Send a Campaign

Publishing a campaign does not send it automatically. After you publish, you need to add contacts or a list as recipients to begin sending. You can do this directly from the Contacts table, through an automation from Contacts, or by starting an automation from a List.

Prerequisites

Before you can send a campaign, make sure you have:

• A published campaign (see Campaigns)
• Contacts added to your CRM (see Contacts)
• Optionally, a static or smart list created in CRM (see Lists)

How to send a campaign

Add contacts directly to a campaign

Use this method to send a campaign to one or more specific contacts immediately or on a schedule.

1. Go to CRM > Contacts
2. Select one or more contacts using the checkboxes
3. Click Actions in the bulk action bar

4. Select Add to campaign

5. On the Send campaign page:

   • Choose your campaign from the dropdown
   • Review or adjust the recipient list
   • Select a Send from address
   • Preview the email using the Desktop, Tablet, or Mobile view tabs

6. To send immediately, click Send

7. To schedule for a later time, select the Schedule tab, set your date and time, then confirm

note

Contacts without a valid email address appear as "contacts with issues" and are excluded from sending. The Estimated recipients count reflects only contacts who will actually receive the email.

Start an automation from Contacts

Use this method to enroll selected contacts into a campaign-based automation workflow.

1. Go to CRM > Contacts
2. Select one or more contacts using the checkboxes
3. Click Actions > Start automation
4. Select a campaign-based automation to enroll the selected contacts

The automation runs immediately for the selected contacts and enrolls them according to the automation's configured steps and delays.

Start an automation from a List

Use this method to enroll all current members of a list into a campaign at once.

1. Go to CRM > Lists
2. Find your list and click the three-dot menu (...)

3. Select More actions

4. In the Choose an action panel, select Start a campaign for the contact under Campaigns and Emails

5. Enter a step name
6. Choose your campaign from the Campaign dropdown
7. Click Run to start the campaign

The campaign starts immediately for all current members of the list. Contacts added to the list after this point are not enrolled unless you repeat the action or configure a membership trigger.

Send campaign page

When you add contacts directly to a campaign, the Send campaign page gives you a full overview before you confirm.

• Email preview: Switch between Desktop, Tablet, and Mobile views to see how the email renders
• Day navigation: Use the arrows to browse through each step in a multi-step campaign
• Campaign selection: Choose which published campaign to send
• Recipients panel: Add or remove individual contacts before sending
• Send from address: Select which sender address to use for this send
• Email settings summary: Review the sender name, sender address, and reply address
• Estimated recipients: The total number of contacts that have the required information for each step in the campaign — email addresses for email steps and phone numbers for SMS steps

Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't my campaign send after I publish it?

Publishing a campaign makes it available to send, but does not trigger sending automatically. You need to add recipients using one of the three methods above.

What are "contacts with issues"?

Contacts with issues are contacts that are missing the required information for a campaign step — an email address for email steps, or a phone number for SMS steps. They appear in the Send campaign page but are excluded from the estimated recipient count and will not receive that step.

Can I schedule a campaign send for a future date?

Yes. On the Send campaign page, select the Schedule tab instead of sending immediately, then choose the date and time for delivery.

Can I add recipients to a campaign that is already sending?

Yes. You can add eligible contacts or lists to an active campaign at any time. New recipients start from the beginning of the sequence.

What is the difference between sending directly and using an automation?

Sending directly (via Add to campaign) gives you a real-time preview and lets you confirm or schedule the send immediately. Using Start automation enrolls contacts into a workflow that may include delays, conditions, and other steps beyond just sending an email.

Does starting an automation from a list add future list members automatically?

No. Starting an automation from a list enrolls only the current members at the time you run it. To automatically enroll future members, set up a membership trigger automation instead. See Lists.

Can I preview a multi-step campaign before sending?

Yes. On the Send campaign page, use the Day navigation arrows to move through each step in the sequence and preview how each email will look.

Can I change the sender address when sending a campaign?

Yes. The Send campaign page includes a Send from dropdown where you can select which sender address to use for that send.

How do I create a list to use when sending a campaign?

Go to CRM > Lists and click Create to set up a static or smart list. Once your list has members, you can use it to start a campaign automation. See Lists.

Where can I see campaign performance and delivery stats?

Go to Campaigns and click on the campaign you want to review. The Campaign Details page shows recipient counts, in-progress and completed statuses, and email performance metrics including delivery rate, open rate, click-to-open rate, dropped, and bounced. Each email step also shows its individual delivered, pending, open rate, and click rate.

What happens if I select contacts who are already enrolled in the campaign?

Contacts already enrolled in a campaign will not receive duplicate emails. Only new eligible recipients are added to the send.

Can I remove a recipient from a campaign after it starts sending?

Yes. Open the campaign, navigate to the recipients list, and remove the contact. They will not receive any remaining steps in the sequence.