> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.retainful.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Go from signup to your first revenue-generating email in about 15 minutes.

This guide takes you from a brand-new account to your first revenue-generating email. No technical knowledge required — if you can use your store's admin panel, you can do this.

<Info>
  You need an active Shopify or WooCommerce store and access to your domain's DNS settings (usually wherever you bought your domain, like GoDaddy or Cloudflare). If someone else manages your DNS, you can invite them as a [team member](/account/team-and-roles) for step 3.
</Info>

## Step 1: Create your account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up">
    Go to [app.retainful.com/register](https://app.retainful.com/register) and create your account with your work email, or install the Retainful app directly from the Shopify App Store — Shopify creates your account automatically during installation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify your email">
    Click the verification link in your inbox. You can't send emails until your account email is verified.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up your organization">
    Give your organization a name (usually your store name) and pick your currency and timezone under **Settings → Currency & Timezone**. Reports and scheduled sends use these settings.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Connect your store

Retainful needs to see your customers, carts, and orders to do its job.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Shopify">
    1. Go to **Integrations** in the sidebar and choose **Shopify**.
    2. Enter your store address (for example `mystore.myshopify.com`) and click **Connect**.
    3. Approve the permissions on the Shopify screen that opens.

    Retainful immediately starts syncing your products, customers, and orders. See [Connect Shopify](/integrations/shopify) for details, including enabling the storefront tracking pixel.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="WooCommerce">
    1. Install the **Retainful** plugin on your WordPress site.
    2. In Retainful, go to **Integrations → WooCommerce** and enter your store URL.
    3. Approve the connection request that appears in your WordPress admin.

    See [Connect WooCommerce](/integrations/woocommerce) for plugin requirements and troubleshooting.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Check>
  When the connection succeeds, you'll see your store listed as **Connected** on the Integrations page, and contacts begin appearing under **Audience → Contacts**.
</Check>

## Step 3: Set up your sending domain

Out of the box, Retainful can send from a shared domain, but emails sent from **your own domain** land in the inbox far more reliably and show your brand in the "from" address.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add your domain">
    Go to **Settings → Email → Domains** and add the domain you want to send from (for example `mystore.com`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the DNS records">
    Retainful shows you a short list of DNS records (DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and return-path). Add each one at your DNS provider — copy and paste them exactly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Back in Retainful, click **Verify** on each record. DNS changes can take up to a few hours to propagate, so don't worry if it doesn't verify instantly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a sender address">
    Under **Settings → Email → From Addresses**, add the address you'll send from (like `hello@mystore.com`) and verify it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

See [Sending domains](/email-setup/sending-domains) for a record-by-record walkthrough.

## Step 4: Bring in your audience

If you're moving from another email tool, export your subscribers there as a CSV file, then:

1. Go to **Audience → Imports** and start the import wizard.
2. Upload your CSV file.
3. Match your file's columns to Retainful's contact fields (email, first name, and so on).
4. Choose which list the contacts should join and confirm their subscription status.

<Warning>
  Only import people who gave you permission to email them. Importing purchased or scraped lists hurts your deliverability and may violate anti-spam laws.
</Warning>

More detail in [Import contacts](/audience/import-contacts).

## Step 5: Turn on abandoned cart recovery

This is the fastest way to see revenue from Retainful — it recovers sales you're currently losing.

1. Go to **Automations** and click **Templates**.
2. Pick the **Abandoned Cart Recovery** template.
3. Review the pre-built emails — adjust the wording, add your logo, or attach a discount.
4. Click **Publish**.

From now on, when a shopper leaves the checkout without paying, Retainful automatically follows up with your recovery emails. See the full guide: [Abandoned cart recovery](/automations/abandoned-cart-recovery).

## Step 6: Send your first campaign

1. Go to **Campaigns** and click **Create campaign**.
2. Pick a template you like (you can change everything about it).
3. Design your email in the drag-and-drop editor.
4. Choose your audience — start with the list you imported.
5. Send yourself a **test email**, then schedule or send.

See [Create a campaign](/campaigns/create-a-campaign) for the full walkthrough.

## What's next?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build smart segments" icon="filter" href="/audience/segments">
    Target customers by behavior — like "bought in the last 30 days" or "opened but didn't click."
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add a signup popup" icon="window-restore" href="/forms/overview">
    Grow your list with a popup that offers a welcome discount.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore automation templates" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/automations/overview">
    Welcome series, win-back campaigns, post-purchase thank-yous, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand your analytics" icon="chart-line" href="/campaigns/analytics">
    Learn what opens, clicks, and conversions tell you about your emails.
  </Card>
</Columns>

This guide takes you from a brand-new account to your first revenue-generating email. No technical knowledge required — if you can use your store's admin panel, you can do this.

