🎯 Walk through the complete customer experience from first signup to creating your first campaign. Follow this journey to get the most value from Mailchimp MCP.

What You'll Learn

• How to create your account and install Mailchimp MCP
• How to connect your Mailchimp account
• How to explore with the free tier
• How to upgrade and create your first campaign
• Best practices for ongoing usage

Time: 30 minutes total
Difficulty: Beginner

Phase 1: Getting Started (5 minutes)

Step 1: Create Your Account

Option A: Email/Password Registration

1. Visit alienlifestyles.com
2. Click "Get Started" or "Sign Up"
3. Enter your email and create a password
4. Verify your email address

Option B: Google Single Sign-On (Recommended)

1. Click "Sign in with Google"
2. Authorize with your Google account
3. Account created automatically

Why GSSO?

• Faster signup (one click)
• No password to remember
• Secure authentication
• Seamless experience

Step 2: Install Mailchimp MCP

macOS (Easiest):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp-alien-lifestyles/main/install.sh | bash

All Platforms:

npx -y @alien-lifestyles/mailchimp-mcp mailchimp-mcp-install

The installer will:

• Check prerequisites (Node.js, npm)
• Install the package globally
• Launch the setup UI automatically
• Guide you through configuration

Step 3: Initial Configuration

The setup UI opens in your browser at http://localhost:3000. You'll configure:

Required:

• Mailchimp API key (get from Mailchimp account)
• Server prefix (auto-detected from API key)

Optional (but recommended):

• License key (for paid features)
• PII masking (for privacy protection)

Save configuration and restart Claude Desktop.

Phase 2: Connect Your Mailchimp Account (2 minutes)

Option A: API Key Connection

1. Get your Mailchimp API key:

   • Log into Mailchimp
   • Go to Account & Billing → Extras → API keys
   • Create a new key
   • Copy the key (format: abc123-us9)

2. Enter in setup UI:

   • Paste API key
   • Server prefix auto-detected
   • Save configuration

Option B: OAuth Connection (Recommended)

1. Log into your account dashboard at alienlifestyles.com/account
2. Click "Connect Mailchimp" button
3. Authorize Mailchimp access
4. Connection confirmed automatically
5. MCP server uses OAuth tokens (more secure)

Benefits of OAuth:

• More secure (no API keys to manage)
• Automatic token refresh
• Centralized connection management
• Better for multiple devices

Phase 3: Explore with AI Analyst (Free) (10 minutes)

Your First Queries

Start with these free queries to explore your data:

Quick Health Check:

Give me an account health summary

Performance Snapshot:

What's my best performing campaign?

Audience Insights:

How many subscribers do I have and how are they growing?

Campaign Analysis:

Analyze my last 5 campaigns and give me recommendations

What You Can Do (Free Tier)

With AI Analyst (free), you can:

• View all campaigns and audiences
• Analyze performance metrics
• Get AI-powered insights
• Access campaign reports
• Monitor account health
• Understand your data

Perfect for: Exploring capabilities, understanding your data, getting insights before committing.

Phase 4: Upgrade to Full Features (When Ready)

When to Upgrade

Upgrade to AI Marketer + Account Manager when you're ready to:

• Create campaigns through conversation
• Manage audiences and segments
• Set up automation workflows
• Execute email marketing strategies

Subscription Process

1. Visit Pricing Page

   • Go to alienlifestyles.com/pricing
   • Review features and pricing ($10/month)

2. Subscribe

   • Click "Upgrade to Execute"
   • Complete Stripe checkout
   • Subscription created automatically

3. Get Your License Key

   • License key generated automatically
   • View in account dashboard
   • Copy to setup UI or config file

4. Activate Features

   • Enter license key in configuration
   • Restart Claude Desktop
   • Full features immediately available

Managing Your Subscription

Via Account Dashboard:

• View subscription status
• Manage billing
• Update payment method
• Cancel subscription (via Stripe Customer Portal)

Features:

• Automatic renewal
• Grace period for failed payments (7 days)
• Email notifications for payment events
• Self-service management

Phase 5: Create Your First Campaign (5 minutes)

Prerequisites

• Mailchimp MCP installed
• Account connected (API key or OAuth)
• Paid license activated
• Claude Desktop running

Create Your Campaign

Ask Claude:

Create a welcome email campaign for new subscribers. 
Use a friendly tone and include a 10% discount code.

Claude will:

1. Ask clarifying questions if needed
2. Create the campaign in Mailchimp
3. Configure settings automatically
4. Confirm when ready

Review and Send

1. Review campaign in Mailchimp dashboard
2. Make any adjustments needed
3. Schedule or send immediately
4. Monitor performance

Phase 6: Ongoing Usage

Daily Workflow

Morning Routine:

1. Check account health
2. Review recent campaign performance
3. Identify opportunities
4. Plan day's activities

Campaign Creation:

1. Analyze past performance
2. Get content recommendations
3. Create campaign through conversation
4. Review and optimize

Weekly Reviews

Performance Analysis:

Weekly performance review:
- Campaign metrics
- Engagement trends
- Audience growth
- Recommendations

Monthly Deep Dives

Strategic Analysis:

Monthly strategic review:
- What's working?
- What needs improvement?
- Opportunities
- Action items

Account Management

Access Your Dashboard

Visit alienlifestyles.com/account to:

• View license key and status
• Manage subscription
• Connect/disconnect Mailchimp
• View device installations
• Access usage analytics
• Update account settings

Device Management

Multiple Devices:

• One license works on multiple devices
• View all active installations
• Manage device access
• Revoke access if needed

License Management

View License:

• See license key in dashboard
• Check expiration date
• View license status

Rotate License:

• Generate new key if compromised
• Old key automatically invalidated
• Update on all devices

Best Practices

Start Free

• Explore with AI Analyst (free)
• Understand capabilities
• Get comfortable with workflow
• Upgrade when ready

Secure Your Account

• Use strong passwords
• Enable 2FA when available
• Use OAuth when possible
• Enable PII masking for sensitive data

Regular Monitoring

• Check account health weekly
• Review campaign performance
• Monitor subscription status
• Update configurations as needed

Stay Updated

• Check for updates regularly
• Review changelog
• Update Mailchimp MCP
• Keep Claude Desktop updated

Troubleshooting

Account Issues

Can't log in:

• Use password reset
• Try Google SSO
• Check email verification
• Contact support

Connection Issues

Mailchimp not connecting:

• Verify API key is correct
• Check OAuth authorization
• Restart Claude Desktop
• Review connection status in dashboard

License Issues

License not working:

• Verify license key is correct
• Check subscription status
• Ensure license hasn't expired
• Contact support if needed

Next Steps

After completing onboarding:

1. Explore Features: Try different use cases
2. Create Campaigns: Start with simple campaigns
3. Set Up Automations: Automate workflows
4. Monitor Performance: Track results
5. Optimize: Improve based on insights

Need Help?

• Your First 5 Minutes
• Installation Guide
• First Campaign Tutorial
• Account Management Guide

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Related Articles:

• Your First 5 Minutes
• Installation Guide
• First Campaign Tutorial
• Account Management Guide