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Features & How-Tos

How to Use Email Gate

Collect email addresses from your audience before delivering your link. Build an email list you own.

TL;DR:Email Gate collects the person's email address before sending them your link. It's a Pro and Growth plan feature in Step 3 of the automation builder. Some people won't complete the extra step, but you build an email list you own. Collected emails show up in your Contacts page and can be exported as a CSV file.

What Is Email Gate?

Email Gate adds a step before your final DM. Instead of sending the link right away, CreatorFlow first asks the person for their email address. Once they reply with their email, the link is sent.

Which Plans Include Email Gate?

Free plan ($0)

No Email Gate.

Pro plan ($15/month)

Email Gate included.

Growth plan ($30/month)

Email Gate included.

How Does It Work?

Trade-off: some people won't complete the extra step. But you build an email list you own.

1

Someone triggers your automation

A comment, story reply, or DM keyword activates the flow.

2

CreatorFlow sends a DM asking for their email

The person receives a message requesting their email address.

3

The person replies with their email address

They type their email directly in the DM conversation.

4

CreatorFlow saves the email to your Contacts

The email is stored and linked to their Instagram handle.

5

CreatorFlow sends the final DM with your link

The promised content is delivered after the email is collected.

Where Do Collected Emails Appear?

Every email collected through Email Gate appears on your Contacts page.

The page shows: Total Contacts, With Email, Active Today. Each contact shows their Instagram handle, email address, source ("Email Gate"), and last interaction date.

How to Export Contacts

CreatorFlow does not have native integrations with email platforms. CSV export is the bridge.

Email Gate is mutually exclusive with Follow Gate and Opening DM. Pick one pre-DM option or skip all three.

1

Go to the Contacts page

Open the Contacts section from your CreatorFlow dashboard.

2

Click "Export to CSV"

The button is in the top right corner of the page.

3

Import the CSV into any email marketing platform

Use the exported file with Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Beehiiv, or any tool that accepts CSV imports.

Good to know

Still need help? The fastest way to get help is the in-app chat — bottom-right corner inside the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Email Gate work with story reply automations?+

Yes. Email Gate works with all automation types: comment-triggered, story reply, and keyword DM reply. The email collection step is inserted before the final DM regardless of the trigger source.

How does the person share their email address?+

They type their email address directly in the DM conversation. CreatorFlow saves it to your Contacts page, linked to their Instagram handle, and then sends the final DM with your link.

Can I use Email Gate and Follow Gate on the same automation?+

No. Email Gate, Follow Gate, and Opening DM are mutually exclusive. You can only enable one pre-DM option per automation, or skip all three.

What happens if I downgrade from Pro to the Free plan with Email Gate active?+

Automations using Email Gate are paused when you downgrade to the Free plan. Your collected contacts and emails are preserved. Upgrade back to Pro or Growth to reactivate those automations.

Last updated: 23 July 2026

Last updated: 23 July 2026

CreatorFlow ships changes often, so details on this page can fall behind the product. If anything here does not match what you see in the app, the in-app chat is the source of truth — open it from the bottom-right corner inside CreatorFlow.

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