> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.crowdwork.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.crowdwork.com/the-academy/crowdwork-academy/grow-your-email-list-with-a-signup-event.md).

# Grow Your Email List With a Sign-Up Event

Collect email sign-ups today by creating a free, unlisted event whose only job is to capture a name, an email address, and newsletter consent.

Want a "join our email list" link for your website, your footer, and your social bios — one that puts people straight into your CrowdWork audience? Build a **free, unlisted event** that exists only to collect sign-ups. Checkout already asks for a name, an email address, and a newsletter opt-in, so an event priced at nothing is a sign-up form with your theatre's name on it.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Check this first.**

[Theatre Settings → Checkout Options](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/theatres/0/edit#section-checkout) → **Collect Newsletter Opt-Ins** must be set to **Everywhere** (the default). Without it the opt-in box never appears at checkout, and marketing campaigns skip patrons who haven't opted in.
{% endhint %}

### Build It

1. **Create the event and name it for the job.** [Shows → + New Show](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/shows/new), named something like *Join Our Email List*, with a two-sentence description that makes clear nothing is being sold. *Collecting class news instead? Build it as a class — a show sign-up becomes a **customer**, a class sign-up becomes a **student**.*
2. **Date it far out, price it at nothing.** Under **Schedule**, leave **Occurs** on **Once** and type the start date straight into the field — **January 1, 3333**, so it never arrives and the sign-up never closes. Under **Pricing**, leave **Cost** blank and name the tier *Join Email List*.
3. **Rename the button and hide the event.** In **Fine-Tune**, set **Checkout Button Label** to *Join the Email List* (otherwise it reads "Get Tickets") and **Access** to **Unlisted**, which keeps it off your public listings and out of your embedded widget. Then save.
4. **Set the URL and the welcome note.** Reopen the event — a **URL Slug** field appears now that it exists. Set it to `join-our-email-list` for a link you can print: `crowdwork.com/e/join-our-email-list`. Add a line under **Confirmation Email → Specific Details** so the automatic email reads like a welcome, then click **View Public Page** to see what a patron sees.

### At a Glance

| Setting                           | What to enter                                 |
| --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| Name                              | Join Our Email List                           |
| Schedule → Occurs / Starts        | Once · January 1, 3333                        |
| Pricing → Cost                    | Blank (or 0) — free, and free carries no fees |
| Pricing → Tier Name               | Join Email List                               |
| Fine-Tune → Checkout Button Label | Join the Email List                           |
| Fine-Tune → Access                | Unlisted                                      |
| Fine-Tune → URL Slug              | join-our-email-list                           |

### Sample Copy

Starting points — make them sound like your theatre.

**Event description**

> Want to be the first to hear about new shows, classes, and special events? Add your name below and we'll keep you posted. No charge, no ticket — just the news.

**Confirmation Email → Specific Details**

> You're on the list! Thanks for signing up. You'll hear from us when we announce something new — there's no ticket to bring and nothing to attend.

### Ask One More Question (Optional)

Add a [custom checkout field](/for-theatres/custom-checkout-fields.md) scoped to this event — a **Dropdown** named *What would you like to hear about?* with the options *Shows · Classes · Both* works well. Answers collect under [Checkout Fields → Submissions](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/custom-fields/responses) and ride along on your ticket and registration exports. Keep it to one question — every extra field is a reason to abandon a form that should take ten seconds.

### Emailing Your Sign-Ups

Everyone who comes through is linked to the event, so they're easy to find again: on a campaign's recipient step, or when saving an audience under [Emails → Segments](https://crowdwork.com/dashboard/emails/segments), filter on **Event** and choose your sign-up event. That's your email list, separated from your ticket buyers. See [Choosing Your Audience](/for-theatres/email-marketing/choosing-your-audience.md) for the rest of the filters.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Already have a list somewhere else?**

A spreadsheet, a stack of sign-up cards, a form you've been running for years — send it over and we'll import it for you. The same free-event trick also works for gauging interest in a show you haven't committed to yet: see [Waitlists: Never Turn Away a Patron](/the-academy/crowdwork-academy/waitlists-never-turn-away-a-patron.md#option-4-placeholder-events).
{% endhint %}