User Guide

Subscriber Lists

Lists are the backbone of Punchmail. Every subscriber belongs to one or more lists, and every campaign is sent to a list (or a segment of one). Think of a list as a named container — "Newsletter," "Product Updates," "VIP Customers" — that groups subscribers who should receive the same kind of email.

Viewing Your Lists

Click Lists in the sidebar to see all your lists in a table:

Column What it shows
Name The list name. Click it to open the list detail page.
Subscribers Total number of subscribers on the list.
Subscribed Count of actively subscribed contacts (shown in green).
Unsubscribed Count of contacts who opted out (shown in gray).
Pending Count of contacts waiting to confirm (shown in yellow — relevant if you use double opt-in).
Created When the list was created.
Delete Remove the list entirely.

Creating a New List

Click Create List and fill in the form:

  • Name (required) — A descriptive name for the list.
  • Description — An optional internal note about what this list is for.
  • From Name — The sender name recipients will see (e.g., “Sarah from Acme”).
  • From Email — The “from” address for campaigns sent to this list.
  • Reply-To Email — Where replies go if a subscriber hits “reply.”
  • Return Path — The address that receives bounce notifications (your admin may have set a default).
  • Double Opt-in — Toggle this on if you want new subscribers to confirm their email address before being added. This is highly recommended for public signup forms — it keeps your list clean and proves consent.

Once saved, your new list is ready to accept subscribers.

The List Detail Page

Click any list name to open its detail page. You'll find three tabs:

Overview Tab

This is the landing tab and gives you a snapshot of the list:

  • Stat cards showing Total, Subscribed, Unsubscribed, and Pending counts.
  • List details like the From Name, From Email, and whether double opt-in is enabled.
  • Get Embed Code button — generates a ready-to-use signup form for your website (more on this below).
  • Delete button — removes the list after confirmation.

Subscribers Tab

A searchable table of everyone on this list:

Column What it shows
Email The subscriber's email address.
Name Their first and last name.
Status Their global status (Active, Inactive, etc.).
List Status Their status on this specific list (Subscribed, Unsubscribed, Pending).
Subscribed The date they joined this list.

Use the search bar to quickly find a specific subscriber by email or name.

Settings Tab

Edit any of the list's fields — name, description, from address, reply-to, double opt-in — and save your changes.

Embedding a Signup Form on Your Website

Want people to subscribe from your website? Punchmail generates the code for you:

  1. Open the list you want signups to go to.
  2. Click Get Embed Code on the Overview tab.
  3. A modal will appear with HTML/JavaScript code and a Copy button.
  4. Paste the code into your website wherever you'd like the form to appear.

The form will handle validation and, if you have double opt-in enabled, will send a confirmation email automatically.

Importing Subscribers via CSV

If you already have a list of subscribers in a spreadsheet, you can import them in bulk. Punchmail walks you through a 4-step wizard:

Step 1: Upload

Click Import (from the Subscribers page) and upload your CSV file. Punchmail accepts .csv files — just make sure your data has a header row.

Step 2: Map Columns

Punchmail will auto-detect the delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, etc.) and try to automatically map common column names like “email,” “first name,” and “last name.” Review the mappings and adjust anything that looks off.

Step 3: Import Options

Choose your settings:

  • Target list — Which list should these subscribers be added to?
  • Update existing — If a subscriber already exists, should their information be updated with the data from the CSV?
  • Skip duplicates — Skip rows where the email already exists on the target list.
  • Assign tags — Optionally tag all imported subscribers (e.g., “imported-feb-2026” or “tradeshow-leads”).

Step 4: Confirm

Review a summary of what's about to happen — number of rows, target list, selected options — and click Import. The import runs in the background, so you can navigate away and come back later. Large imports may take a few minutes to complete.

Deleting a List

When you delete a list, the subscribers on it are not deleted from Punchmail — they're just removed from that list. If a subscriber belongs to other lists, they'll remain on those. Only the list itself and its membership associations are removed.

You'll see a confirmation warning before anything is deleted, so there's no risk of accidental removal.

Tips for Managing Lists

  • Use descriptive names. “Newsletter - Weekly” is better than “List 1.”
  • Set up double opt-in for public forms. It protects you from spam signups and proves that each subscriber genuinely wanted to join.
  • Keep your From Name consistent. Subscribers are more likely to open emails when they recognize the sender.
  • Use tags alongside lists for extra flexibility. Lists define who gets what kind of email; tags add extra metadata you can filter by later.
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