Podia

Moving your newsletter from Podia to Buttondown can help you take advantage of Buttondown's minimalist approach, markdown support, and pricing model that doesn't charge fees on paid subscriptions. This guide will walk you through the entire migration process to ensure a smooth transition.

First, you need to export your subscriber list from Podia:

1. Log in to your Podia account
2. Navigate to the Audience dropdown menu and select Everyone
3. Check the select all checkbox (if you want to export your entire audience)
   • Note: If you only want to export specific subscribers, apply filters before selecting
4. Click on Actions and select Export
5. In the popup box, click Export people
6. You'll receive a CSV file via email containing your subscriber information

Before importing your data, you need to properly set up your Buttondown account:

1. Sign up at buttondown.com if you haven't already
2. Confirm your Buttondown account through the verification email
3. Configure your newsletter details:
   • Add your newsletter name
   • Set up your author information
   • Write a compelling newsletter description
4. Customize your newsletter's appearance:
   • Adjust the CSS settings
   • Set up your color palette and branding
   • Upload your logo if you have one

Now that you have your subscriber list from Podia and your Buttondown account is set up, you can import your subscribers:

1. Navigate to the Subscribers tab in your Buttondown dashboard
2. Click the Import button in the top toolbar
3. Drag and drop your CSV file from Podia into the import window
4. Buttondown will attempt to automatically match the columns from your CSV file
5. If it can't recognize certain columns, you'll be prompted to manually map them
6. Confirm the import and wait for Buttondown to process your subscriber list
   • Note: For large subscriber lists, this might take some time

Learn more about importing your data in Buttondown.

Unlike migrations from platforms like Substack, Buttondown doesn't have a direct import path for Podia newsletters. You'll need to manually recreate your templates and newsletter archives:

1. Review your existing templates in Podia
2. Create similar templates in Buttondown using their editor
3. Save these as templates for future use

1. For each important newsletter you want to preserve:
   • Open the newsletter in Podia
   • Copy the content
   • Create a new draft in Buttondown
   • Paste and format the content appropriately
   • Use Buttondown's Archive feature to add it to your archives without sending

Learn more about sending your first email in Buttondown.

If you're using a custom domain for your newsletter, you'll want to set this up in Buttondown:

1. Navigate to the Settings section of your Buttondown dashboard
2. Under Custom Domains, enter your domain information
3. Follow Buttondown's instructions to update your DNS records
4. Verify the domain to activate it for your newsletter

Note: This feature requires a paid plan.

Learn more about hosting on a custom domain in Buttondown.

If you offer paid newsletters, you'll need to connect your Stripe account:

1. Navigate to the Settings section in Buttondown
2. Scroll to the Features section
3. Click Connect to Stripe
4. Follow the prompts to connect your existing Stripe account
   • Important: Use the same email login as your Podia account for Stripe to maintain subscriber payment information

Learn more about paid subscriptions in Buttondown.

It's important to communicate with your subscribers about the platform change:

1. Prepare a final newsletter in Podia announcing the move to Buttondown
2. Explain any changes subscribers might notice (such as different email design)
3. Reassure subscribers, especially paid ones, that their subscription status will remain the same
4. Send a welcome email from Buttondown after migration to confirm the successful transition

Once you've confirmed everything is working properly in Buttondown:

1. Make sure all subscribers have been successfully migrated
2. Verify all important newsletter archives are available
3. Test that paid subscriptions are working correctly
4. If everything is satisfactory, you can cancel your Podia account or downgrade your plan

If your import doesn't work correctly, try formatting your CSV file to ensure it has clear headers and that all special characters are properly encoded. If problems persist, contact Buttondown support.

Buttondown has limited automation capabilities compared to Podia. You'll need to manually recreate your welcome email sequence, which is the primary automation Buttondown offers. Learn more about welcome sequences.

When properly configured with the same Stripe account, your paid subscribers will continue their subscriptions without interruption. They won't need to re-enter payment information.

No. As long as your subscribers already consented to receive your newsletter from Podia, they don't need to reconfirm when you move to Buttondown.

Migrating from Podia to Buttondown requires some manual work, particularly for recreating your newsletter archives, but the process is straightforward for subscriber data. The minimalist approach, markdown support, and favorable pricing model make Buttondown an attractive option for writers and newsletter creators looking for a more streamlined experience.

For additional help with your migration, you can contact Buttondown's support team. Unlike larger platforms, you'll likely communicate directly with the founder, who provides personalized assistance with migrations and other questions.