Set up Account – Checklist
This checklist walks you through the essential steps to set up your Apsis One account — from securing your login to importing your first contacts and sending your first campaign. Follow the steps in order, and you'll have a fully configured account ready for your marketing activities.
💡 New around here?
Start by reading the Welcome article for a quick overview of the platform and its tools. Then come back here to work through the setup.
Not every step is mandatory on day one — but completing them all gives you the strongest foundation. The checklist is designed so that each step builds on the one before it.
In this article
Install the Website Tracking script (Grow package only)
1. Profile settings and security
Why it matters: Your user profile controls how your name appears to colleagues, which time zone the platform uses for scheduling, and how dates are displayed. Getting this right first prevents confusion later — especially when scheduling email campaigns or Marketing Automation flows.
How to update your user profile
The full step-by-step is explained here: First time logging in | Apsis Knowledge base
Click your Profile icon (top right) → Settings → Profile settings.
Check and update your name, email, mobile number, time zone, and date format.
Upload a profile picture — this helps colleagues identify you in the platform. If you skip it, Apsis One displays the first two letters of your email.
Set your preferred language — this is per user, so team members can work in different languages within the same account.
Scroll down to Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) and enable it. Choose between an authenticator app or SMS verification.
⚠️ Important - We strongly recommend enabling 2FA unless your organisation uses Single Sign-On (SSO). It adds a critical layer of protection to your account.
Read more: Profile settings | Password and Authentication
2. Invite users
Why it matters: Most teams have more than one person working in the platform. Adding users early means your colleagues can start learning the interface while you continue setting up. It also ensures the right people have the right level of access from the start.
Requires Account Owner or Admin role.
Tasks
Go to Account Settings → Users tab.
Click Add user (top right).
Enter the new user's email address.
Set their Tool permissions — decide which tools they can access (Email, SMS, Forms, Marketing Automation, etc.).
Set their Data Section permissions — choose which Sections they can see and work with.
Click Add. The new user receives an email invitation with a link to set their password.
💡 Tip - Apsis One has three user roles: Account Owner (full access, manages billing), Admin (full access to settings and tools), and User (tool access only, no account settings). You can further restrict a User's access by limiting which tools and Sections they can see. Plan your roles before inviting — it's easier to set permissions correctly the first time than to adjust them later. You can always remove a user and add them again if you need to change from user to admin.
Role | Account Settings | Tools | Audience | Typical use |
Account Owner | Full access | All tools | All Sections | The primary administrator — usually the person who manages the contract and billing |
Admin | Full access | All tools | All Sections | Team leads or marketing managers who need to manage settings and users |
User | No access | As assigned | As assigned | Day-to-day users who create and send campaigns |
Read more: User Management | User Roles and Permissions
3. Name and configure your Section
Why it matters: A Section is a workspace within your account. It holds its own Audience, Data model, integrations, and tracking settings. Every account starts with one Section called "Default" — renaming it helps you and your team stay oriented, especially if you add more Sections later.
Requires Admin rights.
Tasks
Go to Account Settings → Sections tab.
Click on the Section named "Default".
Rename it to something descriptive — for example, your brand name, market, or business unit.
💡 When to use multiple Sections
Use separate Sections when you want to keep Profile data independent — for example, different brands with separate audiences, different country markets, or business units with distinct consent lists. Each Section has its own Data model, Subscriptions, and integrations. If your team works with a single brand and audience, one Section is all you need.
Read more: About Sections
4. Set up your Data model
Why it matters: The Data model defines what you know about your contacts. It's the foundation for personalisation, segmentation, and automation — so getting it right before you start importing data saves rework later.
Your Data model consists of three types of data, each set up per Section:
Data type | What it is | Example |
Attributes | Data fields that describe a Profile. Can be updated over time. | First name, Country, Customer status, Loyalty tier |
Tags | Labels you attach to Profiles as internal markers. Can be added or removed but not updated like Attributes. | "VIP", "Imported Oct 2025", "Webinar attendee" |
Custom Events | Actions or interactions you track against a Profile. Collected automatically or via integrations. | Completed purchase, Downloaded whitepaper, Visited pricing page |
Tasks
Go to Account Settings → select your Section → Data Model.
Review the Default Attributes already in place (Email, First name, Last name, Mobile, etc.).
Click Add New Attribute to create Custom Attributes that match your data needs. Choose the correct type for each:
Text — free-form values (e.g. "Company name", "City")
Number — numeric values (e.g. "Age", "Customer ID")
Number w/decimals — decimal values (e.g. "Total spend")
True/False — yes/no values (e.g. "Has loyalty card")
Date — date values in ISO format (e.g. "Date of birth")
Timestamp — date and time in Unix format (e.g. "Last login")
Switch to the Tags tab and create any Tags you plan to use during import or for internal classification.
