Mailchimp is a popular email marketing service, and while Syncro features its own built-in Mailer, enabling this integration is highly useful if you prefer Mailchimp's specialized tools. Once connected, the integration automatically adds your Syncro Organizations to a specific Mailchimp list, keeps their contact information updated, and seamlessly manages opt-outs if they unsubscribe from Syncro emails.

Set Up

Setting up the Mailchimp integration in Syncro is a straightforward process that involves grabbing an API key from Mailchimp and plugging it into Syncro.

To get your Mailchimp API Key:

1. Log into your Mailchimp account and navigate to your Profile (initial in the upper right corner).
2. Click the Extras menu and select API keys.
   Tip: Search for “API key” to get to this page quicker.
3. Click Create a Key. Give the key a descriptive name like “Syncro Integration," then click Generate Key.
4. Use the Copy to Clipboard button to copy the new API key. (You won't be able to see it again once you leave the page.)
5. Click Done.

To enable the integration in Syncro:

1. In Syncro, go to Admin > App Center.
2. Find and click the MailChimp app card.
3. Paste your API key into the field, then click Save. 
4. Click the “List to Sync To” dropdown and select the Mailchimp List you want Syncro to use.

Tip: Make sure you don't have any custom fields marked as "Required" in your Mailchimp list settings (other than Email, First Name, and Last Name), or the integration might return an error.

What Syncs & What Doesn't

Once your integration is live, you’ll enjoy a streamlined flow of data that keeps your marketing efforts focused and efficient. Here’s how the magic happens:

• Syncro gets you started right away by automatically pushing your existing Customer Organizations into your chosen Mailchimp list. It focuses on the essentials (Email, First Name, and Last Name) to ensure your primary contact points are ready for outreach.
• To keep your mailing list effective, Syncro intelligently syncs only those Organizations with a valid email address. This ensures every contact in Mailchimp is someone you can actually reach!
• By syncing only names and emails (and excluding business names, addresses, or phone numbers), the integration keeps your Mailchimp database clean and purpose-built for high-impact email marketing.
• Enjoy set-it-and-forget-it automation! Any time you add a new Organization or update those core fields in Syncro, the changes are automatically reflected in Mailchimp, keeping your campaigns perfectly in sync.
• This one-way sync from Syncro to Mailchimp ensures your data remains the master record.
• Syncro respects your existing setup by syncing directly into the specific Mailchimp audience you selected, giving you full control over how your Mailchimp contacts are organized.

About Opt-Ins/Outs

The "Receive Marketing Emails" checkbox on a Customer Organization's record is primarily designed for Syncro’s internal Mailer. When you run a marketing campaign directly inside Syncro, the system uses this checkbox to determine who should receive that email.

The Syncro-Mailchimp integration is a basic sync and as such, does not filter by this checkbox. By default, this integration pushes all Organizations with a valid email address to your chosen Mailchimp list, regardless of whether the "Receive Marketing Emails" box is checked in Syncro.

Mailchimp automatically handles unsubscribe requests to keep your marketing compliant and your sender reputation high. When a person opts out via a Mailchimp email, they are instantly removed from future marketing campaigns while remaining active in Syncro for technical communications like tickets and alerts.

If you only want Syncro Organizations with the "Receive Marketing Emails" box checked to appear in Mailchimp, the native integration will not do this automatically. To achieve that level of filtering, you might consider periodically refreshing your list. In Syncro, navigate to Reports > Customer Export. Filter the downloaded CSV file to remove those who've opted out, and upload that clean CSV to Mailchimp.

Troubleshooting

If an Organization does not have an email address, it will not appear in Mailchimp. If you want the Organization to sync to Mailchimp, double check that the Organization has an email address as recommended in the Best Practices for Creating Organizations.

Make sure you don't have any custom fields marked as "Required" in your Mailchimp list settings (other than Email, First Name, and Last Name), or the integration might return a sync error. This is because Syncro doesn't know what data to put in those fields. To resolve this issue: 

1. Log into Mailchimp, then navigate to Audience > Audience Settings. 
2. Under “Audience Fields and Merge Tags,” click “Edit Audience Fields.”  
3. Click the vertical ellipsis and select Edit.
4. Uncheck the "Required" box for any field other than Email (which Mailchimp requires by default).