# Sending a campaign

Make a campaign, write it, test it, pick who gets it, send it now or later, and read the results. Templates too.

Source: https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/campaigns/

**Add-on**
Lookout Send is an add-on, so not every website has it. If it is not in
your menu, see [Add-ons](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/billing/add-ons/) to add it.

This page walks you through one campaign, from the first word to the results.
You need a list with people on it first. See
[Getting started with Lookout Send](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/overview/#before-your-first-campaign).

## 1. Make the campaign

1. Click the **Campaigns** tab, then **New campaign**.
2. Type a **Campaign name**. It is for you. People only see it inside link
   tracking.
3. Type the **Subject**. This is what people see in their inbox.
4. Type a **Preheader (optional)**. It is the short line many inboxes show
   after the subject.
5. Check **From name**, **From email** and **Reply-to (optional)**. They come
   from your settings.
6. Under **Audience**, pick **List** or **Segment**, then pick one. A line
   under it says how many people it reaches today.
7. Under **Start from**, pick **Blank**, **Template** or
   **A site page or post**.
8. Click **Continue**.

You see "Campaign created. Write its content next." The **Content** part opens.

### Starting from a template or a page

With **Template**, pick one under **Choose a template**. It fills in the
words, and the subject and preheader if you left them empty. See
[Templates](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/campaigns/#templates).

With **A site page or post**, pick **Page** or **Post** in **Content type**,
then find it in the list. Click **Preview import** to check it, then
**Continue**. Your page or post is not changed.

### Sending it later

Turn on **Send later**, and pick a date and time in **Send at**. It uses your
computer's time zone. The main button then reads **Schedule campaign** instead
of **Start campaign**.

## 2. Write it

The campaign has three parts, as tabs: **Details**, **Content** and
**Preview**.

In **Content**, an email editor opens. Drag in text, pictures and buttons, and
type your words. Your changes save on their own. You see "Draft saved." each
time.

- Pictures must be PNG, JPEG, GIF or WebP, and under 5 MB.
- Links must start with `https://` or `mailto:`.
- The editor's menu has merge tags, such as **First name**. Each one is filled
  in for each person when it sends.

Your logo, header and footer are added when it sends. You do not put them in
the email. Click **Preview with header and footer** to see the whole email.

To change the subject, the audience or the sender, go back to **Details**,
change it, and click **Save**.

## 3. Preview it

Click **Preview**. Click **Desktop** or **Mobile** to see it at each size.
**Reload preview** shows your latest changes.

## 4. Send yourself a test

The test box sits at the top of the campaign. It starts filled with your own
email.

1. Check the address in the box.
2. Click **Send test**.

You see "Test sent to" and the address. Open it in your inbox. Check the
links, the pictures and the spelling.

### If it says Fix these before sending

Lookout Send turns away some things, such as a link that does not start with
`https://`. A box headed **Fix these before sending** lists each one. Fix them
in the editor, then try again.

## 5. Start it, or schedule it

Save any changes first. With unsaved changes, the top of the page reads
**Unsaved changes** and shows a **Save** button. The start button waits until
you save.

**Warning**
**Start campaign** begins sending to everyone in the audience right away. It
cannot be undone.

Send yourself a test first. Check that the audience is the right list.

1. Click **Start campaign**, or **Schedule campaign**.
2. A box asks **Start this campaign?** It shows the **Audience**, the
   **Subject**, who it is **From**, **When** it sends, and whether a test went
   out.
3. Read it. Click **Start campaign** or **Schedule campaign** to go ahead, or
   **Not yet** to stop.

You see "Campaign started." or "Campaign scheduled for" and the time.

Once a campaign starts, its details and content are locked.

### Changing your mind

- A scheduled campaign has **Unschedule and edit**. It goes back to a draft,
  and you can change it and schedule it again.
- A campaign that is sending has **Cancel campaign**. Emails already sent stay
  sent.

## 6. Read the results

While it sends, the campaign shows a bar, such as "40 of 120 delivered".

When it is done, the **Results** box shows tiles: **Sent**, **Delivered**,
**Open rate**, **Click rate**, **Click-to-open**, **Bounced** and
**Complaints**. Each rate shows how it compares with your average.

Some tiles read **Awaiting reports** at first. The numbers fill in as the mail
provider reports on each email. A tile reads **Not tracked** when tracking was
off. See [Tracking](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/settings/#engagement-tracking).

**Delivery over time** charts sent, delivered, opened and clicked. Click a
name above the chart to hide or show its line.

**Compared with your other campaigns** plots this one against your recent
campaigns.

**Show link clicks** lists which links people clicked.

**Refresh** loads the latest numbers.

## The campaign list

The **Campaigns** tab lists every campaign. Buttons across the top filter it:
**All**, **Draft**, **Scheduled**, **Running** and **Finished**, then a last
one for campaigns that were stopped or failed. **Search campaigns** finds one
by name or subject.

Each row shows the **Name**, **Status**, **Audience**, **Date** and **Stats**.
Click the name, or **Edit**, to open it. A sent campaign opens with **View**.

The small buttons on each row:

- **Clone** makes a copy, named "Copy of" and the name. Use it to send a
  similar email.
- **Cancel campaign** stops one that is scheduled or sending.
- **Archive** takes a draft off the list. There is no delete.

## Templates

A template is a starting point: layout, headings and words. Your header,
footer and brand color are added when the email sends.

Click the **Templates** tab. **Your templates** are at the top. **Built-in**
templates are under them, such as **Monthly newsletter** and
**Welcome email**. Buttons across the top filter by kind, such as
**Newsletter** or **Event**.

Each template has these buttons:

- **Use** starts a new campaign with it.
- **Preview** shows it.
- **Duplicate** makes your own copy to change.
- **Edit** and **Delete**, on your own templates only.

Built-in templates cannot be changed. Duplicate one first.

To save a campaign as a template, open it and click **Save as template**. Type
a **Template name**, then click **Save template**.

Deleting a template does not change campaigns already started from it.