Understanding subscription forms
Overview
Anchor link toSubscription forms let you collect email subscribers on your website and pass their data directly to Pushwoosh. You can show forms as modal popups or embed them into any page and optionally require email confirmation (double opt-in) so each address is verified before it is added, which helps keep lists accurate.
When to use subscription forms
Anchor link toUse subscription forms to:
- Grow an owned email audience without relying on third-party tools
- Capture structured profile data (name, phone, custom fields) at the moment of signup
- Automatically tag subscribers by form source and build segments for targeted campaigns
- Enable double opt-in so subscribers confirm by email before they are added, which helps keep your list clean and engaged
- Export subscribers collected via forms so you can target them in campaigns and analytics
Understand how subscription forms work
Anchor link toWhen you create a subscription form, Pushwoosh automatically creates a tag named PW_SubscriptionForm, whose value is set to the form code.
After you place the embed code on your website and a visitor submits the form:
- The form passes the subscribers email and other field values to Pushwoosh.
If this is the first contact for this person, Pushwoosh creates an Email device where User ID, HWID, and token are all set to the email address. If the user already has a User ID, the new Email device is linked to that existing User ID and becomes one more device in the profile alongside devices for push, SMS, and other channels.
- Pushwoosh assigns the subscription form tag to the
subscriber based on the double opt-in setting:
- Double opt-in disabled: the tag is assigned immediately on submission.
- Double opt-in enabled: the tag is assigned only after the subscriber confirms their email. Subscribers who do not confirm are not registered in the app and do not receive the tag.
- The tags value is set to the form code used for the subscription. Use this tag to build segments and target subscribers of a specific form.
To find the form code, click Edit for the form in the forms list and check the URL when the form opens for editing.
You can also find the form code in the filename of the CSV from Export subscribers for that form.
Set up and manage subscription forms
Anchor link toTo start working with subscription forms, follow these steps:
-
Create and embed the form
Set up the form fields, choose whether to display the form as a modal or inline widget, then copy the embed code and add it to your website.
-
Customize the widget appearance (optional)
Use CSS custom properties on
pushwoosh-subscribe-widgetto adjust colors, typography, spacing, and modal styling. -
Enable double opt-in (optional)
Turn on double opt-in for the project, edit the confirmation email, and review how confirmed subscriptions and consent are recorded in User Explorer.
-
Review performance and export subscribers
Use Form performance to track views and submissions, manage form status, copy the embed code, and export subscribers as a CSV file.
What happens when a visitor submits a subscription form
Anchor link toThe behavior after submission depends on whether double opt-in is enabled and whether the email is already in your project.
Double opt-in disabled
Anchor link to| Scenario | What the visitor sees | What happens in Pushwoosh |
|---|---|---|
| New email | Thanks! Youre now subscribed to our emails. | Subscriber created with status Confirmed |
| Email already submitted through this form | You are already successfully subscribed to the list. | No changes. The form cannot be resubmitted with the same email. |
Double opt-in enabled
Anchor link to| Scenario | What the visitor sees | What happens in Pushwoosh |
|---|---|---|
| New email | Thanks! Please check your email to confirm your subscription. | Confirmation email sent. The visitor is not registered in the app until they confirm. |
| Link clicked within 24 hours | Confirmation page | The visitor is registered in the app as a subscriber with status Confirmed. |
| Link not clicked within 24 hours | Link expired. Please return to the form and resubscribe. | The visitor is not registered in the app. The signup attempt has expired. They must submit the form again if they still want to subscribe. |
| Email already confirmed | You are already successfully subscribed to the list. | No changes. The form cannot be resubmitted with the same email. |