InboxReads Platform Help
Step 1 — Gather context
If references/learnings.md exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.
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What are you trying to do?
- A) Pick the right InboxReads plan (Free / Lite / Basic / Team)
- B) Discover newsletters to cross-promote with or sponsor
- C) List your newsletter and set up a Live Media Kit
- D) Use the Opportunities Board to find sponsors or cross-promo partners
- E) Compare InboxReads to Lettergrowth, SparkLoop, Paved, or Reletter
- F) Buy or sell a newsletter via the acquisition marketplace
- G) Move InboxReads data into a CRM or pipeline despite no API -
Are you the publisher or the advertiser/sponsor? (Most InboxReads features serve publishers, but the directory and sponsor research tools also work for advertisers.)
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What's your subscriber count and niche? (Drives messaging templates, partner-size targets, and ad price suggestions.)
Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.
Step 2 — Route or answer directly
| If the question is about... | Route to... |
|---|---|
| Newsletter monetization strategy across all platforms | /sales-newsletter [question] |
| Newsletter audience growth strategy across all platforms | /sales-audience-growth [question] |
| Lettergrowth specifically (free cross-promo directory) | /sales-lettergrowth [question] |
| Collab Match (Web3/tech niche cross-promo) | /sales-collabmatch [question] |
| SparkLoop paid/free recommendations | /sales-sparkloop [question] |
| Paved (managed sponsorship marketplace) | /sales-paved [question] |
| Hecto (self-serve sponsorship marketplace) | /sales-hecto [question] |
| Sponsy (sponsorship CRM and ops) | /sales-sponsy [question] |
| Reletter (7M+ newsletter search engine with API) | /sales-reletter [question] |
| Sponsor This Newsletter (530-newsletter curated database) | /sales-sponsorthis [question] |
| Open Rates (sponsor prospecting database) | /sales-openrates [question] |
If the question is InboxReads-specific, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — InboxReads platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — modules, plan-gated limits, cross-promotion workflow, Opportunities Board, Live Media Kits, comparison with alternatives, and CRM-without-API patterns.
Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
Focus on the user's specific situation:
- First-time user under 2K subs: Start on Free to validate the directory has partners in your niche. Upgrade to Lite ($8/mo) only when you hit the 10 messages/100 searches/1 alert ceiling.
- Active swapper / 2K-10K subs: Basic ($33/mo) unlocks unlimited messages and searches — usually pays for itself in 1-2 successful swap partnerships per month.
- Multi-person newsletter team: Team plan ($58/mo) is the only tier with seats and shared collections. Below 5 people, Basic with shared logins is usually cheaper unless you need exports/alerts at unlimited.
- Sponsor side (advertiser): Use directory + Opportunities Board. Pro analytics (open/click rates) matter more here than messaging — pick the plan that unlocks the metrics you need to vet inventory.
- No-API workflows: Use CSV exports (Basic+) → pipe into your CRM or outreach tool manually. Pair InboxReads research with your usual outbound sequence in Mailshake/Lemlist/Smartlead.
If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in references/learnings.md, append it there.
Gotchas
> Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.
- No API, no webhooks, no Zapier/Make/MCP: Every feature is UI-only. Exports (CSV, Basic+) are the only way to move data out of InboxReads. Don't plan a programmatic pipeline.
- Lite plan caps are tight: 10 messages/month, 100 searches/month, 1 collection, 1 email alert. Power users blow through this in a week. Jump to Basic if you'll do real volume.
- Pro analytics aren't always current: Subscriber counts and open rates come from creator-submitted or scraped data and can lag reality. Verify before committing a swap or sponsorship.
- Opportunities Board overlaps with Paved/Hecto/Passionfroot: If you're already paying for a marketplace, layering InboxReads adds duplicate inbound work without proportional reach. Pick a primary marketplace and use InboxReads as a discovery layer.
- Cross-promotion 1-click swap doesn't replace tracking: The swap setup is fast, but InboxReads doesn't add UTM parameters automatically — append
?utm_source=inboxreads&utm_medium=crosspromo&utm_campaign={partner}yourself or you lose attribution. - Newsletter for sale marketplace requires due diligence: Listings are creator-claimed metrics. Always request screenshot proof of subscriber count, open rate, and revenue before transacting.
- Tools directory is reviews + comparisons, not affiliate-free: The Tools section is a major content surface. Treat it as a curated catalog, not unbiased reviews — InboxReads may have business relationships with listed tools.
