How to add a Shopify newsletter signup form that converts in 2026

Adding a Shopify newsletter signup form provides one of the highest returns for your store. While social media reach shifts with every algorithm update, your email list stays completely in your control.

According to Omnisend’s research, email click-to-conversion rates grew by 27.6% in 2025. A well-designed Shopify newsletter is where this growth begins.

There are two main ways to build one. You can use Shopify’s built-in tools, such as the Shopify Forms app, to set up a straightforward setup. Alternatively, you can use a platform like Omnisend for advanced targeting, more design control, and built-in automation.

We cover both in this guide. Here’s what you’ll find inside:

• Why your Shopify newsletter needs a well-designed signup form
• Step-by-step setup for both Shopify’s native tools and Omnisend
• Proven email capture strategies to grow your list faster
• Real signup form examples and common troubleshooting steps

Why you need a Shopify newsletter signup form

Every visitor to your store is a potential customer. However, most of them will leave during their first visit without buying.

A Shopify newsletter signup form lets you stay in touch with visitors long after they’ve left. 

Unlike social media, where your reach depends on an algorithm you don’t control, email is a channel you own outright. Even if a platform changes its rules tomorrow, your Shopify newsletter list stays intact.

This is why email is one of the most reliable revenue channels for Shopify store owners.

According to Omnisend’s internal data, merchants on paid plans averaged $79 in revenue for every dollar spent on email marketing in 2025. Email consistently delivers the highest ROI among any marketing channel.

Here’s a signup form example from Omnisend to provide some inspiration: 

Key benefits of Shopify newsletter signup forms

A well-placed Shopify email subscription form does more than collect addresses. Here’s what it actually delivers for your store:

• Capture leads and grow your email list: Every subscriber is a potential repeat buyer. The bigger your list, the more people you can reach with every campaign you send.
• Stay in direct contact with customers: Email lets you communicate with your audience on your own terms. You won’t have to pay for reach or compete with other content in a crowded feed.
• Increase customer retention: Regular, well-timed emails keep your brand in front of past buyers and give them reasons to come back. That repeat traffic adds up to meaningful revenue over time.
• Build real brand advocates: Subscribers who find value in your Shopify newsletters become active promoters. They share your products with friends, leave positive reviews, and generate word-of-mouth referrals that cost you nothing to acquire.

Every visitor who leaves your store without joining your Shopify newsletter is a missed opportunity. 

A strong email capture strategy starts with getting the form right. That’s exactly what we’ll cover in the rest of this guide.

Ways to add a newsletter signup on Shopify

There are two main approaches to adding a Shopify newsletter signup form:

• Shopify’s native tools (including the Shopify Forms app)
• Third-party apps like Omnisend

Shopify’s native tools offer basic setup with limited customization, while third-party apps provide advanced targeting, automation, and design control. The best option depends on your specific goals.

Using Shopify’s native features

Most modern Shopify themes for Online Store 2.0 include a built-in newsletter signup section. Only Online Store 2.0 themes support these flexible blocks. Older themes may require custom code to add Shopify newsletter sections.

Shopify also offers its own free Forms app that lets you create popup and embedded forms directly from your dashboard.

This app provides basic targeting options like time delays and scroll triggers, but it’s somewhat limited in advanced segmentation, A/B testing, and automation.

It integrates with your Shopify customer list but requires separate apps, such as Shopify Email and Shopify Flow, for email campaigns and automated workflows.

Embedded forms are subtle and stay out of the way, but they’re also easy to miss. On the flip side, Shopify newsletter popups grab attention and drive higher signup rates.

In the graph below, you can see how popup forms consistently outperform embedded forms in generating daily signups:

Shopify newsletter popups convert better because of three key factors:

• Visibility (they appear in the center of the screen)
• Trigger-based timing (they show at optimal moments like exit-intent or after scrolling)
• Behavioral targeting (they can be customized based on visitor type)

Understanding the Shopify Forms app

The Shopify Forms app is available in the Shopify App Store. It installs directly into your dashboard. This app lets you create both popup and embedded forms without coding.

