Mailchimp Integration - User Guide

Mailchimp integration allows you to automatically sync your PracBill customers with Mailchimp audiences for email marketing campaigns. This guide covers how to connect, configure, and manage the integration.

Overview

The Mailchimp integration provides:

• Automatic Customer Sync - Keep your Mailchimp audience in sync with PracBill customers

• Segment Builder - Create targeted segments based on customer data

• Two-Way Status Sync - Unsubscribes in Mailchimp are reflected in PracBill

• Activity Logging - Track all sync operations and troubleshoot issues

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before connecting Mailchimp, you'll need:

1. A Mailchimp account (Free or paid plan)

2. A Mailchimp API key

3. Write access to the Mailchimp module in PracBill

Obtaining Your Mailchimp API Key

1. Log in to your Mailchimp account

2. Click your profile icon → Account & billing

3. Navigate to Extras → API keys

4. Click Create A Key

5. Copy the generated API key (you won't be able to see it again)

Security Note: Your API key provides full access to your Mailchimp account. Keep it secure and never share it publicly.

Connecting to Mailchimp

Step 1: Access the Mailchimp Module

1. Navigate to Mailchimp Integration in the main menu

2. You'll see the Connection Status panel

Step 2: Enter Your API Key

1. In the Connect to Mailchimp section, paste your API key

2. Click the Connect button

3. Wait for the connection to be verified

Step 3: Verify Connection

Once connected, you'll see:

• ✅ Connected status indicator

• Your Mailchimp server prefix (e.g., us21)

• Last sync timestamp

If connection fails, verify:

• The API key is correct and not expired

• Your Mailchimp account is active

• You have the required permissions

Audience Management

What is an Audience?

A Mailchimp audience (formerly called a "list") is your collection of email subscribers. PracBill syncs customer data to a single primary audience per department.

Viewing Your Audience

Once connected, the Audience Overview panel displays:

Creating an Audience

If you don't have an audience yet:

1. Click Create Audience

2. Fill in the required information:

   • Audience Name - A descriptive name (e.g., "Customer Newsletter")

   • From Name - Sender name for emails

   • From Email - Sender email address

   • Company - Your company name

   • Address - Physical mailing address (required by anti-spam laws)

3. Click Create

Note: You typically only need one audience. Use segments to target different customer groups.

Segment Builder

Segments let you target specific groups of customers based on their data in PracBill.

Creating a Segment

1. Click Create Segment in the Segments panel

2. Enter a Segment Name (e.g., "Active Customers - Victoria")

3. Add Filter Rules to define which customers are included

Filter Rules

Each filter rule consists of:

Available Filter Fields

Computed Filter Fields

These special fields perform calculations:

Filter Operators

Combining Multiple Rules

When you add multiple filter rules, customers must match ALL rules to be included in the segment (AND logic).

Example: To find active business customers in Victoria:

1. Rule 1: State Equals "VIC"

2. Rule 2: Customer Type Equals "Business"

3. Rule 3: Active/Inactive Equals "0"

Previewing a Segment

Before saving, you can preview which customers will be included:

1. Add your filter rules

2. Click Preview

3. View the customer count and sample customers

4. Adjust rules if needed

Editing a Segment

1. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) on any segment

2. Modify the name or filter rules

3. Use Preview to verify changes

4. Click Save

Deleting a Segment

1. Click the Delete button (trash icon) on the segment

2. Confirm the deletion

Warning: Deleting a segment is permanent and cannot be undone.

Syncing Customers

Automatic Sync

Customer data is automatically synced to Mailchimp during scheduled sync operations. The sync includes:

• New customers added to the audience

• Updated customer information (name, email, company)

• Customer subscription status changes

Manual Sync Options

Triggering a Manual Sync

1. Click Sync Now for incremental sync, or

2. Click Full Sync for complete re-sync

3. Wait for the sync to complete

4. Check the Sync Logs for results

Note: Full sync may take longer for large customer databases.

What Gets Synced

Sync Logs

The Sync Logs panel shows a history of all sync operations.

Log Entry Fields

Status Indicators

Troubleshooting Sync Issues

Common sync errors:

Disconnecting Mailchimp

If you need to disconnect the integration:

1. Click Disconnect in the Connection Status panel

2. Confirm the disconnection

Note: Disconnecting does not delete your Mailchimp audience or subscribers. It only removes the link between PracBill and Mailchimp.

Best Practices

Email List Hygiene

• Regularly sync to keep your audience up-to-date

• Remove inactive customers from segments

• Honor unsubscribe requests (handled automatically)

Segment Strategy

• Create segments for different campaign types

• Use computed fields for engagement-based targeting

• Test segments with Preview before sending campaigns

API Key Security

• Never share your API key

• Rotate keys periodically

• Use a dedicated API key for PracBill

Permissions

Access to the Mailchimp module is controlled by user permissions:

Contact your administrator if you need access to the Mailchimp module.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often does automatic sync run?

Automatic sync runs according to your system's cron schedule, typically every few hours. Check with your administrator for the exact frequency.

Can I sync to multiple Mailchimp audiences?

Currently, each PracBill department syncs to one primary Mailchimp audience. Use segments within that audience to organize subscribers.

What happens if a customer unsubscribes in Mailchimp?

Unsubscribe events are synced back to PracBill during pull operations. The customer's marketing consent status is updated accordingly.

Why isn't my segment showing any customers?

Check your filter rules:

• Ensure the values are spelled correctly

• Try using "Contains" instead of "Equals" for partial matches

• Use Preview to test individual rules

Can I import existing Mailchimp subscribers?

The integration syncs customers from PracBill to Mailchimp. To import existing Mailchimp subscribers, use Mailchimp's import tools directly.

Support

If you encounter issues with the Mailchimp integration:

1. Check the Sync Logs for error messages

2. Verify your API key is valid

3. Ensure you have the required permissions