Create, Update & Get MailerLite Subscriber with n8n

Automating subscriber management saves time and ensures your email list stays accurate. In this tutorial you’ll learn how to use n8n’s MailerLite node to create a new subscriber, update that subscriber’s custom fields, and then retrieve the updated record — all in one simple workflow.

Why automate MailerLite with n8n?

MailerLite is a popular email marketing platform. Combined with n8n — a low-code workflow automation tool — you can build reliable automations to sync contacts, enrich subscriber data, and trigger follow-ups. This workflow demonstrates a basic but common pattern: create -> update -> get. It’s ideal for onboarding flows, CRM enrichment, and data synchronization.

What you’ll build

A manual trigger to start the flow.
A MailerLite node to create a subscriber with email and name.
A MailerLite node to update the subscriber’s custom field (e.g., city).
A MailerLite node to retrieve the subscriber and confirm the updates.

Workflow overview

The workflow uses three MailerLite nodes connected in sequence. The nodes are configured as follows:

Node 1 (MailerLite): operation = create (subscriber). Inputs: email, name.
Node 2 (MailerLite1): operation = update (subscriber). Uses subscriberId from Node 1 to update a custom field (city).
Node 3 (MailerLite2): operation = get (subscriber). Uses the same subscriberId to fetch the updated subscriber record.

Template JSON (n8n)

Below is the n8n workflow JSON used in the screenshot and template. Import this into n8n to replicate the flow quickly.

{
  "id": "96",
  "name": "Create, update and get a subscriber using the MailerLite node",
  "nodes": [
    { "name": "On clicking 'execute'", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.manualTrigger", "position": [310,300], "parameters": {} },
    { "name": "MailerLite", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.mailerLite", "position": [510,300], "parameters": { "email": "harshil@n8n.io", "additionalFields": { "name": "Harshil" } }, "credentials": { "mailerLiteApi": "mailerlite" } },
    { "name": "MailerLite1", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.mailerLite", "position": [710,300], "parameters": { "operation": "update", "subscriberId": "={{$node[\"MailerLite\"].json[\"email\"]}}", "updateFields": { "customFieldsUi": { "customFieldsValues": [ { "value": "Berlin", "fieldId": "city" } ] } } }, "credentials": { "mailerLiteApi": "mailerlite" } },
    { "name": "MailerLite2", "type": "n8n-nodes-base.mailerLite", "position": [910,300], "parameters": { "operation": "get", "subscriberId": "={{$node[\"MailerLite\"].json[\"email\"]}}" }, "credentials": { "mailerLiteApi": "mailerlite" } }
  ],
  "connections": {
    "MailerLite": { "main": [ [ { "node": "MailerLite1", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] },
    "MailerLite1": { "main": [ [ { "node": "MailerLite2", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] },
    "On clicking 'execute'": { "main": [ [ { "node": "MailerLite", "type": "main", "index": 0 } ] ] }
  }
}

Step-by-step setup

1. Add the trigger

Use a Manual Trigger during development so you can test the workflow directly in the n8n editor. Later, you can swap this with a webhook, schedule, or another event source.

2. Create the subscriber

Add a MailerLite node and choose the create subscriber operation. Set the email and additionalFields.name (or other fields) so MailerLite creates a new contact. Example values used in the template are harshil@n8n.io for email and Harshil for name.

3. Update the subscriber

Add a second MailerLite node and set the operation to update. For the subscriberId, reference the email returned by the create node using an expression: {{$node["MailerLite"].json["email"]}}. Then configure updateFields.customFieldsUi.customFieldsValues to include the custom field you want to modify — in the example, the city field is set to Berlin.

4. Get the subscriber

Add a third MailerLite node and set the operation to get. Use the same expression for subscriberId so you retrieve the updated subscriber record. Inspect the node output to confirm the custom field was applied.

Key tips and best practices

Use email as the subscriberId when appropriate: MailerLite accepts the email value as an identifier for many operations. Using the email simplifies lookups and avoids keeping track of different IDs in simple flows.
Handle already-existing subscribers: If the create operation may run for an email that already exists, consider using MailerLite’s upsert behavior (if available) or add a preliminary search/get call to check existence first.
Validate custom field IDs: Custom fields in MailerLite use field IDs (or keys). Confirm the fieldId (or key) matches what’s configured in your MailerLite account — example used city.
Add error handling: Add a Catch node (or use the Execute Workflow on Error pattern) to handle API errors and retries. This is essential for production workflows.
Rate limits & retries: Respect MailerLite rate limits. Use the n8n HTTP Request node or the built-in node’s settings to implement exponential backoff if you expect large volumes.

Testing the workflow

Import the template JSON into n8n or recreate the nodes manually.
Connect your MailerLite credentials in n8n (API key) in the node credential section.
Click the manual trigger and execute the workflow.
Open the output of the final MailerLite node to confirm the updated subscriber data, including the custom field.

Common troubleshooting

1. Subscriber not found on update/get

Confirm the value used for subscriberId is exactly the email returned by the create node. Check for extra whitespace, or use trim() in an expression if needed: ={{$node["MailerLite"].json["email"].trim()}}.

2. Custom field not applied

Verify the fieldId or key matches the MailerLite custom field identifier. Open your MailerLite account settings to locate the correct ID or key.

3. Authentication errors

Ensure the MailerLite API key is valid and has the required permissions. Re-add the credentials in n8n and test a simple GET request to confirm connectivity.

Wrap-up

This pattern — create, update, get — is common across many integrations. With n8n’s MailerLite node you can quickly build reliable subscriber workflows for onboarding, segmentation, and CRM syncs. Once you’ve mastered this simple flow, expand it by adding conditional logic, error handling, and integrations with other systems like Google Sheets, CRMs, or analytics tools.

Try it now: Import the template into your n8n instance, connect your MailerLite credentials, and run the workflow. Need help customizing the flow for your use case? Contact us or leave a comment below — we’re happy to help.

Call-to-action: Ready to automate your email list? Import the workflow, connect MailerLite, and run it. If you liked this guide, subscribe for more n8n automation tutorials.

View template →