You can customize basic elements like field selection, button colors, and trigger timing based on time delays or scroll percentage.

Forms sync directly with your Shopify customer list, making it easy to see your subscribers. You can also collect email addresses, phone numbers, and custom fields depending on what information you need.

While the Shopify Forms app works well for straightforward email collection, it has some constraints. For example, the template library offers fewer design options compared to dedicated form builders.

The app also doesn’t support A/B testing, so you can’t compare different form versions to see which performs better. For automation beyond basic email collection, you’ll need additional apps, such as Shopify Flow.

If you only need basic email collection with simple triggers, the Shopify Forms app should suffice. However, as your marketing needs grow, you may find these constraints limiting.

Using third-party apps like Omnisend

If you need features like A/B testing or gamified forms for your Shopify newsletter, third-party apps like Omnisend are worth considering.

Omnisend’s form builder includes 80+ templates, advanced targeting rules such as exit intent and visitor segmentation, and pre-built automation workflows that automatically trigger welcome emails.

These features translate to measurable results, such as:

• Higher conversion rates from optimized forms
• Time saved through automation
• Revenue growth from targeted follow-up campaigns

Omnisend expands on Shopify Forms features with its additional capabilities. Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:

Here’s a quick video tutorial on how to design Shopify newsletter signup forms:

The next sections cover setup instructions for both the Shopify Forms app and Omnisend. We’ll also compare both and share newsletter best practices to optimize your Shopify newsletter signup form for conversions, automation, and revenue growth.

How to set up a Shopify newsletter signup form

Shopify’s native form builder, the Shopify Forms app, can create and manage basic signup forms. Its advantage is that it lives within your Shopify dashboard, so you don’t need to access another tool.

Here’s what it looks like:

Step-by-step Shopify Forms app setup guide

Here’s how to set up a Shopify newsletter signup form using the Shopify Forms app:

Step 1: Log in to Shopify

Step 2: Search for Forms in the search bar at the top of your dashboard:

Step 3: Select Shopify Forms. After this, the Shopify App Store will load the Forms app page. This is Shopify’s official app for building signup forms.

Step 4: Click the Install button. You’ll then be taken back to your Shopify Store within the Forms dashboard:

Step 5: Select Create form. You’ll see a popup asking you to choose a form type and name it. You can create either a popup form or an embedded form, depending on where you want it to appear:

Step 6: Make a choice and select Create to head to the Forms editor. Pick the form type that matches your goals. Popups tend to get more attention, while embedded forms are less intrusive.

Step 7: Customize your form using the Forms editor. This editor provides a live preview on the right side of the screen. On the left, you’ll find options to customize these elements:

• Teaser
• Form
• Fields
• Button label
• Consent disclaimer
• Success action
• Styling

Customize your form to match your branding and requirements. Here’s an example:

Step 8: Click Save

Customizing your Shopify Forms app settings

After saving your form, you’ll be taken to the overview page, where you can find several settings to fine-tune. The teaser display option lets you control what visitors see before the full form appears. This works like a preview that encourages people to engage.

You can set timing triggers to determine when your popup shows up. The Shopify Forms app lets you choose between:

• Time-based delays: Show the form after a set number of seconds
• Scroll-based triggers: Wait until someone scrolls a certain percentage down the page

These triggers help you catch visitors at the right moment without being too aggressive.

The consent disclaimer section is where you can add information about how you’ll use subscriber data. This is important for GDPR compliance and building trust with your audience. Make sure the language is clear and matches your privacy policy.

You can also choose what happens after someone submits the form, such as: 

• Showing a thank-you message
• Redirecting to a specific page
• Displaying a discount code

Note that the Shopify Forms app has some limitations. For starters, the template library is limited. There’s also no built-in A/B testing, which makes it harder to determine which form designs work best.

