How to switch to EmailOctopus from Mailerlite

Moving from MailerLite to EmailOctopus is simpler than you might think. This guide covers everything you need to do – setting up your account, exporting your MailerLite contacts, importing them into EmailOctopus, and sending your first campaign. For most people, the whole process takes under an hour, without a disruption to your subscribers.

Before you start: differences between MailerLite and EmailOctopus

Before you start the switch, it’s worth knowing that MailerLite and EmailOctopus use slightly different language for the same things.

The most important thing is that MailerLite uses groups to manually organise subscribers into categories, and segments as dynamic, rule-based filters. EmailOctopus uses tags in a similar way to MailerLite's groups – you apply them to your contacts to organise your list, and then use segments to filter by those tags or other criteria like engagement, date added, etc.

Additionally, Mailerlite’s ‘Workflow emails’ are called ‘Automations’ on EmailOctopus. Other features share similar names. You can refer to our glossary for more details.

Features MailerLite has that EmailOctopus doesn't

At EmailOctopus, we focus on email marketing, so a few things MailerLite offers aren’t part of what we do – website building, built-in blogs, selling digital products, paid newsletter subscriptions, and an AI writing assistant. If those features are part of your current setup, you'll want to find alternatives before making the move. For most of those gaps, our integrations page is a good place to start.

If you mainly use MailerLite for sending campaigns, growing your list, and running automations, you'll find everything you need here.

Step 1: Set up your EmailOctopus account

Sign up for a free EmailOctopus account if you haven't already – it only takes a couple of minutes. Once you fill in your details, we'll automatically pull your branding from the website you provide during sign up, so your templates are ready to go straight away.

Domain verification

You can skip this step if you don't own a domain. Read why it's worth verifying it in this article.

Before importing any contacts, verify your sending domain if you own one. Domain verification tells inbox providers like Gmail and Outlook that the emails you send are safe and legitimate – it's one of the most effective things you can do for deliverability from day one, and it’s fairly easy to set up.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to verify your domain in EmailOctopus.

You may have already verified a domain in MailerLite – the process is similar in EmailOctopus, though you'll need to add the DNS records again for the new platform.

Two-factor authentication (2FA)

While you're getting set up, enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure. You can follow this guide to set that up.

Step 2: Clean your list before migrating

This is optional, but it can make a huge difference to how your emails perform after you switch.

If your MailerLite subscriber list includes people who haven't opened an email in six months or more, it's worth deciding what to do with them before you move. Inbox providers use engagement as a signal of trust – sending to a list with a large chunk of inactive contacts can affect your deliverability, regardless of which platform you're sending from.

In MailerLite, you can easily find inactive subscribers using its built-in segments.

1. Head to the Subscribers page, and look for the Clean up inactive tab:

2. This pre-built segment targets subscribers who were sent emails in the last 6 months or more and have not engaged with any of your X campaigns – you can select from the last 10 to 100 campaigns.

3. Once you select your filters, you can click Unsubscribe inactive to remove them from your list right away. You can also use the dropdown arrow to save your inactive subscribers as a segment instead – you can later select it and run a re-engagement campaign on MailerLite, or a win-back campaign, as it’s called there. Make sure to unsubscribe any contacts who don’t interact with it, and then export them.

Step 3: Export your MailerLite data

Contacts

You'll need a couple separate exports: one of your active subscribers and then of your unsubscribed, complained and bounced contacts.

Exporting your subscribed contacts

1. Head to the Subscribers page in your MailerLite dashboard.

2. In the subscriber status dropdown, select Active subscribers.

3. Click the downward-facing arrow above the subscriber list to select all.

4. Make sure your groups are included. Click Set columns and enable the Groups field, as well as any other fields you want to include. This ensures that each subscriber's group is visible in your CSV, so you can recreate that structure as tags in EmailOctopus.

5. Click Actions and choose Export CSV.

6. Download the file once it's ready.

Exporting unsubscribed, bounced and complained contacts

Repeat the same steps, but filter by Unsubscribed, Bounced and Complained instead of Active subscribers. You'll use each of these files in the next step to build your suppression list.

Custom fields

MailerLite's default fields – things like location, phone number, or any data you've collected through your forms – will be included in your CSV export. You'll map these to corresponding fields in EmailOctopus during import – some of MailerLite’s fields will have to be created by you manually, since we don’t offer them by default.

