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Quick Start Guide #

Send your first email message in 5 minutes! This guide will walk you through the essential steps.

🎯 Goal #

By the end of this guide, you will have:

  • Created a subscriber list
  • Added subscribers
  • Composed an email message
  • Sent your first message

📝 Prerequisites #

Before starting, ensure:

  • ✅ Message plugin is installed (Installation Guide)
  • ✅ At least one SMTP server is configured
  • ✅ You're logged into the October CMS backend

🚀 Step 1: Create a Subscriber List #

Subscriber lists help you organize and segment your contacts.

  1. Navigate to Lists in the main menu
  2. Click "Create List" button
  3. Fill in the basic information:
    • Name: "Newsletter Subscribers" (or your preferred name)
    • Code: "newsletter" (unique identifier, lowercase, no spaces)
    • Description: "Main newsletter subscriber list"
  4. Click "Create"

💡 Tip: Lists can be used to segment your audience for targeted messages.

🚀 Step 2: Add Subscribers #

Option A: Add Individual Subscriber #

  1. Go to Subscribers in the main menu
  2. Click "New Subscriber"
  3. Enter subscriber details:
    • Email: subscriber@example.com
    • First Name: John
    • Last Name: Doe
    • Lists: Select "Newsletter Subscribers"
  4. Click "Create"

Option B: Import Multiple Subscribers #

  1. Go to Subscribers → Import
  2. Download the CSV template
  3. Fill in subscriber data
  4. Upload the CSV file
  5. Map columns and import

Option C: Quick Test with Your Email #

For testing, add yourself as a subscriber:

  1. Subscribers → New Subscriber
  2. Enter your own email address
  3. Assign to "Newsletter Subscribers" list
  4. Save

🚀 Step 3: Create Your First Message #

  1. Navigate to Messages in the main menu
  2. Click "Create Message"
  3. Enter campaign details in the three sections:

Configuration #

  • Campaign Name: "Welcome Newsletter" (internal reference)
  • Subject Line: "Welcome to Our Newsletter!"
  • Sender Profile: Select your default sender

Content #

  • Preheader Text: "Thank you for subscribing to our updates"
  • Content Body: Use the rich editor to compose your message (see example below)
  • Disclaimer: Optional custom text for email footer

Use the rich editor to compose your message:

<h2>Welcome to Our Newsletter!</h2>

<p>Hi {first_name|there},</p>

<p>Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. We're excited to share
updates, tips, and exclusive content with you.</p>

<p>Here's what you can expect:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Monthly updates on our latest features</li>
  <li>Tips and best practices</li>
  <li>Exclusive subscriber-only offers</li>
</ul>

<p>Best regards,<br>
Your Team</p>

💡 Tip: Drag and drop merge tags like {first_name} from the sidebar into your content

Layout #

  • Full Width Email: Toggle based on your design preference
  • Show Header Image: Optionally add a banner image at the top
  • Show Address in Footer: Enable for compliance
  1. Click "Save"

🚀 Step 4: Send a Test Message #

Before sending to all subscribers, test your campaign:

  1. In the message editor, click "Send Test Message"
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Click "Send"
  4. Check your inbox and verify:
    • Subject line appears correctly
    • Content displays properly
    • Links work (if any)
    • Unsubscribe link is present

🚀 Step 5: Launch Your Campaign #

Once satisfied with the test:

  1. Click "Launch Campaign" button
  2. Configure launch settings:

Select Recipients #

  • Choose "Newsletter Subscribers" list
  • Review subscriber count

Send Timing #

For your first campaign, use immediate sending:

  • Select "Send immediately when launched" (default)
  • Or select "Schedule for specific date and time" to schedule for later

Delivery Method (Optional) #

For your first campaign, use default settings:

  • Leave "Stagger Delivery" unchecked (sends all at once)
  • Or enable staggering to spread delivery over time or in batches

Recurring Schedule (Optional) #

For your first campaign, skip recurring:

  • Leave "Make this a recurring campaign" unchecked
  • Or enable to set up daily/weekly/monthly/yearly recurring sends
  1. Click "Launch this Campaign!"

📊 Step 6: Monitor Performance #

After sending, track your campaign's performance:

  1. Go to the Dashboard

  2. View real-time metrics:

    • Sent: Total emails delivered
    • Opened: How many recipients opened
    • Clicked: Link click-throughs
    • Unsubscribed: Opt-outs

  3. For detailed stats, go to Messages and click on your campaign

🎉 Congratulations! #

You've successfully sent your first email campaign! Here's what you've accomplished:

  • ✅ Created and organized a subscriber list
  • ✅ Added subscribers to your list
  • ✅ Composed a professional email message
  • ✅ Tested before sending
  • ✅ Launched your campaign
  • ✅ Monitored performance metrics

💡 Pro Tips for Success #

Content Best Practices #

  • Subject Lines: Keep under 50 characters
  • Preheader: Use 40-130 characters to preview content
  • Personalization: Use merge tags like {first_name}
  • Call-to-Action: Include clear CTAs
  • Mobile-Friendly: Test on mobile devices

Sending Best Practices #

  • Test First: Always send test emails
  • Small Batches: Start with small lists to test engagement
  • Timing: Send Tuesday-Thursday, 10 AM or 2 PM
  • Frequency: Don't overwhelm subscribers

Compliance #

  • Permission: Only email opted-in subscribers
  • Unsubscribe: Always include unsubscribe links
  • Identity: Clearly identify your organization
  • Address: Include physical mailing address

🚦 Campaign Status Guide #

Understanding campaign statuses:

  • Draft ✏️ - Still editing, can modify content
  • Pending ⏰ - Queued and waiting to send
  • Scheduled 📅 - Scheduled for specific date/time or recurring
  • Processing ⚙️ - Building subscriber list
  • Active 📤 - Currently sending
  • Sent ✅ - Completed successfully
  • Cancelled ❌ - Stopped before completion

🔄 What's Next? #

Immediate Next Steps #

  1. Create Templates - Build reusable email templates
  2. Segment Lists - Create targeted subscriber groups
  3. Schedule Campaigns - Plan future sends
  4. Set Up Automation - Configure recurring messages

Learn More #

Advanced Features #

🆘 Troubleshooting Quick Fixes #

Emails Not Sending #

  • Check SMTP configuration in Settings
  • Verify cron job is running
  • Review error logs

Low Open Rates #

  • Improve subject lines
  • Check spam score
  • Verify sender reputation

High Unsubscribe Rates #

  • Review content relevance
  • Adjust sending frequency
  • Segment lists better

📚 Resources #

Ready for more? → Explore Advanced Features