Pre-send checklist
Pre-send checklist for a newsletter
A newsletter goes out so often that the checks get skipped. That is when last month's subject line, a dead link or the test list slips through. Run these twelve before each issue; it takes a few minutes.
The inbox line
- The subject says what is in this issue, not only "Newsletter" and a number.
- The preview text adds something the subject does not say.
- The sender name is the one readers signed up to hear from.
- Nothing is left over from the last issue: subject, preview text or date.
Inside the email
- Every link has been clicked in a test email, including the ones in the footer.
- Each image has alt text, and the email still makes sense with images off.
- The main story and its link appear before the first scroll on a phone.
- The issue number, date and any names are right.
The send
- The list is the newsletter list, not a test segment or an old import.
- People who unsubscribed since the last issue are excluded.
- A test has been read on a phone and on a desktop mail client.
- It is scheduled for the hour your readers usually open, in their time zone.
One tip
Send the test to someone who did not write the issue. The writer reads what they meant; a second person reads what is there.
Common questions
What should I check before sending a newsletter?
Check three things in order: the inbox line (sender, subject, preview text), the inside of the email (links, images, the main call to action) and the send itself (the right list, unsubscribes excluded, a test read on a phone).
How long should a newsletter subject line be?
Short enough that the point survives being cut off. Many phone inboxes show roughly 35 to 45 characters, so put the most important words first.
More checklists
CW-02 · 12 CHECKS
A welcome email
The first email a new subscriber gets. It sends itself, so check it well once.
Open checklist
CW-03 · 12 CHECKS
A product launch
One chance, many people watching, and a page that must be live.
Open checklist
CW-04 · 12 CHECKS
A sale or promotion
Codes, end dates and exclusions: the details people complain about.
Open checklist
CW-05 · 12 CHECKS
An abandoned cart email
An automated email with live data in it. Test the data, not just the design.
Open checklist
Final call
A sent email cannot be unsent.
Check the inbox line before it leaves. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.