Email Testing Tips
Testing is always a good idea. Learn general email testing tips and troubleshooting specifics.
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Different email programs display your HTML email differently, so we recommend you preview and test your email content before you send.
In this article, you'll learn how to preview your email and how to send tests.
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Here are some things to know before you begin this process.
Preview mode gives you an idea of how your email will look in your recipients' inboxes on both desktop and mobile devices.
To preview your email in the new builder, follow these steps.
To preview your email in the classic builder, follow these steps.
Use our Link Checker to make sure all the links in your classic email are valid and take your recipients exactly where you want them to go. Link Checker is available only in the classic builder. In the new builder, links are automatically checked and flagged if there's a problem.
To check your links, follow these steps.
Click each link to open the Link Details. We'll display the URL, a preview of the website when applicable, and a warning if the URL is invalid. Mailchimp can’t preview links containing merge tags, anchors, or mail-to addresses.
To change a URL address, click Edit link under the URL or press “e” on your keyboard.
To navigate between links on the Link Details panel, use the Back and Next buttons or use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to move up and down the list.
Note
Link Checker isn't available for Code Your Own template options, including Paste in code, Import zip, and Import HTML. If you're using a Code Your Own template, thoroughly test your email to make sure all the links are correct.
Link Checker also isn't available when creating a template from the Templates page of your account or for templates using the new builder.
Send a test to see how an email will appear in your inbox, or to share a draft email with a colleague. For more information on reviewing your content before sending, take a look at our Email Testing Tips.
Contact-specific merge tags won't work in a test because your email isn't being sent to a contact of your audience just yet (even if the test email address used is the same as a contact in your audience). Instead, we recommend that you use the Enable live merge tag info slider when you test your email.
To send a test email in the new builder, follow these steps.
Recipients can reply to the test email with their feedback. We use an inbound email address to send their feedback directly to your account. To learn more, check out Collaborate on Emails.
To send a test email in the classic builder, follow these steps.
Recipients can reply to the test email with their feedback. We use an inbound email address to send their feedback directly to your account. To learn more, check out Collaborate on Emails.
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Testing is always a good idea. Learn general email testing tips and troubleshooting specifics.
Learn how to create a regular email in Mailchimp.
Use Inbox Preview to see what your campaign will look like in different email clients and mobile devices, without ever leaving the Campaign Builder.
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