Advancement Marketing Cloud
Previewing and testing an email
Always preview and test an email before sending.
Either click next to preview or preview and test to get to the preview screen.
Select a record to preview and make sure it shows correctly. Click the folder icon to bring up the list of data extensions. Navigate or search the data extensions on the left then select one. On the right will be a list of users in the data extension. Click on one to highlight it then click select to preview the email.
At this point, you can double check links by clicking them. This is particularly helpful when links are created dynamically, like they are in alumni community emails.
Send a test message by clicking on the envelope with the test tube.
Emails can be tested two ways:
Send an email to up to five email addresses. In this case, everyone will see exactly what is shown in the preview. For each email address, enter it in the box provided and press enter.
Send an email to a test data extension. Any personalization will show as the person receiving the test email, and not what is shown in the preview.
Click on "TestData Extensions" then click the folder icon to open the list of data extensions. Navigate to the data extension on the left or search. Then on the right, click on the data extension to use to highlight it. Click select.
Only data extensions set to be used for testing will appear on the list.
Select the sender profile (if a new one is needed, contact Advancement IT) and “Blank Header Footer” for the Delivery Profile. Leave the default subject prefix of [Test]: and hit Send Test.
You will see a pop-up confirming the number of recipients. This is where you can double check that it is not being sent to a large group of people. If the number looks correct, click Confirm and Send.
Testing emails with custom/dynamic content
If an email contains dynamic content, like the weekly alumni community emails, then a data extension with the proper field values needs to be used for the preview. To send drafts for the weekly alumni community test emails, use the data extension for the appropriate community found under:
Data Extensions > Alumni Communities > Internal Test
These include the data needed for the custom code (called AMPScript) in the community emails.