{"id":889,"date":"2025-10-11T01:21:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T01:21:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/?p=889"},"modified":"2025-10-11T01:21:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T01:21:34","slug":"how-to-test-your-automation-emails-before-sending-to-users","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/how-to-test-your-automation-emails-before-sending-to-users\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Test Your Automation Emails Before Sending to Users?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The <strong>Test Automation<\/strong> feature allows you to test your automation email campaigns with real user data before enabling them for production. This ensures your emails look perfect, all placeholders work correctly, and content is error-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Test Automation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Test Automation lets you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2705 Send test emails with actual user data (balance, activity, dates)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Preview emails with all placeholders replaced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Test different email steps in your campaign<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Send to your own email or a user&#8217;s email<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Verify email formatting and content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Debug issues without affecting real automation statistics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Important:<\/strong> Test emails are marked with <strong>\ud83e\uddea [TEST]<\/strong> in the subject line and logged separately, so they won&#8217;t affect your automation statistics or user tracking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prerequisites<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Before you can test an automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2705 Automation must be <strong>saved<\/strong> (Test button only appears on edit page)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 At least <strong>one email step<\/strong> must be configured<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2705 Users in your system must meet the automation criteria<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-by-Step Testing Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 1: Access Test Automation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Go to <strong>Admin Panel > Automation > Manage Automations<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Edit<\/strong> on the automation you want to test<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>Test Automation<\/strong> button (blue button in the footer)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A modal window will open<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 2: Select Email Step to Test<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the modal, select which email step you want to test from the dropdown:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For Inactive User Automation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Step 1 (30 days)&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Step 2 (60 days)&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Step 3 (90 days)&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For New User Automation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>&#8220;Step 1 (Day 1)&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Step 2 (Day 5)&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&#8220;Step 3 (Day 7)&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This determines which email template and criteria will be used for testing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 3: Select a User<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After selecting an email step, the system will load <strong>eligible users<\/strong> who meet the automation criteria for that specific step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The dropdown shows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Up to <strong>50 eligible users<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Format: <code>Full Name (email@example.com)<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Only users who would actually receive this email in production<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If no users appear:<\/strong> Your automation criteria may be too restrictive, or no users currently meet the conditions. Try a different email step or adjust your automation rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 4: View User Context<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you select a user, their actual data is displayed:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Field<\/th><th>Description<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Username<\/strong><\/td><td>User&#8217;s login name<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Email<\/strong><\/td><td>Registered email address<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>First Name \/ Last Name<\/strong><\/td><td>From user profile<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Balance<\/strong><\/td><td>Current SMS or Wallet balance<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Inactive Days<\/strong><\/td><td>(Inactive User) Days since last activity<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Last Message Date<\/strong><\/td><td>(Inactive User) Date of last message<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Registration Date<\/strong><\/td><td>(New User) When user registered<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Days Since Registration<\/strong><\/td><td>(New User) Days since signup<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This shows you exactly what data will be used to replace placeholders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 5: Choose Email Destination<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Select where to send the test email:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option A: User&#8217;s Registered Email<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sends test email to the selected user&#8217;s actual email address<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u26a0\ufe0f The user will receive the email (but marked with \ud83e\uddea [TEST])<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use when you want to test with the actual recipient<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Option B: Custom Email<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Send test email to any email address you specify (e.g., your own email)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recommended for initial testing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allows you to review the email before sending to actual users<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 6: Preview Email (Optional)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <strong>Preview Email<\/strong> to see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Email subject with all placeholders replaced<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Full HTML body with actual user data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This lets you review the final email content before sending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step 7: Send Test Email<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click <strong>Send Test Email<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm in the popup dialog<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait for success message: <em>&#8220;Test email sent successfully!&#8221;<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check your inbox for the test email<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The email subject will have <strong>\ud83e\uddea [TEST]<\/strong> prefix, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>\ud83e\uddea &#91;TEST] We Miss You, John!<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Placeholder Reference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All placeholders are automatically replaced with real user data:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Placeholder<\/th><th>Replaced With<\/th><th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><code>{{USERNAME}}<\/code><\/td><td>User&#8217;s login username<\/td><td>johndoe<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{EMAIL}}<\/code><\/td><td>User&#8217;s email address<\/td><td>john@example.com<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{FIRSTNAME}}<\/code><\/td><td>User&#8217;s first name<\/td><td>John<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{LASTNAME}}<\/code><\/td><td>User&#8217;s last name<\/td><td>Doe<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{BALANCE}}<\/code><\/td><td>Current balance<\/td><td>50.00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{INACTIVEDAYS}}<\/code><\/td><td>Days inactive (Inactive User)<\/td><td>45<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{LASTMESSAGEDATE}}<\/code><\/td><td>Last activity date (Inactive User)<\/td><td>Oct 01, 2025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{REGISTRATIONDATE}}<\/code><\/td><td>Registration date (New User)<\/td><td>Oct 05, 2025<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><code>{{DAYSSINCEREGISTRATION}}<\/code><\/td><td>Days since signup (New User)<\/td><td>6<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Important Features<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Test Emails Don&#8217;t Affect Statistics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Marked with <code>executionType = 'TEST'<\/code> in logs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NOT added to recipient tracking<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>NOT counted in automation statistics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Separate