The Newsletter Subscription Form Block adds a customizable email newsletter subscription form to your site. This block can be used to capture signups for any newsletter list enabled via the Newspack Newsletters plugin and integrates with features in other Newspack plugins, including Reader Activation and Campaigns.

We strongly recommend using the Newsletter Subscription Form block in lieu of non-Newspack solutions, including Gravity Forms, the Mailchimp for WordPress plugin, and Jetpack’s Mailchimp block. 

Using the Newsletter Subscription Form Block

To use the Newspack Newsletter Subscription Form Block, you first need to install the Newspack Newsletters plugin, and add API keys to connect it to one of the supported Email Service Providers (ESPs). Instructions for how to do both of these steps can be found in the Newspack Newsletters documentation.

Once that’s complete, you can add a Newsletter Subscription Block on any page or post by following these steps:

  1. Edit the post or page where you would like to add the block.
  2. Open the block inserter and search for “Newsletter” or scroll down to the Newspack section of the drop-down menu and select Newsletter Subscription Form.

For extra impact, we recommend pairing the block with call-to-action messaging to help it stand out. For example, “Stay up to date with the most important news in your community. Sign up for our daily newsletter!”

Initial State and Success State

The Newsletter Subscription Form block that previews in the editor will have two tabs at the top, allowing you to toggle between the “Initial” (form) view of the block, and the “Success” view (what visitors see after submitting the form). 

In the “Initial” view, you can edit the button text by clicking on the button and typing a new label. By default, it will read “Sign Up”.

In the “Success” view, you can change the success message by clicking on the text, and typing a new message. By default, it will read “Thank you for signing up!”.

Form Settings

In the Form Settings panel in the right column, you can change the following settings:

  • Enable “Display input labels”, to display a text field above each input in the subscription form. 
  • Edit the “Email Placeholder” text, which displays in the Email input field. By default, it reads “Email Address”. 
  • Enable “Display name field”, to display a single field for the subscriber’s name. Toggling this one will also display a “Name Placeholder” text field, where you can alter the field’s placeholder text. By default, it will read “Name”.
  • The above option will make a “Display “Last Name” field” toggle appear; enabling this will add a separate Last Name field to the form, and also give you the option to edit the “Last Name Placeholder” text (which is “Last Name” by default). 

Note: Email Address is the only required field in the Newspack Newsletter Subscription Signup Form block. If First and Last name fields are required in the ESP and not completed by the user, no information will be submitted or received. Read more about how to manage required form fields in Mailchimp and ActiveCampaign.

Styles

The Styles panel in the right column lets you change the block’s button text and background color. We recommend using a stand-out color to make call to action stand out on your website. By default, the Subscribe Form Block uses a bold, eye-catching red. 

Subscription Lists

The Subscriptions List panel in the right sidebar will display any Subscription List that you’ve enabled in the Newsletter Settings under WP Admin > Newspack > Engagement > Newsletters. There’s some more information about that setting here.

Screenshot of Newsletter Subscription Form block settings

You can toggle on any of these subscription lists to make them available in a specific instance of the Newsletter Subscription Form block, and each instance of the block can be different. If you enable more than one list, they each will be displayed in the block with a checkmark. 

Once enabled, you can use the checkboxes in the editor preview to change which lists should be checked by default. 

Mailchimp Settings

If you’re using Mailchimp as your Email Service Provider, the Newsletter Subscription Block will display an option to “Enable double opt-in”. 

When enabled, any new subscribers are given a “pending” status until they’ve confirmed their email address. There’s some more information about Mailchimp’s double opt-in process in this article.

Spam Protection

The Spam Protection panel in the block’s right sidebar includes information about the status of reCAPTCHA on your website, and a quick link to its settings panel. 

ReCAPTCHA is used to prevent a variety of spam and issues on Newspack sites. You can learn more about the reCAPTCHA settings and uses in this support document.

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