This section allows you to compose a new message that should be sent to the subscribers of a selected list.

Subject

This is the subject of the message that should be sent. You are able to insert tags/variables by clicking on the #-Button and selecting the desired tag/variable. With tags/variables you are able to create dynamic subjects. Click here to learn more about tags/variables and how to use them.

To

This is the name of the recipient but not the email address of the recipient. You are able to insert tags/variables by clicking on the #-Button and selecting the desired tag/variable. With tags/variables you are able to create dynamic To-Names. Click here to learn more about tags/variables and how to use them.

Attachments

Here you can add attachments to the message that should be sent. To add an attachment to the message, simply click the paper-clip-button and select the desired file that should be added as attachment. To remove an already selected attachment, simply select it from the box and click the X-Button that is located below the paper-clip-button.

Encoding

Here you can select the encoding that should be used when sending the composed message. It is important to select the right encoding because otherwise, the recipient won't be able to view the message correctly. For a maximum of compatibility, we recommend to use UTF-8 encoding. In order to get correct results, the encoding should be selected before typing the message.

HTML Editor

The editor can be used to create both HTML messages as well as plain text messages. Per default, the editor starts in HTML design mode so you have access to the most default features of any HTML editor, like font selection, bold text, italic text, underline text, insert pictures, insert HTML links etc. These features can easily be accessed in design mode by clicking the appropriate buttons in the upper area of the HTML editor.

Tasks of the HTML editor

This section gives you access to all default as well as advanced options that can be useful while composing a message.

New

This starts a new message to compose. For security reasons, you will be asked to confirm that you want to delete an existing message and to start with a new one.

Open

This gives you several options to open an existing message/file that can be used for composing a new one.

Open Draft

Displays a window where you can select previously saved drafts. The selected draft will then be displayed in the editor so you can use it for composing your message.

Open .eml File

Here you can select an existing .eml File from your system that should be opened for editing. After you have selected the desired file, it will be displayed in the editor so you can use it for composing your message.

Open Microsoft Outlook File*

Here you can select an existing Microsoft Outlook File from your system that should be opened for editing. After you have selected the desired file, it will be displayed in the editor so you can use it for composing your message. You can choose between Outlook Message Format File (.msg) as well as Outlook Template Files (.oft)

Open Email from History

Every email that has been sent with zebNet NewsTurbo can easily be opened for editing at a later time. When clicking on this, a new window is displayed where you can select any previously sent email for editing.

Open HTML File

Here you can select an existing HTML File from your system that should be opened for editing. After you have selected the desired file, it will be displayed in the editor so you can use it for composing your message.

Open Text File

Here you can select an existing Text File from your system that should be opened for editing. After you have selected the desired file, it will be displayed in the editor so you can use it for composing your message.

Open from URL*

Displays a new window where you can type an URL that should be loaded in the editor for editing. After entering an URL and clicking on "OK", the content of the URL will be loaded in the editor for editing. Please be aware that you should only load pure HTML websites with this feature, otherwise the loaded content might not be displayed correctly.

Save

This gives you several options to save your composed message so that you can use it at a later time.

Save Session

This saves your composed message in an internal data storage and your composed message will automatically be loaded the next time you start the application. A confirmation message is displayed after saving your session. After that, it is save to exit the application.

Save as Email

This saves your composed message as an .eml File. Click on this to select the location as well as the desired file name and click "Save" to save your composed message.

Save as Draft

This saves your composed message as a draft that can later be selected with the option "Open Draft". After clicking on this, a new window is displayed where you have to enter the desired name for the draft. Please enter a name and click "OK" to save it as a draft.

Save as Template

This saves your composed message as a template that can later be selected from "Templates". After clicking on this, a new window is displayed where you have to enter the desired name for the template. Please enter a name and click "OK" to save it as a template.

Export as HTML

This exports your composed message as a HTML File. Click on this to select the location as well as the desired file name and click 'Save' to export your composed message. Please note: This option only exports the HTML content of your composed message. Any additional information such as Subject, To, Attachments won't be exported.

Templates

Opens a new window where you can select already available or previously saved templates. The selected template will then be displayed in the HTML editor so you can use it for composing your message.

