Guides · Flodesk · Updated July 2026
How to get started with Flodesk, step by step.
Flodesk is the email tool I reach for when something needs to look beautiful and stay simple. Here's exactly how to set it up from scratch: your brand, your first signup form, a welcome that sends itself, and your first newsletter — so your list starts growing this week instead of "someday."
Written by Sydney Young, HoneyBook Pro & Flodesk partner · 175+ projects completed
Features and pricing are set by Flodesk and current for 2026. Using my code gets you 50% off your first year when you subscribe — details below.
Before you begin, have these ready
- Your logo: a clean version to sit at the top of your emails.
- Brand colours: one or two hex codes for buttons and accents.
- A reason to join: a freebie or clear promise that earns the signup.
- Where it lives: your website or a link-in-bio to place the form.
Six steps to a Flodesk that grows your list
You don't need a big strategy to start. Get through these six and you'll have a real email system quietly collecting subscribers and welcoming them — on autopilot.
1. Create your free account
Sign up and start on the free trial — no credit card required. You can design everything and only pay when you're ready to send to real subscribers. Using code SYDNEY applies 50% off your first year when you subscribe. Confirm your account, set your sender name (usually your name or business), and know that everything you design in the trial carries straight over.
Tip: Have your logo and two brand colours handy before you start step 2.
2. Set your brand
In Brand settings, add your logo, colours and fonts. Flodesk carries these through every email and form automatically — which is exactly why Flodesk emails look so polished with so little effort. Upload your logo, set your primary brand colour, and pick a font pairing: one for headings, one for body. Two minutes here saves you fiddling with every email later.
3. Build your first signup form
Create a form — a popup, an inline form, or a full landing page — so visitors can join your list. This is the front door to your whole list, so make it inviting, not busy: a friendly headline, one clear incentive (a freebie, checklist or discount), and just the email field.
Start with: one inline form and one popup. Add landing pages later.
4. Create a welcome workflow
Set up a workflow (Flodesk's automation) that sends a warm welcome the moment someone subscribes. This is the highest-impact automation you'll ever build — new subscribers are most engaged in the first few minutes. Trigger it when someone joins your signup form, send one warm welcome email immediately that delivers the freebie you promised, and add a second email a couple of days later once the first feels good.
5. Design your first email
Open the email builder, pick a template, and make it yours — it's drag-and-drop, so no design skills needed. Write like you'd talk to one person: your words, one image, and a single clear link or button. Send yourself a test and check how it looks on your phone. Your first newsletter doesn't need to be perfect — it needs to be sent.
6. Add your form & grow
Add your signup form to your website or link the landing page in your bio, so subscribers start flowing in — then let it run. Use segments to group people by interest as your list grows, and if you use HoneyBook, connect the two so booked clients land on the right list.
The two things that trip up beginners
Only import people who actually opted in
It's tempting to upload every email you've ever collected. Don't. Importing people who never asked to hear from you hurts your deliverability and your reputation. Bring over genuine subscribers only — your open rates (and your sender score) will thank you.
Turn on your welcome before you promote your form
Build the welcome workflow in step 4 before you start sending people to your form. Otherwise your very first subscribers get silence instead of a warm hello — the worst possible first impression. Automation first, promotion second.
New to Flodesk? Start with 50% off.
Use code SYDNEY for 50% off your first year — applied at checkout, on Flodesk's flat pricing that never rises with your list. Want the full breakdown first? Read the Flodesk discount page →
Start free · 50% off → Code SYDNEY · applied at checkoutGetting started with Flodesk: FAQ
How long does it take to set up Flodesk?
You can have your brand set, a signup form live and a welcome email sending in an afternoon. Designing your first proper newsletter takes another hour or so once you're comfortable with the builder — and it gets faster every time.
Do I need any tech or design skills?
No. Flodesk is drag-and-drop and built to look beautiful without design or coding skills. You start from a template and edit it visually — what you see is what your subscribers get.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. You can design emails, build a form and set up an automation on the free trial before paying. Using code SYDNEY applies 50% off your first year when you subscribe.
What should I offer to get people to subscribe?
A simple, useful lead magnet works best: a checklist, a short guide, a template or a discount. Give people one clear reason to join, then deliver it automatically with the welcome workflow you built in step 4.
Can I import my existing email list?
Yes, from a spreadsheet or another email tool. Only import people who genuinely opted in to hear from you, and organise them into segments as you go so you can send the right message to the right people.
Does Flodesk work with HoneyBook?
Beautifully. HoneyBook runs your client experience (proposals, contracts, invoices); Flodesk runs your email marketing (nurturing leads and staying in touch). New to HoneyBook too? Start with my HoneyBook setup guide.
Can you set the whole thing up for me?
That's what The Systems Academy is for — the Academy walks you through building and connecting your tools into one system, with templates done for you.
This guide is general information for setting up Flodesk and reflects the platform as of 2026. Features and pricing are set by Flodesk and can change, so always check Flodesk for the latest. I may earn a commission if you subscribe through my link or code, at no extra cost to you, and the discount is passed on to you in full.