Create an email opt-in form for your website (templates and best practices)

Best practices for email opt-in forms

Clear value, minimum fields, cohesive design

Your opt-in form should make the benefit obvious in the first line. “Get 10% off your first order” will almost always outperform a vague “Join our newsletter” because it tells visitors exactly what they’re signing up for.

High-performing forms stay lightweight — most collect just an email address, optionally a first name. Visually, effective forms feel like part of the website rather than an add-on, using brand colors and fonts with imagery that reflects actual products rather than generic templates.

Optimize timing to capture engaged visitors

Timing matters because an opt-in form performs best when it appears after a visitor has shown real interest. A form that shows up immediately can feel intrusive; one that appears too late won’t be seen at all.

Timed popups often perform best after a short delay (commonly 7-10 seconds). Scroll-triggered forms tend to convert when shown deeper into the page (often around 25-50%). Exit-intent popups work as a last-chance prompt – right as someone is about to leave. Your goal isn’t to collect the most emails. It’s to collect emails from people who actually want to hear from you.

Add GDPR consent checkboxes

Whether you have visitors from the EU or not, it’s a good practice to follow the GDPR requirements and ask for explicit consent when inviting visitors to join your list. This means a mandatory unchecked checkbox that explains what someone is agreeing to, with a link to your privacy policy.

Consider using double opt-in confirmation as well: it sends an email asking subscribers to verify their address before they're added to your list. While it adds a step, it filters out fake addresses and keeps your list clean. Even when GDPR doesn't apply, transparency builds trust. Let visitors know what emails they'll receive, how often, and include “You can unsubscribe anytime.”

Collect preferences and tag subscribers

Giving subscribers a say in what they receive leads to better engagement and fewer unsubscribes. Simple preference choices — email frequency, content type, or topics of interest — set expectations early and filter intent naturally. Keep options simple: one or two relevant questions work better than overwhelming people with choices.

Use automatic tagging to organize subscribers from the moment they join. Someone interested in home decor tips shouldn't receive the same emails as someone who only wants new arrival notifications. Tags help you build targeted segments for automations and campaigns without manual work.

Set up automated welcome emails

When someone joins your list, the best next step is to send a welcome email and thank them for subscribing. This email confirms their subscription, delivers any promised incentive (like a discount code), and sets expectations for future emails.

Welcome emails have significantly higher open rates than regular campaigns because people are expecting to hear from you right after signing up. Use this moment to make a strong first impression, reinforce their decision to subscribe, and guide them toward the next step, whether that's making a purchase, exploring your content, or simply introducing your brand. You only need to set up this email automation once, and it will run on autopilot.

Start building your email list today

Growing a list is a long-term effort, but a well-designed email opt-in form helps you build momentum faster. The templates and principles covered in this guide are designed to capture attention, set clear expectations, and turn interested visitors into subscribers you can actually engage.

With Getsitecontrol, opt-in forms, welcome emails, and ongoing campaigns work together as a single flow. Instead of treating email capture as a standalone tactic, you can connect signups to follow-up emails, tag and segment subscribers automatically, and refine performance over time based on how real visitors respond.

The result is a system that doesn’t just collect email addresses, but supports consistent, relationship-driven growth.