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How do you send a newsletter on Beehiiv?
Create a post, choose the email audience, set its subject and preview text, send yourself a test, then confirm publication or scheduling on Review. The current Post Builder follows Compose → Audience → Email → Web → Review, with channel-specific stages omitted when they do not apply.
A publication is the newsletter's container; a post is an individual issue. The same post can go to email, web or both. Check those channels before pressing Publish: a web issue and an email send are separate outcomes.
Official documentation: Create and publish a post.
Basis of this guide: current official help articles, checked October 9, 2026, and an original worked example. This English walkthrough does not claim a new account test or measured delivery results. Beehiiv's editor and builder documentation flags ongoing interface changes; match instructions to your account.
1. Set up the publication and the signup route
A useful first-send setup is deliberately small: a recognizable publication name, one clear description, a sender identity, a working reply-to inbox and an issue worth receiving. Gather these before designing the newsletter. Keep the sender name consistent with the name shown on your signup page, so a new subscriber can recognize the email.
Check the selected publication if your workspace contains more than one. A correct setting in the wrong publication will not help the issue you are preparing. For each essential field, write down the intended value and compare it with the live account rather than relying on memory.
Check the language subscribers will see
In Settings > General Info, Default Language controls generated subscriber-facing text, including confirmation messages and unsubscribe pages. It does not translate the dashboard or automatically rewrite your article. For an English newsletter, inspect an actual signup confirmation as well as your English post.
Official documentation: Subscriber-facing publication language.
Check one complete signup journey
Open the signup page on a phone and subscribe with an address you control. If confirmation is required, complete it before using that address as an audience check. Confirm which publication received the signup. This is a proposed preflight check, not a claim that we ran a new signup test.
The signup page, a native subscribe-form block and an embedded form on another website are different routes. Beehiiv's Advanced Website Builder form instructions apply to paid plans; match the documentation to the builder available in your account. A native form uses its assigned signup flow, or the default flow when none is assigned.
Official documentation: Subscribe forms in Advanced Website Builder.
You can keep domain configuration separate from this first-issue walkthrough. If you need to decide which capabilities your plan includes, use our Beehiiv review and plan assessment.
2. Identify your editor before following a tutorial
Compose is the current Visual Editor workflow; separate Write and Style tabs identify the legacy post editor. New workspaces have used the Visual Editor by default since August 3, 2026, while an older workspace can remain on the legacy experience until an administrator switches it.
| What you see | How to follow this guide |
|---|---|
| Compose with a live canvas | Write and style in the same view; click an element to expose its settings. |
| Separate Write and Style tabs | Use the legacy instructions for drafting and styling, then check the delivery and review stages in your account. |
Do not treat an old screenshot as proof that a button has disappeared. First identify the editor, then the selected publication and delivery channel. Those three checks explain more than a visual comparison with a tutorial published months earlier.
Official documentation: Visual Editor and workspace differences · Legacy Write and Style editor.
3. Create your first newsletter post in Compose
Start a blank draft or a template post from the New menu. The shortcut beehiiv.new also opens a blank draft. In the Visual Editor, Compose combines writing and styling; click a block to edit its appearance or use the slash menu to add content.
Official documentation: Create and publish a post · Compose: draft and style your post.
For the first issue, use one useful idea, a short introduction, clear sections and one next action. A minimal draft makes it easier to distinguish a content problem from a delivery problem. It also gives you a reusable structure for the next issue without spending the first session on every available block.
A worked example: title, subject and preview text
This is an original SmartCreatorHub example for a creator newsletter, not a tested open-rate formula.
- Post title: Three checks before publishing your next video.
- Email subject: Before you publish: check these 3 things.
- Preview text: A quick pass through sound, captions and the next step for viewers.
- Web slug:
video-publishing-checks. - Closing action: Reply with the part of publishing that slows you down.
The title identifies the issue in the archive; the subject introduces it in the inbox; the preview adds information. They serve related purposes but do not have to repeat the same sentence.
4. Choose Email only, Web only or Email and web
Choose the delivery channel on the Audience page before checking the final settings. Email distributes an issue to the selected subscribers. Web publishes a version accessible to the web audience you select. Web publication does not automatically mean unrestricted public access.
| Delivery choice | Result | Check before publishing |
|---|---|---|
| Email only | Send an issue without creating its web version. | Selected email groups and recipient count. |
| Web only | Publish an article without emailing the subscriber list. | Web audience and access settings. |
| Email and web | Distribute the issue and publish its web version. | Both audiences; email subject and web settings. |
Why is the Email tab missing in Beehiiv?
