Laravel 12 - How to Integrate Newsletter Using Spatie and Mailchimp.

Quick Overview

Step # 1 : Initialize Your Laravel 12 Project.

laravel new newsletter

composer create-project laravel/laravel --prefer-dist newsletter

• Starter kit installation: Select none when asked if you would like to install a starter kit.
• Testing framework: Choose Pest.
• Database selection: Select mysql for your application.
• Run default migrations: Choose yes so the initial database tables are created automatically.
• Frontend dependency: When prompted, type yes to allow Laravel to run npm install and npm run build. This will automatically install and compile all required frontend dependencies.
  
  

Step # 2 : Open the Newsletter project directory.

cd c:xampp/htdocs/newsletter

Step # 3 : Install the Newsletter Package.

composer require spatie/laravel-newsletter

Step # 4 : Publish and Configure the Newsletter Settings.

php artisan vendor:publish --tag="newsletter-config"

// From
'driver' => env('NEWSLETTER_DRIVER', Spatie\Newsletter\Drivers\MailcoachDriver::class),
// To
'driver' => env('NEWSLETTER_DRIVER', Spatie\Newsletter\Drivers\MailChimpDriver::class),

// From
'driver_arguments' => [
    'api_key' => env('NEWSLETTER_API_KEY'),
    'endpoint' => env('NEWSLETTER_ENDPOINT'),
],
// To
'driver_arguments' => [
    'api_key' => env('NEWSLETTER_API_KEY'),
    'endpoint' => env('NEWSLETTER_ENDPOINT', null),
],

Step # 5 : Install and Configure the Mailchimp Package.

composer require drewm/mailchimp-api

1. Create a Mailchimp Account: If you don’t have one already, sign up at Mailchimp (https://mailchimp.com/) and log in. You’ll be taken to the Dashboard after signing in.
2. Generate an API Key: Click your profile name in the top navigation bar, select Profile, then go to Extras -> API keys. Click Create A Key to generate a new API key. Make sure to save it securely, as you won’t be able to view it again.
3. Find your List ID (Audience ID): In the left-hand menu, go to Audience, then click More Options -> Audience Settings. Your Audience ID (List ID) will be displayed there.
   
   

NEWSLETTER_API_KEY="Your API Key Here"
NEWSLETTER_LIST_ID="Your List ID Here"

Step # 6 : Create the Newsletter Controller.

php artisan make:controller NewsletterController

<?php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;
use Illuminate\Http\Request;
use Newsletter;
class NewsletterController extends Controller
{
    // Display the subscription form
    public function index()
    {
        return view('form');
    }
    // Handle newsletter subscription
    public function subscribe(Request $request)
    {
        // Validate email input
        $request->validate([
            'email' => 'required|email',
        ]);
        $email = $request->email;
        try {
            // Check if the email is already subscribed
            if (Newsletter::isSubscribed($email)) {
                return redirect()->back()
                    ->with('error', 'You have already subscribed to our newsletters.')
                    ->withInput();
            }
            // Try subscribing the email
            $subscribed = Newsletter::subscribe($email);
            if ($subscribed) {
                return redirect()->back()
                    ->with('success', 'You have successfully subscribed to our newsletters.')
                    ->withInput();
            } else {
                // Mailchimp rejected the subscription for some reason
                return redirect()->back()
                    ->with('error', 'Subscription failed. Please check your email or try again later.')
                    ->withInput();
            }
        } catch (\Exception $e) {
            // Catch any exceptions (like forgotten/deleted emails)
            return redirect()->back()
                ->with('error', 'Subscription failed: ' . $e->getMessage())
                ->withInput();
        }
    }
}

Step # 7 : Set Up Routes for the Newsletter.

use App\Http\Controllers\NewsletterController;

// Display the newsletter subscription form on the homepage
Route::get('/', [NewsletterController::class, 'index']);
// Handle the form submission and subscribe the email to the newsletter
Route::post('/subscribe', [NewsletterController::class, 'subscribe']);

Step # 8 : Create a view.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Laravel 12 - Code Shotcut Newsletter</title>
    <!-- Tailwind CSS CDN for styling -->
    <script src="https://cdn.tailwindcss.com"></script>
</head>
<body class="bg-gray-900 text-gray-100 flex items-center justify-center min-h-screen">
    <div class="w-full max-w-xl p-8 bg-gray-800 rounded-xl shadow-lg">
        <h2 class="text-3xl font-bold text-center mb-6 text-indigo-400">Join Our Newsletter</h2>
        <p class="text-center text-gray-400 mb-6">Subscribe to get the latest updates directly in your inbox.</p>
        <!-- Newsletter subscription form -->
        <form action="{{ url('/subscribe') }}" method="post" class="space-y-4">
            @csrf
            <div>
                <label for="email" class="block text-sm font-medium text-gray-300">Email Address</label>
                <input type="email" name="email" id="email" placeholder="you@example.com"
                value="{{ old('email') }}"
                class="mt-2 w-full px-4 py-3 bg-gray-700 border border-gray-600 rounded-md text-gray-100 placeholder-gray-400 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-indigo-500">
                <small class="block text-xs text-gray-500 mt-1">We respect your privacy. No spam, ever.</small>
                <!-- Display error message if subscription fails -->
                @if(session()->has('error'))
                <div class="mt-2 text-sm text-red-500">
                    {{ session()->get('error') }}
                </div>
                @endif
                <!-- Display success message if subscription succeeds -->
                @if(session()->has('success'))
                <div class="mt-2 text-sm text-green-500">
                    {{ session()->get('success') }}
                </div>
                @endif
            </div>
            <!-- Submit button -->
            <button type="submit"
            class="w-full py-3 bg-indigo-500 hover:bg-indigo-600 text-white font-semibold rounded-md transition-colors duration-200 focus:outline-none focus:ring-2 focus:ring-indigo-400">
            Subscribe Now
        </button>
    </form>
    <p class="text-center text-gray-500 mt-6 text-xs">&copy; {{ date('Y') }} Code Shotcut. All rights reserved.</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>

Step # 9 : Test the Newsletter Functionality.

php artisan serve

Conclusion