Connecting FluentCRM
Connect your FluentCRM installation to StorytellerOS. Manage your email list, send campaigns, and track subscriber engagement all from one place.
What is FluentCRM?
FluentCRM is an email marketing platform that runs on your WordPress website. Unlike services like Mailchimp or ConvertKit, you own and control all your subscriber data.
Benefits of FluentCRM:
- You own your data — Subscribers are in your database
- Lower costs — No monthly fees per subscriber
- Full control — Your rules, your automations
- Privacy first — Data stays on your server
Note
StorytellerOS does not include email sending. You need your own FluentCRM installation on a WordPress site. If you do not have one, you will need to set it up first.
Before You Start
You need:
- A WordPress website — With hosting that supports email
- FluentCRM installed — The plugin must be active
- FluentCRM Pro (recommended) — For full API access
- API credentials — Generated in FluentCRM settings
Getting Your API Credentials
- Log into your WordPress admin
- Go to FluentCRM → Settings → REST API
- Click Create API Key
- Give it a name like "StorytellerOS"
- Set permissions to Read/Write
- Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret
Keep Secrets Safe
Your API credentials give full access to your email list. Never share them publicly or commit them to version control.
Connecting to StorytellerOS
- Go to Settings → Integrations
- Find FluentCRM in the list
- Click Connect
- Enter your details:
- Site URL — Your WordPress site (https://yoursite.com)
- Consumer Key — From FluentCRM
- Consumer Secret — From FluentCRM
- Click Test Connection
- If successful, click Save
Tip
The test connection verifies your credentials work. If it fails, double-check your site URL (make sure it includes https://) and that your API key has read/write permissions.
What Gets Synced
Once connected, StorytellerOS can access:
- Contacts — View and search subscribers
- Lists — Your email lists
- Tags — All tags in FluentCRM
- Campaigns — Create and view email campaigns
- Activity — Opens, clicks, unsubscribes
Note
StorytellerOS reads from and writes to FluentCRM in real-time. Changes you make appear immediately in both systems.
Privacy and Permissions
StorytellerOS follows the BYOK principle:
- Your FluentCRM data stays on your server
- StorytellerOS does not store your subscriber data
- API calls go directly to your WordPress site
- You can revoke access anytime by deleting the API key
Available Features
View Contacts
See all your subscribers, search by email or name, filter by tags and lists. Click any contact to see their full profile.
Manage Tags and Lists
Create new tags and lists, add contacts to them, and use them to segment your audience for campaigns.
Create Campaigns
Write email campaigns in StorytellerOS and send them through FluentCRM. Preview, test, schedule, and track results.
View Activity
See who opened your emails, clicked links, unsubscribed, or bounced. Understand how your audience engages.
Troubleshooting
Connection Failed
- Check URL format — Include https:// and no trailing slash
- Verify API keys — Re-copy from FluentCRM, no extra spaces
- Check permissions — API key needs Read/Write access
- SSL certificate — Your site needs a valid HTTPS certificate
Contacts Not Showing
- Give it time — Large lists may take a moment to load
- Check filters — Make sure you are not filtering them out
- Refresh — Try refreshing the page
Campaigns Not Sending
- Check FluentCRM — The campaign may be queued there
- Email sending setup — FluentCRM needs an SMTP or sending service configured
- Cron jobs — WordPress cron needs to be working
Disconnecting
To disconnect FluentCRM:
- Go to Settings → Integrations → FluentCRM
- Click Disconnect
- Confirm the action
This removes the connection from StorytellerOS. Your FluentCRM data is unchanged—only the link is removed. You can reconnect anytime.
Your Data, Your Control
With FluentCRM, you always own your subscriber list. Unlike hosted email services, no one can shut down your account or hold your data hostage.
Best Practices
- Use a dedicated API key — Create one just for StorytellerOS
- Back up your WordPress site — Your email list is valuable
- Monitor deliverability — Check FluentCRM's email reports
- Keep FluentCRM updated — Install updates for security and features
- Test regularly — Send test emails to make sure everything works