diff --git a/edge/components/signup.edge b/edge/components/signup.edge
index 2c72a76..8f32656 100644
--- a/edge/components/signup.edge
+++ b/edge/components/signup.edge
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 	@if(prompt === true)
 		<p class="prompt content-font">want to recieve backspin in your inbox?</p>
 	@end
-	<form class="newsletter">
-		<input name="newsletter" type="email" placeholder="{{ emailPlaceholder || 'cool@person.com' }}" class="purdy" required>
-		<input name="newsletter" type="submit" value="{{ submitText || 'sign up' }}" accesskey="s" class="purdy">
+	<form class="newsletter" action="/signup" method="POST">
+		<input name="email" type="email" placeholder="{{ emailPlaceholder || 'cool@person.com' }}" class="purdy" required>
+		<input name="submit" type="submit" value="{{ submitText || 'sign up' }}" accesskey="s" class="purdy">
 	</form>
 </section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 9183c6a..8b34c88 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -7,24 +7,24 @@
   "scripts": {
     "check": "tsc --noEmit --erasableSyntaxOnly --allowImportingTsExtensions",
     "start": "node --env-file-if-exists=.env ./src/index.ts | pino-pretty",
-    "dev": "npm run check && portless backspin npm run start",
+    "dev": "npm run check && npm run start",
     "update": "npx npm-check-updates -u",
     "portless:config": "portless proxy start --https"
   },
   "author": "Tierney Cyren <hello@bnb.im>",
   "license": "MIT",
   "dependencies": {
+    "@fastify/formbody": "^8.0.2",
     "@fastify/view": "^11.1.1",
     "edge-markdown": "^1.10.0",
     "edge.js": "^6.5.0",
     "fastify": "^5.8.4",
-    "luxon": "^3.7.2"
+    "luxon": "^3.7.2",
+    "pino-pretty": "^13.1.3"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "@types/luxon": "^3.7.1",
     "@types/node": "^25.5.0",
-    "pino-pretty": "^13.1.3",
-    "portless": "^0.7.2",
     "typescript": "^6.0.2"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 2bde7df..3cdbcc2 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -4,12 +4,19 @@ import { Edge } from 'edge.js'
 import { edgeMarkdown } from 'edge-markdown'
 import { readdir, readFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { resolve, join } from 'node:path'
+import { fastifyFormbody } from '@fastify/formbody'
+
+const port = Number(process.env.PORT);
+const hostname = String(process.env.HOST);
 
 // fastify configuration 
 const server = fastify(
 	{ logger: true }
 )
 
+//set up our form parsing
+server.register(fastifyFormbody)
+
 // set up parent of the `src` directory for us to use in different imports
 const parentOfSrcDirectory = resolve(import.meta.dirname, '..')
 
@@ -101,13 +108,15 @@ server.get('/health', async (request, reply) => {
 	return { status: 'ok' }
 })
 
+server.post('/signup', async (request: any, reply: any) => {
+	const { email } = request.body;
+	reply.send({ email });
+})
+
 // run the server
 const start = async () => {
-	const port = Number(process.env.PORT);
-	const host = String(process.env.HOST);
-
 	try {
-		await server.listen({ port, host });
+		await server.listen({ port, host: hostname });
 	} catch (err) {
 		server.log.error(err)
 		process.exit(1)