My Newsletter vs weMail –

My Newsletter is a lightweight WordPress newsletter plugin focused on a practical use case many site owners need immediately: Send a campaign to WordPress users. Send a campaign to commenters (optionally only commenters from a specific post). Import and manage your own mailing list (CSV/TXT upload, simple XLSX upload, or paste emails). Queue the campaign and process it in the background (batch sending). Include unsubscribe links in every message. Track basic campaign progress in the admin area. Optional file logging for troubleshooting large sends. Optional built-in SMTP settings (with SMTP test) (no external SMTP plugin required). Save and load reusable email templates (v2.5.0). Manage templates (edit/rename/duplicate/delete) from My Newsletter → Templates (v2.6.0). Import/export templates as JSON for backup and migration (My Newsletter → Templates) (v2.6.1). This plugin is intentionally simple and WordPress-native: Email sending uses wp_mail() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Background processing uses WP-Cron (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). File uploads in the admin import flow use wp_handle_upload() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_handle_upload/). Mailing list import & management (v2.3.0) My Newsletter lets you import and manage your own subscriber list: Import subscribers via CSV/TXT upload, simple XLSX upload, or copy/paste. Preview the first rows before writing to the database. Choose merge behavior: Update existing or Skip existing. Built-in list tools: search, export CSV, delete selected, delete all matching search, and delete by domain. Suppression list (unsubscribed): view/export and remove suppression (admin-only). Important: You are responsible for ensuring you have a lawful basis/consent to email imported contacts, and every campaign must include a working unsubscribe option. Then, when composing a campaign, choose Mailing list (imported) as the recipient source. Core functionality Campaign composer (admin screen) Create a newsletter subject and HTML content. Use the WordPress editor for message body content. Choose recipient source: Users + Commenters Users only Commenters only Commenters on a specific post Mailing list (imported) Background queue processing Recipients are queued in custom plugin tables. Sending runs in batches through WP-Cron (instead of trying to send everything in one browser request). Reduces the risk of timeouts and broken sends on slower hosting. Test email before full campaign Send a test message to any email address from the composer screen. Uses the same rendering path and unsubscribe footer logic as real sends. Secure unsubscribe links Every email includes an unsubscribe URL. Unsubscribe tokens use an HMAC-based signature (derived from WordPress salts; see wp_salt() https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_salt/). Unsubscribed addresses are stored and skipped in future campaigns. Email templates (save/load) (v2.5.0) Save the current subject + content as a template. Load a saved template into the composer to reuse it for a new campaign. Templates are stored locally on your site (not sent anywhere). Template variables (placeholders) {{site_name}} {{site_url}} {{recipient_name}} {{recipient_email}} {{unsubscribe_url}} Settings screen From name From email Reply-To (optional) Max emails per cron run (batch size) Footer HTML (appended to outgoing emails) Logging (optional) Optional log file (v2.3.3) Enable logging in Settings → Logging. View, download, and clear logs in My Newsletter → Logs. Logs are stored in wp-content/uploads/my-newsletter/wpnl.log. Basic campaign tracking Shows recent campaigns in admin. Displays queue progress (total / sent / failed / queued). User Guide (v2.3.3) 1) Quick start (5–10 minutes) Install and activate the plugin. Go to My Newsletter → Settings and set: From name From email (prefer an address on your domain) Go to My Newsletter (campaign composer) and send a Test email to your own address first. Create a campaign: Enter Subject Enter Message (HTML supported via the editor) Choose recipients (Users / Commenters / Mailing list) Click Queue & Start Sending (wording may vary by screen) If you don’t see progress, read the “WP‑Cron” section below. 1B) Email templates (Save / Load) (v2.5.0) On the My Newsletter campaign screen you can reuse content without retyping: Write your Subject and Content (or load an existing template). To save: enter a template name and click Save Email Template. To load: choose a template from the dropdown and click Load Email Template. Tip: keep templates generic (e.g. “Welcome email”, “Promo template”), then adjust the final message before queuing. 1C) Manage Templates (v2.6.0) Use My Newsletter → Templates to manage your saved templates: Add New to create a template from scratch. Edit to update the template name (rename), subject, or body. Duplicate to quickly create a variation. Delete to remove a template you no longer need. Templates are local to your site and can be loaded into the campaign composer using Load Email Template. 