How to Change the Sender Name and Email for Your Mailchimp Confirmation Emails

A common point of confusion for users of the MC4WP: Mailchimp for WordPress plugin is determining where to change the "From" name and email address on the subscription confirmation messages that new subscribers receive. Many users mistakenly believe this setting is controlled within their WordPress dashboard, leading to frustration.

This guide will clarify the source of these emails and provide the correct solution.

Why This Happens: Two Different Email Systems

It's crucial to understand the difference between two separate systems involved in the signup process:

1. Your WordPress Website (MC4WP Plugin): The MC4WP plugin handles the form on your site. It collects the subscriber's information and sends it to your Mailchimp account via an API.
2. Mailchimp's Servers: Once Mailchimp receives the signup request, it takes over. Mailchimp itself is responsible for generating and sending the mandatory confirmation email (often called the "double opt-in" email). This process happens entirely on Mailchimp's infrastructure.

Because the confirmation email is sent by Mailchimp, not by your WordPress site, its settings must be changed within your Mailchimp.com account. The MC4WP plugin does not control or interfere with this transactional Mailchimp email.

How to Change the Confirmation Email Sender Details

The solution is found within your Mailchimp account settings, not your WordPress admin area. Here is how to change it:

1. Log in to your account at Mailchimp.com.
2. Click on your Audience dashboard.
3. Click on the Settings dropdown and select Audience name and defaults.
4. In the section labeled Email campaign footer, you will find the fields for "From" name and "From" email address.
5. Update these fields to reflect your desired business name and contact email address.
6. Click Save to apply your changes.

Any new confirmation emails sent for this audience will now use the sender details you have configured. Please note that this change will also affect the sender details for campaigns you send to this audience.

What If the Problem is a WordPress Email?

If you are trying to change the sender details for a different type of email—such as a notification sent from your WordPress site to you confirming a new signup—then that is a WordPress configuration issue. For those emails, you would need to use a dedicated WordPress plugin to manage the default "From" name and address used by your site's wp_mail() function.

In summary, for the Mailchimp confirmation email that new subscribers receive, the sender information is controlled 100% within your Mailchimp.com account settings and is not a function of the MC4WP plugin.