Switch to the Custom Events tab if you need to define custom event types for tracking (often set up in coordination with integrations or Website Tracking).
💡 Plan before you build
Take 15 minutes to list the data points you'll need for your first campaigns. Think about: What do you need for personalisation? (name, city, product interest) What do you need for segmentation? (customer type, purchase date, engagement score) What will your integrations push in? (CRM fields, ecommerce data). Create only what you need now — you can always add more Attributes later.
⚠️ Good to know: Attribute types can't be changed after creation
Once you create a Custom Attribute with a specific type (Text, Number, Date, etc.), the type is locked. If you need to change it, you'll have to hide the faulty one, create a new Attribute and re-import the data. Double-check your types before saving.
Read more: Data Model | About Attributes
5. Create Subscriptions and Folders
Why it matters: Subscriptions are where consent lives. A Profile must have an active Subscription before you can send them anything — Email or SMS. Folders group Subscriptions together. Getting your consent structure right from the start keeps you GDPR-compliant and makes targeting straightforward.
How the structure works
Think of it as a hierarchy:
Account → Section → Folder → Subscription → Profiles
Folders group related Subscriptions. You might organise by country, brand, or communication type.
Subscriptions are the actual consent lists Profiles opt into. When a contact subscribes via a form or is imported with consent, they are added to a Subscription.
To send to multiple Subscriptions at once, they must be in the same Folder.
Tasks
Go to Audience in the left-hand menu.
You'll see a default Folder with a default Subscription — click the Folder and select Rename in the bottom bar to give it a meaningful name.
Open the Folder, then rename the default Subscription (e.g. "Newsletter", "Marketing updates", or your brand name).
To create additional Subscriptions, click Create new Subscription (top right inside the Folder).
To create additional Folders, go back to the Audience overview and click Create new Folder.
💡 Keep it simple
A common mistake is creating too many Subscriptions. Each Subscription appears as a separate consent - opt-in/opt-out choice - for your contacts. If you offer ten different Subscriptions, your contacts have ten things to manage — and most will just unsubscribe from everything. Start with one or two Subscriptions and add more only when you have a clear need.
Scenario | Suggested structure |
Single brand, one market | 1 Folder → 1–2 Subscriptions (e.g. "Newsletter" + "Product updates") |
Single brand, multiple markets | 1 Folder per market → 1–2 Subscriptions per Folder |
Multiple brands under one account | 1 Section per brand, each with its own Folder/Subscription structure |
Events alongside regular marketing | 1 Folder for marketing Subscriptions + the Event tool handles event-specific consent separately |
Read more: Subscriptions and Folders | Data structure overview
6. Set up email authentication and sender details
Why it matters: Before you send your first email, two things need to be in place: your sending domain must be authenticated with DKIM, and your sender details (name, email, reply-to) must be configured. Without DKIM, a large part of your emails will be classified as spam by Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook — and since February 2024, major email providers enforce DKIM as a requirement for anyone sending more than 5,000 emails per day.
A. Set up DKIM authentication
DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) proves that emails sent from Apsis One on your behalf are authentic. It's set up through a collaboration between your team and the Apsis Delivery team — it's not a self-service feature.
How the process works:
Contact Customer Service or your Account Manager — they will connect you with the Apsis Delivery team.
Provide the domain you want to send from (e.g. yourcompany.com) and choose a Selector (a keyword of your choice).
The Apsis Delivery team will create a DKIM key pair and provide you with a DKIM key to publish.
Your IT team or domain administrator publishes the DKIM key in your DNS as a TXT record. (Note: sometimes the key needs to be split into two records.)
Let Apsis know that the key is published — they will then activate DKIM signing on the mail server.
⚠️ Start DKIM setup early
DKIM requires coordination between your team and Efficy, plus DNS propagation time (typically 24–48 hours). Don't leave this until the day before your first send. If you use multiple sending domains (e.g. for different brands or Sections), each domain needs its own DKIM setup.
💡 What about SPF?
SPF (Sender Policy Framework) is already handled for you. When you send through Apsis One, the technical sender domain is apsisone.com, and SPF is pre-configured on that domain. You don't need to add SPF records to your own DNS.
B. Configure sender details per email
Sender details — the name and email address your recipients see in their inbox — are set inside the Email tool wizard each time you create an email, not in Account Settings.
When creating an email, go to the Settings in the email editor (bottom bar)
Enter your Sender name — this is the "from" name recipients see (e.g. "Your Brand" or "Anna at Your Brand").