2) Settings explained (My Newsletter → Settings) From name / From email Used as the sender identity in outgoing messages. WordPress email is sent via wp_mail() and your mail transport decides the final headers (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Reply‑To (optional) If you want replies to go to a different inbox than “From”. Max emails per cron run (batch size) Limits how many emails each WP‑Cron run tries to send. Smaller batches reduce timeouts on shared hosting. WP‑Cron is traffic-driven by default (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). Footer HTML Appended to every message. Best practice is to include: your site name, a short reason why the recipient is receiving the email, and an unsubscribe link (the plugin can insert {{unsubscribe_url}}). Logging (optional, v2.3.3) Enable logging when troubleshooting unexpected queue behavior or mail failures. Go to My Newsletter → Settings → Logging and enable the log file. Re-run sending (WP-Cron or “Run queue now”). Open My Newsletter → Logs to view, download, or clear the log. Logs are stored in wp-content/uploads/my-newsletter/wpnl.log. 3) Creating a campaign (My Newsletter → Campaigns) Subject: what recipients will see. Message body: use the editor; HTML is allowed. Placeholders: you can personalize using: {{recipient_name}}, {{recipient_email}} Recipients: choose one: Users (WP users) Commenters (emails from approved comments) Commenters for a specific post Mailing list (imported) Then click the action button to queue recipients and start sending. 4) Recipient sources: what exactly is included Users Uses WordPress user emails (typically wp_users.user_email). WordPress user data is stored in core tables (https://developer.wordpress.org/apis/wpdb/). Commenters Uses emails from comment records (typically wp_comments.comment_author_email) and only approved comments are considered in typical implementations (WordPress comment basics: https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_comments/). Commenters on a specific post Same as Commenters, but filtered by post ID. Mailing list (imported) Uses subscribers stored by this plugin in its own table. This list is independent from WP users/comments. 5) Mailing list import (My Newsletter → Mailing List) You have two import methods: Upload file or Paste. 5A) Upload (CSV/TXT) Best and most reliable method. Recommended columns * email (required) * name (optional) CSV example email,name [email protected],Ana [email protected],Marko The plugin will: * accept comma/semicolon/tab-delimited CSV (delimiter auto-detected), * accept a header row if it contains email, * validate emails with WordPress helpers like sanitize_email() and is_email() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/sanitize_email/ and https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/is_email/), * deduplicate by email during the import batch, * skip emails that are already unsubscribed. Export from Excel / Google Sheets * Export to CSV. XLSX support exists, but CSV is safer for complex sheets. 5B) Upload (XLSX) XLSX support is intentionally minimal to keep the plugin lightweight. Requirements: * First worksheet (sheet1) * Column A = email * Column B = name (optional) * If cell A1 contains “email”, that row is treated as header and skipped If your XLSX is more complex, export to CSV first. 5C) Paste emails (copy/paste) Paste supports: * one email per line, * comma/semicolon separated emails, * Name , * 2-column lines: email,name or name,email (comma/tab/semicolon). Examples: [email protected] [email protected],Marko Ana Example [email protected] Marko Example [email protected] After import, the screen shows: * imported count, * invalid count, * duplicate count, * skipped unsubscribed count. 5D) Import workflow (Preview + merge rules) Go to My Newsletter → Mailing List. Upload a file (CSV/TXT/XLSX) or paste emails. Click Preview import. Confirm you have lawful basis/consent (required). Choose merge behavior: Update existing (recommended): update name/source/updated_at for existing emails. Skip existing: only add new emails. Click Import now. After import, you can export and clean the list using: * Export subscribers CSV, * Delete selected (bulk), * Delete all matching search, * Delete by domain (e.g. example.com). 6) Viewing and managing the list In My Newsletter → Mailing List, you can: * see the total subscriber count, * search by email or name, * browse paginated results, * export subscribers as CSV, * delete selected subscribers (bulk), * delete all subscribers matching the current search (with confirmation), * delete by domain (e.g. example.com) for quick cleanup. In Mailing List → Suppression list, you can: * view unsubscribed emails (suppressed), * export suppression list as CSV, * remove suppression (admin-only) if you need to re-subscribe someone manually. 7) WP‑Cron and reliable background sending This plugin uses WP‑Cron to send queued emails in batches. WP‑Cron runs on site visits (traffic). On low‑traffic sites, campaigns may send slowly (https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/). For reliable sending on production: * Configure a real server cron to hit wp-cron.php at a fixed interval. WordPress explains this approach here: https://developer.wordpress.org/plugins/cron/#what-is-wp-cron. Admin tools: * In My Newsletter → Settings, use Run queue now (admin-only) to process one batch immediately for testing/troubleshooting. * The Settings screen includes ready-to-copy cron examples (curl/wget) for common hosting setups. 8) Deliverability (what matters most) This plugin hands off email to WordPress via wp_mail() (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_mail/). Deliverability depends on your mail transport and DNS. If you care about inbox placement: * Use an SMTP provider (or transactional email service). * Use a sender on your own domain. * Configure SPF/DKIM/DMARC (vendor-specific docs). 9) Compliance and consent (your responsibility) The plugin provides unsubscribe links, but it does not enforce consent or double opt‑in. You must only email people you have a lawful basis to contact and you must honor opt‑outs. FTC CAN‑SPAM overview: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business EU GDPR overview (lawful basis, consent, etc.): https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/data-protection/reform/what-does-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr-govern_en

