Shopify Mailchimp Integration: Complete Email Marketing Guide (2025)

Mailchimp remains one of the most popular email marketing platforms for Shopify stores. While Shopify now offers native email marketing, many merchants prefer Mailchimp for its advanced automation, segmentation, and template design capabilities.

Shopify

integrates with

Mailchimp

Marketing 4.7

Why Integrate Shopify with Mailchimp?

Related: Klaviyo Shopify Email Flows: Welcome, Cart & Post-Purchase (2025), Shopify Omnisend Integration: Email & SMS Marketing (2025), favicon converter.

Email marketing drives significant revenue for ecommerce stores:

Mailchimp integration enables:

• Automatic customer sync from Shopify to Mailchimp
• Purchase-based segmentation
• Abandoned cart recovery emails
• Product recommendations based on purchase history
• Post-purchase follow-up sequences

Mailchimp vs Shopify Email

Related: Seguno setup guide, connect Klaviyo with Shopify.

Before integrating Mailchimp, consider whether you need it:

Choose Mailchimp if:

• You need advanced automation sequences
• You have audiences outside Shopify
• You want sophisticated A/B testing
• You need landing page functionality

Stick with Shopify Email if:

• You’re just starting with email marketing
• Your needs are basic
• You want the simplest possible setup

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Related: Shopify Instagram Integration: Shopping Tags & Selling Guide (2025), Shopify Facebook Integration: Ads, Shop & Pixel Setup (2025), Shopify Pinterest Integration: Pins, Ads & Shopping Setup (2025).

Step 1: Install the Mailchimp App

1. Go to the Shopify App Store
2. Click Add app
3. Review permissions and click Install app
4. You’ll be redirected to Mailchimp for authentication

Step 2: Connect Your Mailchimp Account

1. Sign in to your Mailchimp account (or create one)
2. Select the audience to connect with Shopify
3. Authorize the connection
4. Wait for initial data sync to complete

Note: If you have an existing Mailchimp audience, contacts will be matched by email address.

Step 3: Configure Sync Settings

In the Mailchimp app settings, configure:

Customer Sync:

• Enable automatic sync of new customers
• Choose whether to sync guests (recommended: yes)
• Set default marketing status for new contacts

Product Sync:

• Enable product catalog sync
• Select which products to include
• Configure product image settings

Order Sync:

• Enable order history sync
• Set sync frequency (real-time recommended)

Step 4: Set Up E-commerce Tracking

Enable enhanced tracking for better attribution:

1. In Mailchimp, go to Connected Sites
2. Find your Shopify store
3. Enable E-commerce tracking
4. Configure tracking settings:
   • Track product views
   • Track cart additions
   • Track purchases

Step 5: Create Your First Automation

Start with these essential automations:

Welcome Series:

Trigger: Customer subscribes
Email 1 (Immediate): Welcome + discount code
Email 2 (Day 3): Brand story + best sellers
Email 3 (Day 7): Social proof + product education

Abandoned Cart:

Trigger: Cart abandoned (1 hour)
Email 1 (1 hour): "You left items behind"
Email 2 (24 hours): Reminder with product images
Email 3 (72 hours): Urgency + possible incentive

Essential Email Automations for Shopify

1. Welcome Sequence

The most important automation—new subscribers are most engaged immediately after signing up.

Tips:

• Include a discount in email 1 (10-15% typical)
• Keep welcome series to 4-5 emails max
• End with a clear CTA to shop

2. Abandoned Cart Recovery

Recover lost revenue from cart abandonment:

Email 1: Cart reminder (1 hour after abandonment)
- Subject: "Forget something?"
- Include: Cart contents, product images
- No discount yet

Email 2: Social proof (24 hours)
- Subject: "Still thinking about it?"
- Include: Product reviews, benefits
- Optional: Free shipping reminder

Email 3: Urgency + incentive (72 hours)
- Subject: "Last chance: 10% off your cart"
- Include: Discount code, urgency
- Clear expiration on offer

3. Post-Purchase Sequence

Build loyalty and encourage repeat purchases:

4. Win-Back Campaign

Re-engage customers who haven’t purchased recently:

Segment: Last purchase > 90 days ago

Email 1: "We miss you"
- Personalized content
- What's new since they left

Email 2: "Here's something special"
- Exclusive offer (15-20% off)
- Time-limited

Email 3: Final attempt
- Stronger incentive
- "We want you back"

Audience Segmentation Strategies

Use Shopify data in Mailchimp for smart segmentation:

