How to Use Kit Step by Step (Beginner Guide)

Learning how to use Kit step by step (beginner guide) starts with one key fact: Kit (formerly ConvertKit) is built specifically for creators and bloggers, not e-commerce stores or enterprise teams. The free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers [verify], includes unlimited broadcasts, and lets you create one automation. That makes it a strong starting point before you need to spend anything.

Photo: RDNE Stock project (Pexels)

This guide covers every stage — account creation, subscriber forms, email broadcasts, sequences, and automations — in plain language. No assumed experience required.

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What Kit actually is (and who it’s built for)

Kit is an email marketing platform designed around creator businesses: bloggers, podcasters, course sellers, and newsletter writers. It competes directly with GetResponse, AWeber, Brevo, and ActiveCampaign, but its interface is deliberately simpler.

The core model is subscriber-centric, not list-centric. Instead of juggling multiple lists, you have one list and use tags and segments to organize contacts. That single design decision saves beginners from a lot of confusion.

Kit vs. the alternatives at a glance

Platform	Starting Price	Free Plan Limit	Best For	Standout Feature
Kit (ConvertKit)	$0 (free) / $25/mo (Creator)	10,000 subscribers [verify]	Bloggers, creators, newsletter writers	Visual automation builder
AWeber	$0 (free) / $15/mo	500 subscribers	Small businesses, solopreneurs	Pre-built email templates
GetResponse	$0 (free) / $19/mo	500 contacts	Marketers running webinars + email	Built-in webinar hosting
Brevo	$0 (free) / $25/mo	Unlimited contacts (300 emails/day)	High-volume senders on a budget	SMS + email in one plan
ActiveCampaign	$15/mo (no free plan)	None	Advanced segmentation, CRM users	Deep conditional logic

Kit is not the cheapest option for pure volume (Brevo wins there), and it’s not the most powerful for CRM-style workflows (that’s ActiveCampaign). But for a blogger who wants clean automations without a steep learning curve, it’s a very capable starting point.

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How to use Kit step by step (beginner guide): account setup

Step 1: Create your free account

Go to kit.com and click Get started free. You’ll enter your name, email address, and a password. Kit then asks two onboarding questions:

1. Are you new to email marketing? — answer honestly; it adjusts the dashboard hints.
2. What type of creator are you? — blogger, podcaster, coach, etc.

This takes under two minutes. No credit card required for the free plan.

Step 2: Set up your sender profile

Before sending anything, fill in your sender name and reply-to address under Settings → Email. This is also where you add your physical mailing address — a legal requirement under CAN-SPAM in the US.

Use a domain-based email address (e.g., hello@yourblog.com) rather than a Gmail account. Domain emails improve deliverability and look more professional.

Step 3: Authenticate your domain

Kit prompts you to add DKIM and SPF records to your domain’s DNS settings. This is a technical step, but most hosting providers (Bluehost, SiteGround, Hostinger) have simple DNS editors. Kit gives you the exact record values to paste in.

Skip this step and your emails are more likely to land in spam. It’s worth doing on day one.

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Building your first opt-in form

A form is how you collect email addresses. Kit separates forms into two types: inline (embeds inside a blog post) and landing page (a standalone page hosted by Kit).

Step 4: Create a form

1. Click Grow → Landing Pages & Forms in the left sidebar.
2. Select Create new → Form.
3. Choose a template. The Minimal template works well for inline embeds; the Modal type shows as a popup.
4. Edit the headline, description, and button text in the right panel.
5. Under Incentive, toggle on a lead magnet if you’re offering a freebie. Upload a PDF or link to a Google Drive file.
6. Set a success message or redirect URL for after someone subscribes.

Step 5: Embed the form on your site

Kit generates an embed code under Publish → Embed. Copy the JavaScript snippet and paste it inside a blog post using your WordPress editor’s Custom HTML block.

If you use Elementor Pro or Thrive Architect, both have HTML widget options for the same purpose. Alternatively, Kit’s WordPress plugin (available in the WordPress plugin directory) lets you embed forms without touching code.