from production automation execution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Where to View Test Logs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Go to <strong>Automation &gt; View Logs<\/strong> for your automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Look for entries with <strong>Execution Type: TEST<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shows who was tested, when, and delivery status<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Multiple Tests Allowed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>No limit on test emails<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test all email steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test with different users<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test as many times as needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Troubleshooting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Issue: &#8220;No eligible users found&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cause:<\/strong> No users currently meet the automation criteria for that step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Solutions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check if users exist who meet the inactivity period\/day criteria<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify minimum balance requirement isn&#8217;t too high<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For Inactive User: Ensure some users have been inactive for the specified period<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For New User: Confirm users registered within the day range<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Try a different email step with less restrictive criteria<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Issue: Test email not received<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Solutions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Check spam\/junk folder<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Wait 5-10 minutes (email delivery can be delayed)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify email address is correct (no typos)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check email server configuration in system settings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review automation logs for error messages<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Issue: Placeholders not replaced<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cause:<\/strong> User data missing or incorrect placeholder spelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Solutions:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Ensure user has complete profile data (name, balance, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check placeholder spelling is exact (case-sensitive)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use correct placeholders for automation type<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test with a different user who has complete data<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Enabling Automation:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 <strong>Test all email steps<\/strong> &#8211; Don&#8217;t just test Step 1, test every step<br>\u2705 <strong>Test with multiple users<\/strong> &#8211; Different users may have different data<br>\u2705 <strong>Use custom email first<\/strong> &#8211; Send to yourself before sending to users<br>\u2705 <strong>Check on mobile<\/strong> &#8211; Forward test email to your phone<br>\u2705 <strong>Verify all placeholders<\/strong> &#8211; Ensure all <code>{{PLACEHOLDERS}}<\/code> are replaced<br>\u2705 <strong>Check HTML formatting<\/strong> &#8211; Links, images, line breaks<br>\u2705 <strong>Test different scenarios<\/strong> &#8211; High balance, low balance, different activity levels<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Testing Workflow:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create automation with all email steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Save automation (don&#8217;t enable yet)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click Test Automation button<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test Step 1 with custom email (your own)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review email in inbox<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make adjustments if needed<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test Step 2, 3, etc. with custom email<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Test final version with actual user email<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enable automation only after all tests pass<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When to Re-Test:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Re-test your automation when you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Modify email subject or content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Change automation criteria (inactivity period, day intervals)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Update execution rules (balance requirements, thresholds)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add or remove email steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make changes to system email templates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tips for Effective Testing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Test Multiple Scenarios:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Test with users who have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>High balance vs low\/zero balance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Recent activity vs no activity<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Short names vs long names<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Different account types<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Test Email Clients:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Send test emails to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Gmail<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Outlook\/Office 365<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Yahoo Mail<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mobile email apps<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Use a Checklist:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2610 All placeholders replaced correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Email subject is compelling<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 HTML formatting displays properly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Links work and open correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Call-to-action is clear<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Mobile display is good<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 No typos or grammatical errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Tested all email steps<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Tested with multiple users<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2610 Email delivered successfully<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Documentation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/what-is-user-automation-and-how-does-it-work\/\">What is User Automation and How Does It Work?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/how-to-set-up-inactive-user-automation-to-re-engage-dormant-users\/\">How to Set Up Inactive User Automation?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/how-to-set-up-new-user-automation-for-better-onboarding\/\">How to Set Up New User Automation?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/what-are-the-available-email-template-placeholders\/\">What Are the Available Email Template Placeholders?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/how-to-view-and-manage-automation-logs\/\">How to View and Manage Automation Logs?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Need Help?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re experiencing issues with Test Automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Check System Logs:<\/strong> Admin Panel > System Logs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review Automation Logs:<\/strong> Automation > View Logs (filter by Type: TEST)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Contact Support:<\/strong> Include automation ID, user ID, and error message<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>When contacting support, provide:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automation name and ID<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Email step you&#8217;re testing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Selected user ID<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Error message (if any)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Screenshot of the issue<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong> Always test with your own email first before sending to actual users. This allows you to perfect your email content, verify all placeholders work correctly, and ensure the email looks great across different email clients \u2013 all without confusing or spamming your users! \ud83d\ude80<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Test Automation feature allows you to test your automation email campaigns with real user data before enabling them for production. This ensures your emails look perfect, all placeholders work correctly, and content is error-free. What is Test Automation? Test Automation lets you: Important: Test emails are marked with \ud83e\uddea [TEST] in the subject line [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[301],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-automation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/889\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smppcenter.com\/kb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}