What the integration does, and what it does not
MailerLite connects to WooCommerce through an official WordPress plugin listed as "WooCommerce - MailerLite" in MailerLite's instructions and as "MailerLite - WooCommerce integration" on WordPress.org. The plugin adds a subscribe checkbox at checkout, sends customers to a MailerLite group, imports products and forwards order data so you can trigger automations and see campaign revenue. [1] [5]
Its limits matter as much as its features. Only customers who accept marketing sync, abandoned cart ignores guest shoppers, and MailerLite says existing customers who are not already in your MailerLite account will not be synced. A store that runs mostly guest checkouts, or that hopes to email its whole order history on day one, should plan around those rules before installing. [1] [3]
On WordPress.org the plugin page listed version 3.1.29, more than 30,000 active installations and a warning that it had not been tested with the latest three major WordPress releases, as accessed on 2026-10-30. Take a backup and test on staging before updating a live shop. [5]
Installation, step by step
MailerLite's own sequence is short. One prerequisite catches people out: if your store runs on WordPress.com rather than self-hosted WordPress, MailerLite says you need WordPress's Business plan to connect plugins. [1]
- In WordPress, go to Plugins, Add plugin, search for "MailerLite" and install and activate the WooCommerce - MailerLite plugin. [1]
- Open WooCommerce in the WordPress sidebar and select the MailerLite tab. [1]
- In MailerLite, go to Integrations, then API, click Use, then Generate new token. Name it (for example "WooCommerce") and click Create token. [1]
- Paste the token into the API key box in WooCommerce and click Connect account. [1]
- Choose an existing subscriber group or create a new one, then click Start import. [1]
- Back in MailerLite, the E-commerce tab under Account settings shows the connection date, store URL, subscriber group, pop-up status and whether you sync all customers or only those who accept email marketing. [4]
The checkout opt-in checkbox: every setting explained
The checkbox settings decide who ends up on your list, so they deserve more attention than the API key. MailerLite lists the options below. The right-hand column is our reading of the trade-off, not MailerLite guidance. [1]
| Plugin setting | What MailerLite says it does | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Subscribe at checkout | Collects subscribers at checkout; MailerLite calls it essential for syncing new subscribers. [1] | Leave on. Without it, new buyers do not reach MailerLite. |
| Subscribe checkbox position | Chooses which checkout stage shows the checkbox. [1] | Place it near the email field so shoppers see it before paying. |
| Pre-select subscribe checkbox | Checks the box by default. [1] | MailerLite's anti-spam policy says an opt-in checkbox must not be checked by default, so leave this off. [6] |
| Hide subscribe checkbox | Hides the box and subscribes all customers by default. [1] | Same consent risk as pre-selection, with less transparency. |
| Subscribe checkbox label | Sets the text beside the box. [1] | Say what you will send and how often. |
| Resubscribe | Lets previously unsubscribed customers rejoin by opting in at checkout. [1] | Only re-adds people who tick the box again. |
| Add subscribers after checkout | Adds only customers who complete a purchase, and disables abandoned cart. [1] | Turn off if you want abandoned cart emails. |
| Double opt-in | Sends a confirmation email; if unchecked, subscribers are added as active immediately. [1] | Confirm a test subscription before testing automations. [3] |
Which customer data syncs
You choose which fields sync, but name and email are mandatory. The WooCommerce-specific fields MailerLite names are listed below. MailerLite's article does not mention a "last order date" field, so do not plan segments around one without checking your own Fields tab first. [1]
Revenue figures will not match between the two systems. MailerLite's campaign "Total revenue" covers only purchases attributed to MailerLite campaigns, while "Woo total spent" is the customer's lifetime spend from WooCommerce. [1]
| Field or data | Source | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Name, Email | Mandatory sync fields [1] | Personalization and identity |
| Woo orders count | WooCommerce [1] | First-time versus repeat buyer segments |
| Woo total spent | WooCommerce [1] | High-value customer segments |
| Accepts marketing | Checkout checkbox [1] | Confirming consent before a campaign |
| Subscriber Language (optional) | "Add language field" option [1] | Language-specific sends |
| Products and categories | Product import [1] [5] | Product triggers and product blocks; images must be JPG or PNG, not WEBP [1] |
Abandoned cart: the requirements checklist
MailerLite lists six e-commerce triggers and says WooCommerce supports all of them. Abandoned cart is the one with the most conditions. Work through this list before deciding the trigger is broken. [2] [3]
- The integration was fully set up and syncing in real time before the cart was abandoned. [3]
