AWeber is one of the oldest names in email marketing, and it shows -- the interface is straightforward, the setup is fast, and it does not try to be more than it is. If you need reliable email marketing without a steep learning curve, this guide will get you up and running in under two hours.
Total setup time: 1-2 hours. Difficulty: Easy. You do not need any technical background to follow this guide.
AWeber at a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $15/mo (paid plan) |
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | Free plan up to 500 subscribers |
| Setup time | 1-2 hours |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Best for | Bloggers, creators, and small businesses |
How to set up AWeber in 7 steps
Go to aweber.com and sign up for the free plan (up to 500 subscribers) or start a paid trial. Enter your name, email address, and company details. AWeber will ask for your physical mailing address -- this is required by CAN-SPAM law and will appear in every email you send, so use a real address (a P.O. box works).
Go to Account > Deliverability and follow the steps to add DKIM and SPF records to your domain's DNS. AWeber provides the exact records to add. Log in to your domain registrar and add them as TXT records. This step is not optional if you want good deliverability -- without it, your emails are more likely to land in spam.
In AWeber, your contacts live inside lists. Go to Lists > Create a List. Give it a name, set your sender name and from email address, write a brief list description, and save. You can have multiple lists for different segments of your audience, but for most people starting out one list is enough.
Go to Subscribers > Import Subscribers. Upload your CSV and map the columns to AWeber fields (name, email, and any custom fields). AWeber will ask you to confirm where the contacts came from and that you have permission to email them. Imported contacts are added immediately -- they will not receive a confirmation email unless you manually trigger one.
Go to Sign Up Forms > Create Sign Up Form. Choose a template, customize the design and fields, then save. AWeber gives you a hosted URL you can link to, an embed code for your site, and a WordPress plugin option. Connect the form to your list. Enable confirmed opt-in (double opt-in) in the form settings -- AWeber calls this the confirmation message.
Go to Campaigns > Create a Campaign. Choose 'When a subscriber joins your list' as the trigger. Add a message action and write your welcome email. You can add more emails after a delay to build a simple welcome series. AWeber's campaign builder is straightforward -- drag messages and wait steps onto the timeline. If you want more complex branching logic, use Tags as triggers for additional campaigns.
Go to Messages > Broadcasts > Create a Broadcast. Use the drag-and-drop editor to design your email, write your subject line and preview text, then choose which list(s) to send to. Send a test email to yourself first. When ready, schedule it or send immediately. After sending, check the message stats under Reports for opens, clicks, and bounces.
Tips before you start
- AWeber's free plan is genuinely usable -- you get access to most features, not a crippled trial.
- Use Tags to segment your audience without creating multiple lists. Tags are more flexible.
- AWeber has a large template library. Start with one of the pre-built templates rather than building from scratch.
Next steps
Once your account is set up, focus on building your first automation before sending any broadcast campaigns. A working welcome sequence ensures every new subscriber gets a consistent first experience. After that, review your migration guide if you are moving contacts from another platform, and use the recommendations quiz to confirm AWeber is the right long-term fit.