Activating the form on your store

After fine-tuning your settings, you can make the form live:

Step 9: Click Save > Go to online store — you’ll see this on the form overview page:

Once you click it, the page will load your theme customization panel:

Step 10: Look for the Forms app embed toggle in your theme settings and switch it to the “on” position

Step 11: Click Save to activate the app embed and make your Shopify signup form live

That’s it! Your Shopify Forms app should now be live. You can view and edit your forms by clicking Apps in the sidebar and selecting Forms in the dropdown to view all.

The Shopify Forms app works well for basic email collection. However, it doesn’t support A/B testing or showing different versions to specific customer segments, such as VIP shoppers versus first-time visitors.

The next section covers Omnisend setup for stores that need these additional features.

How to add Omnisend newsletter signup forms

Omnisend offers 80+ signup form templates for embeds, landing pages, popups, and flyouts. These templates offer single and multi-step forms that collect a phone number after the email address.

Creating a form on Omnisend is intuitive. The drag-and-drop editor lets you quickly build forms that match your brand without needing coding:

Unlike Shopify Forms, Omnisend keeps all your forms, emails, and contacts in one unified dashboard.

Here’s an example of a multi-step form template:

Connecting Omnisend to your Shopify store

Before you can create forms, you must connect your Shopify store to Omnisend. There are two ways:

Via Shopify:

1. Log in to your Shopify store
2. Search for Omnisend in the top search bar, and click the app
3. Click Install on the Shopify App Store page
4. You’ll get redirected back to your dashboard
5. Click Install again and follow the steps to create an Omnisend account

Via Omnisend:

1. Visit the Omnisend website
2. Create an account by clicking the Start Free button
3. Select Sign up with Google or Sign up with Email
4. Follow the signup steps
5. The first page you’ll see has a button that says Connect your store, click it
6. Select Shopify > Connect store
7. Install the Omnisend app through the Shopify App Store

Once you’re connected, Omnisend automatically syncs your customer data, past orders, and product catalog. This means you can start segmenting your audience and building targeted campaigns.

If you run into any issues during setup, Omnisend offers 24/7 support on all plans. You can reach out anytime via live chat or email.

Creating your first signup form

Omnisend’s form builder makes it easy to create forms that fit your brand and goals. The drag-and-drop interface is intuitive, so you can build professional forms even if you’ve never designed one before.

Here’s how to build your first form:

1. Navigate to Forms. It’s at the top menu in your Omnisend dashboard.

2. Select View forms or View other form types if there’s a recommendation. Here’s an example:

3. Choose a form template. Omnisend will recommend forms based on your goals and industry. You can browse by goal, theme, type, and form settings.

4. Hover over any form. Select Use template to load the editor.

5. Edit your form to match your brand, message, and use case. The editor includes pre-built elements you can add with one click. Options include text blocks, images, legal consent checkboxes, discount codes, countdown timers, and the Wheel of Fortune.

6. Click Enable form once you’re done customizing. You should find it in the top menu. 

Your form will now appear on your Shopify store according to your targeting rules. Check its performance anytime in the Forms dashboard, where you’ll see each form’s views, submissions, and submission rate.

Setting behavior and targeting rules

One of the biggest advantages of using Omnisend over Shopify’s native tools is its advanced targeting:

Under the Behavior settings in the sidebar, you can control exactly when, where, and to whom your form appears:

• The Scheduling feature lets you set start and end dates for time-sensitive campaigns. This is perfect for Black Friday promotions, product launches, or seasonal offers that should only run during specific windows.
• The Display options let you choose triggers like exit intent, scroll percentage, or time on page. You can combine several triggers to catch visitors at the perfect moment.
• The Targeting options let you show different forms to first-time visitors vs. returning customers. You can also target based on the traffic source.
• The Visibility settings let you control which devices see your form. You can show one version on desktop and a different, mobile-optimized version on phones and tablets.
• The Frequency controls let you set how often a form reappears to visitors who don’t subscribe. You can choose intervals like once per session, daily, or weekly to avoid overwhelming people:

You can also choose specific pages where your form should or shouldn’t appear. For example, you might want a discount popup on product pages but not on your checkout page.

