How to require new subscribers to request access to your newsletter

You can require subscribers to request access to join your mailing list, regardless of whether your newsletter is private or public. 

Instead of automatically joining after entering their email, you can require that new subscribers must request access to your publication. This feature is ideal for building exclusive communities around your newsletters.

1. Go to the bottom of the left hand panel in your account and click on Settings.
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. From Settings, click on Publication in the left panel.
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Your Publication settings will open on the General tab. Scroll down to find Require Subscriber Approval, then toggle the option on so that it shows as checked. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. When this option is enabled, anyone who visits your homepage will be met with an Approval Required message letting them know that they need to request access.
   
   
   

 

 

 

5. When new subscribers enter their email into the subscribe request form, they will show up in your subscriber list with the call to action Needs Approval as their status.
   
   
   
   
   
   
6. You can approve or deny subscribers by clicking into their subscriber page and selecting the desired action from the Approve dropdown menu on the right.
   
   
   
   
   
   
7. New subscribers will receive an email notification when you approve them.

You can also sort your subscriber list by Status to make it easier to see all subscribers who are awaiting approval with the Needs Approval tag.

 

Once you approve a subscriber, they will be added to your mailing list and receive access to your site and publication. You can deny, unsubscribe, and delete people from your list at any time. 

Frequently asked questions about requiring subscribers to request access

Can I set up subscriber requests for both public and private newsletters?

Yes, you can set this up for both private and public newsletters. However, the Private Publication toggle is separate from the Require Subscriber Approval toggle that is outlined above. 

Can I create subscriber requests for just the premium tier of my publication?

No; currently, toggling on subscriber requests will apply to all tiers of your publication.

How do recommendations work if I require subscriber approval?

You will still be able to be recommended by other publications, and other publications can still recommend you. There will be a note indicating that your publication requires approval when other publications recommend you.