If you selected only a web audience, Beehiiv does not show the Email page. Return to Audience and enable an email audience if you also want an email send. Likewise, an email-only post does not need the Web page.
Read the selected groups, not just the overall size of your list. A segment can exclude the address you are using to check delivery. Once the email has been sent, its email audience is locked.
Official documentation: Email and web audience selection.
For the broader question of which issues deserve a discoverable archive, use our newsletter visibility in AI search guide. Here, the goal is to make the chosen delivery setting do what you intend.
5. Set the email subject and the web version
On Email, enter the subject line and preview text, then inspect the Read Online setting. On Web, check the post URL and access options; complete the web title and description where relevant. Keep the URL readable and tied to this issue rather than to an unrelated promotion.
Use the worked example above to avoid confusing the post title with the email subject. If an online-reading link has been overridden, open its destination separately and confirm that it is the page you want readers to visit. A button that looks right can still lead to the wrong place.
Official documentation: Subject line and email settings · Web post settings.
Do not add an A/B test just to make the first send look more advanced. A preview test checks presentation; a subject-line experiment answers a different question. Confirm the basic issue and delivery settings first.
6. Preview the issue and send a test email
A test email checks the draft in an inbox; it does not publish the issue or send it to your newsletter audience. Open Preview to compare Email, Web, Desktop and Mobile. Use the arrow beside Preview for Send test email or a shareable draft link.
Check sender identity, subject, preview text, image readability, buttons and personalized content. Open the received email on a phone as well as a computer when you can. A browser preview alone cannot show every email-client rendering difference.
Why do links in a Beehiiv test email return a 404?
Beehiiv documents pre-publication 404 behaviour for test-email or draft links, and separate limitations for magic links in tests. Distinguish a draft-related URL from an external destination; recheck the published issue before diagnosing a live-link failure.
Is a Beehiiv draft link private?
Anyone holding the draft link can view the latest unpublished draft. Reset the link to revoke access. Use it for review, not as the final issue URL.
Test emails also omit the unsubscribe header that Beehiiv adds to published emails. That header is distinct from visible footer text.
Official documentation: Preview, draft links and test emails.
7. Review the audience and publish or schedule
On Review, inspect the delivery channels, recipient groups, subject and post details. Then use the scheduling control to select Publish now or Schedule for later and confirm the action. Saving content as a draft is not the same as scheduling a send.
Which timezone does Beehiiv use for scheduled posts?
The scheduling time follows the browser/computer timezone shown in the scheduling window. The publication's Default Timezone affects date display in sent emails; it does not move a scheduled send into that timezone. Check the timezone displayed in the window before confirming.
Official documentation: Timezones in Beehiiv · Publishing and delivery troubleshooting.
Example: sending to readers in another country
If you are in London and want a New York morning send, do not assume entering 9:00 means 9:00 in New York. Verify the displayed zone and convert the desired date and time, including daylight-saving differences. Recheck if you change device or travel.
What happens if the email audience is empty?
An empty email audience can block publication or scheduling. If it becomes empty before a scheduled send, Beehiiv documents web-only publication when both channels were selected, and a return to draft when only email was selected. Check the actual channel and recipient settings rather than assuming every empty-audience case behaves identically.
Official documentation: Review, scheduling and audience changes.
After confirming, check that the issue is Scheduled, with the intended date and time, or Published when sent immediately. Keep the post identifier and selected audience available if you need help.
8. Check what happened after the first send
Open the live web URL if you selected web publication, and inspect the post's delivery information if you selected email. Confirm the outcome for each channel separately. A Published label is not enough to establish that everyone received an email.
Can you edit a Beehiiv newsletter after sending it?
For a post published to email and web, edits after the campaign sends appear on the web version. They do not replace the email already delivered to subscribers. Beehiiv also documents a restriction on editing the web version during a scheduled A/B test period.
Official documentation: Create and publish a post.
If a correction is needed, assess whether updating the web issue is sufficient or whether readers need a separate correction. Do not use a second full-list send as the first diagnostic step: it can duplicate the issue for people who received it.
First-send troubleshooting: find the cause before resending
Start with the symptom, then verify its conditions. These checks narrow the diagnosis; they do not mean every failure has the same cause.
| Symptom | First check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Email tab missing | Is Audience set to Web only? | Enable the email audience if you intend an email send. |
| Published, but no newsletter email | Were email groups selected? | Inspect audience selection and delivery events. |
| Live web issue returns a 404 | Web channel and dynamic Post page. | Check that the post and Post page are enabled and published. |
| One Active subscriber receives nothing | Selected group and Suppression list. | Inspect exclusions and delivery information. |
| Email and web colors differ | Which editor controls the affected color? | Check the web Post page or Post Content block. |
| Send time looks wrong | Zone shown in the scheduling window. | Compare it with the intended time and date. |
Why is my Beehiiv post published but not emailed?
