Mailchimp integration in AEM

What is MailChimp?
MailChimp is an email service provider (ESP), which helps marketers sending bulk emails to clients, customers, and other interested parties. Approach to email marketing focuses on excellent list management practices, beautifully designed campaigns, and powerful data analysis.
MailChimp Integration: –
This article describes how to integrate MailChimp in AEM and how to send emails to subscribed users. Below is the high-level architecture after integration is done.

Below are the steps to be followed to integrate MailChimp in AEM
MailChimp Account & Lists Creations: –
Navigate to https://mailchimp.com/
Use the ‘SignUp For Free’ button to create a Login username and password.
Step 1 – Provide First Name and Last Name
Step 2 – Tell us about your business. Business Name and Website address
Step 3 – Provide your address
Step 4 – Opt ‘Yes’ if your business sells anything online.
Step 5 – Once logged In, Go to ‘Accountà Extras àAPI à Create API Key’

Step 6 – Go to Settings à Verify Domain à Enter Email Address à Enter Verification Code sent to mail id and press Done.

Go to ‘Lists’ from menu and Create Lists.
MailChimp Cloud Config settings: –
Navigate to http://localhost:4502/miscadmin
Under Toolsà Cloud Services Configuration, select MailChimp and click on “New”
Select MailChimp Template and click on “Create”
Open and configure the page as per the MailChimp Account details

Page with SubscriptioForm: –
Create a page and configure the MailChimp cloud Service on the page
Drag and Drop the customized Subscribe-MailChimp Component
The Lists configured in MailChimp server are displayed on the page
End-user selects the list and provide the email address.
Click on Subscribe
A confirmation email will be sent for subscription

Below is the subscription email.

SignUp Forms:- SignUp Forms are in-built Subscription Forms. There are four types of SignUp forms for each list and these can be built on-fly in MailChimp Account. Then HTML source code can be directly copied on to AEM HTML Pages.
General Forms
Embedded Forms
Subscriber Forms
Form Integrations
NewsLetter Page: –
Before we create a NewsLetter page, Navigate to http://localhost:4502/system/console/configMgr
Create an entry in “Day CQ Link Externalizer” in Domains property(mailchimp:<http://localhost:4503>)

Create a page under Websites à Campaigns using “MailChimp Newsletter” template
Using parsys, add the content as per the requirement
Open “Page Properties/Settings” Tab and fill mail related stuff and cloud service

Activate the page and its assets.
Click On “Export Newsletter to MailChimp” tab
Once exported you can see the newsletter template under ‘Campaigns’ in MailChimp account.

To send the Newsletter to subscribed users, either you can use MailChimp account or click on “Send” in AEM News Letter Page.

MailChimp’s API Handler: –Mailchimp code has are several API methods for the actions like createList, getList, createCampaign, subscribeUser, etc.. Below diagram resembles with the list of APIs available.

getMailChimpList API: – An API used to get Lists created in MailChimp account. This list is displayed on the Subscription page.Reference URL: – http://developer.mailchimp.com/documentation/mailchimp/reference/lists/#

getCampaigns API: – An API used to get Campaigns created from AEM or MailChimp account.Reference URL: – http://developer.mailchimp.com/documentation/mailchimp/reference/campaigns/#