Who this move suits
beehiiv fits a newsletter-first publication: posts that also live on a website, an archive readers can browse, and growth or monetization features built around that. If your Mailchimp account mostly runs e-commerce automations or transactional-style email, compare carefully before moving, because those flows are rebuilt by hand. [1]
Check the plan before you start. beehiiv's pricing page lists the Free plan at up to 2,500 subscribers without automations or custom domains, Lite at $59 a month, or $49 a month billed annually, for a list of up to 1,000 subscribers with up to 10 live automations, and Pro at $109 a month, or $95 billed annually, at the same list size with unlimited automations; prices rise with list size. [5] A list over your plan's limit will not import partly; beehiiv holds the whole import. [2]
What to export from Mailchimp, and what to upload
In Mailchimp, go to Audience and choose Export audience, then Export CSV. Mailchimp says the export may arrive as a ZIP of separate CSV files, one per contact type, with the type in the file name; the files include a TAGS column; exports do not include open or click data; only Owners and Admins can export; and the files stay available for 30 days. [3]
Mailchimp's definitions decide what goes into beehiiv: subscribed contacts opted in; unsubscribed contacts opted out; non-subscribed contacts interacted with you but never opted in; cleaned contacts hard bounced or soft bounced repeatedly. [4]
| Mailchimp file | What it means [4] | Upload to beehiiv? | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subscribed | Opted in to marketing | Yes | These are the people beehiiv's consent statement covers [2] |
| Unsubscribed | Opted out | No | beehiiv's import article does not describe importing them as suppressed; keep the file as your record |
| Non-subscribed | Interacted but never opted in | No | Fails the opt-in confirmation beehiiv requires [2] |
| Cleaned | Hard bounces and repeated soft bounces | No | Addresses are likely invalid; beehiiv also filters invalid emails [2] |
| Archived | Removed from the audience | No | Exported separately in Mailchimp; not sendable there either [3] [4] |
Import into beehiiv: mapping, review and the on-hold rule
In beehiiv, start an import from Subscribers or from Settings and upload the CSV. beehiiv expects the email column to be headed email, email address or emailaddress. In Map fields, set each column to Email address, Custom field or Subscriber tag; map Mailchimp's TAGS column to Subscriber tag. Custom field names are case-sensitive, and reserved names must be renamed, for example city to imported_city. [2]
Two settings deserve care. Overwrite existing custom field data is on by default, and with it on, a blank cell deletes that subscriber's current value. Tags cannot be overwritten by an import; new tags are added and existing ones stay. [2]
The Review and confirm step shows your subscriber count, remaining plan room and any warnings, and you must agree that everyone knowingly consented; beehiiv warns that importing non-consented contacts can lead to termination. beehiiv filters out duplicate, invalid and inactive emails and reports them as Rejected. If the import would take you over your plan's limit and you do not upgrade, the whole import stays On hold, and partial imports are not supported, so trim the file and re-upload. [2]
Handle inactive readers and signup dates
beehiiv's Mailchimp guide suggests building a segment of contacts with a Mailchimp member rating of 1 or 2, excluding it from sends for the first two to four weeks, and ideally removing those subscribers during migration. A cleaner first month on a new sender helps you judge deliverability on readers who actually open. [1]
By default beehiiv sets each subscriber's subscription date to the import date. If original signup dates matter for your reporting or anniversary emails, import first and then ask beehiiv Support to update them. [1]
Bring the archive across
Before importing content, create a post template and set it as the default post style, because beehiiv says styling can only be changed post by post after migration. Then go to Settings, Content Import, Start Import, choose Mailchimp, connect your account, and import all campaigns or only chosen campaign folders. beehiiv says imports usually take 5 to 15 minutes and show as Pending, Processing and Completed in Historical Imports. [1]
Only campaigns created in Mailchimp's New Email Builder are imported; Legacy Email Builder campaigns are skipped and need to be recreated manually. Before you start, sort campaigns into folders such as keep, rebuild and drop, so you import only what you want readers to find. [1]
What you rebuild by hand
Everything below is a manual step. The table lists where each piece goes in beehiiv and the plan it needs.
| Mailchimp item | beehiiv equivalent | How it moves | Plan note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience contacts and merge fields | Subscribers and custom fields | CSV import [2] | All plans; subject to subscriber limit [2] |
| Tags | Subscriber tags | Mapped in the import [2] | All plans |
| New Email Builder campaigns | Posts | Content Import via Mailchimp connection [1] | Article lists All Plans [1] |
| Legacy Email Builder campaigns | Posts | Manual recreation [1] | All plans |
| Embedded signup forms | Embedded subscribe forms | Rebuild and replace the embed code [1] [7] | Available on all plans [7] |
| Automations and customer journeys | Automations | Rebuild from scratch or a template [1] | Paid plans; Lite allows 10 live [2] [5] |
| Sending domain | Custom domain for email | Add in beehiiv; Entri can add DNS records [1] [6] | Paid plans; DMARC record required [6] |
Cutover checklist
- Export the audience and keep all CSV files, including unsubscribed and cleaned, in your own records.
- Upload only the subscribed file; map TAGS to Subscriber tag and rename reserved columns.
- Decide on the overwrite setting before import, especially if the list is already partly in beehiiv.
- Confirm the import fits your plan's subscriber limit, so it is not held.
- Set the default post style, then run Content Import for New Email Builder campaigns.
- Connect your sending domain; beehiiv says verification usually takes a few hours and can take up to 72. [6]
- Rebuild forms and replace embeds on your site, then rebuild automations and publish the welcome automation only after the bulk import is complete.
- Exclude low-rated readers for the first two to four weeks and watch opens and complaints.
Questions before you decide
Should I import unsubscribed and cleaned Mailchimp contacts into beehiiv?
No. beehiiv's import requires you to confirm that everyone in the file knowingly opted in, and Mailchimp defines cleaned contacts as hard bounces and repeated soft bounces. Keep those files as your own record instead of uploading them.
Does beehiiv review or approve my import?
beehiiv's import article describes a Review and confirm step that you complete yourself: it shows your subscriber count, plan room and warnings, and you must agree that everyone knowingly consented. An import that would exceed your plan's subscriber limit is put on hold.
Can beehiiv import my Mailchimp campaign archive?
Yes for campaigns built with Mailchimp's New Email Builder. beehiiv's Mailchimp guide says Content Import connects to Mailchimp and imports all campaigns or chosen folders, while Legacy Email Builder campaigns are not imported and must be recreated manually.
Will imported subscribers get my beehiiv welcome email?
Not automatically. beehiiv's import article says imports do not trigger automations unless you enroll them, subscribers are only enrolled in live automations, and the pre-built welcome automation stays a draft until you publish it.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- beehiiv Support: How to migrate from Mailchimp to beehiiv Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- beehiiv Support: How to import free subscribers and map custom fields or tags Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Mailchimp Help: View or export contacts Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Mailchimp Help: About your contacts Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- beehiiv pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- beehiiv Support: How to use a custom domain for your publication Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- beehiiv Support: Creating an embedded subscribe form Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.