How Not to Get Stung Migrating to beehiiv

beehiiv’s data model and automations are powerful—but a few differences trip up new tenants. Common pain points: unsub clicks counted as “engagement,” post-migration segments that don’t reflect welcome opens/clicks, and confusion between the single Welcome email vs a multi-step Welcome automation. This brief shows how to set it up right on day one.

Today’s orders: clean your clicker logic (exclude unsub URLs), tag welcome events on-fire (so segments “see” them later), pick one welcome path (email or automation—avoid double-sends), and audit your import (status, consent time, tags).

Settings → Sending Domain Audience → Imports Automations → Welcome Series Audience → Segments

Symptoms We’re Seeing

“Clickers” segment includes people who unsubscribed Welcome email + Welcome automation both sending (double touch) Can’t segment on Welcome opens/clicks after the fact Imported unsubs show as active or vice versa

Primary Diagnosis

Unsub Clicks Polluting Engagement & Event Blind Spots

Most ESPs log an unsubscribe click as both an unsub and a “click” event. If you build “clickers” as “clicked any link in last X days,” your reactivation/monetization lanes will scoop in quitters and inflate CTR. Separately, welcome-series opens/clicks are easiest to target later if you stamp tags at the moment they happen (inside the automation), not if you try to reconstruct them post-hoc with generic “clicked” filters.

Exclude unsub/opt-down URLs from any “clicker” segment. (Filter: URL does not contain unsubscribe, optout, your List-Unsubscribe host, or preference-center path.)
Tag on-fire in Welcome: add “Add tag” actions for opened_welcome_1, clicked_welcome_any, etc.—then segment by tags later.
Pick one welcome path: either the single “Welcome email” or a multi-step “Welcome automation.” Running both = double sends.

Automations → Add Tag Settings → Unsubscribe Page Audience → Segments (URL filters)

Secondary Factors

Import files without explicit status, opt-in timestamp, or source create ambiguity later. Also, mailbox security scanners may “click” unsub links—another reason to exclude those URLs from engagement logic and to keep an eye on referrers when auditing spikes.

          Risk gauge: [■■■■■□□□] migration risk ~60% until clickers are cleaned & welcome is tagged
        

Treatment Plan (Deploy This Week)

1) Import Audit

Include columns: email, status (subscribed/unsubscribed), opt_in_time, source, tags.
Import unsubscribed contacts into beehiiv as unsubscribed so they never receive mail.
Spot-check a handful post-import (search by email) to verify status and tags.

2) Clean “Clickers” Logic

Build Human Clickers = “Clicked any link in last 30 days” AND URL does not contain unsubscribe, optout, your preference-center path, or your List-Unsubscribe host. Keep a separate Unsub Clicks segment for monitoring.

3) Tag the Welcome

In the Welcome automation, add “Add tag” actions on open/click goals (e.g., opened_w1, clicked_w_any). Future segments target these tags directly.

4) Choose One Welcome Path

If you enable a multi-email Welcome automation, disable the single “Welcome email” so new subs don’t get doubled. Send yourself test signups to confirm.

5) Post-Segmentation Recipes

Engaged Newcomers (Day 1–10): tag contains clicked_w_any OR clicked any link; exclude unsub URLs.
Didn’t Open Welcome: not tag opened_w1 AND no opens in last 10 days → send a lighter nudge.
Post-Welcome Buyers: tag clicked_offer_welcome OR visited pricing page → route to monetization lane.

Vitals (First 30 Days on beehiiv)

        “Unsub Clicks” excluded = 100% • Double-send rate = 0% • Welcome tag coverage ≥ 95% • CTR trend up on Human Clickers
      

Observed Outcome

“Excluding unsub URLs from ‘clickers’ cut that segment by 12%—but revenue per 1,000 readers rose. Tagging welcome events made post-launch segments instantly reliable.”
— Growth Lead, 140K-sub publisher (migrated from ESP X)

Grab the Migration Playbook (free)

Import template • tag map • segment recipes • welcome flow

Steal the exact checklist we use on client migrations.

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How Not to Get Stung Migrating to beehiiv

Unsub Clicks Polluting Engagement & Event Blind Spots

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