Kit (ConvertKit) Guide: Build Your Email List in 2026

2026 Update:

ConvertKit rebranded to Kit in 2024. Same platform, shorter name. Everything works the same.

AI changes what’s possible in email marketing. Use it to write sequences faster, analyze performance, generate subject line variations, and personalize at scale.

But the fundamentals haven’t changed. Build the list. Nurture the relationship. Make the offer. Test, track, and let the numbers tell you what’s real.

You can spend months building an audience on social media. Then one algorithm change wipes out your reach overnight.

Your email list is the only marketing asset you actually own.

Email delivers a 3600% ROI - $36 for every $1 spent (Litmus). Top performers hit 70:1 returns.

No TOS update killing your business model. No platform deciding your content isn’t “engaging” enough. No middleman between you and the customers you worked to acquire.

If you’re starting an AI-powered business, email is how you turn one-time visitors into repeat customers. Kit makes setting that up straightforward.

This guide covers complete setup: sequences, automations, landing pages, AI workflows, and how to turn subscribers into revenue.

Why Email Matters for Your Business

Social media organic reach keeps declining. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok - they all want you to pay to reach an audience you helped build.

Email is different.

Here’s what email lets you do that social can’t:

• Direct access to your customers - No algorithm deciding if your message gets delivered
• Build retargeting audiences - Upload your list to Facebook Custom Audiences or Google Customer Match
• Segment by behavior - Send different messages based on what people actually do
• Automate revenue - Set up sequences once, they sell while you sleep

For B2C brands, email marketing has the best ROI of any channel - beating paid social and content marketing (HubSpot State of Marketing Report, 2025).

Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than non-automated emails. Automated workflows generate 30x higher returns compared to one-off campaigns (Omnisend).

When you’re building a business with AI, email is how you capture the value from content, ads, and traffic. Everything else is rented. Your list is owned.

Quick Navigation

Why Kit for Email Marketing

Kit (formerly ConvertKit) was built for creators and solo business owners - bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, coaches, course creators. Over 600,000 creators use it to send 2.5+ billion emails monthly.

I’ve used Kit for years across multiple properties, including MarketUnlock.

Why I recommend it:

• Simple interface - You can use it without becoming an email marketing expert first
• Subscriber-centric - One profile per subscriber across your entire account (no duplicate charges)
• Visual automations - Build workflows without code
• Built-in monetization - Sell digital products and paid newsletters directly
• Free migration - They’ll move your list from other platforms for free (5,000+ subscribers)

Kit Pricing in 2026

Kit raised prices about 35% in 2024 - their first increase in 12 years. Here’s what it costs now:

Prices scale with subscriber count. At 10,000 subscribers, Creator costs $119/month and Creator Pro costs around $149/month.

Annual billing saves about 16% - two months free.

That free tier is useful when you’re starting out. 10,000 subscribers with unlimited broadcasts. You can run a real business on the free plan until you need advanced automations.

The math for your business: If your average customer value is $50 and you convert 2% of your list monthly, a 1,000 subscriber list generates $1,000/month. The $33/month Creator plan pays for itself quickly.

Kit Terminology

Every email platform uses different terms. Here’s the Kit glossary:

Getting Started With Kit

Before we go further, you need a Kit account. Create one here if you haven’t already.

Account setup requirements:

1. Physical address - Required for CAN-SPAM compliance. You must be able to receive mail here. Options if you don’t have an office:

   • P.O. Box
   • Virtual office address
   • UPS Store mailbox

2. Account approval - Kit reviews new accounts before you can send. Usually takes 24-48 hours on business days. You can email support to speed this up.

Why the approval process? Kit maintains high deliverability by vetting new accounts. This protects your emails from landing in spam because you’re on a platform with a good reputation.

Creating a Form

Forms are how subscribers join your list. Kit gives you multiple form types:

• Inline forms - Embed within your content
• Modal popups - Trigger on click, scroll, or exit intent
• Slide-ins - Less intrusive than popups

To create a form:

1. Click Grow in the top menu
2. Click Landing Pages & Forms
3. Click Create New and select Form
4. Choose your form style (inline, modal, or slide-in)
5. Pick a template and customize

Form Naming Convention

Use a consistent naming system. Mine is: [Site] Page Name (Type)

Example: [MarketUnlock] Email Guide (Content Upgrade)

This lets you find forms instantly when you have dozens of them.

Form Settings That Matter

After subscription action - Always redirect to a thank you page. This lets you:

• Pixel them for retargeting
• Explain what to expect from your emails
• Make an immediate upsell offer

Incentive email - If you’re using a lead magnet, customize this email:

• Subject line: [Download] Your Requested Guide works better than generic confirmation
• Button text: Download My Guide beats Confirm Subscription
• Auto-confirm option: Use this for single opt-in with lead magnets

Already subscribed behavior - Show returning subscribers a different offer. Someone who already downloaded your free guide might want your paid product.

Landing Page Creator

Kit includes a landing page builder - useful when you need a dedicated page for a specific offer.