Related skills
/sales-newsletter— Newsletter monetization strategy (paid subs, sponsorships, ad networks across all platforms)/sales-audience-growth— Newsletter audience growth strategy (cross-promotion, referrals, lead magnets across all platforms)/sales-lettergrowth— Lettergrowth platform help (free cross-promotion directory, 1,300+ newsletters)/sales-collabmatch— Collab Match platform help (niche cross-promotion directory, 200+ newsletters, Web3/tech)/sales-sparkloop— SparkLoop platform help (paid and free recommendations, referral programs)/sales-paved— Paved platform help (managed newsletter sponsorship marketplace, Ad Network, Booker)/sales-hecto— Hecto platform help (self-serve newsletter advertising marketplace, transparent pricing)/sales-sponsy— Sponsy platform help (sponsorship CRM, ad inventory, sponsor portals, reporting)/sales-reletter— Reletter platform help (7M+ newsletter search engine with API and MCP)/sales-sponsorthis— Sponsor This Newsletter (530 newsletters, ad pricing, cross-promo/affiliate flags, one-time)/sales-openrates— Open Rates sponsor prospecting database (10,000+ active sponsors)/sales-passionfroot— Passionfroot creator marketing platform (Zest AI, storefronts, FrootWallet)/sales-refind— Refind CPA-based newsletter ad network/sales-megahit— Megahit subscriber enrichment (find decision-makers in your list)/sales-do— Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install:npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do
Examples
Example 1: Picking the right InboxReads plan
User says: "I have a 3,500-sub finance newsletter. Should I get Lite or Basic on InboxReads?"
Skill does: Notes Lite ($8/mo) caps at 10 messages and 100 searches per month — likely too tight for active outreach to finance partners. Recommends Basic ($33/mo) for unlimited messages/searches plus exports, especially since finance is competitive and discovery needs are higher. Suggests starting on Lite for one month to validate partner density before upgrading.
Result: User starts on Lite, hits caps within two weeks, upgrades to Basic with confidence the inventory exists.
Example 2: Comparing InboxReads to Lettergrowth and SparkLoop
User says: "I'm already on Lettergrowth and SparkLoop Free Recs. Is InboxReads worth adding?"
Skill does: Explains the overlap (all three solve cross-promotion discovery) and the differentiation: InboxReads has a sponsorship marketplace (Opportunities Board) and Media Kits that the other two don't, but charges $8-58/mo where Lettergrowth is free. Recommends keeping the free layer (Lettergrowth + SparkLoop Free Recs) and only paying for InboxReads if the Opportunities Board or Live Media Kit unlocks a specific workflow (sponsor pitches, brand discovery).
Result: User holds off, adds InboxReads later when starting active sponsor outreach.
Example 3: Moving InboxReads data to a CRM without an API
User says: "How do I pipe InboxReads contacts into HubSpot for sponsor outreach?"
Skill does: Confirms InboxReads has no API/webhooks/Zapier. Walks through the Basic+ CSV export path: filter the directory by niche/size, export 5 contacts/month (Team = unlimited), map columns to HubSpot fields (newsletter name → company, contact email → email, subscriber count → custom property), then run outreach via a regular tool like Mailshake or Smartlead. Warns that many directory entries don't expose a contact email — run those rows through an email finder (Hunter, Anymail Finder) before the HubSpot import. Notes the manual nature and recommends batching exports.
Result: User has a manual but workable InboxReads → HubSpot → outbound pipeline.
Troubleshooting
Lite plan caps blocking outreach
Symptom: Hit the 10-message or 100-search limit mid-week
Cause: Lite is sized for casual exploration, not active campaigns
Solution: Upgrade to Basic ($33/mo) for unlimited messages/searches. If usage is bursty (one campaign per quarter), schedule outreach within a single Lite cycle and prep all messages in batch before sending.
Opportunities Board returning irrelevant matches
Symptom: Sponsorship/cross-promo suggestions don't fit your niche or size
Cause: Board surfaces broad matches by default; filters need tuning
Solution: Tighten filters by category, subscriber range, and ad price band. Also publish a Live Media Kit so creators see your real metrics before pitching — increases match quality. Cross-check niche fit on the partner's recent issues before accepting.
Cross-promotion drove signups but they don't engage
Symptom: 1-click swap delivered subscribers, but 30-day open rate is well below organic
Cause: Partner audience mismatch, or your value prop didn't land in their format
Solution: Tag swap-sourced subs with utm_source=inboxreads&utm_campaign={partner} in your ESP. Sunset non-openers after 30 days. Tighten partner criteria to 0.5x-2x your size in adjacent (not identical) niches, and ask for the partner's open rate before next swap.
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