By Purchase Behavior

By Product Interest

Running Shoes Buyers
→ Send: Running gear promotions, race calendars
→ Exclude: Walking shoe promos

Coffee Beans (Monthly)
→ Send: Subscription offer, new roasts
→ Timing: Every 25-30 days

Electronics Buyers
→ Send: Accessory cross-sells, warranty info
→ Timing: 1-2 weeks after purchase

By Engagement

Advanced Integration Features

Product Recommendations

Mailchimp can auto-generate product blocks based on:

• Purchase history: “Based on your past orders”
• Best sellers: “Customer favorites”
• Browse behavior: “You recently viewed”
• Complementary products: “Pairs well with your purchase”

Setup:

1. Enable e-commerce tracking
2. Add Product Recommendation content block in email builder
3. Choose recommendation type
4. Set number of products to display

Predicted Demographics

Mailchimp uses AI to predict customer attributes:

• Predicted age range
• Predicted gender
• Likelihood to purchase again
• Customer lifetime value prediction

Use these for:

• More targeted ad campaigns
• Personalized email content
• Lookalike audience creation

Transactional Emails

While Shopify handles order notifications, you can enhance with Mailchimp:

• Add branded transactional templates
• Include product recommendations in order confirmations
• Track transactional email engagement

Note: Requires Mailchimp Transactional (Mandrill) add-on.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: Contacts Not Syncing

Possible causes:

• App disconnected
• Sync disabled in settings
• Mailchimp audience is full (free tier)

Solutions:

1. Check app connection status in Shopify admin
2. Verify sync settings are enabled
3. Check Mailchimp audience limits
4. Force manual sync from app settings

Issue: Duplicate Contacts

Possible causes:

• Customer used multiple emails
• Pre-existing contacts in Mailchimp
• Multiple Shopify stores connected

Solutions:

1. Use Mailchimp’s merge feature for duplicates
2. Set up contact matching rules
3. Clean up audience before connecting

Issue: Abandoned Cart Not Triggering

Possible causes:

• E-commerce tracking not enabled
• Customer not cookied/identified
• Automation not active

Solutions:

1. Verify e-commerce tracking is enabled
2. Check automation is published and active
3. Ensure customer entered email before abandoning
4. Review automation trigger conditions

Issue: Revenue Not Attributed

Possible causes:

• Tracking code blocked
• UTM parameters stripped
• Attribution window too short

Solutions:

1. Ensure Mailchimp tracking code is installed
2. Check UTM parameter preservation
3. Extend attribution window in settings
4. Verify connected site configuration

Mailchimp Pricing for Shopify Users

Recommendation for Shopify stores:

• Start free until you hit 500 contacts
• Move to Standard for full automation features
• Premium only for large, sophisticated operations

Alternatives to Consider

If Mailchimp doesn’t fit your needs:

See our Klaviyo Shopify integration guide for the most popular Mailchimp alternative.

Best Practices

List Building

• Use Shopify’s popup tools or Mailchimp forms
• Offer clear value for signup (discount, exclusive content)
• Set expectations about email frequency
• Use double opt-in for quality list

Email Frequency

• New subscribers: 2-3 emails in first week
• Engaged customers: 2-4 emails per week
• Less engaged: 1-2 emails per week
• Segment by engagement to avoid fatigue

Content Quality

• Mobile-first design (60%+ opens on mobile)
• Clear, single CTA per email
• Personalize beyond just first name
• Test everything before sending

Deliverability

• Maintain list hygiene (remove bounces, inactive)
• Warm up sending gradually
• Monitor spam complaints
• Authenticate your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC)

2025 Snapshot

Next Steps

After setting up Shopify-Mailchimp integration:

1. Set up essential automations - Welcome series and abandoned cart first
2. Import historical data - Sync past orders for better segmentation
3. Create key segments - VIP, at-risk, new customers
4. Design branded templates - Consistent look across all emails
5. Schedule regular campaigns - Weekly or bi-weekly newsletter

# List the 5 most recent orders (GraphQL)
curl -X POST "https://your-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2025-01/graphql.json" \
  -H "X-Shopify-Access-Token: $SHOPIFY_ADMIN_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{\"query\":\"{ orders(first: 5, sortKey: CREATED_AT, reverse: true) { edges { node { id name createdAt totalPriceSet { shopMoney { amount currencyCode } } customer { email } } } } }\"}"

Sources

• Mailchimp pricing
• Mailchimp Help Center: Connect or disconnect Mailchimp for Shopify
• Shopify Help Center: Apps