When you test a mailing, ListManager creates the message for a random recipient of your list. However, instead of sending this mailing to the member, it sends it to you. In this way, you can see exactly what the mailing will look like for your recipients. Testing a mailing is especially important if you are using conditional content, scripting, or any special formatting.
Do not be alarmed if you receive a message addressed to someone else! ListManager creates the mailing for the recipient(s), but redirects it to you. The mailing has not been sent to your list, or to the person whose email address is on your test mailing.
If you or others in your organization have difficulty receiving messages addressed To: someone else, you may set Utilities: Administration: Server: Server Settings: Advanced: Enable Features: Use Real Recipient Address When Merging Test Messages to "yes."
Name
The name of the mailing you're testing.
Subject
The subject of the mailing you're testing.
The email address(es) where the test messages should be sent. By default, your email address is here, but you can send these test messages to any email address. Specify multiple email addresses to which to send test messages with a comma:
bob@example.com, jane@example.com
Test Sample Size
The number of sample messages you'd like to receive. If you select 10, for example, you will receive ten separate messages, all addressed to recipients of your list, but redirected to you so you can see what the message would look like for them. The sample is randomly selected from your list(s) or subset(s).
Perform Spam Analysis
ListManager can analyze your message using Spam Assassin, a popular anti-spam program used by many people. Your message will be subjected to a number of tests and assigned a score; the lower the score, the less likely your message will be filtered as spam.
If your message fails a particular spam-detection test, Spam Assassin assigns it a certain number of points.
After all of the tests are complete, your points are summed and presented as a total score. Lower scores
are better—they indicate that your message has fewer traits common to junk mail. Ideally, you want to
get your message close to 0 points.
Some of Spam Assassin's tests work the other way around: if you pass them, they assign your message
a certain number of *negative* points. This helps reduce your overall score.
The first test recipient will receive an email message for each test message sent, with the final score and an explanation of how the score was reached.
More information about the tests Spam Assassin uses may be found here:
http://www.spamassassin.org/tests.html
Please remember that email standards and anti-spam rules are based on complex algorithms, and some of Spam Assassin's results may require the explanation of a Systems Administrator. Our technical staff has years of experience with email filtering, and we offer that expertise to our software and hosting customers who have support contracts. If you need help resolving a difficult false-positive, please contact us at (800) 768-2929 or (510) 549-4350 to discuss your campaign.
If you subscribe to EmailAdvisor, you may opt to audit your mailing as part of a test before sending it. You may additionally opt to use the EmailAdvisor service when creating your mailing so that it is audited when it is sent to your list or segment.
NOTE: When using the EmailAdvisor service for a test, the test mailing will initially show that the message is being sent to a larger number of recipients than you specify. As the test progresses, the size of the mailing will match the Test Sample Size you have specified.
Blacklist Monitor
Blacklist Monitor checks the all the domains and IP addresses in your message, including those contained in your message content, and sees if any of them are listed in any of over 300 Internet blacklists.
Inbox Snapshot
Inbox Snapshot captures what your message looks like in more than forty email clients. It shows you what the message looks like both in the preview and main message panes, with and without images. Inbox Snapshot also includes a spell check, HTML validator and link validator to ensure that your message looks right.
Delivery Monitor and Content Analyzer
Delivery Monitor checks if the message has been received at more than forty ISPs and email providers, and if so, whether it reached the main mailbox or the bulk folder. It can also show if there have been changes in deliverability during the course of your campaign. Content Analyzer tests your campaign against thirty spam filters, and shows you what elements of your message make it prone to be filtered as spam.
Select which Delivery Monitor and Content Analyzer audits to run from the drop-down list.
Reports Sent To
The email address EmailAdvisor reports will be sent to.