Why send a test campaign
You've previewed the message, the layout looks right, and you've used this template before. All of that is a good sign, but it doesn't guarantee the email will look correct when it arrives in your recipients' inboxes. Email clients update constantly and without warning. A test campaign costs you nothing extra and takes only a few minutes.
Prerequisites
- You have a test segment set up in your account, a small group of internal email addresses that covers at least Gmail, Outlook, and one mobile device.
- Your campaign is ready to send but not yet confirmed.
What to look for in your test
Links
Links are easy to break during editing, a URL gets accidentally deleted, a placeholder stays in place, a form link points to the wrong landing page. Click every link in your test email. Check buttons, image links, and especially the unsubscribe link.
Images
Check your message both with images loaded and with images blocked. Many email clients block images by default, so your message needs to communicate clearly even when contacts only see alt text and plain text.
Rendering across devices
Open your test email on a desktop email client, a webmail interface, and a mobile device. Pay particular attention to the clients your contacts actually use, your campaign reports show this data under Email clients.
Dynamic content
If your message uses dynamic content to show different sections to different segments, test with a contact profile that matches each condition. Dynamic content issues are invisible in the message preview but immediately obvious once the campaign is sent.
Personalisation placeholders
Send the test to at least one contact with a complete profile and one with incomplete data. You want to see both what happens when fields are populated and what the fallback looks like when they're empty.
Inbox placement
After sending your test, check whether it landed in the inbox or in spam for your test recipients. If it went to spam, run the Message Check tool on your message before sending to the full list. Message Check gives you a spam score and flags the most common issues.
Setting up a test list
Create a segment containing a small number of internal email addresses, ideally colleagues who use different email clients and devices. Save this segment and select it every time you create a test campaign.
Support tip Include at least one Gmail address, one Outlook address, and one mobile device in your test list. These three cover the majority of email clients your contacts are likely using.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the test because you've used the template before. Email client behaviour changes with updates, not just with new templates. Test every time.
- Only checking on one device or client. A layout that looks perfect in Outlook can break completely in Gmail on mobile. Cover at least three environments.
- Not clicking every link. The most common issue caught in test campaigns is a broken or incorrect link. It takes two minutes to click them all.
- Testing with only complete contact profiles. You need to see what happens when personalisation fields are empty. Use at least one test contact with incomplete data.
- Sending the test but not actually checking the result. A test campaign that nobody reads is not a test.
Next steps
- Create your test segment in Contacts > Segments if you don't have one yet. Add at least three internal addresses covering different clients.
- After your test looks good, proceed to step 4 in the campaign flow to choose your sending option.
- If the test email landed in spam, run the Message Check tool on your message before sending to the full list.