# Setting up your welcome email

## Article Contents

- [Quick tips to get you started](/content/support/article/12314772394519-setting-up-your-welcome-email#h_01JDJJ1F3N6Y88WTZG6YMCMH1X-quick-tips-to-get-you-started/index.html)
- [How to set up your welcome email](/content/support/article/12314772394519-setting-up-your-welcome-email#h_01JDJJ1F3N3CZCJASMJJ4ZQTAD-how-to-set-up-your-welcome-email/index.html)

An effective welcome email should set the stage for what your newsletter is all about and what a new subscriber should expect from your communications.

As the first email a new subscriber will receive from you, it’s an important part of your publication. The welcome email serves to greet, thank, and introduce the subscriber to your newsletter's content, fostering a positive initial connection and providing essential onboarding information.

[**Quick tips to get you started**](/content/support/article/12314772394519-setting-up-your-welcome-email#h_01JDJJ1F3N6Y88WTZG6YMCMH1X-quick-tips-to-get-you-started/index.html)

- **Set subscribers up for success:** Your welcome email is an excellent opportunity to encourage new subscribers to [safelist your email and mark it as important,](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/12313963921815) ensuring they receive future emails.
- **Personalize the experience:** You can use [merge tags](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/25846316892055) in your welcome emails to personalize your readers’ experience. For example, if you collect your subscribers’ first name in a [subscribe survey](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/21900901004311), you can then add that to your welcome email [using custom fields](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/7712894720023) and merge tags.
- **Keep it short and meaningful:** If you’re planning to create a welcome email series, it’s important to balance delivering valuable information with keeping the messages concise. We recommend setting up a series of 3 to 5 emails [using automations](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/18743686099991).
- **Check out the beehiiv Blog for welcome email inspiration:**  
  - [How To Make The Best First Impression With A Welcome Email](https://blog.beehiiv.com/p/start-newsletter-successful-welcome-email-template)  
  - [How To Write a Welcome Email Template That Gets Results](https://blog.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-email-template)  
  - [10 Welcome Emails To Build Trust for the Long-Term](https://blog.beehiiv.com/p/welcome-emails)

**Tech Note:** After creating your welcome email, remember to complete the process by toggling on the option to **Enable a welcome email that is sent to new subscribers**. This option (found in step 11 below) can only be toggled on after the welcome email has been fully set up.

* * *

[**How to set up your welcome email**](/content/support/article/12314772394519-setting-up-your-welcome-email#h_01JDJJ1F3N3CZCJASMJJ4ZQTAD-how-to-set-up-your-welcome-email/index.html)

01. From the left panel dashboard, scroll down and select **Settings.**

02. Your publication settings will open. Select [**Emails**](https://app.beehiiv.com/settings/publication/emails) from the left panel.

03. Scroll down to the **Preset Emails** section. Under **Welcome Email**, click **Configure Welcome Email**.

**Important Note:** The option to enable your welcome email can only be toggled on after the welcome email has been fully set up.

If your welcome email is already set up, the **Configure Welcome Email** button will change to **View Welcome Email**. To edit an existing welcome email, click **Edit Email**.

04. On the [**Welcome Email Edit**](https://app.beehiiv.com/settings/publication/emails/welcome_email) page, add a **Subject Line** and **Preview Text**.

05. In the **Content** box, create your email content. Type **/** to access the editor and make a selection to start creating your content.

06. Once you are satisfied with your welcome email, click **Preview** to see how the finalized email will appear.

07. You’ll be taken to a preview of your email. On the left, click **Desktop** or **Mobile** to see how your email will look on different device types.

08. To preview how your [personalization with merge tags](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/25846316892055) will appear, select a subscriber from the dropdown menu. This will simulate the personalization using the custom field information associated with the chosen subscriber.

09. To exit the preview, click the **X icon** in the top right corner of the preview modal.

10. When you have finished setting up your welcome email and have ensured that the preview is to your liking, go to the bottom and click **Save**.

11. In your publication settings, navigate back to **Emails**, and then scroll back down to the **Present Email > Welcome Email** section.

Once your email is configured, toggle on **Enable a welcome email that is sent to new subscribers** to activate it.

**Reminder:** Your welcome email won’t be sent to new subscribers until this option is enabled.

**Note:** If a subscriber signs up after you’ve enabled this toggle, but doesn't receive the welcome email, see [Reasons your welcome emails may not have sent](https://beehiivhelp.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/12314708619159) for common causes and fixes.

12. Once your welcome email is set up, the **Configure Welcome Email** button will be replaced with **View Welcome Email**. Click **View Welcome Email** to access and review it.

13. You will see a preview of your welcome email along with tabs to track its performance (outlined below). To make changes, click **Edit Email**.