Enter the Sender email address — this should use the domain you've authenticated with DKIM.
Enter a Reply-to address if you want replies to go to a different mailbox.
Add your Subject line and Preheader.
💡 Tip: Save time with Templates
If you save your email as a Template, the sender details are saved with it. This means you don't have to re-enter them every time — just pick the Template and your sender name, email, and reply-to are pre-filled.
C. Optional: Set up a Custom Domain for links
By default, links in your emails (i.e. tracking links, web version, landing pages) use the Apsis domain tr.aonetrk.com. With a Custom Domain, these links use your own branded domain instead — which builds trust and looks more professional to recipients.
Custom Domains can be configured per account, per Section, or per Folder. Setup requires adding CNAME records to your DNS. SSL certificates are managed by Apsis.
Read more: Email Authentication – Safe Sending | Custom Domain: Setup and Onboarding | Email: Settings, Preview and Test
7. Import Profiles
Why it matters: Your Subscriptions are empty until you add Profiles. The fastest way to get started is by importing contacts from a file — but you can also collect them organically through sign-up forms or sync them through integrations.
Tasks — Import from file
Read more about importing profiles here: About File Import | Apsis Knowledge base
Prepare your file — CSV or XLSX format. Include at minimum an email column. Add any columns that match the Attributes you set up in Step 4.
Go to Audience → click Add a New Profile (top right) → select From file.
Or go to Import tab and click on Import profiles. This is also where you can configure your scheduled imports, read more here: Scheduled File Import | Apsis Knowledge base
Upload your file and follow the import wizard:
Select the Section to import into.
Choose the Subscription the Profiles should be added to.
Map your columns to the corresponding Attributes in Apsis One.
Review the mapping summary and click Import.
Wait for the import to complete — you'll see a confirmation with how many Profiles were created, updated, or skipped.
⚠️ Consent matters
Only import contacts who have given you valid consent to receive marketing communications. Importing purchased lists or contacts without proper opt-in violates GDPR and will damage your sender reputation. The File Import article covers consent handling during import in detail.
Alternative: Collect Profiles with sign-up forms
If you'd rather grow your audience organically, you can create a sign-up form in the Forms & Pages tool and embed it on your website. Form submissions automatically create new Profiles with consent in the Subscription you select.
8. Install the Website Tracking script (Grow package)
Why it matters: The Tracking script captures browsing data from visitors who accept your marketing cookies. This data is stored on Profiles and can be used for segmentation and triggering Marketing Automation flows — for example, sending a follow-up email when someone visits a specific product page.
Tasks
Go to Account Settings → select your Section → Website Tracking.
Copy the unique Tracking script provided.
Paste it into the
<head>section of your website — or add it as a new tag in Google Tag Manager (trigger: All Pages).Visit your website in a browser, then return to Apsis One.
Check the Website Tracking page — you should see events appearing under Auto-collect.
💡 Tip
If you're not ready to set up Website Tracking immediately, you can come back to this step later. It's not required for sending emails or importing Profiles — it enriches your data for more advanced segmentation and automation.
Read more: About the Tracking script | Website Tracking collection
9. Connect integrations
Why it matters: Integrations connect Apsis One to the systems where your customer data already lives — your CRM, your ecommerce platform, your CMS. Syncing data automatically means your Profiles stay up to date without manual file imports, and you can trigger communications based on real-time actions in other systems.
Available integration types
Type | Examples | What it does |
CRM | Efficy CRM (E-deal), efficy enterprise. Dynamics 365, Salesforce, SuperOffice, Lime, Tribe CRM, webCRM, ... | Syncs contact data, segments, and sales activity between your CRM and Apsis One Profiles |
Ecommerce | Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify | Syncs customer data, purchase events, and product information for targeted campaigns |
CMS | WordPress, Episerver/Optimizely, Umbraco | Embed forms, tracking, and sign-up widgets directly in your CMS |
Automation | Zapier | Connects Apsis One to 5,000+ apps — create/update Profiles, manage consent, and send Custom Events without code |
Generic / API | Generic Connector, Apsis One API | For custom or in-house systems — push and pull data via REST API or the pre-built Generic Connector |
Tasks
Decide which systems you want to connect. Start with your most important data source (usually your CRM or ecommerce platform).
Want to start already with integrating other data sources for your profiles?
Integrations: In the left side menu → Choose Integrations → find the integration you need.
API: Account Settings - API Management
Follow the integration-specific setup guide (linked from the Integrations page).
After connecting, verify that data is flowing correctly by checking a few Profiles in your Audience.
💡 Not sure where to start?
