The Subscribers Module is a core part of Newsletter and where you can manage your subscriber list: search, edit, create, import, and export are some of the most common features. But it not limited to these operations: statistical data, massive actions are features available for advanced users.
The module provides some “massive actions” where an entire set of subscribers can be changed. For example, you can remove all not confirmed subscribers or change subscriber preferences, and so on.
Test subscribers
The best way to make a reliable test is to send a newsletter to real subscribers. This way the email is composed using real user’s data, like the name, email, identification code, sex, preferences, and so on.
Newsletter provides a setting which enable a regular subscribe to become a test subscriber as well. Opening a subscriber editing panel, there is a selection to set him as test user.
A test subscribe remains a regular subscriber, so when you send a real newsletter he’ll receive it. But when you send a test only subscribers with test settings to “yes” are used.
A note: sometimes the extraction of test subscribers ignores preferences or other targeting settings, it depends on the context. So if you set a newsletter to be addressed only to women, probably even if a test subscriber is a man he will be used as a recipient.
How to resend an activation email
If you are in a particular situation with an important number of subscribers not confirmed (for any reason), you may want to send to all a (new) confirmation message.
To complete this task, you should create a regular newsletter set to be addressed to the not confirmed subscribers. In this email, it’s important to add the {subscription_confirm_url} tag as it is used in the normal confirmation message (configurable on Subscription panel).
This method grants a secure delivery of this confirmation email even to a big number of subscribers.
Import and export
Import subscribers from external sources
To import subscribers it is recommended to install the free Advanced Import add-on which provides ways to import from CSV files, copy-and-paste data, massive bounced addresses import.
The import can be conducted in different modes: data merge, data replace, and so on.
Export subscribers
The export produces a CSV (UTF-8 encoded) file containing all the subscribers’ data. Usually that file can be opened with Excel, Calc, Google Sheets.
The status columns may show different values:
- C – Confirmed: the subscriber has confirmed the subscription (with single opt-in the subscription is confirmed without any other subscriber action than submitting its email)
- S – To be confirmed: the subscriber has been requested to activate the subscription via an activation email
- B – Bounced: the email address has been reported to be unreachable
- U – Unsubscribed: the subscriber has opted-out
Bounced email importing
Bounced addresses, for example, collected via delivery error emails returned to your mailbox, can be processed with the Advanced Import add-on.