Most email marketing platforms treat WordPress as an afterthought. weMail is built differently: it delivers professional-grade email marketing natively inside your WordPress dashboard, without the complexity or the runaway cost. Whether you’re sending a weekly campaign to a few hundred loyal readers or running sophisticated drip campaigns for tens of thousands of subscribers, weMail gives you the tools to do it right. Full sending flexibility across eight-plus gateways, a drag-and-drop email newsletter builder, powerful email automation, customizable signup forms, and native WooCommerce integration for transactional and marketing emails: all managed from a single interface. weMail stores campaign and subscriber data in the cloud, so your WordPress database stays lean regardless of list size. At scale, weMail runs up to 88% cheaper than Mailchimp without sacrificing a single feature. From building optin forms that capture leads to delivering automated newsletter sequences that convert them, weMail covers the complete subscriber lifecycle inside WordPress. Explore: Official Website Facebook Community Useful Links Docs | Videos Tutorials | Support | Get Started SMTP Flexibility: Send From Any Gateway You Trust Email deliverability starts with your SMTP configuration; a poorly wired setup guarantees campaigns land in spam, not inboxes. weMail supports eight-plus email gateways, giving you complete control over delivery. Supported SMTP providers: Amazon SES SendGrid Mailgun SparkPost Postmark Elastic Email Brevo Custom SMTP Configure your gateway directly inside weMail’s settings: no third-party SMTP plugins required. Authentication, TLS/SSL, and connection management are handled natively, and the sending layer is decoupled from your campaigns, lists, and automation, so switching providers never breaks anything. Agencies can run separate or shared SMTP setups across multisite installations. Email Campaigns: Build Beautiful Campaigns That Convert An email newsletter lives or dies on design and trust. weMail’s drag-and-drop builder makes it easy to create professional campaigns without code: choose pre-built templates or start from a blank canvas. The visual editor supports: Block-based editing: arrange text, images, buttons, dividers, and social links on a canvas Responsive layouts: every newsletter renders correctly on desktop, tablet, and mobile Brand customization: apply your colors, fonts, and logo across campaigns Dynamic personalization: address subscribers by name or insert any custom field Preview and test send: confirm rendering before a campaign reaches anyone’s inbox Scheduling is timezone-aware: queue a campaign today and deliver at peak engagement time tomorrow, in each subscriber’s local hour. The builder generates both HTML and plain-text versions of every campaign, improving deliverability and reaching recipients who prefer plain text. All newsletter data, opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes — is stored in weMail’s cloud, so history stays accessible through hosting migrations and WordPress updates. Email Automation: Nurture Subscribers on Autopilot Manual campaigns create results; email automation creates compounding results. weMail’s automation engine works as a complete autoresponder platform, building sequences that engage subscribers at every stage of their journey, executing automatically based on behavior, time, or external triggers with no ongoing manual effort. Trigger-based automation fires campaigns the moment conditions are met: list signup, purchase completion, link clicks, email opens, date conditions, or inactivity. Define the logic once; weMail runs it continuously. Core automation capabilities: Drip email sequences: a series of emails over days or weeks — an introduction on day one, a walkthrough on day three, a case study on day seven, an offer on day fourteen — mapped visually in the node-based builder. Welcome email: every new subscriber gets a personalized onboarding email immediately, your highest-opened touchpoint, with tailored content or an introductory offer. Behavioral automation: branch sequences based on what contacts do — different follow-ups depending on opens, clicks, or 30 days of inactivity. Date-based automation: trigger campaigns on fixed dates, anniversaries, or expiration events without manual scheduling. Post notification: automatically send a newsletter when new content goes live — configure once, and every published post fires a broadcast to your chosen list. Re-engagement automation: systematically win back dormant contacts with targeted sequences before removing them from active lists. The visual builder uses a node-based canvas where each node is a step (send, wait, or evaluate a condition), with branching paths for different behaviors, so complex flows are easy to build, read, and adjust as your strategy evolves. A/B Testing: Optimize Every Campaign With Data Gut instinct has a ceiling; A/B testing removes it. weMail’s built-in testing tools let you validate campaign decisions, systematically improving open rates, click rates, and