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Writing and sending your first broadcast

A broadcast is a one-time email you send to your list — like a newsletter issue or a product announcement. It’s different from a sequence (which is automated).

Step 6: Create a broadcast

1. Go to Send → Broadcasts → New broadcast.
2. Choose your editor style. Kit’s default is the text-based editor — minimal formatting, high deliverability. For visual layouts, switch to the block editor.
3. Write your subject line. Keep it under 50 characters for mobile readability.
4. Add preview text — the short snippet visible in inbox previews below the subject line.
5. Write the body. Kit’s text editor supports bold, links, images, and basic dividers. Avoid image-heavy designs for newsletters; plain text typically gets higher open rates.

Step 7: Choose your audience

Under Recipients, you can send to:
– All subscribers — your entire confirmed list.
– A segment — subscribers who match a specific filter (e.g., tagged “downloaded-freebie”).
– A specific tag — e.g., only subscribers tagged “webinar-attendee”.

On the free plan, segments are limited. The Creator plan ($25/month, billed monthly) unlocks full segmentation.

Step 8: Send or schedule

Use Send now to send immediately, or Schedule to pick a date and time. Kit shows an estimated send time based on your subscribers’ time zones — a useful feature even on the free plan.

After sending, the Reports tab shows open rate, click rate, and unsubscribes per broadcast.

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Setting up an email sequence

A sequence is a series of pre-written emails that go out automatically when triggered. Common uses: a welcome series, a 5-day email course, or a post-purchase follow-up.

Step 9: Create a sequence

1. Go to Send → Sequences → New sequence.
2. Name it (e.g., “Welcome series – new subscribers”).
3. Add your first email. Set a send delay — “0 days” means it goes immediately when a subscriber enters the sequence.
4. Add subsequent emails with increasing delays: Email 2 at 2 days, Email 3 at 5 days, and so on.
5. Set each email’s status to Published when it’s ready to go. Drafts won’t send.

Kit sequences use the same editor as broadcasts. Each email in the sequence can have its own subject line and preview text.

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Building your first automation

This is where Kit separates itself from simpler tools. The visual automation builder lets you connect triggers, actions, and conditions without writing code.

Step 10: Open the automations builder

Go to Automate → Visual automations → New automation. Kit offers a few templates:

• Welcome new subscribers — adds them to a sequence when they confirm.
• Tag-based nurture — sends content based on a tag a subscriber receives.
• Free course delivery — drips out emails to anyone who requests a lead magnet.

For most beginners, start with Welcome new subscribers.

Step 11: Build the logic

A basic welcome automation looks like this:

1. Trigger: Subscriber joins via [Form Name].
2. Action: Add to sequence “Welcome series – new subscribers.”
3. Action: Add tag “welcomed.”
4. Event: Wait for sequence to complete.
5. Action: Add tag “onboarded.”

Each block connects with a visual arrow. Click any block to edit its settings. The free plan supports one automation; the Creator plan removes that limit.

Step 12: Activate the automation

Toggle the automation from Draft to Live in the top-right corner. From that point, any new subscriber who comes through the linked form automatically enters the automation.

Test it by subscribing with a secondary email address you control. Confirm the welcome email arrives within a few minutes.

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Tagging and segmenting your subscribers

Tags are labels you apply to subscribers based on behavior or interest. Segments are saved filters based on those tags (and other conditions). Together, they replace the old multi-list system most legacy tools use.

Step 13: Apply tags automatically

Tags can be applied via:
– Automation actions — as shown in Step 11.
– Form settings — under a form’s Settings → Tags, you can auto-tag anyone who subscribes through that specific form.
– Link triggers — go to Automate → Link triggers, paste a URL from one of your emails, and set a tag that fires when someone clicks it. For example, clicking a link labeled “I’m interested in SEO” tags them “interest-seo.”

Step 14: Create a segment

1. Go to Grow → Subscribers.
2. Use the filter bar to define your criteria (e.g., has tag “interest-seo” AND subscribed in the last 90 days).
3. Save the filter as a segment.