Preview

Opens a sub-menu where you can choose how you want to preview your composed message.

Preview as Email

Displays a preview of the composed message in an email format (.eml) so you are able to see the email exactly as the subscribers will see it.

Preview in Google Chrome

Displays a preview of the composed message in Google Chrome (if installed).

Preview in Microsoft Internet Explorer

Displays a preview of the composed message in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Preview in Mozilla Firefox

Displays a preview of the composed message in Mozilla Firefox (if installed).

Spam Check

Displays a new window where the spam score of the composed email will be calculated. This is useful to avoid that the composed message will be treated as spam/junk on the recipients system. If the composes message would be treated as spam, you are able to see the reasons for that so you can optimize the composed message. This feature uses SpamAssassin, a worldwide leader in spam filtering. Although this is a very accurate and robust feature, it actually cannot guarantee that the composed message wouldn't be filtered by the recipients system because every system settings are different. However, you are able to minimize the possibility that the composed message would be filtered out.

In code view you can access the pure HTML code of the composed message so you can copy the pure HTML code or even paste existing HTML code that might have been written in an external editor. You can switch between design view and code view clicking the appropriate tab.

It is recommended that every HTML message also contains a plain text part because not every user can view HTML emails on the system. If you would just send a HTML message to the recipients, those users that cannot view HTML emails will just receive an empty email that is completely blank. This would also be a risk for you because most blank emails will be filtered out as spam. Furthermore, there is a risk for you to get listed on a spam blacklist when sending blank emails so you should avoid it in most cases as possible.

The easiest way to add a plain text part to the composed message is to click on the "Get Text from HTML" link that is located below the HTML editor. When clicking on this link, a plain text part will automatically be created based on the HTML content and the result is being displayed in the plain text tab of the HTML editor. In this tab you can make some adjustments to the plain text part or you can simply use the automatically created text. You can switch between plain text view and HTML view by switching between the tabs. Tick the box "Plain text only" in the Text tab if you wish to compose a plain text message only.

Based on the application preferences, a plain text part can also be added automatically to HTML emails. Further, based on the application preferences, the application can ask you whether you want to add a plain text part when switching to another section.

Please check the application preferences to get more information about this.

Please note: If you are done with designing/composing your message and ready for sending it, you can simply go to "Send" by selecting it from the left navigation pane to send your message. There is no need to save your composed message before going to "Send" because your composed message is always available until you close the application.

Insert Tags/Variables

You can customize the message for each recipient without the need to actually write different messages. This can easily be done by inserting tags/variables into the message. To insert a tag/variable, just click your right mouse button while HTML editor is in design view and select "Tags". You will then see all available tags/variables that can be inserted.

Each tag/variable is actually a field reference to the subscriber information. Any field name that is available when adding a new subscriber can be inserted as tag/variable and will be replaced with the appropriate value when sending out the email to the subscriber. For example, if you start your message with 'Dear #FirstName# #LastName#...' the recipient 'Joe Bloggs' will actually receive 'Dear Joe Bloggs...' that makes it really easy to send personalized emails to the subscribers.

Tags/variables can be changed to any value you prefer. Please check your application preferences to learn how to do that. Beside from the tags/variables that are referenced to the subscriber field information, there are five additional tags/variables available:

#ManagingEmail#

Will be replaced with the sender email address that can be selected at "Send".

#SystemDate#

Will be replaced with the current date and time of your system.

#UnsubscriptionLink#

Will be replaced with an unsubscription link where the subscriber can easily cancel its subscription. This link depends on the "Manage Unsubscription Type" as well as the "Subscriber Match" setting so please ensure that these two settings are accurate before sending out the mailing.

#ReadOnlineLink#*

Will be replaced with a link where the subscriber can read the newsletter online via its web browser. This link depends on the "Online Newsletter"  feature that can be found in the "Send" section. If the Online Newsletter feature isn't configured, this link will simply be removed while sending out the mailing.

Tags/variables will be replaced with nothing if the appropriate value could not be found for the subscriber.

