Mailchimp Tags Sync Explained (Chimpmatic + Contact Form 7)
Generate Mailchimp audience tags dynamically from Contact Form 7 submissions in WordPress—then choose whether to replace tags or add tags with one toggle.
What this post covers
- What the Chimpmatic Tags screen does
- How CF7 mail-tags become Mailchimp Tags
- What Sync Tags means (replace vs add)
- Best practices for WooCommerce/WordPress sites (without creating tag chaos)
- Real examples you can copy
What are Mailchimp Tags?
Mailchimp Tags are labels you apply to contacts inside your Mailchimp Audience. They’re commonly used for segmentation and targeting—like labeling contacts by interest, source, preference, or consent. Tags are not the same thing as merge tags (merge tags are placeholders used in email content personalization).
How Chimpmatic turns CF7 submissions into Mailchimp tags
In Contact Form 7, each field can expose a mail-tag (example: [country] or [interests]). When a visitor submits the form, those mail-tags resolve into real values (whatever the visitor selected or typed).
Chimpmatic’s Tags screen lists the available mail-tags for your form (examples you might see):
- [country] (select)
- [contact-method] (radio)
- [interests] (checkbox)
- [referral-source] (select)
- [GDPR] (checkbox)
- Plus text/number fields like [first-name], [phone-number], [your-age], etc.
You can add these mail-tags to your Chimpmatic settings so that when a visitor chooses options on the front end, Chimpmatic sends those chosen values to Mailchimp as Tags.
The “Arbitrary Tags” field (static tags you always apply)
The Arbitrary Tags input is for tags you want applied on every submission—useful for consistent source tracking and lifecycle labeling.
Examples:
source:cf7, form:lalito, lifecycle:lead
You can also mix static text with mail-tags (dynamic values):
source:cf7, form:lalito, country:[country], ref:[referral-source]
That gives you predictable tags (like source:cf7) plus dynamic tags that match what the visitor selected.
Sync Tags toggle: Replace tags vs Add tags
This is the most important setting on the page.
Sync Tags = ON (replace)
Tags sent replace existing tags (for the tag set Chimpmatic is sending). This is ideal when tags represent a current state that can change over time.
- Interests can change
- Preferred contact method can change
- Consent can change (depending on your workflow)
Sync Tags = OFF (add)
Tags are added (appended). Chimpmatic won’t remove older tags. This is ideal when tags represent an event or milestone you want to keep forever.
- Requested a quote
- Downloaded a lead magnet
- Attended a webinar
- Purchased a product (WooCommerce)
Best practices: what should become a Mailchimp tag?
Tags work best for a limited set of repeatable values—things you’ll actually segment or automate on.
Recommended fields to tag
- Select fields (SEL): country, referral source
- Radio fields (RAD): contact method
- Checkbox fields (CHK): interests, consent
Avoid tagging personal data
Even though the UI lists mail-tags like [first-name] and [phone-number], turning personal data into tags usually creates clutter and (depending on your policies) can be a privacy risk. Names/phone/address are typically better stored as Mailchimp fields rather than tags.
Copy/paste examples for WordPress + CF7
Example 1: Lead form segmentation (recommended)
Goal: Tag leads by interests + source so you can send targeted follow-ups.
Arbitrary Tags:
source:cf7, form:contact, lifecycle:lead
Dynamic tags to include: [interests], [referral-source], [contact-method]
Sync Tags: ON (preferences may change)
Example 2: Quote request event tag (append-only)
Goal: Mark that a contact requested a quote (keep forever).
Arbitrary Tags:
source:cf7, form:quote, event:quote-request
Dynamic tags: optional [referral-source]
Sync Tags: OFF (event tags should not be removed)
Example 3: GDPR/consent tagging
Goal: Label contacts who checked your consent box.
Arbitrary Tags:
source:cf7, form:signup
Dynamic tags: [GDPR]
Sync Tags: ON (if you want the latest consent status reflected)
WooCommerce note: tags for customers (if applicable)
If you also tag WooCommerce buyers (orders, products, categories), those tags usually behave like events—meaning Sync Tags OFF is often the safer default so you don’t accidentally remove “purchased” history when preferences change later.
FAQ
Can Chimpmatic generate Mailchimp tags from Contact Form 7 fields?
Yes. Chimpmatic exposes your form’s CF7 mail-tags so you can include them in the Tags settings. When a visitor submits the form, those mail-tags resolve into real values and can be sent to Mailchimp as tags.
What does “Sync Tags” mean?
ON: tags sent replace the existing tags (for the generated set). OFF: tags are added (appended) and nothing is removed.
Which CF7 fields make the best tags?
Select, radio, and checkbox fields are best (country, referral source, interests, contact preference, consent). Free-text personal fields (name/phone/address) should usually not become tags.
How should I name tags so they stay organized?
Use consistent prefixes like source:, form:, interest:, pref:, event:. This prevents collisions and keeps your segments readable.
Next step
Open your Chimpmatic form integration, go to Tags, add a few static tags in Arbitrary Tags, then include only the dynamic CF7 mail-tags that have controlled values (interests/source/preference/consent). Decide whether you want Sync Tags ON (replace) or OFF (add) based on whether those tags represent preferences or events.