How to Automatically Send a Discount Code After Newsletter Signup in Shopify Without Paid Apps

A discount code in exchange for newsletter signup is one of the simplest ways to encourage visitors to share their email address. The new subscriber receives a discount on their first purchase, while the store gains a new contact who can receive marketing communications in the future.

But there is one important question: how can you automatically send a discount code immediately after signup without installing a separate paid app?

For a basic setup in Shopify, Shopify Messaging and Shopify Discounts are all you need. The signup form itself can be created using the standard newsletter section in your theme or with Shopify Forms.

In this article, we’ll walk through the entire process — from creating the discount code and signup form to setting up an automated welcome email.

What We’ll Set Up

Once configured, the workflow will look like this:

Visitor opens the store → sees the signup form → enters their email → subscribes to email marketing → the welcome automation is triggered → Shopify sends an email with the discount code.

For example, you can display an offer on your website:

Subscribe to our newsletter and get 10% off your first order.

After submitting the form, the user automatically receives an email:

Thank you for subscribing!

Use code WELCOME10 to get 10% off your first order.

There’s no need to manually send an email to each new subscriber.

What You’ll Need

For this setup, you can use the following Shopify tools:

• Newsletter / Email signup section in your theme or Shopify Forms* — to collect email addresses;
• Shopify Discounts — to create the discount code;
• Shopify Messaging — to set up the automated email.

*Shopify Forms is only needed if you want to use a popup or a more flexible signup form. For a standard newsletter section, the built-in theme functionality is sufficient.

The main advantage of this approach is that you don’t need a paid app for a basic welcome automation.

Important: The names and locations of some settings in the Shopify admin may vary depending on your interface version, Shopify plan, and store configuration.

Step 1. Create a Discount Code

First, create the discount that will be offered to new subscribers.

1. In your Shopify admin, go to Discounts → Create discount.

2. Select the discount type:

   • Amount off products — a discount on selected products;

   • Amount off order — a discount on the entire order.

3. Configure the discount settings.

   Discount code: Create a short, easy-to-remember code, such as WELCOME10.

   Value: Specify the discount amount, such as 10% or a fixed amount.

   Minimum purchase requirements: If needed, set a minimum order value. For example, the discount can apply only to orders over $30.

   Usage limits: If needed, limit the number of times the discount code can be used.

   You can also enable Limit to one use per customer to prevent the same customer from using the welcome discount more than once.

4. Click Save.

For more information on setting up discounts in Shopify, see our Lesson 10. Discounts in Shopify: A Complete Guide to Setup and Effective Use.

Shared or Unique Discount Code?

In our example, we use the code WELCOME10. This is one shared discount code that is sent to all new subscribers.

This option is the easiest to set up and is sufficient for most welcome campaigns.

If you need to generate a unique, one-time discount code for each new subscriber, a more advanced automation will be required. This is a separate use case and should not be confused with sending a single shared welcome code.

Step 2. Add a Newsletter Signup Form

Next, you need to give visitors an opportunity to enter their email address. There are two main options.

Option A. Use the standard theme signup form

Most Shopify themes include a built-in Email signup / Newsletter section, so no separate app is required.

• Go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.

• Find a section such as Email signup / Newsletter.

Add the section to the desired page and customize the text.

For example:

Headline: Get 10% off your first order
Description: Subscribe to our newsletter and get your discount code.
Button: Get my discount

The section name may vary depending on the Shopify theme you’re using.

Option B. Use Shopify Forms

If the standard signup form doesn’t provide enough flexibility, you can use the official Shopify Forms app. For example, you can create a popup with the headline Get 10% off your first order, an Email address field, and a Get my discount button.

This option is particularly useful for welcome offers because the form can be displayed as a popup.

When configuring the form, make sure that visitors are actually subscribing to email marketing rather than simply submitting their email address.

Step 3. Set Up Automated Email Delivery

In your Shopify admin, go to Apps → Shopify Messaging.

Then click Create automation and select the Welcome new subscribers with a discount email template.

Step 4. Set Up the Welcome Email

Open the email step and click Edit email. You can now customize the email to match your store’s branding and design.

Subject: Your 10% discount code is inside! 🎁

Preview text: Thanks for subscribing. Here is your welcome discount.

Email content:

Keep the message short and clearly explain that the subscriber has received the promised discount.

For example:

Welcome!

Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter.

As promised, here is your 10% discount on your first order.

WELCOME10

Use your code at checkout and enjoy your first order with us.

After the text, add the Discount block.

This block connects the email to the discount you created in Step 1. When the customer clicks the button, they’ll be redirected to your store with the discount applied, so they won’t need to enter the discount code manually.

Step 5. Turn On the Automation

Once you’ve finished setting up the email, review its appearance and settings. If everything looks correct, click Turn on to activate the automation.

From this point on, the workflow will run automatically:

Visitor enters their email → Becomes an email subscriber → Shopify triggers the welcome automation → Subscriber receives the email → Uses the discount code at checkout

You won’t need to manually send welcome emails to new subscribers after the automation is activated.

Once the automation is activated, you will no longer need to manually send welcome emails to new subscribers.

What to Check Before Launching

Before making the automation available to all visitors, make sure to test the entire workflow yourself.

1. Test the Signup Form

Make sure that:

• the email address is submitted correctly;

• the visitor is actually subscribed to your email marketing list;

• the form works properly on mobile devices;

• a clear confirmation message appears after submission.

2. Test the Email

Send yourself a test email and check:

• the subject line;

• the email content;

• how the discount code is displayed;

• the button;

• all links;

• the mobile version;

• the display of your logo and images.

3. Test the Discount Code

Try using the discount code yourself.

Make sure that:

• the discount is applied correctly;

• all discount conditions are met;

• the code cannot be reused if a usage limit has been set;

• the discount applies only to the products or orders you specified.

Your welcome automation is now fully automated: a new subscriber enters their email address, receives an email with the discount code, and can proceed directly to purchase. You no longer need to manually track new subscribers or send each one a discount code.

Have Questions? Get in Touch With Us:

Email: info@icestoregroup.com
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