conversions over time. Subject line testing is the most impactful starting point: send variant A to 20% of your list and variant B to another 20%; let weMail measure performance, then automatically deliver the winner to the remaining 60%. Content testing goes further, comparing layouts, calls to action, or offers, short versus long subject lines, emoji versus plain text, preheader variations, image-heavy versus text-first designs, and CTA color, copy, or placement. weMail declares a winner based on your chosen metric (open rate, click-through rate, or attributed revenue) and stores every result in your analytics dashboard, building institutional knowledge about what works for your audience. Optin Forms: Grow Your List From Every Corner of Your Site Your subscriber list is only as strong as the systems feeding it. weMail’s optin form builder lets you create, customize, and place forms throughout your site without code, adapting to any WordPress theme. Supported form types: Inline forms: embedded within post content, sidebars, or any widget area Popup forms: timed or exit-intent overlays that capture leaving visitors Slide-in forms: subtle panels appearing from the corner without interrupting reading Top bar banners: sticky strips that stay visible as visitors scroll Every form is fully customizable — colors, fonts, field labels, button text — with custom fields to collect attributes like location, company, or preferences at signup. Double optin keeps lists healthy and compliant: each new subscriber receives a confirmation email before being added, creating a documented consent trail and better long-term engagement. weMail’s forms connect natively to weMail lists and to 18-plus third-party integrations, so leads from any optin touchpoint flow automatically into the right segments, across all WordPress themes including block-based Gutenberg layouts. Subscriber Management: Organize, Segment, and Target Building a list is step one. How you organize, qualify, and communicate with subscribers determines whether email becomes a real revenue channel or just noise. weMail includes a complete subscriber management system built directly into WordPress. List management: unlimited lists for different audiences, products, or campaigns. A contact can belong to multiple lists, and moving contacts between lists is handled through bulk actions. Tagging and segmentation: tag based on behavior, purchase history, signup source, or any custom attribute, and build dynamic segments that update automatically as data changes. Custom fields: store any subscriber attribute your campaigns need; these sync with optin forms and become personalization tokens in every email. Subscription status: view active, unsubscribed, bounced, and pending contacts at a glance, and update records individually or in bulk for cleaner deliverability. Activity timeline: each contact’s history of emails received, opens, clicks, and signup events, to inform re-engagement and segmentation. Bulk operations: import, export, tag, move, or delete contacts en masse, and merge duplicates to keep lists authoritative. Because weMail stores subscriber data in the cloud, your database never carries the weight of large lists — hosting performance stays consistent whether you manage 500 subscribers or 500,000. WordPress Integration: Email Marketing That Feels Native weMail feels like a natural extension of WordPress, not a bolted-on tool. Every major WordPress feature connects without extra configuration. WordPress user sync: automatically add new registrations to subscriber lists based on role, turning registration into a signup event. Gutenberg block: add signup forms to any page or post using weMail’s native block, live without shortcodes. Post notification: configure a list once, and every published post goes out as a formatted email notification automatically. Widget support: place signup forms in any widget area, compatible with classic and block-based themes. Shortcode support: embed forms with a simple shortcode in any theme or page builder. WooCommerce Integration: Turn Customers Into Loyal Subscribers For WooCommerce stores, weMail connects store data directly to email campaigns, delivering full subscriber lifecycle management powered by real purchase behavior. Branded WooCommerce emails: design transactional messages — order confirmations, shipping notifications, post-purchase follow-ups — using the same drag-and-drop builder as marketing campaigns. Customer-to-subscriber sync: when a purchase completes, weMail can add the buyer to a list, tag them by product category, and trigger a post-purchase automation, turning every customer into an addressable contact. Abandoned cart recovery: one of the highest-ROI applications of WooCommerce email automation. weMail detects an abandoned cart and sends a timed sequence of recovery emails, consistently recovering 10-15% of lost revenue with no ongoing effort. Product-based segmentation: segment subscribers by what they’ve purchased, browsed, or spent, sending targeted promotions to specific-product buyers or re-engagement messages to customers inactive for 90 days. Revenue attribution: see which newsletter drove the most purchases, which automation sequence produces the highest lifetime value, and which segments convert best. The integration is native, with no bridge plugins needed. Connect your store in minutes from weMail Integrations and start turning order data into targeted campaigns immediately. Contact Form Integrations: Capture Leads at Every Touchpoint Not every visitor