Create mailerlite-classic-to-new-migration.md via n8n

Tech/Sessions/mailerlite-classic-to-new-migration.md

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+---
+project: mailerlite-classic-to-new-migration
+type: session-notes
+status: completed
+path: Tech/Sessions
+tags:
+  - mailerlite
+  - wordpress
+  - migration
+  - sunnies
+created: 2026-04-29
+updated: 2026-04-29
+---
+# MailerLite Classic to New Migration
+
+## Outcome
+
+PBS email infrastructure fully migrated from MailerLite Classic to New
+MailerLite. All active PBS subscribers, forms, automations, and the
+site-wide popup are now running on the New platform. PBS stays within the
+free tier (~120 active subscribers, well under the 500 limit).
+
+Classic remains active as a shared account with Jenny's writer audience,
+which was tabled for a later decision.
+
+## What Changed
+
+- Active PBS subscribers (~120) exported from Classic by group and imported
+into New, group by group, with automations disabled on import to avoid
+retriggering welcome flows.
+- Three freebie forms rebuilt as raw HTML embeds on their respective
+Gutenberg landing pages.
+- Site-wide popup form recreated in New MailerLite.
+- Official MailerLite WordPress plugin reconfigured with the New account
+API key (the "Classic API" field label was misleading legacy wording — same
+plugin works for both platforms).
+- All Classic-side PBS forms and automations deleted to prevent any stale
+embed or cached page from feeding subscribers into the wrong account.
+
+## Key Learnings
+
+- **Account topology was the biggest source of confusion.** Classic was a
+shared team account (Jenny + Travis via company email). The migration
+created a New account that was also shared. Logging in via different emails
+kept showing the same data, which initially looked like duplicate accounts
+but was actually one account with multiple users.
+- **Migration brings ghost subscribers.** The Classic to New migration tool
+pulled 496 pre-2023 inactive subscribers into the New account alongside any
+active ones. These had to be cleaned out before importing the active PBS
+list, otherwise the free tier would have been blown immediately.
+- **Subscriber engagement stats do not migrate.** Per-subscriber open/click
+history, signup dates, and group-level performance stats are lost in any
+CSV-based import. For a small list this is acceptable; baseline group stats
+were noted before the move.
+- **The MailerLite WordPress plugin only injects the universal loader
+script.** It does not manage popup forms, triggers, or display rules —
+those live entirely inside the MailerLite account. This explained why the
+popup couldn't be "turned on" from the plugin UI.
+- **The universal loader script lives in the page head as plugin output.**
+Identifying its source took a view-source hunt. Comments and XPath helped
+narrow it down to plugin-injected output rather than WPCode, theme files,
+or Astra customizer.
+- **Form embed approach is now consistent.** All PBS forms (three freebies
++ popup) use raw HTML embeds rather than plugin shortcodes. This decouples
+form delivery from the plugin and would make a future plugin removal
+painless.
+
+## Decisions
+
+- **Keep the MailerLite plugin for now.** It auto-updates the universal
+loader script if MailerLite changes infrastructure. Deactivation is a
+future option since all forms are raw HTML embeds and don't depend on
+plugin shortcodes.
+- **Writer-side audience stays in Classic.** No action taken on the writer
+subscribers or PPWC2024 group. Future split decision deferred.
+- **Verification approach:** monitor subscriber counts in both Classic and
+New for a week. Classic should stay flat (no leak from stale embeds), New
+should grow as new signups come in.
+
+## Future Work
+
+- **Custom Sunnie-based popup system.** Replace the MailerLite-controlled
+popup with a self-hosted modal driven by a 3D animated Sunnie character.
+Form submission stays MailerLite (raw HTML embed), but trigger logic,
+frequency capping, and visual presentation move into WPCode under PBS
+control. Architectural goal: control the experience locally rather than
+depending on remote configuration that can't be grepped.
+- **3D Sunnie pipeline experiment.** 2D render exists; image-to-3D model
+conversion to be explored on local hardware, followed by Blender rigging
+and animation. Treated as brand investment rather than feature work —
+Sunnie as a recurring on-site presence beyond just the popup.
+
+
+...sent from Jenny & Travis