How to add Mailchimp to your website
Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing platform for small businesses, used by any business building an email list. Here's how to put it on your own website, which embed option to pick, and what goes wrong.
Quick answer
Get the code from your Mailchimp audience under Signup forms, where the embedded form generator produces HTML. For most people the right choice is the embedded form — a signup form generated as plain HTML, which works anywhere. Paste it into a code or embed block on your site — not a plain text field — then place it beside your main call to action and test the whole flow on a phone before relying on it.
Mailchimp: which option to use
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Embedded form | A signup form generated as plain HTML, which works anywhere. |
| Popup form | A script-based popup triggered by time or exit intent. |
| Hosted landing page | A Mailchimp-hosted page you link to. |
Step-by-step
- 1
Find the code or link in your account
Mailchimp keeps this in your Mailchimp audience under Signup forms, where the embedded form generator produces HTML. Copy what you need before touching your website — most of the time people lose is spent hunting for the snippet, not installing it.
- 2
Pick the right option for the job
The table above is the decision. Embedded form: A signup form generated as plain HTML, which works anywhere. Popup form: A script-based popup triggered by time or exit intent. Choosing before you paste saves rebuilding the section later.
- 3
Paste it into a code or embed block
This needs an HTML, code or embed block — not a plain text field, where the code will simply appear as text on your page. On Adviita, ask the AI editor to add an embed section and drop the code in. On WordPress use a Custom HTML block, on Squarespace a Code block (Business plan or above), and on Wix an Embed HTML element.
- 4
Put it where the decision happens
An email list is the only audience you own outright — no algorithm sits between you and it. A widget three scrolls down does a fraction of the work of the same widget beside your main call to action. Decide what the page is for, then place it at the point the visitor is deciding.
- 5
Check it on an actual phone
Most visitors to a small business website arrive on a phone, and embeds are where mobile layouts break. Open your live site on your own phone and confirm it loads, fits the screen without sideways scrolling, and does not push your contact button out of view. Third-party embeds are also the most common cause of a slow page, so if it noticeably delays loading, consider a plain link instead.
- 6
Test it end to end before you rely on it
Run through the whole flow yourself as a customer would — submit a real entry — and confirm what should happen actually happens. Broken embeds fail silently, and the first person to notice is usually a customer who has already given up.
Tips & best practices
- ▸The generated HTML carries Mailchimp's default styling. Strip it back and use your own, or the form will look foreign on your page.
- ▸Double opt-in is on by default in many regions. It reduces list size and improves deliverability — do not switch it off without thinking.
- ▸Under GDPR you need a lawful basis and clear consent wording. A bare email field with no explanation is not enough.
- ▸Re-test the embed after any change to your site, your plan, or the connected account — third-party widgets break quietly and nothing tells you.
Common questions
How do I add a Mailchimp signup form to my website?
+−
In Mailchimp, open your audience, go to signup forms, and choose the embedded form option. Configure the fields, then copy the generated HTML and paste it into a code block on your site. Remove Mailchimp's default styles if you want it to match your design.
What should I say next to an email signup form?
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Tell people what they will get and how often — 'one email a month with new availability and offers' beats 'subscribe to our newsletter' by a wide margin. Vagueness is the main reason signup forms are ignored, and it is also what GDPR expects you to be clear about.
Do I need a developer to add Mailchimp to my site?
+−
No. Every option here is copy and paste into a code or embed block, which every mainstream website builder provides. The only genuine blocker is a builder or plan that does not allow custom code at all — Squarespace, for instance, requires a Business plan or above for code blocks.
Will adding Mailchimp slow down my website?
+−
Any third-party embed has some cost, because it loads code from another company's servers. One is usually unnoticeable; four or five on the same page is where small business sites become visibly slow. If page speed matters to you, prefer a plain link over a script wherever the option exists, and keep embeds to the pages that genuinely need them.