Watch the walkthrough
This 2-minute narrated guide uses annotated screenshots from the Beehiiv editor. It shows a draft and explains how publishing choices work.
Choose one reader problem, share something useful and give readers one clear next step.
Before you begin
Sign in to Beehiiv and select the publication you want to use. You need a newsletter idea and, if you intend to send an email, an audience that has agreed to receive it.
Decide whether the issue is for email, the web, or both. A website visitor does not become a subscriber simply by visiting; they must sign up through your subscription process.
1. Start a blank post
In the left sidebar, click the arrow beside New, then choose Blank draft post. The post editor opens on Compose.
If you already started a post, open Newsletter, find your draft and choose Edit post instead.
2. Write the issue
On Compose, click the large title area and type a headline. Click the subtitle and add a short explanation of what the reader will get.
Click the body and add your message. A practical first issue can contain a short welcome, one useful tip and one clear next step. Select a text element to see its formatting settings in the right-hand panel. When ready, choose Next.
3. Choose your audience
On Audience, choose Email and web, Email only, or Web only. Email options can send to the selected email audience when you publish or schedule; Web only makes a web post without sending it as an email.
Check the subscriber group shown under Email audience and select only the audience you intend to contact. You can review the settings again before publishing. Click Next. Your available steps depend on the destination you chose.
4. Review email details
If sending by email, open the Email step. Check the subject line and preview text under Sending details. They may initially match the title and subtitle; edit them to suit the inbox.
A subject line is required for an email post. Once you are happy with the details, click Next.
5. Check web settings
For a post with a web version, review the Web step. Check the post URL, especially the editable ending, and optionally upload or choose a thumbnail. Continue to Review when ready.
6. Preview the issue
Click Preview at the top right. Choose Email or Web and inspect the Desktop and Mobile views. Check the subject, copy, links and layout, then close the preview.
To send an optional test email, use the arrow beside Preview and follow Beehiiv’s test-email options. Choose a recipient you control and check the result in their inbox.
7. Review and choose a time
On Review, check the destination, audience and title. Return to the relevant tab if anything needs changing. Click Schedule to open the time choices.
Choose Pick a specific time to schedule for later, or Publish now to publish immediately. Check the date, time, destination and audience before using the final Schedule or Publish now button. If you selected an email audience, the final action can send the issue to those subscribers.
8. Check the result
Once published, open the web post if you selected a web destination. If you sent an email, check your own inbox where appropriate and review the post status in Beehiiv.
If publishing is blocked, check that a valid audience is selected and the email subject is filled in. Beehiiv can show an error when required information is missing.
Next: invite readers
A useful issue is only the start. Explain what your newsletter offers, invite people to sign up, and make sure the messages you send match what they agreed to receive.
For an existing website, follow our Beehiiv signup form walkthrough to invite readers to subscribe. A first post and a signup form solve different parts of the process.
Sources and disclosure
Our screenshots show a real Beehiiv draft; the final publish or send was not performed in the demonstration. Additional instructions come from Beehiiv's post creation guide and review and publishing guide. Your account may look different.
Our Beehiiv overview contains an affiliate link; we may earn a commission if you use it. The help links on this page are not affiliate links. Read our disclosure.