How to Build a Sales Funnel with Systeme.io (Free, Step by Step)

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You can build a complete sales funnel with systeme.io for free: an opt-in page that collects emails, a sales page, an order form that takes payment, and an email that goes out automatically. This tutorial shows how to build a sales funnel with systeme.io step by step, using only the free plan, which systeme.io says never expires and doesn't need a credit card.

By the end you'll have a working funnel for a digital product such as an ebook, a template pack or a mini-course. Every menu name and limit below comes from systeme.io's own pricing page and help center, linked at the end.

What a sales funnel is (in one minute)

A sales funnel is a series of pages that takes a stranger from "just looking" to "bought". systeme.io describes it as a sequence of pages that guides a visitor from their first contact with your business to a purchase.

A simple, proven funnel looks like this:

Opt-in page: offers something free (a checklist, a sample chapter) in exchange for an email.
Thank-you or sales page: delivers the freebie and presents your paid offer.
Order form: takes the payment.
Thank-you page: confirms the order and gives access.
Follow-up emails: remind and help people who didn't buy yet.

What you get on the systeme.io free plan

Here's what systeme.io's pricing page lists for the free plan (checked October 2026; plans can change, so confirm on the pricing page before you rely on a limit):

Feature	Free plan
Contacts	Up to 2,000
Sales funnels	3
Emails sent	Unlimited
Automation rules	1
Email campaigns	1
Courses	1 (up to 500 students)
Blog	1
Custom domain	1
Transaction fees	0% from systeme.io
Credit card to sign up	Not required

The paid plans start with Startup at $17/month (5,000 contacts, 10 funnels), per the same page. For a first funnel, free is enough. If you want the bigger picture before you start, read our full systeme.io review.

Note: "0% transaction fees" means systeme.io doesn't take a cut. Your payment processor (Stripe or PayPal) still charges its own fees.

Step 1: Create your free systeme.io account

Go to systeme.io and sign up with your email. Once you're in the dashboard, take two minutes to fill in your profile and sender details, because these appear on your emails.

Step 2: Create the funnel

In systeme.io's help center, the path is: open the Sites tab, click Sales funnels, then click Create. In the popup, give the funnel a name, pick your domain, and choose your currency.

You'll then choose one of four funnel types:

Build an Audience: an opt-in page plus a thank-you page. Best for growing an email list.
Sell: an order form plus a thank-you page. Best for selling directly.
Custom: a blank canvas where you add any steps you want.
Run an evergreen webinar: only on the Webinar and Unlimited plans.

For this tutorial, pick Build an Audience. You'll add the sales steps yourself, which teaches you how the pieces connect. You can add any page later with + Add step.

Step 3: Build an opt-in page that converts

Open the opt-in step, choose a template, and click to edit. Keep the page short:

Headline: the result the freebie gives, not its file type. "Plan a week of meals in 15 minutes" beats "Free PDF".
3 bullet points: what's inside.
One form: email (and first name if you want to personalize emails).
One button: "Send me the checklist".

Writing tip: draft five headline options with ChatGPT, then pick the clearest. Our guide on how to write ChatGPT prompts shows how to brief it properly.

Then set the button's behavior. systeme.io's help article on linking funnel pages says: on the opt-in form button, set Action when button clicked to Submit form, and the redirection to To the next step.

Step 4: Add the sales page and order form

Click + Add step and add a sales page (any page type works) right after the opt-in. This page delivers the freebie link at the top, then introduces your paid product: the problem, what's inside, who it's for, the price, and a button.

Now add the checkout. According to systeme.io's help center:

Click Add step in the funnel menu and choose Order form from the Type dropdown.
Pick a template and save.
Scroll to Choose offer type and select Digital product.
Click the + icon to create the product, name it, then click + again to set the price plan.

You can choose a one-time payment, a subscription (with an optional trial), or a payment plan with a fixed number of payments. For a first product, a one-time payment is simplest.

Finally, link the two pages. On the sales page button, set Action when button clicked to Open URL and paste the order form's URL. systeme.io then sends buyers to the next steps (upsell, downsell or thank-you page) automatically after payment.

Step 5: Connect a payment processor

No processor, no sales. systeme.io's help center explains the Stripe route: click your profile picture, go to Settings, then Payment gateways, and click Connect next to Stripe. You'll log in to Stripe (or create an account), verify your details, and authorize access. PayPal connects from the same Payment gateways menu.

One detail from the help article: for Stripe to work correctly, the Email and First Name fields must be on your payment pages.

Tip: run a test purchase yourself before you share the funnel, then refund it. It's the fastest way to catch a broken link.

Step 6: Deliver the product and send an automatic email

You have three ways to deliver a digital product, according to systeme.io's ebook guide:

Email attachment (the attachment limit is 5 MB).
Download link in an email (better for deliverability; host the file on Google Drive, Dropbox or similar).
Download link on the thank-you page.

For the freebie, an automatic email is the professional touch. Open your opt-in step, go to the Automation Rules tab, click Add rule, choose the trigger Funnel step form subscribed, add the action Send email, write the email, and click Save rule.

Remember the free plan includes 1 automation rule. Use it for the freebie email, and deliver the paid product with a download link on the order's thank-you page, which needs no rule.

Step 7: Test, publish and drive traffic

Before sharing your funnel:

Open each page on your phone. Most visitors will be on mobile.
Sign up with a second email to confirm the automatic email arrives (check spam).
Make a test purchase and check the thank-you page link works.

Then put the opt-in link everywhere your audience already is: your YouTube descriptions, Instagram or TikTok bio, a pinned post, and the end of your blog posts. A funnel with no traffic is just a nice website.

Common mistakes to avoid

Too many fields on the opt-in form. Email (plus maybe first name) is enough.
A vague freebie. Promise one specific result.
Skipping the test purchase. Payment and redirect errors are invisible until a real customer hits them.
Never emailing your list. Emails are unlimited even on the free plan, so send helpful emails regularly, not only sales pitches.

FAQ

Is systeme.io really free?

Yes. According to its pricing page, the free plan supports up to 2,000 contacts and 3 sales funnels, includes unlimited emails, never expires, and doesn't require a credit card. Paid plans add more contacts, funnels and automation.

Can I sell digital products on the free plan?

Yes. You can add an order form, choose "Digital product" as the offer type, set a price plan, and connect Stripe or PayPal. systeme.io charges no transaction fee, though your payment processor charges its own.

Do I need my own domain?

No. You can publish on a systeme.io address to start. The free plan also allows 1 custom domain if you want a branded URL later.

How many automation rules does the free plan include?

The pricing page lists 1 automation rule and 1 email campaign on the free plan. Use the rule for your most important automatic email, such as delivering your freebie.

What should my first funnel sell?

Something small and specific that solves one problem: a template pack, a short guide, a checklist bundle or a mini-course. You can make many of these with AI tools, as shown in our guide to digital products with ChatGPT and Canva.

Conclusion

A free systeme.io funnel needs six things: a funnel, an opt-in page, a sales page, an order form with a price plan, a connected payment processor, and one automatic email. Build it in that order, test it on your phone, then send traffic to it every day.

Ready to build yours? Create your free systeme.io account and follow the steps above. For short, practical AI and online-business tutorials, subscribe to AI Money Pilot on YouTube.