<Info>
  You need an active Shopify or WooCommerce store and access to your domain's DNS settings (usually wherever you bought your domain, like GoDaddy or Cloudflare). If someone else manages your DNS, you can invite them as a [team member](/account/team-and-roles) for step 3.
</Info>

## Step 1: Create your account

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign up">
    Go to [app.retainful.com/register](https://app.retainful.com/register) and create your account with your work email, or install the Retainful app directly from the Shopify App Store — Shopify creates your account automatically during installation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify your email">
    Click the verification link in your inbox. You can't send emails until your account email is verified.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up your organization">
    Give your organization a name (usually your store name) and pick your currency and timezone under **Settings → Currency & Timezone**. Reports and scheduled sends use these settings.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Step 2: Connect your store

Retainful needs to see your customers, carts, and orders to do its job.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Shopify">
    1. Go to **Integrations** in the sidebar and choose **Shopify**.
    2. Enter your store address (for example `mystore.myshopify.com`) and click **Connect**.
    3. Approve the permissions on the Shopify screen that opens.

    Retainful immediately starts syncing your products, customers, and orders. See [Connect Shopify](/integrations/shopify) for details, including enabling the storefront tracking pixel.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="WooCommerce">
    1. Install the **Retainful** plugin on your WordPress site.
    2. In Retainful, go to **Integrations → WooCommerce** and enter your store URL.
    3. Approve the connection request that appears in your WordPress admin.

    See [Connect WooCommerce](/integrations/woocommerce) for plugin requirements and troubleshooting.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Check>
  When the connection succeeds, you'll see your store listed as **Connected** on the Integrations page, and contacts begin appearing under **Audience → Contacts**.
</Check>

## Step 3: Set up your sending domain

Out of the box, Retainful can send from a shared domain, but emails sent from **your own domain** land in the inbox far more reliably and show your brand in the "from" address.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add your domain">
    Go to **Settings → Email → Domains** and add the domain you want to send from (for example `mystore.com`).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the DNS records">
    Retainful shows you a short list of DNS records (DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and return-path). Add each one at your DNS provider — copy and paste them exactly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify">
    Back in Retainful, click **Verify** on each record. DNS changes can take up to a few hours to propagate, so don't worry if it doesn't verify instantly.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add a sender address">
    Under **Settings → Email → From Addresses**, add the address you'll send from (like `hello@mystore.com`) and verify it.
  </Step>
</Steps>

See [Sending domains](/email-setup/sending-domains) for a record-by-record walkthrough.

## Step 4: Bring in your audience

If you're moving from another email tool, export your subscribers there as a CSV file, then:

1. Go to **Audience → Imports** and start the import wizard.
2. Upload your CSV file.
3. Match your file's columns to Retainful's contact fields (email, first name, and so on).
4. Choose which list the contacts should join and confirm their subscription status.

<Warning>
  Only import people who gave you permission to email them. Importing purchased or scraped lists hurts your deliverability and may violate anti-spam laws.
</Warning>

More detail in [Import contacts](/audience/import-contacts).

## Step 5: Turn on abandoned cart recovery

This is the fastest way to see revenue from Retainful — it recovers sales you're currently losing.

1. Go to **Automations** and click **Templates**.
2. Pick the **Abandoned Cart Recovery** template.
3. Review the pre-built emails — adjust the wording, add your logo, or attach a discount.
4. Click **Publish**.

From now on, when a shopper leaves the checkout without paying, Retainful automatically follows up with your recovery emails. See the full guide: [Abandoned cart recovery](/automations/abandoned-cart-recovery).

## Step 6: Send your first campaign

1. Go to **Campaigns** and click **Create campaign**.
2. Pick a template you like (you can change everything about it).
3. Design your email in the drag-and-drop editor.
4. Choose your audience — start with the list you imported.
5. Send yourself a **test email**, then schedule or send.

See [Create a campaign](/campaigns/create-a-campaign) for the full walkthrough.

## What's next?

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build smart segments" icon="filter" href="/audience/segments">
    Target customers by behavior — like "bought in the last 30 days" or "opened but didn't click."
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add a signup popup" icon="window-restore" href="/forms/overview">
    Grow your list with a popup that offers a welcome discount.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Explore automation templates" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/automations/overview">
    Welcome series, win-back campaigns, post-purchase thank-yous, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Understand your analytics" icon="chart-line" href="/campaigns/analytics">
    Learn what opens, clicks, and conversions tell you about your emails.
  </Card>
</Columns>