Glossary Item Box

Squirrelcart v6.1.0

Sending a Mailing

Preparation

Before sending a mailing, you will need to make some preparations.

  1. Decide what format you want to send the message in. Squirrelcart's News Module supports the following formats:

    HTML
    This format sends the email as an HTML page. With this option, you can add images, links, etc...

    plain text
    This format displays the message just as it's typed, in plain text

    multi-part (HTML and plain text)
    This format is the best of both worlds. It sends the message in 2 parts, one being HTML and the other being text. The reader can then choose how they want to see the message via the settings in their email client. We recommend this format whenever possible.

  2. If you are using the HTML or multi-part formats, you will need to design the HTML portion of the message. Squirrelcart allows you to specify the HTML as a file, or pasted in a field. We recommend that you design the HTML message in a separate file. Include <html> and <body> tags as you normally would on an HTML page. There are some important things to keep in mind when writing HTML that will be used in an email.

    Paths
    Because the HTML is not being seen by loading a page on your site, all paths in the HTML should be full paths, including your domain name.

    Correct Examples:
    <img src="http://www.example.com/images/header.gif" />
    <a href="http://www.example.com/store.php" >click here</a>

    Incorrect Examples:
    <img src="images/header.gif" />
    <a href="store.php" >click here</a>

    Javascript
    Because most email clients will block the use of javascript, it's a good idea to not use it in HTML emails.

    Dimensions
    Design with the average size of an email window in mind. Many users tend to read their email in a smaller window than they use to browse web pages, so it's a good idea to not design the email for a large window.
Sending a Mailing
If you are planning on sending a mailing to a large number of users, it's always a good idea to send it to yourself first, so you can test it's appearance. You can then go back into the mailing, change the recipients, and send the final version.
  1. Click "Modules > News > Mailings" in the control panel menu.
  2. Click

    You will see a form with a Details section similar to below:

  3. Choose your recipients using the To field. To choose from users and groups, click the address book icon. You can also manually enter email addresses in the field (separating them with semicolons). All messages will be sent as a BCC (blind carbon copy) so you won't expose email addresses to other users.
  4. Enter a subject in the Subject field.
  5. Enter the email address that you wish the message to be from using the From Email field. Some web servers will require that this address be on your domain.
  6. Enter a short descriptive name to represent the sender of the message in the From Name. This is used in email clients as the name corresponding to the email address sending the message.
  7. Set the Message Format field using the information from the Preparation section above as a guide.
  8. Specify how you will provide the email content using the Message HTML From and Message Text From fields. Depending on what you've chosen for Message Format, you may only see one of these fields. The corresponding HTML Message and Text Message fields will change from textarea fields to file upload fields, depending on your selection.
  9. Set the HTML Footer and Text Footer fields to whatever you'd like to use for footers. Depending on what you've chosen for Message Format, you may only see one of these fields. The footers will be added to the bottom of their corresponding messages.
  10. Leave the Sent Date field blank. It will be populated automatically after you send the message.
  11. Specify values for the HTML Message and Text Message fields. Depending on what you've chosen for Message Format, you may only see one of these fields.
  12. Click Continue...

    A preview of the message will be shown. You can use this preview to ensure that every thing is correct.

  13. Click the Send button, and wait. You will see a Status fieldset appear at the bottom of the preview. This will show the status of the mailing. When complete, you will see a message indicating that fact. Keep in mind that this may take several minutes depending on the number of recipients, and you should not close the window until it completes.

 

In order to prevent over utlizing your server, Squirrelcart will only send a message to a maximum of 50 recipients. If your mailing is going to more than 50 recipients, Squirrelcart will automatically send additional messages as needed. For example, if you have 150 recipients, Squirrelcart will send your mailing in 3 messages. The status of each message will appear in order, and when the final message is sent, a "Finished" field set will appear.

 

 

 


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