There are just a few simple steps to use the Mustang List signup API.

1. To protect your list from miscreants, you will need to enter a password. This password, in combination with your unique list id, will ensure that the subscription form is presented only to properly formed requests. To enter a password, click Account Administration, then Manage Lists and select your list (if you have more than one) and enter an API password.

2. Once you've entered and saved the API password, the API/Form page now provides you with two options. In both cases the key-value pairs of listid and apipass are populated for you automatically, and should not be changed. These values are used together to ensure that your list is protected and that signups are handled properly for your list.

3. The first choice is a simple link that uses the Mustang List signup page on the Mustang List site. The page displays the name of the list, and accepts the user's email address and other fields as they may choose to provide. To use the link, just copy the text and use it on a page of your website. You may alter the link text if you prefer, but the actual "href=" cannot be changed. This option does not allow you to customize the fields displayed on the signup form.

4. The second choice allows you to create a custom signup page on your website, preserving the look and feel of your site. Potential subscribers will not have to leave your site to sign up. To implement this functionality, just copy the HTML form code and paste it into a page on your website. You can remove fields that are unnecessary, the only required field is the email address. There are four hidden fields, two that must not be altered and two that can be altered. As before, the hidden fields listid and apipass must not be altered. The hidden fields that can be changed are response_success_url and response_failure_url. These fields, respectively, contain the page to be displayed when the signup is successful and when it is not. These hidden fields must contain a fully qualified url, like this: http://www.mysite.com/signup-success-page.html. If your site is built using a scripting language that can interrogate return codes, you could enter the same page name in both fields and handle both responses in the same page.

You're now ready to handle subscription signups. When you are reviewing list activity reporting, be aware that signups processed in either of these ways will be recorded as "api add" activities.