Delivery is the final stage of the Aeromail workflow. It covers everything from the pre-send preview to the post-send metrics that tell you whether your message reached its audience. This page explains how to use the preview function, how to send, and how to interpret the delivery results.
Pre-send preview
Before dispatching a mailing to your full audience, you should always send a preview. The preview function delivers a test copy of the mailing to an email address you specify, so you can see exactly what recipients will receive.
Sending a preview
- Open the mailing you want to test.
- Select the preview or send test option.
- Enter the email address where you want to receive the preview. This can be your own address or the address of a colleague who should review the message.
- Send the preview.
- Check the inbox of the preview address. Open the message and review it for:
- Correct subject line.
- Proper formatting and layout.
- Working links.
- Correct attachments.
- Overall tone and readability.
If you find issues, return to the Editor and attachments area to make corrections, then send another preview to confirm the fix.
Why previewing matters
Email clients render messages differently. What looks correct in the editor may display differently in Gmail, Outlook, or a mobile email app. A preview lets you catch these rendering differences before they reach your full audience. It also gives you one last chance to spot typos, broken links, or incorrect attachments.
Sending the mailing
Once you are satisfied with the preview, send the mailing to the targeted recipients. The platform queues the messages for delivery and begins dispatching them.
Warning
You cannot unsend a mailing once it has been dispatched. Always send a preview first and verify content, formatting, and recipient targeting before sending to the full audience.
After sending, the mailing is marked as sent in the Mailing list.
Delivery metrics
After a mailing has been sent, the delivery view provides detailed metrics about what happened. These metrics help you understand whether the mailing reached its audience and how recipients engaged with it.
The following metrics are available:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Total recipients | The total number of relations the mailing was sent to, based on your targeting criteria. |
| Queued | Messages waiting to be processed. Shortly after sending, most messages will be in this state. |
| Sent | Messages dispatched by the platform. Confirms the message left the system. |
| Delivered | Messages confirmed as delivered to the recipient's mail server. The most reliable indicator of inbox delivery. |
| Bounced | Messages that could not be delivered (invalid address, full mailbox, or server rejection). |
| Opened | Recipients who opened the message. A general indication of engagement, though not always perfectly accurate. |
| Clicked | Recipients who clicked a link within the message. Useful for mailings with links to external resources. |
Interpreting delivery results
High delivery, low opens
If most messages were delivered but few were opened, the issue is likely with the subject line or the timing of the mailing. Consider whether the subject line clearly communicated the importance or relevance of the message.
Significant bounces
A notable number of bounces indicates problems with your contact data. Common causes include:
- Outdated or incorrect email addresses in the Relations module.
- Mailboxes that no longer exist (e.g., a person has left the organisation).
- Temporary server issues on the recipient's side.
Tip
Follow up on bounces by reviewing and updating the affected relations in the Relations module. Each bounce represents a person who did not receive your communication.
Low click rates on link-heavy mailings
If your mailing included links but click rates are low, consider whether the links were clearly visible and whether the call to action was compelling. Also check that the links in the preview were working correctly.
Post-send follow-up
After reviewing the delivery metrics, take action where needed:
- Follow up on bounces -- identify the relations whose messages bounced and verify their contact information in the Relations module. Correct any invalid email addresses.
- Resend if necessary -- if a significant portion of your audience did not receive the message, consider duplicating the mailing and resending it to the affected group after correcting the contact data.
- Note engagement patterns -- over time, delivery metrics can help you understand when your audience is most responsive and what kinds of content generate the most engagement.
Common tasks
- Preview a mailing before sending -- open the mailing, send a test to your own address, check formatting and content in your inbox, then proceed to send to the full audience.
- Check whether last week's mailing was delivered -- open the mailing from the list and review the delivery metrics. Look at the delivered count relative to total recipients.
- Investigate why some messages bounced -- open the delivery view, note the bounce count, and check the affected relations in the Relations module for incorrect email addresses.
- Confirm that a critical safety notice was opened -- review the opened metric for the mailing. If opens are lower than expected, consider sending a follow-up communication or reaching out to key recipients directly.
Good practice
- Always send a preview before sending to the real audience. This is the single most important step in the delivery process.
- Review delivery results after every important mailing. Do not assume that sending equals receiving.
- Follow up on bounces promptly. Each bounce represents a person who did not receive your communication. Update their contact information in Relations so future mailings reach them.
- Use open and click metrics as general indicators, not exact counts. Email tracking has inherent limitations and the numbers should be treated as approximations.
- If you regularly see high bounce rates, schedule a periodic review of contact data in the Relations module to keep email addresses current.
- Keep a record of delivery outcomes for important mailings, especially those related to safety or regulatory compliance. This supports your organisation's ability to demonstrate that critical information was distributed.