If you use a CRM, connect that first — it keeps your contact data in sync and means you don't have to maintain separate lists. If you don't use a CRM but have an ecommerce platform, that's your next best bet. If neither applies, the File Import from Step 7 plus a sign-up form is a solid starting point.
Read more: Why Integrate with Apsis One? | CRM Integrations | Ecommerce Integrations | CMS Integrations
10. Start your first marketing activity
You're set up. You have a configured account, users with the right permissions, a data model that matches your needs, Profiles with consent in your Subscriptions, and (optionally) integrations pushing data in. Time to put it to work.
Here's where to start depending on what you want to do:
Goal | Tool | Start here |
Send your first email campaign | Email tool | |
Send an SMS campaign | SMS tool | |
Set up a welcome flow for new subscribers | Marketing Automation | |
Build a sign-up form for your website | Forms & Pages | |
Manage event registrations | Event tool | |
Track website visitor behaviour | Website tool |
💡 Recommended first step: send an email
Most teams get the most value by sending their first email campaign early. It validates your setup end-to-end — your Subscription, your Profiles, your sender details, and your content all get tested in one go. Follow the Create and Send Email guide for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Quick-reference checklist
Use this summary to track your progress:
Step | Task | Where | Required? |
1 | Update profile settings and enable 2FA | Account Settings → Profile settings | Yes |
2 | Invite team members | Account Settings → Users | Recommended |
3 | Rename your Section | Account Settings → Sections | Recommended |
4 | Set up Attributes, Tags, and Custom Events (Grow) | Account Settings → Section → Data Model | No, but strongly recommended (at least Attributes) |
5 | Create and name Subscriptions and Folders | Audience | Yes |
6 | Configure sender details and custom domain | Account Settings → Section → Sender details | Yes (DKIM for sending domains) / Recommended (domain) |
7 | Import Profiles | Audience → Add a New Profile | No, but you will not be able to send anything without profiles in the account. |
8 | Install Website Tracking script | Account Settings → Section → Website Tracking | Optional (Grow) |
9 | Connect integrations | Account Settings → Integrations | Optional |
10 | Send your first campaign | Email tool / SMS tool | Go for it! |
Common questions during setup
Question | Answer |
"I can't see Account Settings" | Account Settings is only visible to Account Owners and Admins. If you need access, ask an Admin in your organisation to upgrade your role. |
"I invited a user but they didn't get the email" | Check that the email address is correct. Ask them to check their spam/junk folder. If still missing, remove the user and re-invite. |
"My import shows 0 Profiles created" | The most common cause is that your file doesn't include a column mapped to a valid Profile key (usually Email). Check the column mapping step in the import wizard and ensure at least one column is mapped to the Email Attribute. |
"I created an Attribute with the wrong type" | Attribute types cannot be changed after creation. Create a new Attribute with the correct type, re-import or update the data, then hide the old Attribute. |
"I can't find the Tracking script" | The Tracking script is located in Account Settings → select your Section → Website Tracking. You need Admin access to see it. |
"Which integration should I set up first?" | If you use a CRM, start there — it's typically your main source of truth for contact data. If not, ecommerce is the next best option. You can always add more integrations later. |
"Do I need a custom domain before I can send?" | No — you can send using the default Apsis shared domain. But a custom domain improves deliverability and brand recognition, so we recommend setting it up before your first large send. |
Need help along the way?
If you get stuck at any step, the Apsis Customer Service team is here for you:
In-app chat: Click the 💡 lightbulb icon (top right in Apsis One) → Send us a message
For a full overview of contact options, see Contact Customer Service.
Shortcuts to your main tools in Apsis One:
Email tool
Email tool
Email tool is developed to make it easy to create professional email campaigns with straightforward, on-brand design. Templates and Assets serve here as time valuable savers.
SMS tool
SMS tool
SMS is the most direct and personal touchpoint within digital marketing. It is one of the most economical marketing techniques and very powerful as a compliment to emails.
Marketing Automation
Marketing Automation
Marketing Automation tool will make it easy to plan and automate every stage of the customer journey. From lead generation and welcome messages to customer retention, churn prevention and re-engagement campaigns.
Forms & Pages tool
Forms & Pages tool
Forms are special pages designed to collect and update visitor's consent for communications, and provide special downloadable content. You can also create landing pages that provides extra space for your content.
Website tracking
Website tracking
You can feed data into you Audience with web tracking or by integrating our platform with your other systems.
Install the tracking script on your website and it will feed data into your Audience. The script can track for example, website behavior, browsing data, cookies and emails submitted in sign-up bars.
Event tool
Event tool
Event tool helps you to plan and administer events. Invitations, registrations
and attendee list are managed in a simple and automated way.
With Event tool, you also set ground for valuable opportunities
of future marketing activities.