08FAQFAQ
Seven questions teams ask before they connect. They cover Mailchimp's Analytics AI, using both connectors, agencies, other AI tools, Data Studio users, the Mailchimp API as well as inbox access. Then three fixes for numbers that look off, empty answers and reconnecting.
Is this the same as Mailchimp's Analytics AI?
No. Analytics AI is Mailchimp's own chat inside Mailchimp, for Admins and Owners on paid Mailchimp accounts (Mailchimp's Analytics AI help). Porter puts your Mailchimp data in Claude instead, next to Shopify and your other sources, so one question can cover email and the store.
Can I use Porter and the Intuit connector together?
Yes, as long as you add both in Claude. Ask Porter which campaigns and subject lines performed, then ask Intuit's connector to draft the next campaign from that brief. Porter is a custom connector, so on Claude Free it takes your one custom connector slot. The Why Porter section above shows where each one fits.
Can I connect several accounts, like an agency?
Yes. Each Mailchimp account is one Porter account with all its audiences, so Claude can query or compare accounts together, with the account as a column. Agencies get one table across every client, while recommendations stay per account, because one client's audience rarely behaves like another's.
Does it work in ChatGPT and Claude Code?
Yes. The Mailchimp connector works in ChatGPT and Claude Code with the same Porter account, so you don't reconnect Mailchimp. Here's how to connect Mailchimp to ChatGPT, while the Claude tutorial in the setup section covers Claude Code.
I already send Mailchimp to Looker Studio with Porter. Do I need to reconnect for Claude?
No. One connected Mailchimp account feeds every Porter destination at no extra cost, including Claude. The same connection serves the Mailchimp connector for Data Studio (formerly Looker Studio), Mailchimp to BigQuery and import Mailchimp into Google Sheets. You only add Porter's MCP URL to Claude, then ask.
Is there a Mailchimp API?
Yes. The Mailchimp Marketing API, version 3.0, covers audiences, campaigns, reports and automations (Mailchimp Marketing API docs). Porter uses it behind the scenes, so you don't write API calls, look up your data center or manage an API key.
Can I connect my inbox to Claude instead?
Your inbox is a different connection. Porter gives Claude your campaign and audience data rather than the emails in your inbox. Claude connects to Gmail separately, and you can use both in one chat: ask Porter about last month's campaigns, then ask Gmail what subscribers replied.
Troubleshooting
Why don't Claude's numbers match Mailchimp?
Read rates as fractions (0.32 means 32%) and pick campaigns by send date, and Claude's Mailchimp numbers through Porter should line up. Campaign numbers are lifetime totals for campaigns sent in your date range, while audience fields show today's values. Open rates include Apple Mail machine opens, so they can top 100%. Bounce, unsubscribe and industry fields cover regular campaigns.
Why does Claude return no rows?
Ask by Automation type rather than Automation name when you add a metric, and ask about daily audience activity and campaign metrics in separate questions. Those two pairings are what return no Mailchimp rows in Claude. A/B fields read 0 on campaigns that weren't A/B tests, so use them on your A/B campaigns.
Why does Claude ask me to reconnect?
Reconnect Mailchimp in Porter with a user who still has access, then ask Claude again. Claude asks for this when Porter can no longer read your Mailchimp account: the sign-in may not have finished, you may have revoked Porter in Mailchimp, or the user who connected was removed from the account.