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All About Opt-In Funnels: A Master Help Guide

The step-by-step guide to setup an opt-in funnel for freebies, applications, masterclasses, workshops and any other process without payment.

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Written by Grace
Updated over a week ago

Getting Started With Opt In Funnels

So.. What is an opt-in funnel?

An Opt In Funnel, where people can sign up to get a freebie, submit an application, access a free training, or any other sign up process that doesn't involve taking payment. The funnel would look something like this:

  1. Step 1: An opt in page (where you embed a form and someone has to submit their email address)

  2. Step 2: A thank you page (where you deliver the free thing you promised, or simply thank them and tell them to check their inbox for an email)

  3. Step 3: A workflow to tag that contact, and trigger the next ations to happen (e.g. send an email including the freebie, or subscribe them to your newsletter list, or create a task for yourself to review their application)

Can the Ivorey™ team build a funnel for me?

Absolutely! Our mission is to close what we've coined the 'Implementation Gap', which is why women hire us to "do it for them" every single day! Browse and book a done-for-you service right here.

How long does it take to setup an opt-in funnel?

Luckily, we've templated every single step of the process for you. The form, opt in page, thank you page, confirmation email and workflow is all DONE and ready for you to simply customise and switch on. The tech piece only takes around 10-15 minutes depending on your comfort level, plus any time you spend designing on top.

1. Opt-In Funnel Examples, Templates and Options

STEP ONE: Choose your opt-in funnel style (short or long)

Before you start building, here’s a quick look at what an opt-in funnel is — and which type will suit you best. An opt-in funnel is used to collect someone’s details in exchange for something free, like a:

  • Free course or membership

  • PDF, workbook or checklist

  • Complimentary call or application form

There’s no purchase involved. It’s just an exchange of contact details for access. Once someone submits the form, they’re added to your system and taken to a thank you page. Watch the video above for a visual walkthrough of an opt-in funnel, including short and long templates we have available for you.

STEP TWO: Import a template from our library

  1. Go to Site Pages → Funnels → + New Funnel → From Templates
    You’ll see our full library of opt-in funnel templates in a range of branding styles.
    ​

  2. Choose from two types of opt-in funnels:

    • Short-form opt-in
      A simple, one-section page with a form. Great if you need something quick, minimal, and easy to share.

    • Long-form opt-in
      A full page with sections for features, benefits, FAQs, testimonials, your story, and more. Best for high-converting lead magnets or detailed applications.
      ​

  3. All templates are fully customisable.
    Change the colours, fonts, images, form questions, and sections.
    You can delete any sections you don’t need or duplicate ones you want more of.

OPTIONAL: If you're in a rush to publish a form, do this instead of a funnel

If you're in a rush and don't want to use a full funnel you can just send someone straight to your form instead. Please note, using this option means you won't get analytics like you would from a proper funnel - however it's a good temporary solution if you're in a rush to get something published quick.

  1. Go to Forms and duplicate your chosen template. Use our pre-made opt-in form templates. You can edit the title, questions, image, colours, and button text.

  2. Grab the form link and share it directly. Select the three dots next to the form, then preview, and grab the URL to share.

2. Create and Customise Your Opt-In Form

STEP ONE: Customise one of our form templates

Every opt-in funnel starts with a form. We’ve made it easy with pre-built templates ready to use.

  1. Go to Site Pages → Forms → Form Templates folder. If you don’t see this folder, open the chat widget and we’ll add the bonus forms to your account.
    ​

  2. Find the opt-in form and duplicate it. Click the three dots → Duplicate → give it a name (e.g. Free Workbook Form) → click Confirm.
    ​

  3. Edit the form fields

    • Delete any fields you don’t need (click the field → Delete)

    • Uncheck the Required box for optional fields

    • First name, email, and T&Cs are generally recommended to mark as required

    • Use the Styles tab to:

      • Change colours, font sizes, and backgrounds

      • Add headings or extra text above or below the form

      • Match it to your branding
        ​

  4. (Optional) Update the button text. Make it specific to your offer (e.g. “Claim Your Free Workbook”)
    ​

  5. (Optional) Add extra fields
    You can add dropdowns, checkboxes, or short answers (e.g. What industry are you in?) For help with advanced fields and design customisations, see our Forms Master Guide.