Once someone subscribes through your form, you can trigger pre-built automation workflows like welcome series, discount delivery, or product recommendations.

How to optimize forms for Shopify newsletter list growth

You can grow your Shopify newsletter and increase signups with well-designed forms that appear at the right moments.

These Shopify newsletter optimization tactics — from CTAs to mobile popup design — help you capture emails from visitors who might otherwise leave without subscribing.

Here are some popup form best practices to help you create Shopify forms that convert.

Use minimal steps and fields

A single-step Shopify newsletter signup form should include two fields: name and email.

Omitting the name field will limit your ability to personalize welcome email messages. On the other side, asking for too much information will hurt your conversion rate.

The same logic applies to phone numbers. If you want both an email address and a phone number, create a multi-step form that captures the email first. Then, ask for the phone number on the next step.

Each added field reduces your conversion rate. Keep it simple and only ask for what you need.

Incentivize signups with discounts or rewards

Your website visitors are far more likely to subscribe to your Shopify newsletter if there’s something in it for them. Offering a discount on their first purchase, free shipping, or buy-one-get-one-free are all effective incentives.

Other reliable incentives include competitions, monthly freebies, rewards programs, VIP access, and early access to new product launches. Research shows that incentive-based tests increase conversion rates by 91% compared to forms without incentives.

Make sure your incentive is visible and compelling. Put it in your headline, not buried in the fine print.

Gamify your forms

Gamification reduces friction during signup by making the process fun. A high-converting popup example is the Wheel of Fortune form, which asks visitors to enter their email address and spin to win a prize.

Here’s a template example from Omnisend:

Omnisend provides single and multi-step Wheel of Fortune forms with 10+ templates. Each is editable using the drag-and-drop editor, so you can customize the prizes, colors, and copy to match your brand.

Optimize your CTAs for conversions

CTA buttons with actionable language, such as “Claim offer” and “Enter to win,” have higher conversion rates than passive ones like “Submit” and “Proceed.” The language should tell people exactly what they’ll get when they click.

The color of your buttons should also stand out against the form background. Think black buttons on white forms or pink buttons on black backgrounds.

Here’s an Omnisend template example:

Test different CTA copy to see what resonates with your audience. Sometimes, a simple “Get my discount” outperforms clever phrases.

Set appropriate display rules

Display rules define when your Shopify newsletter signup forms appear to visitors. Your form could show based on time spent on the page, scroll depth, number of page visits, or exit intent.

Time-based triggers work well for blog content where people spend several minutes reading. Scroll-based triggers are effective on product pages where engagement signals interest. Omnisend has checkboxes for quickly setting these rules:

There isn’t a universal display rule that works for every store. So, test different triggers and see which one brings in the most signups without annoying your visitors.

Optimize for mobile devices

Statista reports that nearly 80% of ecommerce traffic comes from mobile devices. That’s why forms need to be optimized for mobile devices. 

Mobile users have less screen space and use their thumbs to navigate. Make sure your CTAs are full-width on mobile, so they’re easy to tap. Use larger tap targets for buttons and input fields. Anything smaller than 44×44 pixels is hard to tap accurately.

Also, keep your form copy short and scannable. Test your forms on actual devices, not just in a browser’s mobile view. You can also use device-specific display rules in Omnisend to show different forms to mobile versus desktop visitors.

Here’s a mobile newsletter signup example from Holo Taco:

A/B test popup forms

Popup forms can be intrusive, but with the right copy, visuals, and promotions, they can grow your contact list without hurting your customer experience.