- The workflow was already active when the cart was abandoned. [3]
- The shopper was logged into a store account. Guest shoppers cannot trigger it. [3]
- The shopper is an active subscriber who accepted marketing. [2] [3]
- "Add subscribers after checkout" is off, because it disables abandoned cart. [1]
- At least 30 minutes have passed since the shopper left, plus whatever delay you set in the trigger. [2]
- The email contains an abandoned cart block so the cart items fill in. [3]
- You have turned off any abandoned cart emails sent by another WooCommerce plugin, as MailerLite advises for its own e-commerce triggers. [2]
| MailerLite trigger | WooCommerce support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Abandoned cart | Yes [2] | Logged-in shoppers only [3] |
| Abandoned checkout | Yes [2] | Stops if the shopper completes the order; they show as Canceled [3] |
| Buys any product | Yes [2] | Order must be Pending payment, Processing or Completed [1] |
| Buys specific product | Yes [2] | Variation selection available on platforms other than Squarespace [2] |
| Buys from category | Yes [2] | Uses imported categories |
| Purchase frequency | Yes [2] | Fires at order-count milestones [2] |
Past customers: what the docs say, and a safe way to handle them
This is the step most setup guides skip. MailerLite's WooCommerce article says existing WooCommerce customers who are not already in MailerLite "will not be synced". The same article describes a "Synchronize store" setting that syncs categories, products and subscriber data not yet added to MailerLite. The two statements do not fully agree, and MailerLite does not document a resync procedure that settles it. [1]
Our suggested approach: run Synchronize store, then compare the count in your MailerLite group with the number of WooCommerce customers who opted into marketing. If people are missing, export only the customers with recorded marketing consent and import them as a normal subscriber import. MailerLite's anti-spam policy allows customers who purchased within the last two years and bars addresses you have not emailed in two years or lack explicit, provable permission for. [1] [6]
Worked example (hypothetical): a shop has 1,400 past customers, of whom 600 ticked an opt-in box. After installing, MailerLite shows 40 subscribers, which are the recent checkouts. Importing the 600 opted-in customers is defensible. Importing all 1,400 is not, because 800 never agreed to marketing.
Troubleshooting by symptom
Each WooCommerce order has a MailerLite panel that shows six checks, from "Signed up for mailing list" to "Order tracking completed". Start there before contacting support. [1]
| Symptom | Likely cause in MailerLite's docs |
|---|---|
| New buyers not in MailerLite | Subscribe at checkout off, or the buyer did not accept marketing [1] |
| Abandoned cart never fires | Guest shopper, workflow not active at abandonment, or "Add subscribers after checkout" on [1] [3] |
| Purchase automation skips an order | Order status outside Pending payment, Processing or Completed [1] |
| Product images missing in emails | Images are WEBP; MailerLite supports JPG or PNG [1] |
| Test subscriber never receives emails | Double opt-in on and confirmation not clicked [3] |
| Revenue differs from WooCommerce | Campaign revenue counts only MailerLite-attributed purchases [1] |
Questions before you decide
Why are my existing WooCommerce customers missing from MailerLite?
MailerLite's WooCommerce help article says existing WooCommerce customers who are not already in MailerLite, and new customers who do not give marketing consent, are not synced. The same article describes a "Synchronize store" setting for data not yet added, so check what it moves in your own store before assuming either way.
Does MailerLite abandoned cart work for guest checkout?
No. MailerLite's abandoned cart article says the shopper must be logged into their store account, and guest shoppers cannot trigger the workflow because they only enter an email at checkout.
When does MailerLite treat a WooCommerce cart as abandoned?
MailerLite's e-commerce triggers article says a cart counts as abandoned 30 minutes after the shopper leaves. You then choose an extra delay in hours, days, weeks or months before the first email.
Which order statuses fire MailerLite purchase automations?
MailerLite says orders must be "Pending payment", "Processing" or "Completed" to trigger e-commerce automations. Other statuses, such as on-hold or failed, are not in that list.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- MailerLite Help: How to connect WooCommerce to MailerLite Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite Help: E-commerce automation triggers Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite Help: How to create an abandoned cart email automation Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite Help: Where to manage e-commerce integration settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WordPress.org: MailerLite - WooCommerce integration plugin Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- MailerLite: Anti-spam policy Accessed 30 Oct 2026
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