diff --git a/packages/backend/src/common/constants/env.constants.ts b/packages/backend/src/common/constants/env.constants.ts
index 315c1492..033ae292 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/common/constants/env.constants.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/common/constants/env.constants.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ export const IS_DEV = isDev(_nodeEnv);
 const db = IS_DEV ? "dev_calendar" : "prod_calendar";
 
 const _error = ">> TODO: set this value in .env <<";
+const _optional = "";
 
 export const ENV = {
   BASEURL: process.env["BASEURL"] as string,
@@ -17,9 +18,9 @@ export const ENV = {
   CLIENT_ID: process.env["CLIENT_ID"] || _error,
   CLIENT_SECRET: process.env["CLIENT_SECRET"] || _error,
   DB: db,
-  EMAILER_KEY: process.env["EMAILER_API_KEY"] || _error,
-  EMAILER_SECRET: process.env["EMAILER_API_SECRET"] || _error,
-  EMAILER_LIST_ID: process.env["EMAILER_LIST_ID"] || _error,
+  EMAILER_KEY: process.env["EMAILER_API_KEY"] || _optional,
+  EMAILER_SECRET: process.env["EMAILER_API_SECRET"] || _optional,
+  EMAILER_LIST_ID: process.env["EMAILER_LIST_ID"] || _optional,
   MONGO_URI: process.env["MONGO_URI"] || _error,
   NODE_ENV: _nodeEnv,
   ORIGINS_ALLOWED: process.env["CORS"] ? process.env["CORS"].split(",") : [],
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/common/constants/error.constants.ts b/packages/backend/src/common/constants/error.constants.ts
index a7a1c466..e04c7260 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/common/constants/error.constants.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/common/constants/error.constants.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ export const DbError = {
 };
 
 export const EmailerError = {
+  IncorrectApiKey: {
+    description:
+      "Incorrect API key. Please make sure environment variables beginning with EMAILER_ are set correctly",
+    status: Status.BAD_REQUEST,
+    isOperational: true,
+  },
   AddToListFailed: {
     description: "Failed to add email to list",
     status: Status.UNSURE,
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/user/services/email.service.ts b/packages/backend/src/user/services/email.service.ts
index fe395f04..8e0031e5 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/user/services/email.service.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/user/services/email.service.ts
@@ -8,16 +8,41 @@ const logger = Logger("app:emailer.service");
 
 class EmailService {
   addToEmailList = async (email: string, firstName: string) => {
+    if (!ENV.EMAILER_LIST_ID && !ENV.EMAILER_SECRET) {
+      logger.warn(
+        "Email service is disabled. Required environment variables are missing."
+      );
+      return;
+    }
+
     const url = `https://api.convertkit.com/v3/tags/${ENV.EMAILER_LIST_ID}/subscribe?api_secret=${ENV.EMAILER_SECRET}&email=${email}&first_name=${firstName}`;
 
-    const response = await axios.post(url);
+    try {
+      const response = await axios.post(url);
 
-    if (response.status !== 200) {
-      throw error(EmailerError.AddToListFailed, "Failed to add email to list");
-      logger.error(response.data);
-    }
+      if (response.status !== 200) {
+        throw error(
+          EmailerError.AddToListFailed,
+          "Failed to add email to list"
+        );
+        logger.error(response.data);
+      }
 
-    return response;
+      return response;
+    } catch (e) {
+      if (
+        axios.isAxiosError(e) &&
+        // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access
+        e?.response?.data?.message === "API Key not valid"
+      ) {
+        throw error(
+          EmailerError.IncorrectApiKey,
+          "Incorrect API key. Please make sure environment variables beginning with EMAILER_ are set correctly or set to an empty string."
+        );
+      }
+
+      throw e;
+    }
   };
 }