When to use Kit landing pages vs your own:

To create a landing page:

1. Go to Grow > Landing Pages & Forms
2. Click Create New > Landing Page
3. Choose a template
4. Click any element to edit

The editor is simple - click to edit text, drag to rearrange. You can change colors, add images, and customize the form fields.

Hosting options:

• Kit-hosted - Fastest to set up, gets a kit.co subdomain
• Custom domain - Point your domain to Kit
• Embed - Drop the code into your existing site

For more control over your landing pages, check out building landing pages with AI.

Integrations

Kit connects with most tools you’ll need:

• Landing page builders: Unbounce, Leadpages, Carrd, Webflow
• Payment: Stripe, Gumroad, Teachable, Thinkific
• Webinars: Crowdcast, WebinarJam
• Zapier for everything else

Full integration list

Form Styling

Kit forms are intentionally simple. This is a feature, not a limitation.

Why simple forms convert better:

Heavily styled emails and forms often trigger spam filters or look too commercial. Plain-text style performs better for creators because it feels personal.

Form style options:

• Inline - Embeds in your content where visitors are already reading
• Modal - Popups that demand attention (use sparingly)
• Slide-in - Less aggressive than modals, appears in corner

Customization options:

• Colors to match your brand
• Custom CSS for advanced styling
• Success message customization
• Already-subscribed alternate content

Pro tip: Test a two-step opt-in. First click shows the form, second click submits. This micro-commitment increases conversions because people who click are already invested.

Sequences

Sequences are automated email series. Other platforms call them autoresponders, drip campaigns, or follow-up sequences.

This is where email starts generating revenue without your daily involvement.

Why sequences matter for your business:

You write the emails once. They sell while you work on other things.

Someone downloads your lead magnet at 3am? The welcome sequence starts automatically. They get the same nurture experience whether you’re asleep, on vacation, or building the next product.

Automated emails generate 320% more revenue than manual broadcasts (Omnisend).

Creating a Sequence

1. Go to Send > Sequences
2. Click New Sequence
3. Name it using your convention (mine: [Post] Topic Name - Level 0)
4. Add your emails

Basic welcome sequence structure:

Sequence Settings

Timing - Set delays between emails. Start with 1-3 days between emails, then test.

Send days - Exclude weekends for B2B. Some audiences engage more on weekends - test this.

Exclude subscribers - If someone joins your advanced list, automatically stop sending beginner emails. This keeps your messaging relevant.

Email Templates

I prefer text-only emails. They feel personal and avoid spam filters.

But test this with your audience. Some niches respond better to designed emails.

Stats to remember:

• 60%+ of emails opened on mobile
• Gmail has 1.8+ billion users, mostly mobile
• Non-responsive emails get deleted in seconds

If you use templates, make sure they’re mobile-responsive.

Sequence Reports

Track these metrics for each email:

• Open rate - Are subject lines working?
• Click rate - Is content driving action?
• Unsubscribe rate - Sending too often or missing the mark?

Low CTR on a specific email? Rewrite it. High unsubscribes? You might be too salesy too fast.

Broadcasts

Broadcasts are one-time emails to your list or a segment.

This is where I make the bulk of my email revenue.

Sequences nurture. Broadcasts sell.

Creating a Broadcast

1. Go to Send > Broadcasts
2. Click New Broadcast
3. Select your recipients (all subscribers or filtered segments)
4. Write your email
5. Preview and send (or schedule)

Targeting Your Broadcast

Kit’s filtering is powerful. You can target by:

Filter logic:

• All = Every condition must match (AND logic)
• Any = At least one condition matches (OR logic)

Example: Target subscribers within 50 miles of San Francisco AND exclude cold subscribers. This gives you an engaged, local audience for an in-person event.

A/B Testing Subject Lines

Kit’s A/B testing sends variations to 15% of subscribers each, then sends the winner to the remaining 70% after 4 hours.

Always test subject lines on important broadcasts. I’ve seen 2x open rate differences from subject line changes alone.

Scheduling

Schedule broadcasts for optimal send times. Test what works for your audience - Tuesday at 10am is conventional wisdom, but your list might respond better to Sunday evening.

Managing Subscribers

Kit uses a subscriber-centric model. One person = one profile, regardless of how many forms they fill out.

This matters because you don’t pay for duplicates. If someone signs up through 3 different forms, you’re charged for 1 subscriber.

Subscriber Dashboard

The subscriber dashboard shows:

• Total subscribers and growth trends
• Segments (saved filter combinations)
• Tags (metadata you’ve added)

Individual Subscriber Profiles

Click any subscriber to see:

• Forms they signed up through
• Sequences they’re in (current and completed)
• Tags applied to them
• Email history - every email sent, whether opened/clicked

This data helps you understand your audience. If someone clicked every link about Topic X but never opens Topic Y emails, you know what to send them.

Tags vs Segments

Tags = Data you add to subscribers (interests, purchases, behavior)

Segments = Saved filter combinations for targeting

Example tagging system:

• (Interest) Affiliate Marketing - clicked links about affiliates
• (Purchased) Course Name - bought your product
• (Lead Magnet) Email Guide - downloaded specific guide

This lets you send targeted broadcasts that feel relevant to each subscriber.

