A subscription form is the start of every compliant newsletter list in Australia. Under the Spam Act 2003, you need consent before sending commercial email or SMS, and you must be able to prove it. A well-built sign-up form gives you that proof automatically, while making it easy for interested people to join.
Step 1: Keep it short
For a newsletter, an email address is enough. Add a first name if you want to personalise, and a state or postcode if you plan to schedule by time zone or promote local events. Every extra field lowers sign-ups, and the Australian Privacy Principles expect you to collect only what you need.
Step 2: Say what people are signing up for
Tell visitors what they will get and how often: “Monthly garden tips and early access to our EOFY sale.” Clear expectations lead to fewer unsubscribes and complaints later, and help establish that your consent is informed.
Step 3: Get express consent the right way
- If the form’s only purpose is subscribing, submitting it is itself a clear action to join. On forms with other purposes, such as a checkout or contact form, use a separate unticked box.
- If you also want to send SMS, ask for mobile consent separately.
- Don’t hide consent in terms and conditions.
Step 4: Turn on double opt-in
With double opt-in, a new subscriber receives an email asking them to confirm. Only confirmed addresses are added. It keeps typos and fake addresses off your list and gives you a strong consent record.
Step 5: Add a privacy notice
Under the Submit button, add a line such as: “We’ll use your email to send our newsletter. Unsubscribe at any time. See our privacy policy.” For businesses covered by the Privacy Act 1988, this helps meet APP 5.
Step 6: Place the form where people will see it
- Website footer and blog sidebar.
- A dedicated landing page linked from social media.
- Checkout, with a separate tick-box.
- A tablet at your shop counter, market stall or trade show stand.
- A QR code on receipts, menus or packaging.
Our article on increasing newsletter sign-ups has more ideas.
Step 7: Welcome new subscribers
Connect the form to a welcome email that arrives straight away, delivers anything you promised and sets expectations. It is the email most subscribers are most likely to open.
What not to do
- Don’t import business cards or event attendee lists as subscribers unless the form they filled in said they’d receive marketing.
- Don’t buy lists. It breaches the consent rule and damages deliverability.
- Don’t make the unsubscribe hard to find. Under the Spam Act, unsubscribes must be actioned within five working days.
Mailpro stores subscriber data in Switzerland on private infrastructure, outside US jurisdiction. See the online forms overview or learn how to create a newsletter for your new subscribers.