Shopify Email setup: Complete guide to sending like a pro (2026)

You’ve worked hard to launch your online store and maybe even made a few first sales. However, how will you stay in touch with customers? You’ll need to send confirmations, promotions, and updates that look professional and trustworthy.

Shopify Email setup is the first step to creating a direct communication channel with your customers. This built-in email tool lets you create and send campaigns directly from your dashboard.

You may see it labeled “Shopify Messaging” in the App Store. It provides an email template library, a simple editor, and basic Shopify email marketing workflows for creating professional emails.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to set up your Shopify email account correctly, connect and verify your domain, handle authentication, and understand pricing. We’ll also discuss when upgrading to a more advanced tool might be the best choice.

This guide is for new Shopify store owners setting up email for the first time and existing merchants assessing their current setup.

Shopify Email requirements

Before you start sending campaigns with Shopify Email, ensure your store meets a few basic requirements. 

For you to be able to set up Shopify Email, first make sure that you:

• Have a paid plan: You can only send messages to subscribers using Shopify Email if your store has a paid Shopify plan (starting from $27/month)
• Consider trial plan implications: If you’re on a Shopify free trial, you won’t have access to Shopify Email’s sending capabilities and will see this message:

• Install the email app separately: You’ll need to download and install Shopify Email independently, then connect it to your store
• Understand the correct name: Even though many merchants search for “Shopify Email,” the app appears in the App Store as “Shopify Messaging”

• Set up proper domain authentication: Before you send any message, verify your sending domain to protect your brand and improve deliverability

Shopify Email setup: Step-by-step guide

This Shopify Email setup takes about 10–15 minutes. Follow the steps below.

Step 1 — Installation

To set up the Shopify Email app, follow these steps:

• Log in to your Shopify account, navigate to the App Store, and install the Shopify Email app:

• Shopify will then redirect you to the Shopify Email Overview page, as shown below:

Step 2 — Set your Sender email

• Check your Shopify dashboard sidebar and go to Apps > Email > Settings:

• Navigate to the Sender email option in the Shopify Email settings. Click Manage in notification settings:

• Set your Sender email address in the settings. You will receive this verification email:

• Click Verify email to complete the setup!

Step 3 — Change your store email (optional)

At this stage, you might want to change your store email address so that it’s different from your Sender email. To update your Shopify store’s contact email:

• Navigate to your Shopify dashboard and select Settings, then choose General
• Locate the Store details section and click the edit icon (pencil) next to your store name
• Update the email field labeled Store email with your new address:

• Save your changes
• Check your email inbox for a confirmation message
• Click the verification link in the email to complete the process 

Once you’ve set your Shopify email address, you can start sending messages. However, to receive email, you need to take a few more steps in your Shopify Email setup.

Shopify doesn’t provide email hosting services. However, you can create custom email addresses using your domain (like [email protected]) and then forward emails sent to those addresses to your existing email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.).

Step 4 — Test your first email

Before launching, send a test email.

• On your Shopify dashboard, navigate to Marketing > Campaigns > Create campaign:

• Choose a Shopify email template, and add your logo, products, and message
• Use the Preview option to check how it looks on desktop and mobile
• Then, enter your own email address and click Send test:

• Open the test email and carefully review everything — links, images, and formatting

This concludes your Shopify Email setup. You can now start sending real campaigns to your customers. 

Shopify Email pricing: How much does it actually cost?

Shopify charges you based on the number of emails you send. It uses a pay-as-you-go model that scales with your email volume. 

What you get for free

• First 10,000 emails/month: Every paid Shopify plan includes 10,000 free emails each month. You don’t pay anything until you go over that limit.
• Abandoned checkout emails: Shopify doesn’t count cart recovery emails toward your monthly limit. You can send as many as possible without extra charges.

Once you exceed the free limit, you’re required to pay a specific fee for extra emails sent.

Here’s a breakdown of Shopify Email pricing:

Shopify offers tiered volume discounts that reward higher sending levels. The more emails you send, the less you pay per 1,000 emails.

Key rules to remember

• Shopify counts emails per recipient, not per campaign. So, if you send one newsletter to 5,000 subscribers, that counts as 5,000 emails toward your free limit.
• Unused free emails don’t roll over to the next month. Instead, they become invalid, and you get a fresh batch of 10,000 emails at the beginning of the next month.

Let’s look at a simple example to help you understand Shopify Email pricing better:

If you send two campaigns to 6,000 subscribers each, that’s 12,000 total emails for the month. Here’s what you’d pay:

• The first 10,000 emails are free
•  2,000 extra emails at $1/1,000 emails translates to $2 

Shopify Email vs third-party apps

Most third-party platforms like Omnisend charge based on subscriber count instead of email volume. For example, if you have 5,000 subscribers, you pay a flat monthly fee regardless of whether you send one email or twenty.