Campaign reports

If there are campaign reports you'd like to refer back to, export them from MailerLite before you close your account. It can be useful when working out which segments of your list are most engaged.

1. To export that data, head to the Campaigns tab in the sidebar, and use the dropdown next to your campaign to generate its report:

2. Make sure to download your file when it’s ready.

Step 4: Import your unsubscribed contacts first

Before bringing across your active list, import your unsubscribed, bounced and complained contacts and mark them as unsubscribed during the process.

This step is worth doing first – once those contacts are in EmailOctopus, their status will be remembered by our system. It means that even if they appear in a future import, they won't get resubscribed. It keeps you from accidentally reaching contacts who've bounced or opted out, and having your sender reputation start in good shape from day one.

1. Go to the Contacts tab in EmailOctopus and choose Add contacts from the dropdown.

2. Upload your file of unsubscribed contacts. Make sure to mark them as Unsubscribed and click Next.

3. Map the fields from your export to the fields in EmailOctopus, or create new ones, and finish the import.
4. Repeat this process for bounced and complained contacts.

You can also follow this guide about bulk-unsubscribing as you go.

Step 5: Import your active subscribers

With your suppression list in place, you're ready to bring your main list across. Check out our guide on importing contacts for full step-by-step instructions.

Before you start the import, consider how you’re going to handle your groups. In EmailOctopus, tags work like MailerLite groups – they're a way to manually categorise subscribers with short labels, so you can target specific audiences or exclude them from campaigns.

Your exported CSV will have a 'groups' column that separates each group with a semicolon.

If you want to import them as tags, EmailOctopus will expect commas instead, so you'll need to make one small edit before importing – open the file and replace all semicolons in that column with commas. This video guide shows how to replace semicolons with commas in your file – give it a watch.

Then, when you import, map the 'groups' column to 'comma-separated tags' and your groups will come across as tags without any issues.

1. Go to the Contacts tab and choose Add contacts from the dropdown.
2. Upload your file of active subscribers and choose the Subscribed status.
3. Map the fields from your MailerLite export to the corresponding fields in EmailOctopus. This includes first name, last name, any custom fields, and the Groups column if you included it.
4. Finalise the import.

Once the import is complete, your contacts will appear in your EmailOctopus list with their data intact.

Recreating your MailerLite segments in EmailOctopus

MailerLite segments are rule-based and update automatically as subscriber data changes. Segments work exactly the same in EmailOctopus – they can filter by tags, engagement data, custom fields, and more.

Head to the Contacts dropdown in the sidebar, go to Segments and click Create segment to get started. This article on segmentation explains what's available.

Step 6: Update your sign-up forms and landing pages

If you have MailerLite sign-up forms or landing pages embedded on your website, replace them with EmailOctopus forms so new subscribers are added to the right place.

In EmailOctopus, go to the Grow tab to create a new landing page or sign-up form. Once you're happy with it, swap out the embed code on your site. This guide on adding form code to your website can be helpful.

If you have a custom form connected to the MailerLite API, check our API documentation and form integrations for how to connect it to EmailOctopus instead.

Step 7: Recreate your templates and automations

Automations

If you have automation workflows running in MailerLite – welcome sequences, nurture flows, post-purchase follow-ups – rebuild them in EmailOctopus so new subscribers don't miss anything while you're getting set up.

Using your MailerLite automations as reference, go to the Automations tab in EmailOctopus and rebuild your sequences. This Knowledge Base article on triggers and actions available in automations can be a handy guide as you set them up.

Templates

Email templates built in MailerLite's drag-and-drop editor can't be exported as files – you'll need to recreate them in EmailOctopus's editor. Our drag-and-drop editor is really easy to navigate, and there are tons of pre-made templates to help you get started.

If you built custom HTML templates in MailerLite, you can copy and paste the HTML directly into our Code your own editor. Make sure to replace any MailerLite merge tags (like {$subscriber.name | default:""}) with the equivalent EmailOctopus customisation merge tags, like {{FirstName}}. Check our customisation cheatsheet and make sure the required footer merge tags are in place.

Step 8: Send your first campaign

With everything in place, you're ready to send!

