A step-by-step guide to linking Beehiiv to UniLink so visitors who submit your email form are automatically added as subscribers to your Beehiiv publication.
- Connect via Dashboard → Integrations → Beehiiv → paste your API key → select your publication → save — new subscribers sync in real time.
- Your Beehiiv API key is in Beehiiv Settings → API — generate one if you haven't already.
- Ideal for newsletter creators who use UniLink as a landing page to drive subscriptions from social media, link-in-bio, or external traffic.
Beehiiv has become a go-to platform for independent newsletter publishers who want a modern, clean reading experience with built-in monetization and analytics. But Beehiiv's own subscribe forms, while functional, are locked to Beehiiv-hosted pages. If your primary audience entry point is your UniLink page — which is where most of your social media links, bio links, and QR codes point — you need a way to collect newsletter subscribers there, not only on your Beehiiv publication page. The integration solves exactly that: anyone who enters their email on your UniLink page becomes a Beehiiv subscriber automatically.
What the Beehiiv Integration Does
The Beehiiv integration creates a link between UniLink's form submission system and your Beehiiv publication via Beehiiv's API. When a visitor submits an email form on your UniLink page, UniLink sends the subscriber data to Beehiiv, where the contact is added to your selected publication's subscriber list. The subscriber appears in Beehiiv within seconds — with subscriber status set to active — and becomes visible in your Beehiiv audience dashboard just as if they had subscribed directly through a Beehiiv embed or hosted page.
The integration is particularly useful for newsletter publishers who run a UniLink page as their central link hub. Your UniLink page might contain links to your latest newsletter issue, your archive, your social media profiles, and possibly a product or service. By adding an email signup form to that page and connecting it to Beehiiv, you convert passive visitors (who came to click a link) into active subscribers (who will receive your newsletter going forward). This captures audience intent at the moment of engagement rather than relying on the visitor to navigate to your Beehiiv publication page separately.
The connection uses API key authentication. Beehiiv provides a personal API key in your account settings that authorizes UniLink to add subscribers to your publications. Unlike OAuth-based integrations, the Beehiiv API key doesn't expire automatically — it remains valid until you regenerate it. If you have multiple Beehiiv publications under the same account, you can select which publication receives the subscribers during the UniLink integration setup. This makes the integration flexible for creators who run separate newsletters for different topics or audience segments.
How to Get Started
- Get your Beehiiv API key: Log in to Beehiiv, click Settings in the left sidebar, go to the API tab, and generate a new API key if you don't have one. Copy the key — you'll need it in the next step.
- Open UniLink Integrations: In your UniLink Dashboard at app.unilink.us, navigate to Integrations and find Beehiiv.
- Enter your API key: Paste your Beehiiv API key into the field and click Connect or Verify. UniLink will validate the key and load your publication list.
- Select your publication: From the dropdown, choose which Beehiiv publication should receive new subscribers. If you only have one publication, it will be selected automatically.
- Save the integration: Click Save. The integration is now active — any email form submission on your UniLink page will be sent to your selected Beehiiv publication.
How to Use the Beehiiv Integration
- Add an email form to your page: In the page editor, add a Form block or Email Signup block. At minimum, include an email field. Add a first name field if you want Beehiiv to show subscriber names in your audience dashboard.
- Write a clear signup CTA: The headline and call-to-action text on your email form should describe exactly what subscribers will receive — "Get my weekly letter on independent film" is more compelling than a generic "Subscribe."
- Test the connection: Submit the form with your own email address. Open Beehiiv, navigate to your publication's Audience section, and confirm the test subscriber appears as active.
- Set up a welcome email in Beehiiv: In Beehiiv, configure a welcome email automation that sends to new subscribers immediately. This is the first newsletter experience new subscribers get — make it representative of your voice and set expectations for what's coming.
- Track subscriber growth: Monitor your Beehiiv audience count over time. Use Beehiiv's source tracking to see what percentage of your subscriber growth is coming from your UniLink page versus other sources.
Key Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Beehiiv API key | Authenticates UniLink's access to your Beehiiv account | Generate a dedicated key for UniLink in Beehiiv Settings → API; label it so you know which integration it belongs to |
| Publication selection | Determines which Beehiiv publication receives subscribers | Select the publication that matches your UniLink page's content and audience; reconfigure if you restructure your publications |
| Subscriber status | The initial status assigned to subscribers added via UniLink (active, pending, etc.) | Set to active unless you need double opt-in for GDPR compliance, in which case set to pending and configure Beehiiv's confirmation email |
| Form headline and CTA | The text displayed on the email signup form on your UniLink page | Be specific about what subscribers receive and how often — specificity increases conversion rates significantly |
| Referral source tracking | Tags subscribers with the source of their signup in Beehiiv | Pass a UTM source or custom tag so Beehiiv's analytics can distinguish UniLink subscribers from other acquisition channels |
Get the Most Out Of Beehiiv
Write a compelling subscribe value proposition specifically for your UniLink page audience. Visitors arriving from Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter are coming from a different context than someone who found your Beehiiv publication organically. They know your content from social media but may not fully understand what your newsletter is or why they should sign up for it. A headline like "The weekly letter I wish I'd had when I started freelancing" — specific to what you deliver and who it's for — converts dramatically better than "Subscribe to my newsletter."
