There are several ways to send test emails, each of which has different limitations and known behaviors.
Note: Make sure to calculate your query before you select it as a contact source for the normal test, or it will not be honored by the test send maximums set in your subscription’s email settings.
Relational tables
Relational table content does not display in test sends, but it does display in preview.
Send to individual without personalization
Personalize the email using a specific contact. Include an email address from your contact source.
Click-to-view
Both the standard and custom click to view options work in this test send scenario.
Personalization
If the inserted personalization is a system generated field such as email name, the content populates within the test email. If the personalization field has a default value, the content personalizes with the default value.
Opt-in/Opt-out
If an opt-in link is provided in the template's content, does not allow the message to send because no opt-in form is available. The error states:
Mailing Contains An Opt In Link, But List Does Not Contain An Opt In Form
Opt-out appears to function, but there is no way to record the action since no list is associated with the email.
Dynamic content
Default dynamic content displays.
Forward to friend
Forward to a friend link is not functional for this type of test send.
Share to social
Share to social feature allows the test recipient to post the message. You should avoid social shares of test messages, as the content is likely to be incomplete and not designed for external consumption.
Note: Test emails are automatically deleted from after 14 days and are hard deleted 30 days after that, which causes links to no longer work. The same links in live emails still work.
Send to individual with personalization
Click-to-view
Neither the standard or custom click to view options work.
Opt-In/Opt-out
If opt-in is available within the template's content, then the test personalization list must have an opt-in form associated with it. Otherwise, an error occurs and doesn't allow the send:
Mailing Contains An Opt In Link, But List Does Not Contain An Opt In Form
- The list that is selected for testing personalization receives opt-in entries.
- Personalization recipient aren't opted-out of the list designated as the test personalization list if the test recipient clicks through the opt-out link.
You should avoid opt-in and opt-out actions on test messages, as test recipients and regular list recipients might be impacted unexpectedly.
Personalization
Personalization displays except in cases where the field has a default value present.
Dynamic content
Default dynamic content displays.
Forward to friend
Forward to a friend link is not functional for this type of test send.
Share to social
Share to social feature allows test recipient to post the message. It is best to avoid social shares of test messages, as the content is likely to be incomplete and not designed for external consumption.
A contact source contains duplicate email addresses
Are there multiple email addresses in the selected contact source?
If yes, the email is personalized using a randomly selected email address from the contact source.
If no, the email I personalized using the one and only selected email address from the contact source.
Send to list or query without personalization
Click-to-view
Both the standard and custom click to view options work on this test send scenario.
Personalization
Personalization populates with available list data, otherwise no data or default value is displayed.
Dynamic content
Default dynamic content displays.
Forward to friend
Forward to a friend link is not functional for this type of test send.
Share to social
Share to social feature allows test recipient to post the message. It is best to avoid social shares of test messages, as the content is likely to be incomplete and not designed for external consumption.
Opt-in/Opt-out
- Opt-in form appears when opt-in link is clicked.
- List that is selected for sending receives opt-in entries.
- Opt-out link opts out recipient.
It is best to avoid opt-in and opt-out actions on test messages, as test recipients and regular list recipients might be impacted unexpectedly.
Send to list or query with personalization
Click-to-view
Neither the standard or custom click to view options work.
Personalization
Personalization populates from the list, not selected test personalization recipient.
Dynamic content
Default dynamic content displays.
Forward to friend
Forward to a friend link is not functional for this type of test send.
Share to social
Share to social feature allows test recipient to post the message. It is best to avoid social shares of test messages, as the content is likely to be incomplete and not designed for external consumption.
Opt-In/Opt-out
- Opt-in form appears when opt-in link is clicked.
- List that is selected for testing personalization receives opt-in entries.
- Opt-out link does not opt out recipient.
A contact source contains duplicate email addresses
Are there multiple email addresses in the selected contact source?
If yes, the email is personalized using a randomly selected email address from the contact source.
If no, the email I personalized using the one and only selected email address from the contact source.
Quick test
The quick test sends both HTML and text email bodies in one message. When you select quick test, you are sending out one email message that is a multi-part MIME message, which contains both HTML and text. The email client should be able to decide which email body to show. To view the text message, the recipient needs an email client that renders in text only, or allows users to choose how to render the email. Otherwise, recipients see the email in HTML. Some email clients and ESPs offer to view the raw code, such as "Show Original" in Gmail.
The quick test is like sending the normal test and choosing Send one multi-part email instead of Send separate email for each body. If you want to receive both email bodies in separate messages, you need to use the normal test option.