STEP TWO: Set the button action for when someone submits the form

  1. Go to the Styles & Options tab → Options. Under Submit Options, update the default message users will see after submitting the form.
    ​

  2. If this form will be used inside a funnel or website page, you can override this setting from the page builder - but it’s still best practice to update the default just in case.

3. Important Settings For Your Funnel

STEP ONE: Adjust your funnel settings

In the Settings tab of your funnel:

  • Connect your domain (only if you’re ready). Please see our Domains Master Guide for assistance with this.

  • Set the path/URL (e.g. /free-workbook) so your full link looks like:
    ​yourdomain.com/free-workbook
    ​

  • Add any tracking pixels if needed, then press Save

STEP TWO: Connect your form to the opt-in page

  1. Click Edit Page on the opt-in page to load the page editor.
    ​

  2. Click on the form block and select the form you created in Step 1
    (e.g. Free Workbook Form). On the right hand settings panel, change the form action to: → Go to next step in funnel. This will send people to the thank you page (the next step in your funnel) after they complete the form.

STEP THREE: Setup the pop-up form and buttons

Not everyone will fill out the form at the top of your page, which is why we have added lots of buttons to give more chances to opt-in. We suggest using the pop-up form feature as follows:

  1. Click on all of the buttons on the page. In the right panel, make sure the action is set to: Open Pop-Up.
    ​

  2. Click on the Popup Settings icon on the top bar of the page, and add the same form you created in step 1. Ensure the popup is enabled in the settings panel.
    ​

  3. Click on the form you just added into the popup, and ensure the form action is set to → Go to next step in funnel. This will send people to the thank you page (the next step in your funnel) after they complete the form.

STEP FOUR: Adjust your SEO settings for the page

  1. Inside the page builder, go to the SEO Settings icon on the top bar.
    ​

  2. Update the page title, description, author name, and add a social image
    (This controls how your page appears when shared online)

4. Rebrand Your Opt-In Funnel Template

STEP ONE: Customise the opt-in page

  1. Click into the editor for your opt-in page, and customise all the text, copywriting, images, colours, fonts etc to your liking.
    ​

  2. If you'd like us to do this for you, you can explore our affordable funnel and web design services here.

STEP TWO: Customise the thank you page

Repeat the same steps as above.

Click here for written design tips, or watch the video above for a walkthrough

  1. Understand how pages are built. Ivorey™ pages are made up of three parts - You can add, delete, move, or clone any of these as needed.

    1. Sections – the main building blocks (green outline)

    2. Rows – layouts within sections (blue outline)

    3. Elements – the content inside (grey), like text, buttons, images, etc.

  2. Use the Layers tab for easy reference and editing. All sections are already named for you to help you stay organised.

    1. Click Layers (top left) to see your page structure

    2. You can quickly move or rename sections here

    3. Clicking an element on the page will also highlight it in the layers panel

  3. Decide if you want to keep the menu and footer. You can delete them if you want a cleaner, no-distraction page (recommended for opt-in pages where the goal is form completion). Or, save them as global sections so they appear the same on both funnel pages. To save as a global section:
    ​

    1. Click on the section → click the folder icon → Save as Global Section and name it something like GS – Menu or GS – Footer
      ​

    2. You’ll now be able to reuse it on other pages (like your thank you page) without rebuilding it. To access it on the other page, you'll find it under Elements > Global Sections and be able to drag and drop it onto the page.
      ​

    3. Using this option, any changes you make to the global section (on either page) will update the other page that it's on.

  4. Edit any element on the page. Click on any text, image, button, or background to open the settings panel on the right. From here, you can:

    1. Change colours, fonts, images, or videos

    2. Adjust widths and background styles

    3. Show/hide elements on mobile or desktop

    4. Make borders rounded or square

    5. Add spacing using margin and padding

    6. And so much more - have a good play with all the available settings so you get the hang of it!
      ​

  5. Show or hide any element on desktop or mobile. Click any element → go to Advanced tab. Toggle the mobile or desktop visibility icons to control which device type it shows up on.
    ​

  6. Change fonts quickly using Typography tab. Go to the Typography tab in the top menu to set your headline font and body font. This updates all matching fonts on the page in one click

  7. Use margin and padding settings to control the spacing. Click on any element → scroll to Margin & Padding and adjust values to control layout spacing

    1. The inner box = space inside an element (e.g. inside a button)

    2. The outer box = space outside an element (e.g. gap between sections)

5. Setup Your Email and Opt-In Workflow

STEP ONE: Setup the email you will send after someone opts in

Once somebody submits a form, it's best practice to send them a confirmation email. This could simply acknowledge their submission, or in the case of a freebie funnel, you'll typically deliver a digital product. As usual, we've created an email template to shortcut this process for you:

  1. Go to Marketing → Emails → Templates. If you don’t see the bonus templates, open the chat widget and we’ll add them for you.
    ​

  2. Open the ‘Confirmation Emails’ folder. Find the template called Deliver a Freebie and click the three dots → Clone and rename the email. Give it a clear name based on your offer (e.g. Free Workbook Confirmation Email)
    ​

  3. Edit the content

    • Change the text, upload your own image, and personalise it

    • Update the button to either:

      • Upload a file (e.g. PDF or guide), or

      • Link to a URL (e.g. calendar booking or Google Drive)

    • Save the email template.
      ​

    NOTE: If you're giving away a course or community, do NOT include login details in this email. Instead, tell them to check their inbox for another email, as the login email will be sent automatically via the course or community setup. Ensure you follow our Course Master Guide or Community Master Guide to set that up if you need to grant access to either of those once someone submits this form.

STEP TWO: Tell Ivorey what to do after someone opts in

  1. Go to Workflows → Bonus Workflow Templates. Find the one called Opt-In Workflow – [Form Name] and click the three dots → Duplicate and rename the workflow. Name it based on your offer (e.g. Opt In Workflow - Free Workbook)
    ​

  2. Set the form trigger. Open the trigger at the top of the workflow which we have set to "Form Submitted". Add a filter: Form is = [Your Form Name]. This ensures it only fires when someone submits that exact form
    ​

  3. Tag the contact. Delete the placeholder tag and create your own (e.g. Opt-In – Free Workbook)
    ​

  4. (Optional) Internal Notification. Update the internal notification to say something like “Someone just signed up for the Free Workbook”. You can send this to yourself or a team member if you want to be notified when someone completes this form. Otherwise, you can delete this step.
    ​

  5. Send the confirmation email. Pull in the email you created in Step 1. Ensure to update the subject and sender info.
    ​

  6. Publish and test. Toggle the workflow to ON. Go back to your funnel and submit the form to test everything. You can check the workflow’s execution log to confirm it triggered correctly. If anything’s not working, open the chat widget and we’ll help you troubleshoot.

Frequently Asked Questions About Opt-In Funnels

How can I see my opt-in funnel analytics?

In order to see how many page visits and form opt-ins you've had through your opt-in funnel:

  1. Click on [Site Pages] in the left-hand menu of Ivorey™

  2. In the top bar, click on [Funnels]

  3. Open the funnel you'd like to view the stats of

  4. Click [Stats] to view your funnel's analytics

Can I add custom fonts to my funnel pages?

Absolutely! If you don't want to choose from thousands of free Google Fonts, you can upload your own font file and add a snippet of code instead. Here's our training on how to do that.

How do I change the name of my funnel?

To change or update the name of your funnel, you can do so by clicking into the funnel > then clicking on the [Settings] tab > here you can change the name and the path url to match the funnel you are building

How do I change the URL of my funnel pages?

To change the main URL of your funnel:

  1. Go to [Site Pages] > [Funnels] > click into your funnel > then click on the [Settings] tab

  2. Make sure your domain is connected under the 'Domain' tab

  3. Update your path URL under the 'Path' tab. Your path URL are the words that follow your domain and become the main URL for your funnel. (e.g. youdomain.com/the-ivorey-revolution). This will become the link that you can share online to drive traffic to your funnel.
    ​

To change the URL of specific funnel pages:

  1. Go to [Site Pages] > [Funnels] > click into your funnel

  2. Once you've connected your domain to your funnel, you will see a URL above the preview view of your funnel page, here you can click on the settings icon next to the URL and update you path here.

  3. Please Note: If you see random numbers at the end of your funnel's URL, it's because of a conflict between the main funnel path and individual page paths. To fix this, make sure each page in your funnel has a slightly different path, like adding step numbers (e.g., awesome-offer-1, awesome-offer-2).

Need Help?

Hit the support chat widget inside Ivorey - we can:

  • Drop the templates directly into your account if you can't find them

  • Walk you through any of the steps

  • Troubleshoot anything that’s not working

We’re here and ready to help via the chat widget in the bottom right of your Ivorey™ account. Or if you are looking for done-for-you support, you can browse our current services here 🤍

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