You can then use that segment as a broadcast recipient to send highly relevant content — which typically improves open rates and reduces unsubscribes.

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Reviewing your performance

Kit’s reporting is straightforward but sufficient for beginners.

Key metrics to watch

• Open rate: Industry average for creator newsletters sits around 35–45% [verify]. Below 25% suggests deliverability or subject-line issues.
• Click rate: Typically 2–5% for general newsletters. Content-specific emails often perform higher.
• Unsubscribes per broadcast: Above 0.5% per send is a signal to review your content or targeting.
• Sequence completion rate: Check which email in a sequence has the highest drop-off. That’s where your content loses people.

Under Reports → Overview, Kit shows a rolling chart of subscriber growth, open rates, and click rates. You can also view performance per individual broadcast or sequence.

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How to use Kit step by step (beginner guide): common mistakes to avoid

Sending without a confirmed double opt-in. Kit’s default is double opt-in, meaning subscribers confirm via a follow-up email. Don’t turn this off to boost numbers — unconfirmed lists hurt deliverability.

Using one giant automation for everything. Keep automations modular. One for welcome, one for a course, one for re-engagement. Mixing everything into a single flowchart makes troubleshooting difficult.

Ignoring tags until the list is large. Tag subscribers from day one. Retroactively organizing 5,000 contacts is tedious. Thirty subscribers with clean tags is far more useful than 3,000 with none.

Skipping the sender authentication step. Gmail and Yahoo’s 2024 bulk sender requirements made SPF and DKIM records non-optional for reliable inbox placement. Complete Step 3 before sending to anyone.

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Frequently asked questions

Is Kit free to use?

Kit’s free plan supports up to 10,000 subscribers [verify] and includes unlimited email broadcasts, one automation, and one sequence. The Creator plan starts at $25/month and unlocks unlimited automations, advanced reporting, and third-party integrations. Most new bloggers can run entirely on the free plan for their first year.

How is Kit different from Mailchimp?

Kit uses a single-list, tag-based model; Mailchimp uses multiple separate lists, which means a subscriber can appear on two lists and be billed twice. Kit’s automation builder is also more visually intuitive for beginners. Mailchimp has more e-commerce-specific features, so the better choice depends on your business model.

Can I migrate from another email platform to Kit?

Yes. Kit has a built-in import tool under Grow → Subscribers → Import. You upload a CSV file with subscriber data. Tags can be included as a column in the CSV so they carry over automatically. After importing, run a re-engagement sequence to confirm which contacts are still active.

Do I need a website to use Kit?

No. Kit’s landing page builder (included on all plans) lets you create a hosted opt-in page at a kit.com subdomain or your own domain. You can collect subscribers and run automations without owning a website at all. That said, a blog or content hub dramatically improves your ability to grow the list organically.

How long does it take to set up Kit?

A basic setup — account, authenticated domain, one form, and one welcome automation — takes roughly 60 to 90 minutes. Writing the actual emails is the most time-intensive part. Budget two to three hours total for a clean, functional launch.

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Putting it all together

The full how to use Kit step by step (beginner guide) flow breaks down into four phases:

1. Foundation (Steps 1–3): Account, sender profile, domain authentication.
2. Collection (Steps 4–5): Form creation and website embed.
3. Sending (Steps 6–9): Broadcasts and sequences.
4. Automation (Steps 10–14): Visual automations and subscriber tagging.

Most beginners try to do all of this at once and get overwhelmed. A more practical approach: complete Phase 1 and 2 today, send your first broadcast in week one, and add your first automation by week two.

This how to use Kit step by step (beginner guide) covers every core feature you’ll need in the first 90 days. After that, the Creator plan’s advanced integrations — connecting Kit to Teachable for course triggers, or to Thrive Suite for on-site behavior tracking — open up more sophisticated workflows.

For more email marketing guides covering platforms like ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, and AWeber, bookmark this site and check back regularly.