Automations

Automations are Kit’s most powerful feature. They let you create email workflows triggered by subscriber behavior.

Important: Automations only apply to actions that happen after you create them. They don’t work retroactively.

Automation Rules (Simple)

Simple rules: Trigger -> Action

Examples:

• Subscriber clicks link -> Add tag + Add to sequence
• Subscriber completes sequence -> Add to next sequence
• Subscriber purchases product -> Remove from sales sequence

Visual Automations (Complex)

Visual automations let you build multi-step workflows with branching logic.

Example workflow:

Subscribe to Form
    |
    v
Add to Welcome Sequence
    |
    v
Wait 7 days
    |
    v
Clicked link to Product X?
   /          \
 Yes          No
  |            |
  v            v
Product X    General
Sequence     Sequence

My Most-Used Automation

Link click tracking:

When someone clicks a product link in any email:

1. Tag them as (Interested) Product Name
2. Add them to a product-specific sequence
3. Remove them from general broadcasts about that product

This moves subscribers through a natural path: content -> interest -> nurture -> purchase.

RSS Automation

Kit can automatically email new blog posts to subscribers.

Options:

• Single - One email per post
• Digest - Weekly roundup of multiple posts

I don’t use this much - it’s better to manually write emails about new content so you can add context and a specific CTA. But it’s useful if you’re publishing frequently and want to automate notifications.

AI-Powered Email Workflows

This is where AI accelerates your email marketing.

AI helps you write better emails faster, analyze performance data, and generate more variations to test.

But AI doesn’t replace strategy. You still need to understand what makes emails convert. AI accelerates execution of a strategy that works.

Writing Email Sequences with AI

The wrong way: “Write me a 5-email sequence.”

This gives you generic content that sounds like everyone else.

The right way: Give context, constraints, and examples.

Prompt structure that works:

You're writing email #3 of a 5-email welcome sequence.

Context:
- Email 1: Delivered the lead magnet, introduced myself
- Email 2: Shared a case study about [specific topic]
- Email 3 (this email): Address the main objection: [specific objection]

Audience: [detailed description - job titles, pain points, goals]
Voice: Direct, tactical, no fluff. See these example emails for tone: [paste 1-2 examples]
Goal: Get them to reply with their biggest question

Constraints:
- 200-400 words max
- One clear CTA
- No salesy language
- Start with a hook, not "Hi [Name]"

AI Email Analysis

Export your Kit sequence stats and feed them to Claude:

Here are my email sequence stats for the past 90 days:

[paste open rates, click rates, unsubscribe rates per email]

Questions:
1. Which emails are underperforming and why?
2. What patterns do you see in high-performers?
3. What should I test next?

This compresses hours of analysis into minutes.

Subject Line Generation

Never send an email without testing subject lines. Generate 20+ variations, test the top 3-5.

Generate 20 email subject lines for an email about [topic].

Requirements:
- Under 50 characters (mobile preview cutoff)
- Include variations using: curiosity, urgency, personalization, questions, direct benefit statements
- No spam trigger words (free, guarantee, limited time)
- Match voice: [direct/playful/professional/casual]

Email content summary: [brief description]

AI for Personalization at Scale

Use AI to create segment-specific variations:

I have 3 audience segments:
1. Beginners who just started
2. Intermediate users with some experience
3. Advanced users who know the basics

Take this email and create 3 versions optimized for each segment.
Keep the same core message but adjust examples, language complexity, and assumed knowledge.

[paste email]

AI gives you the same strategy with faster execution and more variations to test.

For more AI marketing workflows, see the AI tools guide.

Kit vs Alternatives in 2026

Kit isn’t the only option. Here’s how it compares:

When Kit is the right choice

• Creators and solo business owners (bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, coaches)
• Digital product sellers - Built-in commerce features
• Paid newsletter operators - Native subscription support
• You want simplicity - Clean interface, not overwhelming

When to consider alternatives

The honest take: Kit got more expensive in 2024 (35% price increase). If you’re just sending newsletters and don’t need landing pages or digital product sales, tools like Beehiiv or Buttondown do that for less.

But if you’re building a business with courses, lead magnets, and multiple automations, Kit’s all-in-one approach is worth the premium.

Your Action Plan

Here’s exactly what to do this week:

Day 1-2: Foundation

• Create Kit account (start here)
• Add physical address for CAN-SPAM
• Wait for account approval (24-48 hours)
• Create your first form

Day 3-4: Lead Magnet

• Create a basic lead magnet using Claude
• Connect it to your form
• Test by subscribing yourself

Day 5-7: Welcome Sequence

• Write 5-email welcome sequence (use the AI prompts above)
• Set timing between emails
• Create your first automation rule

Week 2: First Revenue

• Send your first broadcast with an offer
• A/B test subject lines
• Review stats and iterate

Next Step

Email is how you turn traffic into an asset you own. Every visitor who joins your list becomes a potential customer you can reach directly.

If you’re starting an AI-powered business, this is the foundation.

Start here:

1. Create your Kit account
2. Build your first lead magnet with AI
3. Set up AI-powered list building strategies

Questions? Leave them in the comments.