Check Links

If the HTML editor is in design view, you have the possibility to check all links that might be inside your composed message. This helps you to avoid to send out broken links. Just click the "Check-Links" button in the HTML editor and a new window is displayed where all links that are inside your message will be checked for validity.

The Check Links window displays all links and automatically determines the status of the link. While checking the links, a hourglass is displayed near the URL. After checking all links, a status icon is displayed near the URL indicating the status of the link. You can also double-click on the URL to visit its destination.

Status Icons

The status icons that are located near the URL gives you a quick and visual impression of the status of the link.

Means that the status of the link is being checked

Means that the link is valid and not broken

Means that the link is invalid and probably broken

Means that the status of the link could not be determined

Status Codes

The status codes are useful for advanced users and gives you the exactly HTTP Code for further investigation. All possible status codes are listed below.

100 - Indicates that the client can continue with its request.

101 - Indicates that the protocol version or protocol is being changed.

200 - Indicates that the request succeeded and that the requested information is in the response. This is the most common status code to receive.

201 - Indicates that the request resulted in a new resource created before the response was sent.

202 - Indicates that the request has been accepted for further processing.

203 - Indicates that the returned metainformation is from a cached copy instead of the origin server and therefore may be incorrect.

204 - Indicates that the request has been successfully processed and that the response is intentionally blank.

205 - Indicates that the client should reset (not reload) the current resource.

206 - Indicates that the response is a partial response as requested by a GET request that includes a byte range.

300 - Indicates that the requested information has multiple representations. The default action is to treat this status as a redirect and follow the contents of the Location header associated with this response.

301 - Indicates that the requested information has been moved to the URI specified in the Location header. The default action when this status is received is to follow the Location header associated with the response.

302 - Indicates that the requested information is located at the URI specified in the Location header. The default action when this status is received is to follow the Location header associated with the response. When the original request method was POST, the redirected request will use the GET method.

303 - Automatically redirects the client to the URI specified in the Location header as the result of a POST. The request to the resource specified by the Location header will be made with a GET.

304 - Indicates that the client's cached copy is up to date. The contents of the resource are not transferred.

305 - Indicates that the request should use the proxy server at the URI specified in the Location header.

307 - Indicates that the request information is located at the URI specified in the Location header. The default action when this status is received is to follow the Location header associated with the response. When the original request method was POST, the redirected request will also use the POST method.

400 - Indicates that the request could not be understood by the server. BadRequest is sent when no other error is applicable, or if the exact error is unknown or does not have its own error code.

401 - Indicates that the requested resource requires authentication. The WWW-Authenticate header contains the details of how to perform the authentication.

403 - Indicates that the server refuses to fulfill the request.

404 - Indicates that the requested resource does not exist on the server.

405 - Indicates that the request method (POST or GET) is not allowed on the requested resource.

406 - Indicates that the client has indicated with Accept headers that it will not accept any of the available representations of the resource.

407 - Indicates that the requested proxy requires authentication. The Proxy-authenticate header contains the details of how to perform the authentication.

408 - Indicates that the client did not send a request within the time the server was expecting the request.

409 - Indicates that the request could not be carried out because of a conflict on the server.

410 - Indicates that the requested resource is no longer available.

411 - Indicates that the required Content-length header is missing.

412 - Indicates that a condition set for this request failed, and the request cannot be carried out.

413 - Indicates that the request is too large for the server to process.

414 - Indicates that the URI is too long.

415 - Indicates that the request is an unsupported type.

416 - Indicates that the range of data requested from the resource cannot be returned, either because the beginning of the range is before the beginning of the resource, or the end of the range is after the end of the resource.

417 - Indicates that an expectation given in an Expect header could not be met by the server.

500 - Indicates that a generic error has occurred on the server.

501 - Indicates that the server does not support the requested function.

502 - Indicates that an intermediate proxy server received a bad response from another proxy or the origin server.

503 - Indicates that the server is temporarily unavailable, usually due to high load or maintenance.

504 - Indicates that an intermediate proxy server timed out while waiting for a response from another proxy or the origin server.

505 - Indicates that the requested HTTP version is not supported by the server.

*This feature/option is only available in zebNet NewsTurbo Pro and zebNet NewsTurbo Server.