Test your campaigns

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How to Test Your Campaigns

Testing your campaigns before sending them out to your list is a critical step in your email marketing process. Utilizing various methods ensures that links are working properly, personalization tags are rendering correctly, and that the correct conditional content is displayed. It also allows you to confirm that your campaign appears as intended across different email clients and devices.

In this article, you'll learn about the methods available to test your email campaigns and ensure a successful send.

How to Access This Feature

You can access testing options for your campaigns directly from the Campaign Settings page or the Campaign Summary page. Depending on the type of designer you are using (Classic Designer or Email Designer), the pathways to send test emails or view previews may differ slightly.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Sending a Test Version of Your Campaign

Sending a test version of your campaign allows you to see how the email will look in a specific recipient’s email client and is a great way to conduct a quick review of your content. Here's how to do it:

From the Campaign Settings Page

1. **Classic Designer**: Click the Gear icon located above the right sidebar to open the settings modal.

  **Email Designer**: You can use either the Gear icon or the Test Email icon.

2. Enter the email address you wish to send a test to in the Test Your Campaign field. 3. Click Send Test.

From the Campaign Summary Page

1. Click the Test and preview button. 2. In the modal window, type the email address you want to send a test to in the Send Test Email field. 3. Click Send.

Desktop Preview

The Desktop Preview feature allows you to quickly assess how your email will look on both desktop and mobile devices.

Accessing Desktop Preview

- **In the Campaign Settings Page**:

 1. **Classic Designer**: Click the Gear icon to access settings and select the Desktop Preview button.
 2. **Email Designer**: Click the Preview icon located above the right sidebar.
 

- **In the Campaign Summary Page**:

 1. Click the Test and preview button.
 2. Click the Desktop Preview button.

This view is essential to ensure that your email design effectively translates between desktop and mobile; however, it should not be your only design test as rendering can vary between devices.

Email Client Preview

Email Client Preview (also known as Inbox Preview) allows you to see how your email will appear across various email clients, including Gmail, Yahoo, Apple Mail, and Outlook.

How to Access Email Client Preview

1. From the Campaign Summary page, hover over your campaign design and click the Edit design button. 2. Click the Test Email icon located above the right sidebar. 3. In the modal window, click the View compatibility button.

This feature helps to ensure your campaign will render correctly across different platforms.

Sending Your Campaign to a Test List

Creating a copy of your campaign and sending it to a list of test contacts provides valuable insights into how the email will perform across distinct email clients. Here's how to send a campaign to a test list:

1. Navigate to the Campaigns Overview page. 2. Click the down caret for the campaign you wish to copy then select Duplicate. 3. The copy appears at the top of the Campaigns overview page; click the Continue button for that campaign. 4. On the Campaign Summary page, select the test list you wish to send the campaign to (ensure no other list is checked). 5. Click Send Now.

This method allows the testing of personalization tags, conditional content, and captures all actions taken within the campaign.

Configuration Options and Settings

When testing your campaigns, be aware of these important considerations:

- Your sending domain must be verified to send test emails. - During the free trial period, test emails can only be sent to the trial user's email address. - You can send a test email to up to 5 different email addresses at a time. - Ensure that the recipient email address is distinct from the From email address to mitigate deliverability issues, especially if they share the same domain. - The "From" email address needs to be verified for non-owned accounts created after July 29, 2020.

Best Practices and Tips

- Always use multiple testing methods for comprehensive evaluation to account for different email clients. - Utilize both Desktop Preview and Email Client Preview to visualize how your email appears before sending it out. - Ensure your test list includes diverse email accounts (e.g., work email, personal Gmail) to see how different clients render your campaign. - Consider whitelisting ActiveCampaign's IP ranges to improve deliverability.

Troubleshooting

- If you do not receive a test email, check if the 'From' address and 'To' address are not the same to prevent it from being marked as spam. - If personalization tags or conditional content do not render, remember that these do not appear in the test emails. - Confirm that your sending domain is verified if you experience any issues sending test emails.

FAQ

Q1: How many test emails can I send?

A: You can send a test email to up to 5 different addresses at one time.

Q2: Do I need to verify my sending domain?

A: Yes, you must verify your sending domain to send test emails.

Q3: Can I receive replies to test emails?

A: Yes, replies can be received at the "From" email address used for the test.

Q4: What if I don’t see conditional content in my test email?

A: Conditional content does not appear in test emails; only the final email sent to your contact will display it.

Q5: How do I fix deliverability issues with my test emails?

A: Ensure the 'From' and 'To' email addresses do not share the same domain, and consider whitelisting our IP ranges.

Q6: Can I see how my email looks on mobile?

A: Yes, you can use the Desktop Preview feature to see your email on both desktop and mobile devices.

Q7: How can I test email clicks and opens?

A: To test actions like clicks and opens, send your campaign to a test list where these actions will be captured and reported.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to effectively test your campaigns using ActiveCampaign's various testing features. Make use of these strategies to ensure your campaigns are ready for your audience. ```