If you’re trying to build an email list, automate your marketing, or send smarter campaigns, this ActiveCampaign quick start is the fastest way to get set up without getting overwhelmed by the dashboard. In this video, I walk you through the exact beginner steps I’d do from a brand-new account: starting the free trial, fixing the boring-but-important compliance stuff (adding your business address), and authenticating your domain so your emails are set up properly for 2026 and beyond. From there, I show you how contacts and lists work (including the master contact list), how to import contacts or add them manually, and how to create a simple landing page inside ActiveCampaign if you don’t even have a website yet. I also build an inline form, turn off ActiveCampaign branding, publish the page, and copy the link so you can start collecting emails right away. Then we jump into the real power: creating an automated campaign with a “subscribes to list” trigger, sending a welcome email, adding a wait step (like 1 day), and stacking follow-up emails. I wrap up with a quick pricing overview so you know what to expect after the trial.