What you need before you start
- A custom domain authenticated for email: three CNAME records and a DMARC TXT record. Authentication is mandatory to send, Gmail-type addresses cannot be used, and the domain needs a live website. [1]
- A lead magnet small enough to deliver: email attachments are capped at 5MB and appear as links at the end of the email. [2]
- A Stripe or PayPal account for the paid step; Stripe needs Email and First Name fields on your payment pages. [3]
The funnel, step by step
| Step | Where | Key setting |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Create the funnel | Sites > Sales funnels | Type: Build an Audience (creates opt-in and thank-you pages) [4] |
| 2. Opt-in form | Edit page | At least one email field; button action Submit form; redirect To the next step [5] |
| 3. Email sequence | Emails > Campaigns | Activate each email, choose which email it follows, set the delay [6] |
| 4. Connect them | Automations > Rules, or the funnel editor | Trigger Funnel step form subscribed; actions Subscribe to campaign and Add a tag [7][8] |
| 5. Sales page | Add step | Order form step, with a sales page before it if you want one [9] |
| 6. Order form | Order form step | Offer type Digital product; add a resource and a price plan before Save [9][10] |
| 7. Payments | Funnel settings | Tick Credit card or debit card and/or PayPal [11] |
Plan limits that shape the build
Free allows 3 funnels, 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign; Startup ($17 a month) allows 10 funnels and 10 rules. Put the tag and the campaign subscription in one rule: the help center shows a rule holding more than one action. [12][2]
Two rule behaviours to know. Tag added only fires for tags added after the rule exists, and a trigger can fire at most 20 times for the same contact, after which rules stop for that contact. [8]
Tags and segmentation that stay simple
- One tag per lead magnet, for example lead-checklist, added at opt-in.
- One tag per purchase, added on the order form or by a New sale rule, so buyers can be excluded from sales emails.
- Turn on double opt-in if your audience needs it; unconfirmed contacts are deleted after 24 hours. [5]
- Restrict sequence emails to weekdays only if your readers act on work days; an email waits until delay, time and day conditions are all met. [6]
Pre-launch checklist
We have not used these accounts for this guide. Everything here is taken from vendor pages and help articles read on 30 October 2026; plan grids change, so recheck the live page before you pay.
- Opt in with a fresh address on a phone and on a desktop; confirm the redirect to the thank-you page.
- Check the contact appears with the right tag and is subscribed to the campaign.
- Use Save and test on every sequence email, then wait for the first live email to arrive.
- Click every link in the emails; Email link clicked rules have a 1-minute cooldown, so do not double-test too fast. [8]
- Run one real purchase at a low test price and refund it in your processor; the help center recommends a test purchase to confirm delivery. We did not find a separate test mode in the articles we read. [2]
- Check visual-editor emails on mobile; elements can be set to show on desktop, mobile or both. [6]
- Write down your funnel, rule and campaign counts against your plan.
Questions before you decide
How many funnels can I build on the systeme.io free plan?
The pricing page lists 3 sales funnels, 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign on Free. Startup raises that to 10 funnels and 10 automation rules.
Which trigger starts an email sequence after an opt-in?
The help center uses the trigger Funnel step form subscribed, with the action Subscribe to campaign, created under Automations > Rules or inside the funnel editor.
Do I need my own domain to send emails?
Yes. systeme.io says domain authentication is mandatory to send email, and personal email provider domains such as Gmail cannot be authenticated.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- systeme.io help: How to authenticate your domain name for email sending Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to deliver digital products via email after a sale Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to connect your Stripe account Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to create a funnel Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to build your contact list using a funnel Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to set up an email campaign Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to automate the sending of an email sequence Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How automation rules work Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to create an order form/payment page Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to create and configure a price plan Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io help: How to activate payments by Stripe or PayPal Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- systeme.io pricing and plan FAQ Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.