ConvertKit Ads is a closed beta feature and only users who receive an invite can join the beta. Join the waitlist here.
Start running programmatic ads in 6 steps!
Running programmatic ads is one of the simplest ways of making money from your newsletter—and our built-in ads feature in ConvertKit makes the process even simpler still!
Here's how you can set up ConvertKit Ads:
Setup process
Navigate to the ads feature by clicking Earn in the top navigation, followed by Ads:
Click the Get started → button on the next page:
Then follow these six steps!
1. Update your domain settings
You'll need your own website domain, such as yourdomain.com, to serve ads on your ConvertKit emails.
If you don't already have one, buy one from domain providers like Bluehost, Namecheap, and HostGator first.
Once you have a domain for serving ads from, add it as a custom domain to ConvertKit.
If you've previously set up the same domain as a verified sending domain, you'll see an additional option for updating your verified sending domain records.
NOTE: Setting up a verified sending domain is not a requirement for running ads. But if you have previously set one up and are using the same domain as your custom domain, you'll need to update its records so we can serve your ads properly.
Check out our separate guide to updating your domain settings for ConvertKit Ads to learn exactly what you need to do depending on your current domain settings.
NOTE: If you chose a subdomain that is prefixed with "cksn.", it will be chosen by default to serve ConvertKit Ads.
2. Connect to Stripe payments
We use Stripe to pay you the revenue you make from your ads. 💰
Click the Set up payments option to launch Stripe in a separate browser tab and connect your ConvertKit account to Stripe.
NOTE: If you've already connected your ConvertKit account to Stripe previously (e.g., as part of setting up payments for ConvertKit Commerce), you'll see a message confirming this and can skip this step.
Or, if you'd like, you can click View Stripe dashboard to review and update your Stripe billing settings.
3. Select your preferred brands
The next step is to choose the brands whose ads you want (or don't want) to run on your emails.
All the available brands have been grouped into categories. Click these categories to view the specific brands in them.
All the brands are also selected by default, and you can de-select:
Any specific brand(s) to prevent its ads from appearing in your emails, or
Any brand category to avoid showing ads from all brands in that category.
You'll need to select at least one brand, but we recommend selecting at least 100 brands to increase the chances of you filling your ad slots and making meaningful revenue from ads.
4. Accept advertising terms and conditions
Next, you'll need to accept the terms and conditions for running ads in your emails.
Click ConvertKit Ads Terms & Conditions and they will pop up on the screen. Read the terms and conditions and click I agree at the bottom of them.
NOTE: You will need to scroll to the end of the terms and conditions for the I agree button to be clickable.
With that, click the Enable ads button at the bottom of the screen to enable ConvertKit Ads!
5. Wait for approval
We'll review your account to ensure it's suitable for running ads. This process may take up to 48 business hours. If it's taking longer than that, reach out to our support team for help.
Once we've approved your account, you will receive an email notification from us saying you've successfully enabled the Ads feature for it.
6. Turn on ads
Enabling ConvertKit Ads doesn't automatically mean your subscribers seeing ads in your emails—you'll need to turn the ads on first.
So, go back to your Ads dashboard and click the Turn on ads button.
With that, the ad setup process is complete. You can then start adding ads to your emails! Learn how to do so in this guide.
Let your readers know
When running ads, it may be a good idea to let your subscribers know. This can help reduce pushback (and unsubscribes) from subscribers who dislike seeing ads in your emails.
For example, you could explain that running ads helps you keep your content free for your subscribers.
You could even set up a paid newsletter for subscribers who want to receive a premium, ad-free version of your newsletter! Learn how to create a paid newsletter here.
How to disable ads
If you don't want ads to appear in an email, simply do not include ad slots in it. Even if ads are enabled, no ads will be displayed if there are no ad slots in your emails.
To fully disable ads, go to the Ads dashboard and toggle the Ads switch at the top right to the "Off" position.
Once you've done so:
Any ads in emails you've already sent will be visible and you'll be able to earn ad revenue from them.
Any ad slots you've added to your Broadcast or Sequence drafts will still remain in them. But your subscribers won't see the ads when they receive these emails. This is even if you subsequently re-enable ads after the emails have gone out.