Connecting Mailchimp

Sync your Mailchimp subscribers, audiences (lists), and campaign data to Airtable. This guide walks you through the complete OAuth setup for Mailchimp.

Before You Begin

• You need a Mailchimp account (free or paid plan)
• You should be the account owner or an admin/manager
• Make sure you've already connected Airtable to TableSync

[Screenshot: Mailchimp dashboard with audience overview]

Step-by-Step Connection Guide

Step 1: Find Mailchimp in Sources

1. Log in to your TableSync Dashboard
2. Scroll down to the Sources section
3. Find the Mailchimp card (yellow icon)

[Screenshot: Dashboard Sources section with Mailchimp card highlighted]

Step 2: Start the Connection

1. Click the Connect button on the Mailchimp card
2. A new window will open for Mailchimp authorization
3. You may see the Mailchimp login page

[Screenshot: Mailchimp Connect button and authorization window]

Step 3: Log In to Mailchimp

1. Enter your Mailchimp username (or email) and password
2. Click Log In
3. If you use social login (Google, Facebook), use those options

[Screenshot: Mailchimp login screen]

Tip: Make sure you're logging into the correct Mailchimp account if you manage multiple accounts.

Step 4: Authorize TableSync

1. Review what TableSync is requesting access to
2. You'll see a summary of permissions
3. Click Allow to authorize the connection

[Screenshot: Mailchimp OAuth authorization screen showing permissions]

Note: Mailchimp may show this as allowing an "app" to connect to your account.

Step 5: Confirm Connection

1. You'll be redirected back to TableSync
2. The Mailchimp card will show Connected with a green indicator
3. Your Mailchimp account name or email will appear below

[Screenshot: Connected Mailchimp card showing account info]

Available Data Types

Once connected, you can sync these Mailchimp objects to Airtable:

Subscribers (Audience Members)

Bonus: Custom merge fields you've created in Mailchimp (like Birthday, Company, etc.) are also available!

Lists (Audiences)

Campaigns

Understanding Mailchimp Terminology

Mailchimp uses some specific terms:

Mailchimp Plan Compatibility

User Permissions

Not all Mailchimp users can connect TableSync:

If you can't connect, ask an Owner or Admin to set up the connection.

Troubleshooting

"Authorization failed"

Possible causes:

• You're not an Owner, Admin, or Manager
• Session expired during authorization
• Browser blocked the popup or cookies

Solutions:

1. Check your Mailchimp user role in Account Settings
2. Log out of Mailchimp, log back in, then try connecting
3. Try a different browser or disable browser extensions

"I don't see all my subscribers"

Possible causes:

• You have multiple audiences (lists)
• Some subscribers are unsubscribed or cleaned

Solutions:

1. When creating a sync, make sure you've selected the correct audience
2. Unsubscribed and cleaned contacts are still synced but marked with their status
3. Create separate syncs for each audience if needed

"Merge fields aren't appearing"

Explanation: Custom merge fields should appear when you're mapping fields in a sync.

Solutions:

1. Make sure you've added merge fields in Mailchimp's Audience settings
2. Try refreshing the page during sync creation
3. Create a test subscriber with the merge fields filled in

"Connection expired"

Mailchimp OAuth tokens can expire. Signs include:

• Syncs failing with "authentication" errors
• Connection showing as "Disconnected"

Solution: Click Reconnect on the Mailchimp card.

"Wrong Mailchimp account connected"

Solution:

1. Disconnect from the Mailchimp card in TableSync
2. Log out of Mailchimp in your browser
3. Reconnect and log into the correct account

Managing Your Mailchimp Connection

Checking Connection Status

Your Dashboard shows:

• Connection status (Connected/Disconnected)
• Account name or email
• When the connection was established

Disconnecting Mailchimp

To remove the connection:

1. Click the three-dot menu on the Mailchimp card
2. Select Disconnect
3. Confirm the disconnection

Warning: This pauses all syncs using this Mailchimp connection.

Revoking from Mailchimp

You can also remove access directly from Mailchimp:

1. Log in to Mailchimp
2. Go to Account > Integrations > Manage Integrations
3. Find TableSync and click Disconnect or Remove

Best Practices

Organizing Your Synced Data

• Create separate Airtable tables for subscribers vs. campaigns
• Use Airtable views to filter by subscriber status (subscribed only, unsubscribed, etc.)
• Add formulas in Airtable to calculate engagement metrics

Handling Multiple Audiences

If you have multiple Mailchimp audiences:

1. Create separate syncs for each audience
2. Sync each to a different Airtable table
3. Or, sync to the same table and add an "Audience" field to track the source

Keeping Data Fresh

• Subscriber syncs are most valuable on hourly or daily schedules
• Campaign data changes less frequently - daily syncs are usually sufficient

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sync from multiple Mailchimp accounts?

Each TableSync account connects to one Mailchimp account. Use separate TableSync accounts for multiple Mailchimp accounts.

Will syncing affect my Mailchimp sending limits?

No. TableSync only reads data - it doesn't send emails or count against sending limits.

Are archived subscribers included?

Yes, archived/cleaned subscribers are included in syncs with their status marked accordingly.

Can I sync subscriber tags?

Subscriber tags are available as a field you can map during sync creation.

What about subscriber activity (opens, clicks)?

Campaign-level metrics (total opens, clicks) are available. Individual subscriber activity tracking is on our roadmap.

Does TableSync work with Mailchimp Transactional (Mandrill)?

Currently, TableSync supports Mailchimp Marketing only. Transactional email data is not available.

How do I sync only subscribed (active) subscribers?

TableSync syncs all subscribers but includes the status field. Use Airtable filters to show only "subscribed" records.

Will TableSync add or remove subscribers from my Mailchimp?

No. TableSync only reads data from Mailchimp. We never add, remove, or modify your subscriber lists.

What happens to synced data if someone unsubscribes?

On the next sync, that subscriber's status field in Airtable will update to "unsubscribed". The record remains for your reference.