> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.feedotter.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.feedotter.com/feedotter-email/sending-newsletters.md).

# Sending Newsletters

This guide covers how to send a newsletter using FeedOtter Email. Before sending, make sure you have completed the following:

* [ ] A verified **Sender Profile** (Settings → Emailing)
* [ ] A verified **Sending Domain** (Settings → Emailing)
* [ ] At least one **Unsubscribe Group** (Audience → Unsubscribe Groups)
* [ ] At least one **Contact List** with subscribers (Audience → Lists)

***

### Scope: Newsletters Only

FeedOtter Email is available for sending **curated newsletters** only. It is not available for RSS Automations, which use third-party ESP integrations instead.

***

### Step 1: Open a Newsletter Issue

1. Navigate to **Newsletters** in the left sidebar
2. Open the newsletter series you want to send from
3. Create a new issue or open an existing one

If you have not yet created a newsletter, create one first from the Newsletters page.

***

### Step 2: Configure the Audience (Sending Settings)

1. Inside the newsletter issue, navigate to the **Audience** tab
2. Under **Sending Platform**, select **FeedOtter Email**
3. Configure the following required fields:

| Field                 | Description                                  |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| **List**              | The contact list to send to                  |
| **Sender Profile**    | The from-name and from-email address         |
| **Unsubscribe Group** | The suppression group for opt-out management |

All three fields are required. The send cannot proceed without them.

> **Screenshot suggestion:** The newsletter issue Audience tab with FeedOtter Email selected and the List, Sender Profile, and Unsubscribe Group fields filled in.

***

### Step 3: Add an Unsubscribe Link to Your Email

**This is the most important requirement for sending with FeedOtter Email.**

Your email HTML must include a valid unsubscribe link using a SendGrid ASM tag. Without this, FeedOtter will block the send during the preflight check.

#### Recommended Tag

The recommended tag is:

```
<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>
```

This tag outputs the raw unsubscribe URL, which you wrap in an anchor tag in your email HTML:

```html
<a href="<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>">Unsubscribe</a>
```

At send time, SendGrid replaces this tag with the actual opt-out URL personalized for each recipient.

#### Why This Tag Is Required

* FeedOtter Email does **not** automatically append an unsubscribe footer to your email
* If no valid unsubscribe tag is found in your HTML, the preflight check will fail with the error: *"Feedotter Email HTML must include an ASM unsubscribe tag."*
* Sending is blocked until the tag is added

#### All Accepted Unsubscribe Tags

Any of the following tags will satisfy the requirement:

| Tag                                  | Notes                                                         |
| ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>`  | **Recommended.** Outputs the raw URL; use inside `href="..."` |
| `<%asm_group_unsubscribe_url%>`      | Outputs a full `<a>` tag with unsubscribe text                |
| `<%asm_global_unsubscribe_raw_url%>` | Global (account-wide) opt-out; raw URL                        |
| `<%asm_global_unsubscribe_url%>`     | Global opt-out; full link tag                                 |
| `<% unsubscribe %>`                  | HTML only; not valid in plain-text                            |

The group-level tags (`asm_group_unsubscribe_*`) are preferred because they allow subscribers to opt out of this specific email type rather than all email from your domain.

#### Plain-Text Version

If your newsletter includes a plain-text version, it also requires an ASM unsubscribe tag. Any of the ASM variants are accepted in plain text, with the exception of `<% unsubscribe %>`.

Example plain-text footer:

```
To unsubscribe from this newsletter, visit: <%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>
```

> **Screenshot suggestion:** Email editor showing an unsubscribe link in the footer with the ASM tag visible.

***

### Step 4: Preflight Check

Before every send, FeedOtter runs an automated preflight check on your email. The preflight verifies that the email meets the requirements for delivery through FeedOtter Email.

#### What Preflight Checks

* The HTML includes a valid ASM unsubscribe tag
* The plain-text version (if present) includes a valid ASM unsubscribe tag
* All required sending fields (list, sender profile, unsubscribe group) are configured

#### If Preflight Fails

If preflight finds an error, the publish action is blocked. The error is displayed in the Publish panel with a description of what needs to be fixed.

Resolve all preflight errors before attempting to publish. Common fixes:

* **Missing unsubscribe tag:** Add `<a href="<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>">Unsubscribe</a>` to your email footer
* **Missing sender profile or list:** Return to the Audience tab and complete all required fields

***

### Step 5: Publish or Schedule the Send

Once your content is ready and preflight passes:

1. Click the **Publish** button in the newsletter issue layout
2. The Publish panel opens
3. Choose to send **now** or select a future **date and time**
4. Click **Confirm** to schedule or send

#### Sending Now

The email enters the send queue immediately and typically delivers within a few minutes.

#### Scheduling a Future Send

Select a date and time for the send. The email will be queued in SendGrid and delivered at the scheduled time. You can view and cancel scheduled sends from **Feedotter Email → Sends** before the scheduled time.

> **Screenshot suggestion:** The Publish panel showing the schedule date/time picker and the Confirm button.

***

### After Sending

After a send is confirmed, it appears in **Feedotter Email → Sends**. From there you can:

* View delivery and engagement stats
* Access the per-send report with open rates, click rates, bounces, and unsubscribes
* Review which links were clicked

See Sends & Reporting for full details on available metrics.

***

### Troubleshooting

| Problem                                                     | Solution                                                                               |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Feedotter Email HTML must include an ASM unsubscribe tag"  | Add `<a href="<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>">Unsubscribe</a>` to your email footer |
| "FeedOtter plain-text must include the ASM unsubscribe tag" | Add `<%asm_group_unsubscribe_raw_url%>` to the plain-text version of your email        |
| FeedOtter Email does not appear as a sending platform       | Your account may not have FeedOtter Email enabled; contact <sales@feedotter.com>       |
| No sender profiles available                                | Create a Sender Profile at Settings → Emailing and wait for verification               |
| No unsubscribe groups available                             | Create an Unsubscribe Group at Audience → Unsubscribe Groups                           |