How to Setup the Email Gate
The Email Gate is a powerful lead generation feature that collects user emails before they can download their results. This helps you build your email list and follow up with potential clients.
How the Email Gate Works
The Email Gate displays a popup asking for the user’s email at a strategic point in their journey:
| If Scheduler is… | Email Gate appears when… |
|---|---|
| DISABLED | User clicks “Save Results” |
| ENABLED | User clicks “Plan Schedule” |
This ensures you capture emails at the moment users are most engaged and want to save their personalized results.
Enabling the Email Gate
Step 1: Open Settings
Navigate to Pumping Calc in your WordPress sidebar.
Step 2: Find Email Gate Section
Scroll down to “Email Gate Settings”.
Step 3: Enable Email Gate
Check the box next to “Require email before saving results/schedule”.
Step 4: Customize the Modal Text
Fill in your preferred text for the popup:
| Modal Title | The headline users see Example: “Get Your Personalized Plan!” |
| Modal Description | Supporting text below the title Example: “Enter your email to download your pumping plan and get exclusive tips.” |
| Button Text | The submit button label Example: “Get My Plan” or “Download Now” |
Choosing an Integration Type
There are three options for handling collected emails. Choose the one that fits your needs:
Option A: Simple (Recommended for Beginners)
Emails are saved directly to your WordPress database. This is the easiest option if you don’t have an email marketing service yet.
How to set up:
- Select “Simple (No integration – just collect email)” from the Integration Type dropdown
- Click Save Settings
- That’s it!
To view collected emails:
- Go to Pumping Calc → Submissions in your WordPress sidebar
- View all emails with names and submission dates
- Click “Export CSV” to download for importing to any email service
Option B: Custom HTML Form
Connect directly to your email marketing service (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, etc.) using their embed form code.
How to set up:
- Select “Custom Form HTML (Paste embed code)” from the dropdown
- Get your form embed code from your email service:
- Mailchimp: Audience → Signup forms → Embedded forms
- ConvertKit: Landing Pages & Forms → Get embed code
- ActiveCampaign: Website → Forms → Integrate
- Paste the complete HTML code into the “Custom Form HTML” field
- Click Save Settings
Note: Your email service’s form will replace the default form. Make sure your form HTML includes proper styling to match the calculator design, or users will see unstyled form elements.
Option C: Webhook
Send email data to automation platforms like Zapier, Make (Integromat), or n8n. Perfect for advanced workflows.
How to set up:
- Select “Webhook (POST to URL)” from the dropdown
- Create a webhook trigger in your automation platform:
- Zapier: Create Zap → Webhooks by Zapier → Catch Hook
- Make: Create scenario → Webhooks → Custom webhook
- Copy the webhook URL provided by your automation platform
- Paste the URL into the “Webhook URL” field
- Click Save Settings
Data format sent to webhook:
{
"email": "user@example.com",
"name": "User Name",
"timestamp": "2024-01-15T10:30:00.000Z",
"source": "pumping-calculator"
}
Viewing & Exporting Email Submissions
When using “Simple” mode, all emails are saved to your WordPress database. Here’s how to access them:
- Go to Pumping Calc → Submissions in your WordPress sidebar
- View all collected emails with:
- Email address
- Name (if provided)
- Submission date and time
- Click “Export CSV” to download all emails
- Import the CSV file into your email marketing service
💡 Tip: The CSV export is compatible with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, MailerLite, and all major email marketing services. Simply use their “Import subscribers” feature.
Managing Submissions
On the Submissions page, you can:
- View — See all collected emails in a table format
- Delete individual entries — Click the “Delete” button next to any submission
- Export to CSV — Download all data for importing elsewhere
Which Integration Should You Choose?
| Choose this… | If you… |
|---|---|
| Simple | • Are just getting started • Don’t have an email service yet • Want the easiest setup • Plan to export and import emails manually |
| Custom HTML | • Already use Mailchimp, ConvertKit, etc. • Want emails to go directly to your list • Are comfortable with embed codes • Want automatic tagging/segmentation |
| Webhook | • Use Zapier, Make, or similar tools • Want advanced automation workflows • Need to send data to multiple services • Want custom processing of submissions |
Quick Setup Checklist
Complete these steps to set up your Email Gate:
- ☐ Enable Email Gate checkbox
- ☐ Customize Modal Title
- ☐ Write Modal Description
- ☐ Set Button Text
- ☐ Choose Integration Type
- ☐ Configure integration (if Custom HTML or Webhook)
- ☐ Click Save Settings
- ☐ Test by using the calculator yourself!
ℹ️ Remember: Always test your Email Gate by going through the calculator yourself to make sure everything works correctly before sharing with clients!
Need Help?
If you encounter any issues or have questions about setting up your Pumping Calculator plugin, please contact Smart Lactation support. We’re here to help you get the most out of your calculator!
— End of Setup Guides —