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How to Send Automatic Emails and Downloads After a Popup Maker Signup

14 threads Sep 16, 2025

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Many WordPress users turn to the Popup Maker plugin to grow their email lists. A common question that arises is: how do I automatically send a welcome email, discount code, or file download after someone subscribes? This guide explains the plugin's capabilities and the most effective methods to set up this automation.

Understanding the Core Plugin's Functionality

The built-in [popup_subscription_form] shortcode provided by Popup Maker is designed primarily for collecting email addresses. It stores these addresses in a list within your WordPress dashboard (under Popup Maker → Subscribers). However, the free, core plugin does not include features for:

  • Sending automatic emails to new subscribers.
  • Attaching or sending files via email.
  • Preventing duplicate email signups.
  • Sending admin notifications for new signups.

Recommended Solution: Use an Integrated Form Builder

The most robust and flexible way to add automatic email functionality is to use a dedicated WordPress form plugin inside your popups. Popup Maker integrates seamlessly with many popular form builders, which handle the complex automation logic.

Recommended Plugins:

  • Ninja Forms + WP Mail SMTP: A powerful free combination. Ninja Forms can be configured to send emails with attachments and redirect users to a download page upon submission.
  • Gravity Forms: A premium form builder with extensive conditional logic, including the ability to send user notifications and admin alerts.
  • Other supported options include WPForms, Formidable Forms, and Contact Form 7.

How to Set It Up with Ninja Forms (Example)

  1. Install and activate Ninja Forms and Popup Maker.
  2. In Ninja Forms, create a new form with an email field.
  3. Go to the form's Emails & Actions settings. Add an email action to send a message to the user who filled out the form. You can include a discount code in the message body.
  4. To offer a file download, you can either attach the file directly to the Ninja Forms email (if your hosting allows it) or set up a redirect to a hidden page that contains the download link.
  5. Create a new popup in Popup Maker and add the Ninja Form shortcode to the popup content.

Alternative Solution: Use an Email Marketing Service Integration

For more advanced automation, consider connecting your popup to an email marketing service like Mailchimp, AWeber, or ConvertKit. These services are built specifically for managing subscribers and sending automated email sequences (e.g., a welcome series with a discount code).

The Popup Maker team offers extension plugins to integrate directly with these services. Once a user signs up via the popup, their email is added to your audience list on the service (e.g., Mailchimp), which then triggers any automations you have set up there.

Why Can't I Stop Duplicate Signups?

As noted in the support threads, the core plugin's subscription form does not check for duplicate emails. This functionality is typically provided by third-party form plugins or email marketing services, which have built-in tools to prevent or handle duplicates. Using one of the integrated form builders mentioned above is the recommended way to solve this issue.

Conclusion

While the free Popup Maker plugin excels at creating popups and collecting emails, it relies on integrations with other plugins to handle automatic responses. For sending automated emails, discount codes, or file downloads, the most effective method is to use a supported form builder like Ninja Forms or Gravity Forms inside your popup. For large-scale email marketing automation, connecting to a dedicated service like Mailchimp via an extension is the best path forward.

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