---
title: The setup wizard
description: "A four-step guide that sets your business details, your sending method, your first list and the ways people can join. Skip any step."
url: "https://hiveplugins.com/docs/hive-mail-setup-wizard/"
updated: "2026-10-28"
category: Hive Mail
---

# The setup wizard

The setup wizard opens over the Dashboard on a new site. It has four steps, sends nothing to your contacts, and you can skip any step. It opens by itself only for administrators, only if you have never saved it, and only when the site has no contacts (even in the trash) and no campaigns. It keeps showing until you finish or skip it.

The progress row shows **Your business**, **Sending**, **Your first list** and **How people join**. **Skip setup** is at the top right.

## Step 1: Your business

1. Type your **Business name** (printed in the footer of marketing emails).
2. Type your **Business address**, a postal address.
3. Type **Send from: name**. It starts as your site name.
4. Type **Send from: email**. Use an address on your own domain. It starts as your site's admin email.
5. Click **Save and continue**, or **Skip this step**.

These save to **Settings > General** (Business name, Business address, Default From name, Default From email).

![The setup wizard, step 1, Your business](https://hiveplugins.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hivemail-start-wizard-business-01.webp)

## Step 2: Sending

1. The box shows how Hive Mail sends now, and names an SMTP plugin if it finds one. To change the method, click **Choose how to send**. This opens **Settings > Sending**; the wizard reopens on this step when you return.
2. Optional: under **Send yourself a test email (optional)**, check the address and click **Send test email**. One email goes to that address only.
3. Click **Continue**.

A successful test also ticks the sending row of the [First steps checklist](/docs/hive-mail-first-steps-checklist/). A failure shows **The test email could not be sent** with the reason.

![The setup wizard, step 2, Sending, with a successful test email](https://hiveplugins.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/hivemail-start-wizard-sending-02.webp)

## Step 3: Your first list

1. Keep **Name of your first list** as "Newsletter", or type another name. If lists already exist, the field reads **Another list**.
2. Click **Create list and continue**, or **Skip this step** (**Continue without a new list** if lists exist).

The list is created as a private list. You can make it public later. See [Lists](/docs/hive-mail-lists/).

## Step 4: How people join

An empty list sends nothing, so this step links to four ways to fill it. Clicking one leaves the wizard.

| Link | Goes to |
| --- | --- |
| **Import a file** | Import / Export, for a CSV or another plugin. |
| **Keep the form you have** | Settings > Integrations, for Fluent Forms, WPForms, Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms or Elementor. |
| **A signup form** | Forms, to build a form in Hive Mail. |
| **Add people by hand** | Contacts. |

Click **Finish setup** to close the wizard.

> **Warning:** Only add people who agreed to hear from you. See [Consent and the law](/docs/hive-mail-consent-and-the-law-guide/).

## Run the wizard again

Open **Settings > Tools**, find **Setup wizard** and click **Run the setup wizard again**. Only the wizard's own step is reset; nothing you saved changes.

Next: [First steps checklist](/docs/hive-mail-first-steps-checklist/), [A tour of the screens](/docs/hive-mail-tour-of-the-screens/).