First confirm that the post used an email audience. Removing all email groups can leave a web-only publication. If email was selected, check the intended groups and delivery events before assuming the message was never dispatched.
Why does a published Beehiiv post return a 404?
Check whether the post was published to the web, then inspect Website > Builder > Pages > Dynamic pages > Post. The dynamic Post page must be enabled and published. A published homepage does not establish that this page is live.
Official documentation: Publishing and delivery troubleshooting.
Why does an Active subscriber not receive my newsletter?
Active status does not guarantee inclusion in a send. Beehiiv can exclude a suppressed address at send time even when it still appears Active. Check the selected audience and the Suppression list reason. Pending subscribers who have not completed confirmation are another distinct case.
A suppression is a delivery exclusion to investigate, not a reason to repeatedly reimport the address. For a persistent problem, collect the post, address, delivery event and exclusion reason before contacting support.
Official documentation: Suppression list and delivery exclusions.
Why do email and web post colors differ?
With the Visual Editor, the web background comes from the Website Builder Post page; web text and link colors come from its Post Content block. Other content styles carry over from the post editor. Match those colors in both locations when you want them to agree.
| Setting | Web | |
|---|---|---|
| Background | Post editor: canvas/background. | Website Builder: Post page. |
| Text and links | Post editor: selected text. | Website Builder: Post Content block. |
Official documentation: Email versus web styling.
Your Beehiiv first-newsletter checklist
- Identity: the intended publication, sender name and reply-to inbox are selected.
- Signup: one complete subscription and confirmation journey works for an address you control.
- Content: the issue has one clear purpose, final copy and descriptive links.
- Audience: email, web or both are intentional; groups and recipient count are checked.
- Email: subject and preview text are complete.
- Web: URL and access settings match the intended reader experience.
- Test: inbox rendering is checked, with draft-link limitations kept separate from live URLs.
- Timing: scheduling timezone, date and status are confirmed.
- After publication: web availability and email delivery are checked independently.
Still deciding whether Beehiiv fits your project? Read the Beehiiv review. Comparing platforms before starting? Use Beehiiv vs Substack.
Beehiiv newsletter tutorial: frequently asked questions
How do I send my first newsletter on Beehiiv?
Create a post, choose an email audience, enter the subject and preview text, preview the issue, then confirm Publish now or a scheduled send on Review. Check the selected recipient groups before confirming.
Can I publish on Beehiiv without emailing subscribers?
Yes. Select Web only on Audience and check the web access settings on Review before publishing.
Why is the Email tab missing in Beehiiv?
A web-only audience selection removes the Email page. Return to Audience and enable an email audience if you want to send the issue by email.
Why does Beehiiv show Write and Style instead of Compose?
You are using the legacy post editor. The Visual Editor combines drafting and styling in Compose; older workspaces can remain on the legacy experience until an administrator switches them.
Which timezone does Beehiiv use for scheduled newsletters?
Check the browser/computer timezone shown in the scheduling window. The publication Default Timezone affects date display in sent emails rather than the time of the scheduled send.
Why is my Beehiiv post published but not emailed?
Check whether an email audience and recipient groups were selected. A web-only publication can show as Published without an email send. If email was selected, inspect the delivery events.
Why does my published Beehiiv post return a 404?
Verify web publication and confirm that the dynamic Post page in the Website Builder is enabled and published. Contact support if those checks do not resolve the problem.
Why does an Active Beehiiv subscriber not receive emails?
Check the selected group and Suppression list. A suppressed address can still appear Active but be excluded at send time. Pending confirmation is a separate reason a subscriber may not receive sends.
Does changing a Beehiiv post update an email already sent?
No. Edits after a campaign sends change the web version, not the email already delivered. Beehiiv also restricts web edits during a scheduled A/B test period.
Official sources and verification
Documentation checked October 9, 2026. Product labels and menus can change; the linked help pages identify their editor, builder and plan scope. Where older troubleshooting text generalizes empty-audience behaviour, this guide uses the more specific cases in the Review documentation.
- Create and publish a post
- Compose: draft and style your post
- Email and web audience selection
- Subject line and email settings
- Web post settings
- Preview, draft links and test emails
- Review, scheduling and audience changes
- Publishing and delivery troubleshooting
- Suppression list and delivery exclusions
- Email versus web styling
- Legacy Write and Style editor
- Subscriber-facing publication language
- Subscribe forms in Advanced Website Builder
- Timezones in Beehiiv
- Visual Editor and workspace differences