉

Step 5: Set Up a Simple Welcome Automation in MailerLite

A welcome email is the first email someone receives after joining your list.
It sets expectations and builds trust.

The good news? MailerLite makes this very easy.

1. Go to Automation

From your dashboard:

• Click Automation

• Click Create workflow

2. Choose the Trigger

MailerLite will ask when this automation should start.

Choose:

• When subscriber joins a group

Then select the same Group you connected to your signup form.

👉 This means:
Whenever someone signs up, this automation will start automatically.

3. Create Your Welcome Email

Click Add email inside the workflow.

You’ll be asked to:

• Name the email

• Write a subject line

• Choose the Drag & Drop editor

For your welcome email, keep it simple:

• Thank them for subscribing

• Tell them what kind of emails they’ll receive

• Set expectations (how often you’ll email)

4. (Optional) Add a Delay

If you want, you can add a delay before sending the email.

Example:

• Send immediately, or

• Send after 1 hour / 1 day

👉 For beginners, sending it immediately works perfectly.

5. Activate the Automation

Once your workflow looks good:

• Click Save

• Turn the workflow ON

That’s it 🎉
Your welcome email is now fully automated.

What You’ve Achieved So Far

At this point, you have:

• A signup form collecting emails

• A campaign sending emails

• A welcome automation running in the background

Your email marketing system is officially live.