Ghost platform help — publishing, newsletters, memberships, Stripe subscriptions, themes, Mailgun email delivery, Content API, Admin API, and migration. Use when Ghost newsletters aren't being delivered, Stripe payments aren't syncing with member status, Mailgun setup is failing, theme customization isn't working, migrating from Substack or WordPress, newsletter analytics look wrong, membership tiers aren't gating content correctly, or Ghost API calls are returning errors. Do NOT use for email marketing strategy (use /sales-email-marketing), newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter), or growing your subscriber list (use /sales-audience-growth).
Ghost platform help — publishing, newsletters, memberships, Stripe subscriptions, themes, Mailgun email delivery, Content API, Admin API, and migration. Use when Ghost newsletters aren't being delivered, Stripe payments aren't syncing with member status, Mailgun setup is failing, theme customization isn't working, migrating from Substack or WordPress, newsletter analytics look wrong, membership tiers aren't gating content correctly, or Ghost API calls are returning errors. Do NOT use for email marketing strategy (use /sales-email-marketing), newsletter monetization strategy (use /sales-newsletter), or growing your subscriber list (use /sales-audience-growth).
Connecting Ghost to CRM or other tools via Zapier/API
"This is an integration question — run: /sales-integration {user's question}"
If the question is Ghost-specific, continue to Step 3.
Step 3 — Ghost platform reference
Read references/platform-guide.md for the full platform reference — modules, pricing, integrations, data model, Mailgun setup, Stripe configuration, theme development, migration guides.
Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.
Step 4 — Actionable guidance
You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.
For implementation questions, give step-by-step instructions tailored to their hosting type (Ghost(Pro) vs self-hosted). Reference the API docs in references/ghost-api-reference.md when they need programmatic access.
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from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.
Starter plan has no paid subscriptions — you need Publisher ($29/mo) or higher to accept payments from members. Starter only supports free newsletters.
Mailgun is the only bulk email provider — Ghost does not support SES, SendGrid, or other providers for newsletter sends. Self-hosters on small lists hit the Mailgun free tier limit (100 emails/day). Budget $15-35/mo for Mailgun on top of hosting.
Stripe subscription sync can lag — members who pay in Stripe may show as "free" in Ghost temporarily. Check the webhook connection in Ghost Admin → Integrations → Stripe if member statuses aren't updating.
No digest/weekly newsletter — Ghost sends one email per published post. There's no built-in way to batch multiple posts into a weekly digest. Workaround: manually create a weekly roundup post.
Newsletter analytics are approximate — open tracking relies on pixel loading (blocked by many email clients). Click tracking is more reliable. Don't make decisions based solely on open rates.
Migration breaks embedded content — Twitter/X embeds, custom HTML blocks, and some media may not render correctly in email after migrating from Substack or WordPress. Test email sends before going live.
Theme changes require Handlebars knowledge — Ghost uses Handlebars templating, not a visual drag-and-drop builder. Custom themes need HTML/CSS/Handlebars skills. Use marketplace themes if you don't code.
Self-hosted requires CLI updates — Ghost doesn't auto-update. Run ghost update via the Ghost CLI regularly. Skipping major versions can make upgrades painful.
/sales-integration — Connecting Ghost to CRM and other tools via Zapier, Make, or API
/sales-kit — Kit platform help (alternative newsletter platform)
/sales-mailerlite — MailerLite platform help (alternative newsletter/email platform)
/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: Mailgun delivery issues
User says: "My Ghost newsletter emails aren't being delivered to subscribers"
Skill does: Checks Mailgun configuration in Ghost Admin, verifies domain DNS records (SPF, DKIM, CNAME), checks Mailgun dashboard for bounces/complaints, reviews Ghost(Pro) vs self-hosted differences, troubleshoots common Mailgun free tier limits
Result: User identifies the delivery bottleneck and fixes their Mailgun configuration
Example 2: Setting up paid memberships
User says: "I want to charge $10/month for premium content on my Ghost blog"
Skill does: Confirms plan supports paid subscriptions (Publisher+), walks through Stripe Connect setup, configures membership tiers (free + paid), sets up content gating with the public preview card, creates an offer for founding members
Result: User has a working paid membership with Stripe billing and gated content
Example 3: Migrating from Substack
User says: "I'm moving my newsletter from Substack to Ghost — how do I keep my subscribers?"
Skill does: Walks through Substack export, Ghost import process, Stripe subscription migration (if paid), DNS/domain transfer, URL redirect setup (Substack /p/ → Ghost slug), email template testing
Result: User migrates content, subscribers, and paid members with minimal disruption
Troubleshooting
Stripe payments not reflecting in Ghost
Symptom: Member pays in Stripe but Ghost shows them as "free"
Cause: Stripe webhook not connected or webhook events failing
Solution: Go to Ghost Admin → Settings → Membership → Stripe. Disconnect and reconnect Stripe. Check Stripe Dashboard → Developers → Webhooks for failed events. Ensure the webhook URL matches your Ghost domain.
Newsletter shows 0% open rate
Symptom: Newsletter sent successfully but analytics show zero opens
Cause: Email clients blocking tracking pixels (Apple Mail Privacy Protection, Gmail proxy)
Solution: Open rates are increasingly unreliable. Focus on click rates instead. Check Mailgun dashboard for actual delivery stats. If Mailgun shows delivered but Ghost shows 0%, the tracking pixel may be stripped.
Ghost(Pro) plan limits hit unexpectedly
Symptom: Can't add more members, newsletters, or staff users
Cause: Plan limits enforced — Starter: 1 staff/1 newsletter/1K members, Publisher: 3 staff/3 newsletters
Solution: Upgrade plan in Ghost Admin → Settings → Pro. If approaching member limits, clean up inactive free members or upgrade to Business tier.
