Brevo Setup Tutorial: Step‑by‑Step Guide for Beginners

By Azon Vault On May 2, 2026

Brevo Setup Tutorial: Your Complete Guide to Getting Started

Ready to harness the power of Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for email marketing, SMS, and automation? This tutorial walks you through every essential step—from signing up to launching your first campaign—so you can start communicating with your audience instantly.

Why Choose Brevo?

All‑in‑one platform for email, SMS, chat and CRM.
Drag‑and‑drop editor makes design effortless.
Affordable pricing with a free tier for up to 300 emails per day.
Robust automation workflows for beginners and pros.

1. Create Your Brevo Account

Follow these quick steps to get your account up and running:

Visit brevo.com and click Sign up for free.
Enter your email, choose a strong password, and verify your address via the confirmation link.
Complete the onboarding questionnaire (industry, company size, goals). This helps Brevo suggest relevant features.

2. Verify Your Domain

Domain verification improves deliverability and protects your brand.

Steps to verify:

Navigate to Settings > Senders & Domains.
Click Add a new domain, enter your domain (e.g., yourbrand.com), and click Next.
Copy the DNS records (TXT for SPF, CNAME for DKIM) provided by Brevo.
Log into your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.) and add the records.
Return to Brevo and click Verify. It may take up to 24 hours for DNS propagation.

3. Import and Organize Contacts

Clean, segmented lists are the backbone of successful campaigns.

Import Options

CSV Upload – Ideal for large lists.
Manual Entry – Quick for a few contacts.
Integrations – Connect Shopify, WordPress, or a CRM to sync automatically.

When uploading, map columns to Brevo fields (Email, First Name, Tags, etc.). Use Tags or Custom Attributes to segment later (e.g., VIP, Newsletter, Location:US).

4. Set Up Your First Email Template

The drag‑and‑drop editor lets you create professional designs without code.

Go to Campaigns > Create an email and choose Drag & Drop editor.
Select a pre‑built layout or start from a blank canvas.
Customize:
- Header image – keep it under 600 px wide.
- Brand colors – use your brand palette for consistency.
- Personalization – insert {{ contacts.FIRSTNAME }} to greet each subscriber.
Save the template as a reusable Design for future campaigns.

5. Build an Automation Workflow (Optional but Powerful)

Automation eliminates repetitive tasks and nurtures leads automatically.

Example: Welcome series

Trigger: Contact added to list ‘Newsletter’.
Step 1 – Send a welcome email immediately.
Step 2 – Wait 2 days, then send a “Getting Started” guide.
Step 3 – If the contact clicks the guide link, add them to the “Engaged” segment.

To create it, go to Automation > New workflow, select a template, and drag the blocks into place.

6. Launch Your First Campaign

Now that everything is set, it’s time to send your first email blast.

Click Campaigns > Create a campaign.
Choose a campaign name, select the saved template, and pick the recipient list.
Enter a compelling subject line (keep under 50 characters) and preview text.
Use the Test email feature to ensure rendering on mobile and desktop.
Schedule for optimal send time or hit Send now.

7. Track Results and Optimize

Brevo’s analytics dashboard shows open rates, click‑through rates, and bounce statistics in real time.

Identify the best‑performing subject lines.
Segment contacts who didn’t open and resend with a different headline.
Use A/B testing for future campaigns to continuously improve.

FAQ

Do I need a paid plan to verify my domain?: No. Domain verification is available on the free tier; however, higher‑volume sending requires a paid plan.
Can I send SMS from the same Brevo account?: Yes. After adding credits, go to SMS > New campaign and follow the same list selection process.
How many contacts can I store for free?: The free plan lets you store up to 300 contacts. Upgrade for unlimited contacts.
What’s the difference between a List and a Segment?: Lists are static groups of contacts. Segments are dynamic filters applied to a list (e.g., all contacts with Country=US).
Is there a limit on daily sending?: Free accounts are limited to 300 emails per day. Paid plans provide higher daily limits.

Next Steps

Now that you’ve mastered the basics, consider exploring these advanced features:

Transactional email API for order confirmations.
Lead scoring and CRM integration.
Advanced automation with event‑based triggers.

Ready to grow your audience? Sign in to Brevo, apply the steps above, and launch your first campaign today. Need personalized help? Contact our support team for a free onboarding walkthrough.