How to Set Up a CRM in WordPress: Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

What Is a WordPress CRM?

A WordPress CRM plugin extends your site to store and manage customer data, track interactions, automate follow-ups, and visualise your sales process — all without leaving the WordPress admin. Unlike SaaS CRMs like HubSpot or Salesforce, a WordPress CRM keeps all data on your own server. No monthly per-seat fees. No third-party data storage. No API rate limits.

DoubleScale is the only WordPress plugin that combines contacts, email marketing, automation, sales pipeline, SMTP, booking, helpdesk, and invoicing in a single free plugin available on WordPress.org.

Requirements

• WordPress 5.8 or higher
• PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.x recommended)
• MySQL 5.7 / MariaDB 10.3 or higher
• 256MB PHP memory limit minimum (512MB recommended)
• HTTPS enabled

Step 1: Install DoubleScale

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
2. Go to Plugins → Add New
3. Search for DoubleScale
4. Click Install Now, then Activate

After activation, DoubleScale creates its database tables and registers background processing queues. A new DoubleScale item appears in the WordPress admin sidebar.

Step 2: Configure SMTP

Before you import contacts or send a single email, configure a reliable SMTP provider. WordPress default mail() uses your server’s sendmail, which has poor deliverability. DoubleScale has a built-in SMTP module that replaces it entirely.

1. Go to DoubleScale → SMTP Settings
2. Click Add New Provider
3. Choose your provider: SendGrid, Amazon SES, Mailgun, Postmark, Brevo, Gmail, Outlook, Zoho, or custom SMTP
4. Enter your API key or SMTP credentials
5. Set a From Name and From Email
6. Click Test Connection
7. Set as Default

Step 3: Import Your Contacts

1. Go to DoubleScale → Contacts → Import
2. Upload your CSV file (required: email; optional: first_name, last_name, phone, custom fields)
3. Map CSV columns to DoubleScale fields
4. Choose an import list to tag contacts
5. Click Import

Every new WordPress user registration also automatically creates a corresponding DoubleScale contact. WooCommerce customers are synced when you enable the WooCommerce integration.

Step 4: Create Your First Email Campaign

1. Go to DoubleScale → Campaigns → New Campaign
2. Select Email as the channel
3. Enter a campaign name and subject line
4. Use the drag-and-drop email builder with text, image, button, divider, social links blocks
5. Use Merge Tags to personalise: {{contact.first_name}}, {{contact.email}}, {{site.name}}
6. Select recipients: a list, tag, or segment
7. Schedule or send immediately

Step 5: Build Your First Automation

Automations are the heart of DoubleScale. A single automation can listen for a trigger, evaluate conditions, and execute multi-channel actions including emails, SMS, WhatsApp, contact updates, tag assignments, and webhooks.

Example: Welcome sequence for new subscribers

1. Go to DoubleScale → Automations → New Automation
2. Set the Trigger to Contact Added to List, select your newsletter list
3. Add Action: Send Email — welcome message
4. Add Wait: 3 days
5. Add Action: Send Email — follow-up with your top resources
6. Add Condition: Has opened any email → Yes: Add to “Engaged Subscribers” / No: Send re-engagement email
7. Click Activate

Step 6: Set Up Your Sales Pipeline

1. Go to DoubleScale → Sales → Pipelines → New Pipeline
2. Add stages: Lead → Qualified → Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Closed Won / Closed Lost
3. To add a deal: open any contact and click Add to Pipeline

Step 7: Connect Your Forms

Free vs Pro

The free plugin is on WordPress.org. Pro plans are available at doublescale.io/pricing.