# Send your first email campaign in the console

Create a campaign, pick its list, sender and template, read the pre-send check, send or schedule it, then read its report and publish its web version.

A campaign sends one template to everyone on a list. This guide sends Acme
Analytics' November product update to the people who joined its webinar.

> **Note:**
  A [sender](/email/connect-a-sender), a [template](/email/create-a-template)
  attached to an [unsubscribe group](/email/unsubscribes-and-opt-in), your
  postal address set, and an audience list with members (**Audience**, then
  **Lists**). A console role that can create and send campaigns.

## 1. Open Campaigns

[Open Campaigns in the console](https://console.buildbase.app/dashboard/admin/emails/campaigns)

In the left rail choose **Messaging**, then **Campaigns** under **Email**.
**All campaigns** lists each one with its sends, opens, clicks and
unsubscribes. Press **Create campaign**.

![The Campaigns page under Messaging, with the Campaigns menu item highlighted as step 1 and the Create campaign button as step 2](/images/email/first-campaign/campaigns.webp)

## 2. Name it

In **Create new campaign**, fill **Name** (only you see it) and press **Create
draft**.

![Create new campaign: Name November product update highlighted as step 2, and the Create draft button](/images/email/first-campaign/create.webp)

## 3. Pick who, from whom and what

In **Edit campaign**, fill **Subject**, then pick the **Audience / users list**,
the **Sender account** and the **Email template**. Press **Save**.

![Edit campaign: Subject Cohort reports are here, the list Webinar attendees (4), the Sender account Acme mail highlighted as step 3, the Email template Product update, and the Save button](/images/email/first-campaign/form.webp)

## 4. Sample first, or test the subject

**Send to a sample first** is on: the first send to a list of 1,000 or more
goes to 5% of it, and the rest goes 3 hours later only if bounces and spam
complaints stay low. Turn on **A/B test the subject line** to send part of the
list a second subject and send the better one to everyone else
([A/B test](/email/sending-campaigns#a-b-test-the-subject)).

![Send to a sample first, on, and A/B test the subject line highlighted as step 4](/images/email/first-campaign/sample-ab.webp)

## 5. Read the pre-send check

Above the form, **Fix these before sending** lists what blocks the send, such as
a missing postal address or unsubscribe link, and **Before you send** lists
advice that does not ([the pre-send
check](/email/sending-campaigns#the-pre-send-check)).

![Before you send, highlighted as step 5: there is no preview text, so inboxes show the first words of the email instead](/images/email/first-campaign/presend.webp)

## 6. Send it

Press **Send campaign** and confirm with **Send campaign**. It goes to everyone
on the list who has not left its group.

![The Send campaign dialog: Send this campaign to 4 people?, with the Send campaign button highlighted as step 6](/images/email/first-campaign/send.webp)

## 7. Or schedule it

Press **Schedule** instead, pick **Send at (your time)** within the next year,
and press **Schedule**. Unschedule it to change anything before then.

![The Schedule campaign dialog: Send at (your time) highlighted as step 7, within the next year](/images/email/first-campaign/schedule.webp)

## 8. Read the report

Once it is out, the campaign shows **Email volume**, **Engagement tracking**
(opens, clicks, bounces and unsubscribes) and **Emails**, one row per
recipient. **Pause**, **Resume**, **Cancel campaign** and **Retry failed** sit
in the header while it sends ([pause, resume,
cancel](/email/sending-campaigns#pause-resume-cancel)).

![Email volume, highlighted as step 8, with the four messages sent today, above Engagement tracking](/images/email/first-campaign/report.webp)

## 9. Publish its web version

Turn on **Web version** to publish it as a public page, for the
`{{view_in_browser}}` link and the group's [newsletter
archive](/email/newsletter-archive). Personal details are never shown on it.

![Web version, with its switch highlighted as step 9](/images/email/first-campaign/web-version.webp)

## Check it works

The report counts the messages sent, **Messaging**, then **Email history**, has
one row per recipient, and an unsubscribe from the message raises the group's
**Unsubscribers** at the next hourly count.

## Things to watch out for

- **The first send to a list of 1,000 or more goes to a sample first,** 5% of it (200 to 2,000 people), and waits 3 hours.
- **An A/B test needs at least 200 recipients.**
- **Send campaign appears only with a list, recipients and a template,** and stays disabled while anything blocks.
- **A scheduled campaign must be unscheduled before you edit it.**
- **Your plan caps campaigns,** counted per month when they are sent.

## If something goes wrong

| What you see                                  | What it means                                                                                                         |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `EMAIL_PRESEND_FAILED` (422)                  | The pre-send check found a blocking problem; fix what **Fix these before sending** lists.                             |
| `EMAIL_MARKETING_BLOCKED` (409)               | Bounces or complaints passed the limit; clean the list, then **Lift block**.                                          |
| `SENDING_SUSPENDED` (403)                     | BuildBase has suspended sending for your organization ([why](/email/deliverability#when-buildbase-suspends-sending)). |
| Cannot send campaign in "(state)" state (400) | Only a draft or scheduled campaign can be sent.                                                                       |

## Next Steps

- [Sending campaigns](/email/sending-campaigns) - samples, A/B tests, pausing and reports in depth.
- [Unsubscribes and opt-in](/email/unsubscribes-and-opt-in) - what a reader sees when they leave.
- [Email overview](/email/overview#delivery-history) - every message, with its status.