MailChimp Integration

Connect Refersion to your MailChimp account to automatically add affiliates to your distribution lists

Andre Tan avatar
Written by Andre Tan
Updated over a week ago

With the Refersion-MailChimp integration, new affiliates that are approved into your Refersion account will automatically be created in the distribution list of your choice within MailChimp. This makes it super easy to communicate with your network for whatever you need:

  • Send branded, personalized welcome emails when new affiliates join your program.

  • Send onboarding emails to help your affiliates learn more about your program, your brand and how to use their affiliate dashboard.

  • Send reminders to affiliates who have not completed their payment information.

  • Send a monthly newsletter to keep affiliates engaged and informed.

  • Send exclusive offers to affiliates for new products or special commission incentives.

  • (Advanced) Automate email notifications when affiliates reach new bonus tier milestones.

Where to add the affiliates in MailChimp

Before you start, decide if you'd like your affiliates to be in a new list or a new group within MailChimp. If you are also using MailChimp to market to your customers, then we do recommend creating a separate list for your affiliates, which allows unsubscribes to be handled separately.

Please note: Once set up, this integration will automatically add newly accepted affiliates to your specified list or group in MailChimp. If you have any affiliates in Refersion that have been previously accepted into your program - prior to setting up this connection - then they will need to be added to MailChimp separately.

Making the connection

To set up the integration, you’ll first want to grab your MailChimp API key and List ID from MailChimp. The List ID specifies where you’d like the affiliate details to be added. Copy them to your clipboard or jot them down to use in the next step.

Note: MailChimp users with Manager permissions can generate and view their own API keys. Users with Admin permissions will also see API keys for other account users.

Get your API Key

  1. Click this link to navigate to the API Keys section of your MailChimp account.

  2. Copy an existing API key or click the Create A Key button.

  3. Since you’ll need a new key for any integrations you set up, be sure to name this one (and others) descriptively, so you know which key belongs to each integration.

Get your List ID

  1. Click the Audience icon.

  2. Click All contacts.

  3. If you have more than one audience, click the Current audience drop-down and choose the one you’re looking for.

  4. Click the Settings drop-down and choose Audience name and defaults

  5. In the Audience ID section, you’ll see a string of letters and numbers - that’s what you’re looking for. Copy it for the next step.

Adding your MailChimp details to Refersion

Log into your Refersion account and go to Account > Settings > MailChimp.

Change the Enable MailChimp setting to Yes and enter your MailChimp API Key and List ID to specify where to send the affiliate details.

Once you have entered your MailChimp API key and list ID in Refersion, then click Save Changes.

Merge Tag Mapping

MailChimp provides Merge Tags in order for you to be able to dynamically add content - such as the recipient’s name - to your messages. In this step you’re mapping the information sent from Refersion to the correct fields in MailChimp.

Once you’ve clicked Save Changes above you’ll see the Merge Tag Mapping fields appear. You’ll simply need to choose the Refersion Affiliate Value that matches correctly to the Merge Tag from MailChimp. Common examples are first name, last name, Offer ID, Registration Date and Account Status

You can also add new merge tags in MailChimp by going to Settings > Audience fields and *|MERGE|* tags tab, scrolling to the bottom, and clicking Add a Field.

Important notes about mapping Merge Tags:

A few nuances to keep in mind for this mapping are listed below.

  • Address fields in Refersion (Address 1, Address 2, City, State and Country) are set up as text fields in MailChimp. So instead of choosing the Address field type while in MailChimp, you'll want to add a text field and rename it to something like Address_txt.

  • If you are mapping the Registration Link from Refersion to MailChimp, be sure that the Field Type is set to text (instead of Website).

  • If you are mapping the Discount Code to MailChimp, be sure that the Field Type is NOT set to Required in the MailChimp's List fields and *|MERGE|* tags settings.

Check out this article from MailChimp to learn more about Merge Tags.

Once done click Save Changes and you're set - any new affiliates will now be added to your MailChimp list automatically when accepted into your program!

Questions? Email us at helpme@refersion.com.

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