What is Mailchimp?
Quick answer
Mailchimp (mailchimp.com) is an email and SMS marketing platform owned by Intuit. You import your contacts into an audience, build an email in its builder, choose who gets it and send it now or on a schedule. Paid plans add automation flows, more reporting and generative AI help with copy.
Last updated
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Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Most small firms already have the list: past clients, event guests, newsletter sign-ups sitting in a spreadsheet. Mailchimp turns that list into something you can send to properly, with an unsubscribe link, open and click reports and the option to send only to a segment instead of everyone.
Its help center shows the basic path: Audience, then Add contacts, then Import contacts, and upload a CSV or TXT file that has an Email Address column. You match each column to an audience field, set the marketing status and click Complete Import. Mailchimp asks you to confirm you have permission to email anyone you import as subscribed.
When you create an email, the checklist walks you through To, From, Subject, Send time and Content. In To you can pick all subscribers or a segment, or exclude tags. On Standard and higher plans, Write with AI can draft subject lines and copy, and Mailchimp says to review AI output before sending.
In a real lesson: Protect Your Sender Reputation Before a Big Send using no2bounce
The no2bounce lesson does not use Mailchimp. It covers the step right before a big send. Nora runs marketing at Lantern Hill Venue, a made-up event space. Her last open house invite went to 600 contacts and 54 bounced, which is 9 percent. Bounces hurt sender reputation, so more good mail lands in spam.
In no2bounce she uploads the contact CSV, picks the email column, clicks Validate and then downloads only the Deliverable addresses. The lesson ends with one instruction: load that file into your email tool.
That email tool is where Mailchimp fits. You import the clean file under Import contacts, tag it (for example "open house"), and send the next invite to that tag only. The validator protects the list; Mailchimp does the sending, the unsubscribes and the reporting.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
Mailchimp vs a Gmail mail merge
A mail merge sends personal one-to-one emails from your own inbox. Mailchimp sends marketing email to a list with unsubscribe links, sign-up forms and campaign reports, which is what bulk sends need. See email deliverability.
Audience vs segment
The audience is your whole contact list in Mailchimp. A segment is a filtered slice of it, such as everyone with one tag, that you choose in the To step.
Tips
- Clean the list before the first import so old bounced addresses never count against you.
- Import one marketing status per file; Mailchimp only accepts one status per import.
- Tag each import with where the contacts came from, then send to the tag.
- Read every AI-written subject line and paragraph before you send.
Related terms
More Web apps terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Protect Your Sender Reputation Before a Big Send using no2bounce (no2bounce, 8 min)
- n8n: Weekly Client Status Emails from a Google Sheet, Written by AI (n8n, 14 min)
AI tools that use it
Frequently asked questions
- Is Mailchimp free?
- Yes, Mailchimp has a free plan for early-stage senders with a contact limit and monthly and daily send limits. Automation flows, email scheduling and the generative AI features are on paid plans. See mailchimp.com/pricing for the current limits.
- What file can I import into Mailchimp?
- A CSV or TXT file with an Email Address column. First name, last name and other columns are optional, and you match each one to an audience field during the import.
- Can I send to only part of my list?
- Yes. In the To step of a regular email you can pick a segment or a tag, or exclude one, instead of sending to all subscribers.