Shopify Email’s volume-based pricing can become expensive if you send frequent automations or multiple campaigns monthly. It’s best if you’re just starting out and only send a few targeted campaigns. 

For heavy, advanced automations and frequent promotions, subscriber-based pricing offers better value for money.

Shopify business email and domain configuration

You want professional-looking emails to enhance credibility and build trust with your customers. 

Instead of sending messages from a generic Gmail address, you can use a Shopify business email. It’s a custom address like [email protected] that matches your store name.

Since Shopify isn’t an email hosting provider, you can manage communications through email forwarding or by connecting a third-party tool. 

Here’s what you need:

• A Shopify-managed domain (not a third-party domain)
• An existing email account (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) to forward messages to

How to set up email forwarding

If you bought your domain through Shopify, you can create a custom email address and forward emails to your existing inbox (like Gmail or Outlook).

Follow these steps to set up Shopify Email forwarding:

1. Navigate to Settings > Domains in your Shopify admin dashboard 
2. Click on the domain you want to create the custom email address for
3. Under Email forwarding, click Add forwarding email
4. Enter the name you want just before the @ symbol (like “info” for [email protected])
5. Enter your existing destination email address where you want messages delivered (like [email protected]), then click Save

Shopify will now forward incoming emails to your regular inbox.

Important notes:

• You can create multiple addresses (like support@, sales@, hello@), but each one can only forward to one inbox
• Due to strict security settings, AOL and Yahoo accounts don’t work as receiving addresses
• When you reply to a forwarded message, customers will see your personal Gmail or Outlook address rather than your custom business domain

When to use third-party email hosting

Shopify email forwarding is ideal for basic communication, but it becomes limiting as your store grows. 

If you want to maintain professional email communication using a branded domain, you need third-party email hosting.

It allows you to:

• Send professional emails that show your custom domain in replies
• Create separate inboxes for team members
• Organize messages with folders and filters
• Access advanced business features like shared calendars and cloud storage

Shopify supports Zoho Mail and Google Workspace as third-party email hosting service providers. 

To set up Shopify Email hosting through third-party apps, follow the process below:

1. Choose your email hosting service provider (Google Workspace or Zoho)
2. Create your custom email address in your chosen platform
3. Verify your domain by copying the TXT record or meta tag provided by your host
4. Go to your Shopify admin, then click Settings > Domains and add the TXT record or meta tag
5. Under the Email forwarding section, click Switch to email hosting
6. Complete the provider’s setup steps and test your email 

Note: Setup details vary by provider, so follow their documentation for exact instructions.

Email forwarding vs third-party hosting: Quick comparison

Shopify email authentication: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC

Gmail and Yahoo now require email authentication to deliver messages from your business domain. Without proper setup, your Shopify emails will struggle with deliverability by landing in spam folders and getting rejected.

When authentication fails, Shopify automatically rewrites your sender address to something like [email protected]. So, instead of your professional domain, customers see this generic address. 

To avoid that, you need to authenticate your domain using Shopify DKIM settings.

Understanding authentication protocols

Your Shopify SPF record, DKIM, and DMARC protocols authenticate your emails and determine what happens when emails are received. Think of email authentication as a three-part security system for every message you send:

• SPF is your ID card: The Shopify SPF record tells inbox providers which servers can send emails on your behalf
• DKIM is your wax seal: This adds a unique digital signature that proves the message came from you and wasn’t changed in transit
• DMARC is the security guard: It tells receiving servers what to do if SPF or DKIM authentication fails (reject, quarantine, or let the email through).

All three authentication protocols work together to protect your domain and improve deliverability for your Shopify emails.

How to authenticate your domain

You need an active paid Shopify subscription to add authentication records. If you already have one, follow these steps to set up SPF and DKIM using Shopify’s CNAME method:

• Go to Settings > Notifications in your Shopify admin
• Find your sender email section and click the Authenticate your domain link

• Shopify will generate CNAME records to add to your domain provider’s DNS settings
• Log in to your domain provider’s control panel and add those CNAME records exactly as Shopify shows them
• Save changes and wait for DNS updates to process (usually 48 hours)

Adding a DMARC record

Domains purchased through Shopify already have default DMARC TXT records. You can edit yours under Settings > Domains > Edit DNS if necessary.

If your domain comes from another provider, you can add the record manually by following this DMARC setup guide:

• In your domain provider’s DNS panel, add a new TXT record

• Add _dmarc as the record’s name
• Enter v=DMARC1; p=none; as the value

This setting monitors authentication without blocking messages. You can tighten the policy later once you understand your email patterns.

Verifying your authentication setup

Once you’ve updated your settings, use tools like MXToolbox or DMARC Analyzer to confirm that your Shopify Email setup works. Simply enter your domain, and these tools will scan your DNS records to show any missing or broken authentication settings.

Note: Platforms like Omnisend automatically handle SPF and DKIM authentication after you connect your domain, removing the need for manual DNS configuration.

