Getting started with Zapier and Mailchimp

This guide explains how to connect Mailchimp with Zapier so you can automate email marketing tasks and keep your contact data in sync across apps.

By the end, you will know how to create a connection, choose Mailchimp triggers and actions, test your workflow, and handle common errors safely.

What you need before connecting Mailchimp to Zapier

Before you build your first workflow, make sure the following requirements are in place:

• An active Mailchimp account with permission to add integrations.
• At least one audience (list) set up in Mailchimp.
• A Zapier account with access to create new Zaps.
• A stable internet connection and a supported web browser.

Having these ready will make the connection process smoother and help you avoid basic setup issues.

How to connect Mailchimp to Zapier

To start using Mailchimp inside Zapier, you must connect your Mailchimp account from within the editor.

Step 1: Create a new Zapier workflow

1. Sign in to your Zapier account.
2. Click the button to create a new Zap (workflow).
3. Name your workflow so it is easy to recognize, for example, “Mailchimp subscriber sync”.

Once the blank workflow opens, you can add Mailchimp as either the trigger app or the action app.

Step 2: Add Mailchimp as a Zapier app

1. In the trigger or action search bar, type “Mailchimp”.
2. Select the Mailchimp app from the results.
3. Choose the event you want to use, such as “New Subscriber” or “Add/Update Subscriber”.

Zapier will prompt you to connect a Mailchimp account if you have not already done so.

Step 3: Authorize Mailchimp inside Zapier

1. Click Sign in to Mailchimp when prompted.
2. A new window will open asking for your Mailchimp username and password.
3. Review the access permissions requested.
4. Approve access so Zapier can interact with your Mailchimp account.

After approval, your Mailchimp account will appear in the list of available connections. You can reuse this connection in multiple workflows.

Choosing Mailchimp triggers in Zapier

Triggers start your automated workflow whenever something specific happens in Mailchimp. You select one trigger per Zap.

Common Mailchimp triggers available in Zapier

• New Subscriber: Fires when a new contact is added to an audience.
• Updated Subscriber: Runs when subscriber information changes.
• New Campaign: Triggers when you create a new email campaign.
• New Cleaned Subscriber: Activates when a subscriber’s email address is cleaned and no longer deliverable.

Different plans and Mailchimp features may influence which events are visible. Within Zapier, you can always search the trigger list to see the most current options.

How to set up a Mailchimp trigger in Zapier

1. In the Zap editor, set Mailchimp as your trigger app.
2. Pick the trigger event that matches your use case.
3. Select the connected Mailchimp account.
4. Configure trigger options, such as which audience or segment to watch.
5. Click Test so Zapier can pull a recent sample record from Mailchimp.

The pulled sample data lets you map fields correctly when you add actions later.

Using Mailchimp actions in Zapier

Actions are tasks that Zapier performs in Mailchimp after the trigger event occurs. You can add one or more actions to the same workflow.

Popular Mailchimp actions in Zapier

• Add/Update Subscriber: Add new subscribers or update existing subscribers in a chosen audience.
• Add Subscriber to Tag: Apply tags to subscribers to help with segmentation.
• Unsubscribe Email: Remove a contact from an audience when certain conditions are met.
• Create Campaign: Prepare a draft campaign based on data from other apps.

Each action has fields you can map using information from previous Zap steps, such as email address, name, or custom data.

How to configure a Mailchimp action with Zapier

1. Add a new action step in the Zap editor.
2. Choose Mailchimp as the action app.
3. Select the desired action event.
4. Pick your connected Mailchimp account.
5. Choose the audience, tags, or campaign settings required for the action.
6. Map fields using data from the trigger step or earlier actions.
7. Run a test to confirm that Zapier sends data correctly to Mailchimp.

If the test is successful, you will see the new or updated data in your Mailchimp account almost immediately.

Testing and turning on your Zapier workflow

Testing ensures your Mailchimp automation behaves as expected before it affects real subscribers.

1. Use test data or a sample contact in the trigger app.
2. Run each step test in Zapier and review the output.
3. Check your Mailchimp audience, tags, or campaigns to verify the changes.
4. When everything looks correct, turn the workflow on.

Once the Zap is on, new trigger events will automatically create or update data in Mailchimp according to your configuration.

Fixing common Mailchimp and Zapier issues

If your workflow does not behave as expected, look for these common issues first.

Connection and permission problems

• Make sure your Mailchimp login is still valid.
• Reauthorize the connection in Zapier if you have changed your Mailchimp password or permissions.
• Verify that the Mailchimp user has access to the audience or campaign you are using.

Audience, tag, or field errors

• Confirm you selected the correct Mailchimp audience and tag in each step.
• Check that required fields, such as email address, are mapped correctly from the trigger data.
• Review field formats (for example, date formats or dropdown options) to match what Mailchimp expects.

Finding more help for Mailchimp with Zapier

If you still experience issues, you can review the official setup details and error guidance in the original Mailchimp integration documentation provided by Zapier support. That page includes the most current notes about supported triggers, actions, and limits.

Improving your Mailchimp automation with Zapier

Once your first workflow runs reliably, you can build additional automations based on your marketing goals.

• Sync new leads from forms or CRMs into a Mailchimp audience automatically.
• Apply tags when customers purchase products, then trigger nurture campaigns in Mailchimp.
• Update subscriber details when records change in other business tools.
• Log campaign activity into spreadsheets or project tools for reporting.

If you need advanced automation strategy or implementation support, consider consulting a specialized automation agency such as Consultevo, which can help design scalable workflows for your organization.

Next steps for using Mailchimp with Zapier

To recap, you learned how to connect Mailchimp to Zapier, choose appropriate triggers and actions, test your workflow, and troubleshoot common problems. With this foundation, you can build reliable automations that reduce manual work and keep your email marketing data accurate.

Start by automating one simple process, verify that it runs correctly, and then expand into more complex workflows as your familiarity with Zapier and Mailchimp grows.

Need Help With Zapier?

Work with ConsultEvo — a

Zapier Certified Solution Partner

helping teams build reliable, scalable automations that actually move the business forward.

Get Zapier Help