UniFi Captive Portal Setup Guide: Email Capture with CaptiFi

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• A Ubiquiti UniFi network with at least one access point
• Access to your UniFi controller (UDM, UDM-Pro, Cloud Gateway, Cloud Key, or self-hosted Network Server)
• A CaptiFi account - start your free 30-day trial here

Step 1: Create Your CaptiFi Account

Sign up for a CaptiFi account at captifi.io/trial. The 30-day free trial includes all features - email capture, Google review automation, email marketing, analytics, and integrations. No credit card required to start.

Once logged in, navigate to Settings → Sites and add your venue. CaptiFi will generate a unique captive portal URL for your site.

Step 2: Design Your Splash Page

In your CaptiFi dashboard, go to Splash Pages and use the drag-and-drop builder to create your branded WiFi login page. Add your logo, colours, welcome message, and choose your login method:

• Email login: Guest enters their email (and optionally name/phone) to connect
• Social login: Guest signs in with Google or Facebook
• Click-through: Guest clicks "Connect" with no data capture (not recommended)

Most venues use email login for maximum data capture. The splash page automatically includes GDPR-compliant consent checkboxes.

Step 3: Configure Your UniFi Controller

This is the core step. In your UniFi controller:

1. Go to Settings → WiFi
2. Select your guest WiFi network (or create one)
3. Under Guest Portal, enable the guest portal
4. Set the portal type to External Portal
5. Enter the CaptiFi portal URL from your dashboard (it looks like https://portal.captifi.io/your-site-id)
6. Save and apply

The configuration is identical whether you use UDM, UDM-Pro, Cloud Gateway, Cloud Key, or a self-hosted UniFi Network Server. The only difference is the UI layout - the settings are in the same location on all controllers.

Step 4: Test the Connection

Connect to your guest WiFi network from a phone or laptop. You should see your branded CaptiFi splash page appear. Enter a test email address and verify:

• The splash page loads with your branding
• Email capture works and the guest appears in your CaptiFi dashboard
• Internet access is granted after login
• The welcome email (if configured) is received

Step 5: Enable Automations

With the captive portal working, enable the marketing automations that make WiFi data valuable:

• Google Review Automation: In CaptiFi dashboard → Reviews, connect your Google Business Profile and enable automated review requests. CaptiFi sends a review request 4 hours after each guest connection.
• Welcome Email: Configure an automatic welcome email sent immediately after WiFi login. Include a thank-you message, a link to your menu or booking page, and a discount code for their next visit.
• Email Marketing: Set up automated email campaigns for new guests, returning guests, and lapsed visitors.
• Mailchimp Sync: If you use Mailchimp, enable the native integration to automatically sync new guest emails to your Mailchimp audience.

Troubleshooting

Splash page does not appear

Check that the guest portal is enabled on the correct SSID and the external portal URL is entered correctly. Make sure there are no firewall rules blocking outbound HTTPS from your guest VLAN to the CaptiFi portal domain.

Guests are redirected but see a certificate error

This typically happens when the UniFi controller tries to intercept HTTPS traffic. Ensure you are using the HTTP redirect method (not HTTPS interception) in your UniFi guest portal settings.

Guests connect but email is not captured

Verify that your splash page has an email login field enabled (not click-through mode). Check the CaptiFi dashboard → Guests to see if connections are being logged.

CaptiFi is a guest WiFi marketing platform for venues, restaurants, hotels, cafés, retail spaces and short-term rentals. It turns branded WiFi logins into first-party customer data, automated Google review requests, repeat visitor insights and email marketing lists.