Answer
The Lead Capture feature lets you collect email addresses and instantly deliver a free resource, like a PDF guide, checklist, or action plan, to every new subscriber. Here is how to set up a lead magnet form from start to finish.
Step 1: Create a new form
- Go to Dashboard > Content Engine > Lead Capture.
- Click New Form.
- Choose a form type:
- Pop-up: appears automatically after a set delay (in seconds) or when a visitor has scrolled a certain percentage of the page. - Inline block: always visible on the page, no trigger needed. - Exit-intent: appears the moment a visitor moves to leave the page.
Step 2: Choose your delivery method
Under Delivery method, pick how you want to deliver your lead magnet:
- Upload a PDF: upload a file directly. Visitors receive a "Download now" button in the delivery email and on the thank-you screen after submitting.
- External link: paste a URL instead, for example a link to an online magazine, a video, or a resource page hosted elsewhere. When you choose this option, the button text automatically becomes "View now" everywhere it appears, since there is nothing to download. No extra setup needed, the system handles this for you.
Give your lead magnet a clear asset label so both you and your subscriber know exactly what they are receiving, for example "Free 5-Step Content Plan".
Leaving the delivery method empty and skipping the file or URL turns the form into a standard newsletter sign-up without a download. That works perfectly too.
Step 3: Write your form copy
Fill in all four copy fields:
- Headline: focus on the value the visitor will get.
- Description: a short, convincing sentence or two.
- Button text: action-oriented, for example "Send me the guide".
- Thank-you message: what the visitor sees immediately after submitting.
Step 4: Add optional form fields
The Form fields section lets you collect a little more from each new lead. All three options are independent and entirely optional.
Phone field Toggle this on to add a phone number input to your form. The phone field is always optional for the visitor to fill in and can never be made required. This is intentional: under GDPR, you may only require data that is strictly necessary to deliver what you promised, and a phone number never qualifies.
Qualification question Add one open text question of your own choosing, for example "What is your biggest challenge right now?" Whatever the visitor types is saved directly to their contact record as a custom field, so you can read their answer when reviewing new leads in Contacts. This is a great way to learn about your audience without any extra manual work.
Newsletter opt-in Add an extra checkbox to your form for visitors who want to hear more from you. A few things to know:
- The checkbox is never pre-checked. Visitors must actively tick it themselves, keeping you fully GDPR-compliant.
- You write your own label text for the checkbox.
- You pick a separate target list for it, different from the main list the form is already connected to. Anyone who ticks the box is added to that newsletter list in addition to wherever else they end up.
When choosing a target list here (or when linking the main connected list in a later step), you can create a brand new list directly inside the dropdown without leaving the form editor.
Step 5: Add a Call-to-Action (required)
A CTA is required to publish your form. It appears as a button in the delivery email and guides your new subscriber to a logical next step, such as booking a free call, exploring a service, or visiting a page on your site.
Without a CTA you can save the form as a draft, but it cannot go live.
Step 6: Connect a list and nurture sequence (optional)
- Link an email list to automatically add each new subscriber. You can create a new list directly in the dropdown if you have not made one yet.
- Link a nurture sequence to start a follow-up email series after sign-up. If you use double opt-in, the sequence waits for confirmation before starting. Note: each nurture sequence can be connected to one form at a time.
Step 7: Customize the delivery email (optional)
You can edit the subject line and body text of the delivery email. If you leave these fields blank, the system uses clean default text. Either way, the download or view button and your CTA are always included automatically.
Step 8: Go live
Toggle the Active switch to publish your form. Back on the Lead Capture overview page, you can track the number of submissions per form at a glance.
Step 9: Show the lead magnet on a page (via the lead magnet block)
With your form live, the next step is placing it on an actual page so visitors can find and use it.
- Go to My Website > Pages and open the page where you want to display the lead magnet.
- Click + Add block and select the lead magnet block, or click an existing lead magnet block already on the page.
- Click the block to open its settings on the right. Under Form, select the form you just created.
- Save the page.
Critical warning: an unlinked lead magnet block is invisible on your live site.
As long as no form is linked to the lead magnet block, the entire block does NOT appear to real visitors, even though it looks fine in the page preview. Always link a form before considering the block live. To help you catch this early, the page editor shows a clear warning inside the block with a direct shortcut to Lead Capture whenever no form is linked yet.
How PDF delivery works
Every subscriber receives the PDF download link immediately after submitting the form, regardless of double opt-in settings. Double opt-in only holds the nurture email sequence until the subscriber confirms. This way you stay compliant with GDPR while delivering value right away. The same applies to external link delivery: the link is shared immediately after submitting.
Tips
- Name your asset label clearly: something like "Free 5-Step Content Plan" sets expectations and increases perceived value.
- Write your newsletter checkbox label in positive terms: tell visitors exactly what they will receive going forward, for example "Receive new insights every two weeks" or "Get weekly tips on growing your audience." Positive framing converts far better than a privacy disclaimer like "We will not spam you."
- Use the qualification question to start a conversation: an answer like "My biggest challenge is finding time to create content" tells you far more than a list tag ever could. Use it to personalize your follow-up.
- Match your CTA to the lead magnet topic: if someone downloads a guide on pricing, a CTA to book a strategy call is a natural next step.
- Use exit-intent for high-traffic pages: it captures visitors who are about to leave without disrupting the reading experience.
- Check your submission count regularly: a low count on a live form can signal that the trigger timing or headline needs a tweak.
- Always link your form before publishing the page: the lead magnet block only becomes visible to visitors once a form is connected to it.