Start with your most engaged subscribers rather than your full list. When you move to a new email platform, inbox providers may take a little time to become familiar with your new sending setup. Beginning with contacts who regularly open your emails, and expanding to the rest of your list over the first few weeks, gives you the best possible start.

To create your first campaign, navigate to the Campaigns tab and follow this guide to get started.

Great job, you just switched to EmailOctopus! 🎉

Keeping your sender reputation healthy after the switch

Moving platforms is a good moment to build habits that will serve you well in the long run. A few things worth focusing on once you're up and running:

1. Send on a consistent schedule. Weekly or monthly – whatever suits your audience – is one of the most effective things you can do for deliverability. Inbox providers respond well to regular, predictable senders, and it gives them enough details about your practices and content to assess your sender reputation.
2. Warm up your domain if you plan to send a larger volume. This gradually builds your sender reputation with inbox providers and improves your chances of landing in the inbox. More on how to do that in this warm-up guide.
3. Keep your list clean. EmailOctopus handles all bounces and complaints automatically, but regularly suppressing contacts who haven't engaged in 90 days or more helps protect your sender reputation. Inbox providers check for engagement, too, so keep that in mind as you start sending. We talk about this in detail in this article.
4. Monitor your metrics. Open rates, click rates, bounces, and complaints give you an early signal if something's off. The Reports tab in EmailOctopus gives you a clear view of how each campaign performs.
5. Only send to people who've opted in. Emailing contacts who haven't given permission is one of the fastest ways to damage your sender reputation – and what can go wrong in one send can take much longer to undo.

For more on maintaining a healthy sending reputation, this article is a good read – make sure to check it out.

Frequently asked questions

Will my subscribers know I've switched from MailerLite?

Your subscribers receive emails from your domain or sender address, not from MailerLite or EmailOctopus directly. As long as your domain is verified, the switch is basically invisible to them. If you use our free Starter plan, we require a link back to EmailOctopus in your footer – that'd be the only visible difference.

Will I lose my custom field data?

No, as long as you include your custom fields in the CSV export from MailerLite and map them correctly during import. Any fields that don't already exist in EmailOctopus can be created during the import process.

What happens to my MailerLite groups?

MailerLite groups can’t be directly imported to EmailOctopus, but tags work in exactly the same way. Make sure the Groups column is visible in your MailerLite export (via Set columns), and then apply the corresponding tags when you import your contacts. You can then create segments in EmailOctopus that filter by tag, just as you'd use a segment in MailerLite to filter by group.

For the exact instructions on how to manage groups, see Step 5 on importing contacts.

What about my MailerLite segments?

MailerLite segments are rule-based and can't be exported directly – you'll need to recreate the filter logic in EmailOctopus. EmailOctopus's segmentation supports similar criteria: engagement data, tags, custom fields, subscription date, and more.

Is the ‘X’ MailerLite feature available on EmailOctopus?

EmailOctopus is an email-focused platform, so we don't have a website builder, blog, or paid newsletters. If you used any of those in MailerLite, you'll need to find a new home for them – WordPress and Squarespace are both popular choices. We do have landing pages and sign-up forms, so the subscription source is covered, but if you're unsure whether a specific feature you relied on is available, just ask – we're happy to help you figure out what we support and what might need a workaround.

Can I sell digital products or create paid subscriptions through EmailOctopus?

EmailOctopus doesn't have built-in digital product selling or paid newsletter subscriptions. If you use those features in MailerLite, you'll need a separate tool – Gumroad, Stripe, and Patreon are commonly used alongside EmailOctopus for monetisation. Have a look at our integrations page to check what’s available.

How long does the migration take?

For most people, the full process takes under an hour. Larger lists may take a little longer to export and import, but the steps are straightforward.

Can I import my email templates?

Drag-and-drop templates from MailerLite can't be exported as files, so you'll need to recreate them in the EmailOctopus editor. Custom HTML templates can be copied directly across into our Code your own editor, with a quick check to replace MailerLite-specific merge tags.

For more details on templates, check Step 7.

If you need a hand at any point during your migration, our support team is happy to help. You'll also find detailed guides for every step in our Knowledge Base or you can ask our AI chatbot in the dashboard.

Happy emailing!