Use Omnisend’s A/B testing feature to compare popup forms and find the winning versions. Test two variations with different messaging, design, timing, and incentives.

Run your tests for at least a week to gather enough data. Look at both the signup rate and the quality of subscribers.

For more tips, check out this video:

Obtain legal consent

Consent capture can be a legal requirement before sending your Shopify newsletter commercial emails. While the CAN-SPAM Act doesn’t require explicit consent, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) does. GDPR requires clear opt-in with no pre-checked boxes or implied consent.

If your business falls under a regulation requiring consent, comply with it to avoid privacy breaches and costly regulatory fines.

Using double opt-in is also a good practice because it helps keep your email list clean by filtering out fake addresses and spam bots. Omnisend lets you customize the confirmation email and landing page for better brand consistency.

Best Shopify newsletter signup form examples

Check out these Shopify email newsletter forms to inspire your own.

1. Bombas

Type: Popup

Trigger: Floating icon, click to open

Sock and apparel brand Bombas has a two-step Shopify signup form on its store. It leads with a valuable question, “Want 20% Off Your First Order?” and asks the user to click yes or no.

Clicking “Yes, Please” loads the second step in the form:

Users must submit their email address to get the discount. Once they do, they receive the 20% off code and are added to Bombas’ newsletter list.

Key takeaways:

• Two-step forms help secure small commitments before requesting email addresses
• Offer percentage discounts to provide clear value in exchange for contact information
• Design contrasting button styles to direct attention toward signup and away from exit

2. Rachel Riley

Type: Flyout

Trigger: Floating icon, click to open

Children’s clothing brand Rachel Riley uses a single-step signup form to capture an email address and phone number. The form has a 50-50 image-to-text split and a “GET YOUR 10% OFF NOW” incentive to encourage signups.

There’s a checkbox for capturing opt-in consent and a link to the company’s privacy policy page to build trust and reduce friction.

The image shows children wearing Rachel Riley products, reinforcing the brand’s positioning around classic, elegant children’s wear.

Key takeaways:

• Design a simple single-step form with a percentage discount to create immediate value
• Include privacy links and consent checkboxes to build trust
• Add relevant product images to reinforce brand positioning during the signup process

3. Ceramic Grill Store

Type: Popup

Trigger: Page load

Kitchen accessories retailer Ceramic Grill Store uses a multi-step Wheel of Fortune form that requires an email and name before you can spin. Users must also agree to receive news and offers, opting them into the newsletter with minimal friction.

Participation provides a chance to win free shipping, freebies, discounts, or gift cards. After spinning the wheel, another form loads:

However, submitting a phone number is optional. Clicking “Skip this step” reveals the discount code.

Key takeaways:

• Add games to make subscribing an interactive experience
• Require consent during signup to build mailing lists while providing rewards
• Make phone number submission an optional, secondary step to keep the focus on email

Troubleshooting common Shopify newsletter form issues

Between theme settings, app options, and integrations, small oversights can prevent your Shopify newsletter signup form from working as it should.

Below are the most common issues Shopify store owners run into and how to fix them.

Form not showing up on your site

Issue: You added a Shopify newsletter signup form, but it doesn’t appear on your website

Solution: If you’re using the built-in Shopify Forms app, activate the app embeds in your theme customizer and save your changes:

Your Shopify email popup might not appear if you’re viewing it as a logged-in admin. Confirm that your signup form is placed on the correct page and view it using a different browser.

Popup not appearing at the right time

Issue: Your popup isn’t triggering as intended

Solution: This happens when your Shopify newsletter signup form is set to specific pages or display triggers. Review your form’s display settings to confirm its behavior.

If you’re using email automation software like Omnisend, check the trigger settings. If it’s set to exit-intent, try moving your mouse toward the browser’s close button to see if it appears. Use an incognito window to confirm the form triggers correctly for first-time visitors.

