Configure Auto Responders - Connect Mailchimp for Smart Email Automation

Integrating an autoresponder with BotSailor allows you to supercharge your chat marketing strategy by combining the power of instant messaging (WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram) with email automation. With this connection, your subscribers can seamlessly flow into your autoresponder's audience lists, enabling smarter, multi-channel campaigns. Whether you're running a welcome drip, product recommendations, or a cart recovery campaign, syncing your bot leads to your autoresponder ensures no opportunity is missed.

Why integrate an autoresponder with BotSailor?

Connecting an autoresponder to BotSailor lets you sync Messenger or WhatsApp subscribers to your autoresponder audience automatically. That means you can:

  • Trigger welcome emails the moment someone becomes a bot subscriber.

  • Nurture leads with advanced automation sequences while continuing chat follow-ups in BotSailor.

  • Segment contacts by tags, campaign, purchase status, or any custom field captured inside BotSailor.

  • Report on both chat conversions and email engagement in one place.

The result: higher open rates, richer data, and smoother omnichannel experiences—without manual exports or spreadsheets.



Here we will use mailchimp as an example for setting up autoresponder:

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Generate a Mailchimp API Key

  • Add that key to BotSailor’s Autoresponder Integration

  • Start syncing subscribers to your Mailchimp audience

  • Automate cross-channel messaging across email and chat

No manual CSV exports. No double data entry. Just one streamlined, automated system. Now let's dive into the process:




Step 1: Generate Your Mailchimp API Key


  1. Log in to your Mailchimp account.
  2. Click your profile icon (top right) → choose Profile.






  3. Go to Extras → API keys.








  4. Click Create A Key, name it something like "BotSailor", then click Generate Key.





  5. Copy the API Key immediately. You won’t be able to see it again later.








Step 2: Add the API Key to BotSailor

  1. Go to your BotSailor dashboard → navigate to Integrations → Autoresponder API.

  2. Click New to add a new profile.

  3. Select Mailchimp from the sidebar options.

  4. Enter a Profile Name and paste the API Key you copied earlier.






  5. Click Save to finish.


Let's see how to trigger AutoResponder from BotSailor:

Step 1: Select your Bot

Go to Bot Manager from the left menu and select your connected WhatsApp, Messenger, or Instagram business account.

 

Step 2: Go to Bot Configuration

  1. In the Bot Manager panel, scroll and click Configuration.

  2. Find the Auto Responder section.

Here you will see input boxes for:

  • ActiveCampaign List

  • Mailchimp List

  • Brevo List

  • Mautic List

📌 Paste your respective autoresponder list ID or unique identifier (depending on the platform).

 

 

 

Step 3: Create a New Bot Reply Flow

  1. Click on Bot Reply > Create.


 

 

Step 4: Add User Input Flow

  1. Give it a reference name like “email send to autoresponder.”

  2. Set the trigger keyword, e.g., sendmail.

From the message block, select User Input Flow.

 

Then:

  1. Create a new flow campaign (e.g., “Email collect”).

  2. Add a new question block.

 

 

Step 5: Configure the Email Question BlockIn the question setup:

  • Use Free Keyboard Input (for typed email)

  • Set question text: What is your e-mail?

  • Set reply type: Email

  • Save to system field: Email

  • Then Save


 



Step 6: Add Thank You Message

After the user gives their email, link a Text message block that replies with a thank you message (e.g., “Thanks!”).

Click Save to complete your flow.




Step 7: Test the Flow in WhatsApp

Trigger the flow by sending the keyword (sendmail) in WhatsApp. You’ll see:

  • The email prompt from the bot

  • Your email gets saved

  • A thank you message confirms the input


 

 

Step 8: Confirm Contact Sync in Autoresponder

Go to your Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, or other autoresponder platform. You will see the submitted email added automatically under your synced list.


 

 

Now you’re all set to grow your list, boost email conversions, and build a truly connected chat-to-email funnel using BotSailor + Mailchimp.

 

Read Also how you can set up your other auto responder platforms:

Connect ActiveCampaign for Email Automation

Integrate Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) with BotSailor

Mautic + BotSailor Integration Guide for Self-Hosted Email Automation



Maximize the impact of this integration with these pro tips:

  • Use Targeted Tags: Assign different tags for different chatbot flows or campaigns, so your Mailchimp segments stay organized.
  • Trigger Automations in Mailchimp: Connect a Mailchimp Journey to your tag automated welcome emails, upsell sequences, or reactivation flows.
  • Sync Existing Subscribers: Use the bulk sync tool inside Subscriber Manager to push your current list to Mailchimp.
  • Respect GDPR & CCPA: Collect explicit email opt-in inside your BotSailor flows. Enable double opt-in inside Mailchimp if needed.
  • Keep your Mailchimp domain authenticated and review bounce/spam stats regularly.
  • Always validate email input with reply type = Email.
  • You can send other details like name or phone using additional questions in the same flow.
  • Add tags in your autoresponder to track sources like “BotSailor WhatsApp.”
  • Use Zapier if you want to go beyond the supported autoresponders.





FAQs

Is this available on free Mailchimp plans?
Yes, API access is available even on the Free plan.

 

What happens if I lose the API key?
You’ll need to revoke the lost key and generate a new one.



Can I sync phone numbers too?
Yes, BotSailor can send emails, phone numbers, and custom fields.



Will Mailchimp unsubscribe actions reflect in BotSailor?
No. You should sync those manually or via webhook if needed.



Can I add multiple Mailchimp accounts?
Yes, you can create multiple Mailchimp profiles inside BotSailor.



Is subscriber sync instant?
Yes. Contacts appear in Mailchimp typically within seconds.



Can I trigger Mailchimp journeys automatically?
Absolutely. Tag your contacts in BotSailor and use those tags as triggers in Mailchimp.



Do I need coding knowledge?
Not at all. This is a fully no-code integration inside BotSailor.



What about contact field mapping?
You can map standard and custom fields during flow configuration.



Where can I troubleshoot issues?
Check API validity in BotSailor settings or see call logs in your Mailchimp account under API activity.

 

Can I use multiple autoresponders at once?
Yes, you can configure all four (Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, Brevo, Mautic) if needed. BotSailor sends data to all configured lists.

 

Does this work on Messenger and Instagram too?
Absolutely! The flow logic remains the same across all supported platforms.

 

Can I collect customers name and phone number too?
Yes. Just add more questions in the User Input Flow.

 

What happens if the user gives an invalid email?
If the reply type is set to Email, BotSailor will validate the input and prevent invalid formats.

 

How fast is the autoresponder sync?
It is real-time. The moment a user submits, it hits the connected platform's API.

 

Do I need to add my API key anywhere?
Yes, during the autoresponder integration setup under BotSailor’s platform settings (before using it in the bot).

 

Is it possible to sync data to Google Sheets instead?
Yes. Right below the autoresponder section, there’s a Google Sheet integration option.

 

Can I use this for lead magnet campaigns?
Definitely! Ask for emails and deliver downloadable files or drip sequences via email.

 

Will unsubscribed users be removed from the autoresponder?
No. BotSailor only pushes new subscriber data. You must handle unsubscribes from the autoresponder platform.

 

Is there a limit to how many emails can be collected?
No hard limit from BotSailor, but check your plan with the autoresponder service.

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