The Goal: Download a spreadsheet preview of the merge field data that will be populated for each recipient in a bulk email, to verify all fields will send correctly before delivering.
Before You Begin:
- You are sending a bulk email that includes merge fields.
- The Preview Data feature must be enabled for your login account (set “Enable features once they reach this stage” to “In Development” in your account settings). Confirm this feature is generally available in your v2 instance before relying on it.
Microlearning Overview
[INSERT VIDEO: 1 to 2-minute screencast showing the exact steps below]
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Compose your bulk email in the Send Email window with your desired merge fields included.
- Click the Preview Data button in the Send Email window.
- A confirmation pop-up will appear stating that the data preview process has been initiated. Click through — for large recipient lists this may take a few minutes.
- Watch for a green Success! popup in the upper right corner. Shortly after, a Save As window will open prompting you to save an Excel spreadsheet.
- Save the file and open it to review the populated data. The spreadsheet contains these columns: Display Name, Recipient Source, Email Address, Email Address Status, Block Reason, and Merge Field JSON (all merge fields grouped in one column as name:value pairs).
- Review the data to confirm all merge fields are populated as expected for all recipients. Once verified, return to the Send Email window and send the email.
Common Pitfalls
- Save As window does not appear: If the Save As window does not open, check your browser's pop-up blocker settings. The file download may be blocked by your browser. Allow pop-ups for your GrowthZone instance and try again.
- Merge Field JSON column shows blank values: A blank value in the Merge Field JSON column means the field is not populated for that contact's record in GrowthZone. Update the contact record or consider whether that merge field is appropriate for all recipients.