New signups not being added to your list

Issue: Customers are submitting the form to join your Shopify newsletter, but their email addresses aren’t showing up on your list

Solution: Confirm the Shopify newsletter signup form code action URL is correct. If you’re using Omnisend, ensure the integration is active — sometimes new installs take time to sync.

Also, check whether double opt-in is enabled. If so, the contact won’t appear on your list until they confirm their subscription via email. This extra verification step helps keep your list clean, but requires the subscriber to take action first.

If you’re experiencing ongoing issues with signups not appearing, it could also be related to email segmentation filters or subscriber status settings that are hiding new contacts from your main view.

Form styling and CSS code examples

Issue: The form looks messy, overlaps with content, or doesn’t match your theme

Solution: Styling issues are usually caused by CSS conflicts between your form and theme. While Shopify Forms has limited styling options, you can adjust the color settings or switch to full-width in the editor.

If you’re customizing the Shopify newsletter form code, wrap your form in a unique container class and use custom CSS to override theme defaults. This lets you control spacing, alignment, font sizes, and colors without affecting other elements.

If you’re working with Shopify newsletter form code in Liquid, make sure it’s in the correct section of your theme file. Placing it in the wrong location can cause layout issues.

You can also target specific form elements with CSS selectors to adjust padding, margins, and positioning.

If styling issues persist, consider using a platform with a built-in responsive design. For instance, Omnisend includes templates that adapt to different screen sizes and themes. This also helps ensure proper email deliverability by maintaining properly formatted code.

Choosing the right signup form tool for your Shopify store

Selecting the right tool to create your Shopify newsletter signup form impacts your email list growth and marketing outcomes. With so many Shopify newsletter apps available, the right choice depends on your store size, marketing goals, and the level of customization required.

Here’s a comparison of the features of each platform.

Feature comparison: Shopify Forms vs Omnisend

Shopify’s built-in forms and the Shopify Forms app integrate straight into your dashboard. They’re easy to set up, as you don’t need to create a new account or learn a new interface.

Omnisend requires you to set up a separate account. However, its dashboard keeps all your forms, emails, and contacts in one place.

If you’re looking for a simple solution, Shopify Forms offers basic popups and embedded forms. However, it offers less design flexibility and a limited template library.

Meanwhile, Omnisend comes with 80+ customizable templates and different form styles, including:

• Popups
• Embedded forms
• Landing pages
• Flyouts 
• Gamified forms

Omnisend provides pre-built automation workflows for various use cases. After customers sign up, you can automatically follow up with:

• Welcome series
• Abandoned cart reminders
• Promotional emails
• Post-purchase follow-ups

With Shopify Forms, you’ll need Shopify Flow (only available on specific plans) to automate basic welcome emails.

For pricing, at 5,000 contacts sending 20,000 emails per month, Shopify Email costs around $10 after the free tier.

Omnisend’s Standard plan at similar contact levels starts at $59/month. However, it includes automation workflows, A/B testing, and advanced segmentation.

Given that Omnisend merchants average $79 in revenue for every dollar spent on email, the added features often justify the cost difference for growth-focused stores.

When to use Shopify’s native tools

Consider using the Shopify Forms app if:

• You’re just starting and need a free, integrated solution
• Your store has basic list-building needs without complex segmentation
• You want everything managed from your Shopify dashboard
• You’re comfortable with limited design and targeting options

When to upgrade to Omnisend

Migrate to Omnisend for more advanced needs, such as these:

• You need advanced targeting like exit-intent, scroll triggers, or visitor segmentation
• You want access to 80+ pre-built templates and gamified forms
• You’re ready to automate welcome series, abandoned cart emails, and post-purchase campaigns
• You need A/B testing to optimize form performance and conversion rates
• You want 24/7 support on all plans

The decision ultimately comes down to where you are in your growth journey. Shopify’s native tools work well for companies that are just getting started. Omnisend becomes essential if you’re ready to scale your email marketing.

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