What can you do with Shopify Email? (Features overview)

Shopify Email offers basic features to create and send professional email campaigns. You can manage workflows and track results without leaving your Shopify dashboard.

Here are some of its features: 

• Drag-and-drop editor: Shopify Email includes an intuitive drag-and-drop editor with 80+ ready-made email templates. You can choose a layout, insert product blocks, add text, and adjust buttons without coding:

• Brand integration: The app automatically pulls your logo, brand colors, and product images from your store settings. This saves time and ensures your Shopify email campaigns consistently match your brand’s aesthetic.
• Basic segmentation: You can group subscribers based on purchase history, location, and email engagement (opens and clicks). This helps you send more relevant messages to specific segments. 
• Pre-built automations: With Shopify Email, you get basic, ready-made automation workflows for welcome series, abandoned checkout reminders, and win-back emails. Here’s an example of a cart recovery automation flow:

• Campaign scheduling: You can schedule campaigns. Shopify Email also offers send-time optimization powered by Sidekick AI. It suggests the best time to send emails for better engagement.
• A/B testing: If you want to know which subject lines get the most engagement, Shopify Email offers basic A/B testing. You can test two variations and see which does better.
• Simple analytics: Ensuring the effectiveness of your Shopify email marketing campaigns requires you to monitor several key metrics. This helps you see what’s working and reveals areas of improvement. 
• SMS marketing: Shopify recently added SMS after rebranding to Shopify Messaging. This adds another way to reach customers, though it works separately from email marketing automation.

Is Shopify Email a good fit for you?

Shopify Email vs. Omnisend: When to upgrade

Shopify Email is suitable for email marketing beginners. It’s built into your store, requires minimal setup, and offers up to 10,000 free emails monthly. 

The app also offers simple newsletter templates and email automations for welcome flows and abandoned cart reminders. 

However, as your store grows and needs become more complex, basic Shopify marketing emails may not be enough. The Shopify Email marketing app lacks advanced multi-step automation workflows that cover the whole customer journey. 

Email marketing for Shopify also offers basic segmentation by purchase history and location, but it lacks advanced targeting options. Plus, it’s limited to email and SMS marketing, while advanced tools offer additional channels like push notifications and social media. 

Key signals it’s time to upgrade

Consider switching to more advanced tools like Omnisend if:

• You regularly exceed Shopify Email’s 10,000 free emails limit 
• You want multi-step workflows with conditional branching (if/then splits) based on customer behavior
• You want to combine email, SMS, and push notifications in one automation workflow
• You need deeper segmentation by engagement level, predicted lifetime value, or RFM (recency, frequency, monetary value) analysis
• You spend time on manual campaign tasks that should run automatically
• You want detailed revenue tracking per message, automation, and channel

Feature comparison table

Here’s a table comparing Omnisend and Shopify Email:

Making the switch

If you decide to upgrade to an advanced tool, Omnisend is a Shopify Email alternative worth considering. 

Here are some of its notable features:

• Shopify Email integration: Omnisend offers a direct Shopify Email marketing integration through the Shopify App Store. You install it in one click, and it automatically imports your customer profiles, order history, and product catalog.
• Advanced segmentation and automation: Access pre-built audience segments grouped by purchase frequency, email engagement patterns, seasonal buying behavior, geographic location, or product category preferences:

Once you have segments, you can build customer journeys with conditional splits that branch based on behavior, trigger filters that activate workflows from actions, and exit conditions that stop messaging to prevent overload:

• Multichannel capabilities: Omnichannel marketing lets you combine email, SMS, and push notifications in unified automated workflows using Omnisend’s drag-and-drop automation builder: 

You can send a cart abandonment email, follow up with an SMS reminder, and then deliver a post-purchase message thanking your customer.

• Email list-building tools: Omnisend offers popups, embedded signup forms, teaser banners, landing pages, and even gamified “Wheel of Fortune” forms to capture subscribers. Here’s an example of a Wheel of Fortune template from Omnisend:

Email marketing Shopify strategies can produce significant results. According to our latest report, automated messages generate 30% of all email sales despite making up only 2% of total sends. 

When you use Omnisend for Shopify, you can build targeted, multichannel journeys that drive more revenue with less effort. Plus, unlike other platforms that lock features behind paid plans, Omnisend includes all essential features even in its free plan. 

Wrap up

Setting up Shopify Email correctly ensures your customers receive timely messages, which is important for the growth of your ecommerce store.

By configuring your sender email, setting up forwarding, and adding authentication records, your messages go straight into every subscriber’s inbox.

Whether you’re launching your first campaign or managing thousands of subscribers, the right email setup can generate real revenue. 

Your tools should evolve with your marketing needs. Start simple, track results, and upgrade when you need more complex features.

When you’re ready for advanced automation and multi-channel capabilities, Omnisend’s free plan lets you get started without financial risk.

FAQs