==[[PhplistDocumentation Phplist Documentation]] » [[MessageFunctionsInfo Message functions]] » [[SendMessageInfo Send a message]] » ==
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=====Documentation page: Send a Message=====


This is the central feature of phplist (see [[MessageFunctionsInfo Message functions]]). There are several **options** to send a message using phplist, depending on your needs. For the documentation pages, we will replicate the division by "tabs" you can find in the ##send a message## page:

Content tab
[[SendMessageFormatInfo Format tab]]
[[SendMessageAttachInfo Attach tab]]
[[SendMessageSchedulingInfo Scheduling tab]]
[[SendMessageCriteriaInfo Criteria tab]]
[[SendMessageListsInfo Lists tab]]
[[SendMessageMiscInfo Misc tab]]

We will begin with the **Content** tab. For the other tabs, please click on the links above.


====Content tab====

%%To send a message fill out the information below. The minimum requirement for a valid message
is the information in the "Content" tab. Make sure to save your changes before going to a new tab or
they will be lost. To finish your message and send it for real, choose the "Lists" tab,
select your lists and click the button "Send Message to Selected Mailinglists"%%
~This is self-explanatory :)

**##? Subject: [empty field]##**
~This corresponds to the 'Subject' of your message/email. You cannot use placeholders here. You can use chinese or hebrew letters here, but only using phpmailer, otherwise it wont work.

**##? From Line: [empty field]##**
~If you click on the question mark ('**?**'), you will understand how this field can be appropriately filled in:
~You can use three different methods to set the ##from line##:
~**One word**: this will be reformatted as ##the_word@domain.com##
~~For example: //information// will become ##information@domain.com##, if ##domain.com## is the domain in your [[ConfigurePhplistInfo configuration]].
~~In most email programs this will show up as being from ##information@domain.com##
~**Two or more words**: this will be reformatted as ##the words you type <listmaster@domain.com>##
~~For example: //list information// will become ##list information <listmaster@domain.com>##, if ##listmaster## is the default address for the system administrator (see your [[ConfigurePhplistInfo configuration]]).
~~In most email programs this will show up as being from ##list information##
~**Zero or more words and an email address**: this will be reformatted as ##Words <emailaddress>##
~~For example: //My Name my@email.com// will become ##My Name <my@email.com> ##
~~In most email programs this will show up as being from ##My Name##
~It is important to **choose your "from line" wisely**, as anyone who wishes to **reply** to the message will reply to this address.


===The text of the message / Using placeholders===

**##? Message. [empty text field]##**
~You can write or paste your message in this text field. You can use custom [[Placeholders Placeholders]] which will be replaced by the appropriate values for each user. Click on the question mark ('**?**') for the list of custom placeholders which you can use on your system.

For example if you have an [[ConfigureAttributesInfo attribute]] "First Name" put [FIRST NAME] in the message somewhere to identify the location where the "First Name" value of the recipient needs to be inserted.
To send the contents of a webpage, add the following to the content of the message:
[URL:http://www.example.org/path/to/file.html]
You can include basic user information in this URL, not attribute information:
[URL:http://www.example.org/userprofile.php?email=[email]]

//Example://
Imagine your system contains the following attributes: First Name, City, Favorite food. You can send a message formatted like this (please respect the formatting style):

%%Hello [FIRST NAME],

You live in [CITY] and you like to eat [FAVORITE FOOD].
Well we have just what you need!
Please pick up your e-invitation at http://www.pasta.com/user.php?email=[email]
If you wish to change your settings,
please click on: [PREFERENCES]%%

Once this message is sent, the placeholders are replaced by values for each user, for example:

%%Hello John,

You live in Bigtown and you like to eat Spaguetti with meatballs.
Well we just have just what you need!
Please pick up your e-invitation http://www.pasta.com/user.php?email=john@doe.com
If you wish to change your settings,
please click on http://www.mysite.com/lists/?p=preferences&uid=9589sb938ag93...%%

**##Message Footer.##**
**##Use [UNSUBSCRIBE] to insert the personal unsubscribe URL for each user.
Use [PREFERENCES] to insert the personal URL for a user to update their details.##**
This is self-explanatory. The default message footer is defined in your [[ConfigurePhplistInfo system configuration]]. In your message, you are free to do what you wish with your message footer: keep it, delete it, change it...


===Test message===

#%Send test message#% button ##to email address(es): [empty field]
(comma separate addresses - all must be users)##

This feature allows you to send a test message to the email addresses typed in the empty field (use commas to separate addresses). All email addresses must correspond to a [[UserInfo user]] in your system.
This feature is particularly useful if you have complex messages with several placeholders, links or HTML formatting. What you see is not necessarily what you get, so send yourself a test message to see what the message looks like. The placeholders will be replaced by the values in the file of the user who will receive the test message. If the user is John Doe, and you send John Doe the test message, the placeholder [NAME] will be replaced by... John Doe.
**Note**: you will receive automatically **two** test messages: one in plain text, one with HTML formatting. When you send the message normally, users will only receive one version (the one they prefer/you chose for them).


#%Save changes#% button

**DO NOT FORGET TO SAVE CHANGES** by clicking on this button before proceeding to the other tab(s).



**Related pages**
~-[[ConfigurePhplistInfo system configuration]]
~-[[ProcessQueueInfo process queue]]
~-[[ConfigureAttributesInfo configuring attributes]]
~-[[Placeholders Placeholders]]

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CategoryDocumentation