Know the Free plan limits before you build
systeme.io's pricing page lists the Free plan at $0 with 2,000 contacts, 3 sales funnels, 1 course, 1 blog, 1 custom domain, 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign, plus unlimited email sends and 0% transaction fees across plans. The public plan-limits data systeme.io publishes adds limits the pricing page does not spell out: 1 tag, 1 workflow, 15 funnel steps and 1 coupon on Free. [1][2]
The tag limit matters most for beginners, because newsletters are targeted by include and exclude tags. With one tag, you effectively have one audience. Decide what that tag means (for example 'newsletter') before you create it, rather than spending it on a test. [2][10]
| Limit | Free | Startup ($17/mo) | Webinar ($47/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contacts | 2,000 | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| Sales funnels | 3 | 10 | 50 |
| Tags | 1 | 10 | 100 |
| Automation rules | 1 | 10 | 100 |
| Workflows | 1 | 5 | 20 |
| Email campaigns (sequences) | 1 | 10 | 100 |
| Custom domains | 1 | 3 | 10 |
Day 1 and 2: sender address and domain authentication
Start in your profile picture menu under Settings, then Emails. Under Verified email addresses, add the address you want to send from, click the link systeme.io emails to it and confirm; the status changes to Verified. systeme.io advises using an address linked to your own domain name. Your login email does not need manual confirmation. [3]
Then authenticate the domain. systeme.io states that authentication of a domain name is mandatory to send emails from systeme.io. From Settings, Emails, the Domains section links to the process, which adds three CNAME records and one DMARC TXT record at your DNS host. Check the CNAMEs with a DNS checker and contact support if any show in red. Doing this on day 2 gives DNS time to settle before your first send on day 7. [4]
Day 3: connect a payment gateway
Even if your first funnel only collects emails, connect payments now so you are not doing identity checks on launch day. Go to Settings, then Payment Gateways, click Connect next to Stripe, and log in or create a Stripe account. Stripe asks for your business country and type and personal verification before payments activate. [5]
Connecting the gateway is account-level; enabling it is per funnel. In Sites, Sales funnels, open a funnel's Funnel settings and tick Credit card or debit card and PayPal as needed, then save. A beginner who connects Stripe but never ticks the box in Funnel settings ends up with an order form that cannot take payment. systeme.io also notes that Stripe requires Email and First Name fields on payment pages. [5][6]
Day 4 and 5: first opt-in funnel and one automation
Create the funnel from Sites, Sales funnels, Create. Name it, choose the domain and currency, and pick Build an Audience, which creates an opt-in page and a thank-you page. The evergreen webinar funnel type is only available on the Webinar and Unlimited plans. [7]
Edit the opt-in page from its step with Edit page. Then add your one Free-plan automation rule. Rules are created under Automations, Rules, or from the funnel editor; the trigger 'Funnel step form subscribed' covers people who register through a funnel page. systeme.io caps a trigger at 20 activations per contact and keeps task history for one month. [8][12]
- Have the rule assign your single tag on opt-in; systeme.io says tags can be assigned automatically based on contacts' actions, and a tag can itself trigger campaign subscriptions or emails. [13]
- Write the thank-you page to say what happens next and when.
- Submit the form yourself with a second email address you control.
Day 6: decide on double opt-in
Double opt-in is enabled per form, on the button element's settings in the page editor; the confirmation email is edited under Settings, Emails. Two consequences catch beginners. Until a contact clicks the confirmation link, all emails and automations are paused for them. And systeme.io automatically deletes contacts who do not confirm within 24 hours of registering. [9]
Double opt-in suits lists where deliverability matters more than raw count. If you turn it on, rewrite the thank-you page to say 'check your inbox now', because the 24-hour window is short. [9]
Day 7: first newsletter, sent small
Go to Emails, Newsletters, Create. Enter subject, sender name and sender address, write the email, then in Email settings pick recipients by include and exclude tags. Exclude tags win over include tags. Use Save and test first; test emails need a verified sender address. Then Save and send or Save and schedule. [10]
systeme.io's deliverability guidance for the first days says to start sending in small quotas, ramp up progressively, avoid sending in bursts and keep an engaged list. It cites Google's guideline of staying under a 0.3% spam-report rate. Your first newsletter should go to the people who just opted in, not an imported list. [11]
Settings beginners skip that break later
Who systeme.io suits in week one: solo creators who want pages, email and checkout in one account and can live within the Free plan's single tag and rule. Who should skip it: anyone whose plan already needs several audiences and automations from day one, which pushes them to a paid tier immediately. [1][2]
| Setting | Where | What breaks if skipped |
|---|---|---|
| Sender address verified | Settings, Emails | Test emails cannot be sent |
| Domain authenticated | Settings, Emails, Domains | systeme.io says authentication is mandatory to send |
| Payment method ticked per funnel | Funnel settings | Order forms show no way to pay |
| Email and First Name on payment pages | Payment page editor | Stripe requires both fields |
| Double opt-in expectations | Opt-in button settings | Unconfirmed contacts deleted after 24 hours |
| Tag plan | Before creating tags | Free plan allows 1 tag, which targets newsletters |
Questions before you decide
Do I have to authenticate my domain to send emails from systeme.io?
Yes. systeme.io's help article says authentication of a domain name is mandatory to send emails from systeme.io. It involves three CNAME records and one DMARC TXT record.
How many tags does the systeme.io Free plan include?
systeme.io's published plan-limits data lists 1 tag on the Free plan, 10 on Startup and 100 on Webinar. Newsletters target recipients by tag, so plan the one tag carefully.
What happens to contacts who don't confirm double opt-in on systeme.io?
Emails and automations are paused until they confirm, and contacts who do not click the confirmation link within 24 hours of registering are automatically deleted.
Which funnel type should a beginner pick in systeme.io?
Build an Audience. It creates an opt-in page and a thank-you page, the simplest structure for growing an email list. The evergreen webinar type is limited to Webinar and Unlimited plans.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- systeme.io pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io published plan limits (user-plans data) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to confirm your email sender address Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to authenticate your domain name for email sending Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to connect your Stripe account Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to activate payments by Stripe or PayPal Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to create a funnel Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to create an opt-in page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to set up double opt-in Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to send or schedule a newsletter Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: Email deliverability during the first few days Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How automation rules work Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io Help: How to automatically and manually add tags Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.