Use Beehiiv's referral program to turn new subscribers into subscriber acquisition channels. Beehiiv has a built-in referral system where existing subscribers get a unique link to share and earn rewards when their referrals subscribe. You can include a referral link prompt in your UniLink page — not in the signup form itself, but in a second block below it, targeting visitors who are already subscribers and came to your page for other content. This turns your most engaged subscribers into active promoters without requiring any external tools.
Sync your Beehiiv subscriber count to your UniLink page as social proof. If your newsletter has a significant subscriber count, you can display it on your UniLink page in a text or stats block near your signup form. Social proof — "Join 12,000 subscribers" — increases form completion rates, especially for first-time visitors who are unfamiliar with your content. Update the number manually or display it as a static count updated on your regular publishing cadence.
Keep your UniLink form's confirmation message consistent with what Beehiiv's welcome email says. After a visitor submits the form on UniLink, they see a confirmation message you've written in the form's success settings. After they submit, Beehiiv sends them a welcome email. These two messages should complement each other, not repeat or contradict. The UniLink confirmation confirms the action: "You're subscribed!" The Beehiiv welcome email delivers on the promise and sets the tone: what to expect, when the next issue arrives, and how to stay engaged.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| API key rejected | Key copied incorrectly or belongs to a deleted/inactive key | Go to Beehiiv Settings → API, generate a new key, copy it carefully, and re-enter it in UniLink's Beehiiv integration settings |
| Subscribers not appearing in Beehiiv | Integration disconnected or wrong publication selected | In UniLink, go to Integrations → Beehiiv and verify the status shows as Connected; confirm the correct publication is selected; resubmit a test form entry |
| Welcome email not sending to new subscribers | Beehiiv welcome automation not configured or not active | In Beehiiv, go to Automations and confirm your welcome email is set to Active and triggers on new subscriber addition. This is configured in Beehiiv, not in UniLink. |
| Subscriber added as pending instead of active | Double opt-in enabled in Beehiiv settings | If you want subscribers added immediately without confirmation, disable double opt-in in your Beehiiv publication settings. If you need it for compliance, leave it enabled and note that subscribers must confirm before receiving newsletters. |
- Turns your UniLink page into a subscriber acquisition channel for your Beehiiv newsletter
- Real-time sync — subscribers appear in Beehiiv within seconds, triggering welcome automations immediately
- Works across multiple Beehiiv publications from a single account
- API key authentication is stable — does not expire unless you regenerate it
- Only syncs email address and name — no support for Beehiiv-specific custom subscriber attributes via this integration
- Beehiiv's free plan has subscriber limits; growth from UniLink traffic may require a paid Beehiiv plan
- No bulk historical import — only new submissions after integration setup are synced
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my Beehiiv API key?
Log in to your Beehiiv account and click Settings in the left sidebar. Navigate to the API tab (you may need to scroll down). If no key exists, click "Generate API Key." Copy the key — it's only shown once at generation, so store it somewhere safe like a password manager if you'll need it again later.
Can I use this integration with Beehiiv's free plan?
Beehiiv's free plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers. The UniLink–Beehiiv integration works on the free plan within that limit. Once you exceed 2,500 subscribers, you'll need to upgrade to a paid Beehiiv plan. The integration itself functions the same across all Beehiiv plan tiers.
Does the integration support Beehiiv's double opt-in feature?
Double opt-in behavior is controlled by your Beehiiv publication settings. If double opt-in is enabled in Beehiiv, subscribers added from UniLink will receive a confirmation email before becoming active. Configure this in Beehiiv under your publication's settings, not in UniLink.
Can I route subscribers from different UniLink pages to different Beehiiv publications?
The integration is configured at the account level with one default publication. If you need different pages to route to different publications, check whether your UniLink plan supports per-page integration overrides. Alternatively, use separate UniLink accounts for separate newsletters.
What happens to existing subscribers if I disconnect the integration?
Disconnecting the integration in UniLink stops future syncs but has no effect on subscribers already in Beehiiv. All existing subscribers remain active and continue to receive your newsletter. Reconnecting later (with a new API key if needed) resumes the sync going forward.
- Your Beehiiv API key is in Beehiiv Settings → API — generate one if it doesn't exist yet and paste it into UniLink's integration settings.
- Position your email signup form high on your UniLink page — visibility directly determines how many visitors convert to subscribers.
- Write a specific subscribe value proposition rather than a generic "subscribe" call to action — describe what readers get and how often.
- Test the connection immediately after setup by submitting a real email and confirming the contact appears in Beehiiv as active.
- Set up a Beehiiv welcome automation before you drive traffic — new subscribers should receive a welcome email within minutes, not silence.
Ready to grow your newsletter from your link-in-bio? Connect Beehiiv in your UniLink Dashboard and turn page visitors into newsletter subscribers today.