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MailChimp Integration

Automatically capture email addresses from captive portal WiFi guests and sync them to your MailChimp lists for GDPR-compliant email marketing campaigns.

Overview​

The MailChimp integration enables:

  • Automatic subscriber collection from captive portal
  • List segmentation based on location or access type
  • Marketing campaigns to WiFi guests
  • GDPR-compliant opt-in collection

Prerequisites​

  • IronWifi account with captive portal
  • MailChimp account (mailchimp.com)
  • MailChimp API key

MailChimp Setup​

Get API Key​

  1. Log in to MailChimp
  2. Click your profile > Account & billing
  3. Go to Extras > API keys
  4. Click Create A Key
  5. Copy the API key

Create Audience (List)​

  1. Go to Audience > All contacts
  2. Click Create Audience if needed
  3. Note the Audience ID (found in Settings > Audience name and defaults)

Configure Merge Fields (Optional)​

Add custom fields to capture additional data:

  1. Go to Audience > Settings > Audience fields and |MERGE| tags
  2. Add fields like:
    • Location
    • Visit Date
    • Access Type

IronWifi Configuration​

Step 1: Add MailChimp Integration​

  1. Log in to IronWifi Console
  2. Navigate to Networks > Captive Portals
  3. Select your captive portal
  4. Go to Authentication Providers or Integrations
  5. Click Add Integration > MailChimp

Step 2: Configure API Connection​

Enter MailChimp credentials:

  • API Key: Your MailChimp API key
  • Audience ID: Target list ID

Step 3: Field Mapping​

Map IronWifi fields to MailChimp merge fields:

IronWifi FieldMailChimp Field
EmailEMAIL
First NameFNAME
Last NameLNAME
PhonePHONE
LocationLOCATION (custom)

Step 4: Subscription Settings​

Configure how users are added:

  • Status: Subscribed, Pending (double opt-in), or Transactional
  • Tags: Auto-apply tags (e.g., "WiFi Guest", location name)
  • Opt-in Required: Enable for GDPR compliance

Captive Portal Setup​

Email Collection Form​

Update your splash page to collect email:

<form method="POST" action="{{auth_url}}">
  <input type="email" name="email" placeholder="Email address" required>

  <label>
    <input type="checkbox" name="marketing_consent" value="yes">
    Subscribe to our newsletter
  </label>

  <button type="submit">Connect to WiFi</button>
</form>

For GDPR compliance, explicitly collect consent:

<div class="consent-section">
  <h3>Stay Connected</h3>
  <p>Get updates on promotions and events</p>

  <label class="checkbox">
    <input type="checkbox" name="subscribe" id="subscribe">
    <span>Yes, I'd like to receive marketing emails</span>
  </label>

  <small>
    By checking this box, you agree to receive marketing communications.
    You can unsubscribe at any time.
  </small>
</div>

Data Synchronization​

What Gets Synced​

When a user authenticates:

  • Email address (required)
  • Name (if collected)
  • Custom fields (as mapped)
  • Tags (as configured)
  • Subscription status

Sync Triggers​

Data syncs to MailChimp:

  • On successful authentication
  • If user opts in to marketing
  • Based on configured rules

Duplicate Handling​

MailChimp handles duplicates:

  • Existing subscribers are updated
  • New emails are added
  • Unsubscribed users are not re-subscribed

Segmentation​

Automatic Tags​

Configure automatic tagging:

  • Location-based: Tag by WiFi network location
  • Time-based: Tag by visit date/time
  • Access type: Tag by authentication method

Use in Campaigns​

Create targeted campaigns:

  1. In MailChimp, go to Audience > Segments
  2. Create segment based on tags
  3. Target WiFi guests with relevant content

Analytics​

Track Performance​

In MailChimp:

  • Audience Growth: See subscribers from WiFi
  • Campaign Stats: Track engagement
  • Revenue Attribution: Connect to e-commerce

IronWifi Metrics​

Monitor:

  • Emails collected per day
  • Opt-in rates
  • Sync success/failure rates

Troubleshooting​

Subscribers Not Appearing​

  1. Verify API key is valid
  2. Check Audience ID is correct
  3. Confirm email field is mapped
  4. Review IronWifi logs for errors

Sync Errors​

  1. Check MailChimp API status
  2. Verify field mapping
  3. Check for invalid email formats
  4. Review error messages in logs

Double Opt-in Not Working​

  1. Verify "Pending" status is configured
  2. Check MailChimp automation is enabled
  3. Test with a real email address

GDPR Compliance​

Best Practices​

  1. Explicit consent: Use checkbox for opt-in
  2. Clear language: Explain what users subscribe to
  3. Easy unsubscribe: MailChimp handles this automatically
  4. Data access: Provide way to request data
  5. Retention policy: Set data retention periods

Required Disclosures​

Include in your splash page:

  • What data is collected
  • How it will be used
  • Link to privacy policy
  • Unsubscribe information