converts through a dedicated registration form. Many engage first through your site’s inquiry form, quote request form, or support page. weMail integrates with the most popular WordPress form plugins to ensure those touchpoints also grow your subscriber list. Supported contact form plugins: Contact Form 7 Ninja Forms Caldera Forms WPForms weForms Gravity Forms Happy Forms Formidable Forms Fluent Forms Forminator Froms Everest Forms Elementor Forms For each integration, you control which fields map to subscriber attributes and whether a consent checkbox is required, keeping consent transparent and auditable. When a visitor submits the form and opts in, they’re added to your specified list immediately, ready for your welcome sequence and subsequent campaigns. Team Management: Collaborate Without Chaos Collaborate with your marketing team without granting everyone full admin access. weMail includes built-in team management with role-based permissions to keep your account secure and productive. weMail leverages WordPress’s native role system. By default, only Administrator and Editor roles have access: Administrator: full access to all weMail features Editor: full access to campaigns, subscribers, and settings Admins can grant access to additional roles (Author, Contributor, etc.) from weMail Settings → General. Users without an accessible role cannot see or interact with weMail features. Analytics & Reporting: Measure What Actually Matters Every campaign generates detailed performance data in a clean, actionable dashboard, with no separate analytics tool required. Campaign reports: delivery, open, click-through, bounce, and unsubscribe rates for every newsletter or automation step, plus geographic distribution of engagement. List reports: subscriber growth over time, signup source breakdown, and list health metrics, helping identify which forms produce the highest-quality leads based on engagement, not volume. Automation reports: step-by-step performance across every sequence, showing where subscribers drop off and which branch or step performs best. Link tracking: click maps for individual emails show exactly which links contacts clicked most, helping optimize placement and CTA copy in future campaigns. All analytics data is stored in weMail’s cloud, so historical reports remain accessible even after WordPress updates or server migrations. Import & Export: Migrate Without the Headache Switching email platforms is notoriously painful. weMail makes it as smooth as possible. Import subscribers from any CSV file. The import wizard maps your columns to weMail fields, handles duplicates, and respects existing opt-in status, so previously unsubscribed contacts aren’t re-added to active lists. Platform-specific guides walk through migrating from Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, ConvertKit, and others, with tags, custom fields, and history transferring cleanly where the source platform allows export. Export at any time: pull any list or segment to CSV on demand. Your data is never locked in, whether auditing, syncing to a CRM, or evaluating alternatives. GDPR Compliance: Built-In Privacy Tools Privacy regulations require verifiable consent for email marketing. weMail includes the tools to keep your subscriber collection compliant without custom development. Double optin: each new contact receives a confirmation email before activation, creating a documented consent record for every signup. Consent logging: weMail records the date, time, IP address, and form ID for each subscription, exportable for regulatory review under GDPR, CCPA, or similar frameworks. One-click unsubscribe: every email includes a compliant unsubscribe link, processed instantly and respected across all future sends and automations. Data access and deletion: export or delete individual subscriber records directly from the management panel, fulfilling access and erasure requests without third-party tools. Installation & Setup Getting started with weMail takes under ten minutes. Install and activate weMail from the WordPress plugin directory. Create a free weMail account or connect an existing one from the plugin dashboard. Go to weMail → Settings → SMTP and connect your preferred gateway. weMail walks through API key setup for each supported sending provider step by step. Create your first subscriber list. Build a lead form using the optin form builder and publish it to your site. Set up a welcome email in the email automation builder to greet every new subscriber automatically. The onboarding wizard guides you through each step. Most users complete initial setup (including sending setup and first optin form) in a single session. For WooCommerce stores, enable the integration under weMail → Integrations to begin syncing customers and configuring store-related emails. 🔒 Privacy Policy weMail collects telemetry data upon user confirmation to troubleshoot problems faster and make product improvements. Learn more about how weMail collects and uses data. Additionally, review weDevs privacy policy for complete information. More Products from weDevs Dokan – WooCommerce multivendor marketplace solution WP User Frontend – Frontend post submission, user registration, profile builder Happy Addons for Elementor – 143+ free & pro Elementor widgets WP Project Manager – Project management with Kanban board, Gantt charts weDocs – Self-hosted knowledge base plugin WP ERP – Complete ERP with HR, CRM, and accounting Texty – Lightweight SMS notification plugin wePOS – WooCommerce point of sale solution