Choosing Who Receives Your Email (Opt-In Explained)
Right before an email goes out, Churchday shows you exactly who it will reach and who it won't. This article explains that breakdown and helps you decide whether to include people who gave you their email but never opted in to hear from you.
Before you begin
- You need access to the Email tab.
- Have your email written and ready to send. This breakdown appears at the very last step, when you click Send.
Step-by-step
- Finish your email and click Send. Whether you used the simple composer or the full email builder, clicking Send opens a pop-up window titled Send campaign.
- Read the recipient breakdown. Before anything goes out, the pop-up shows a summary of your chosen group so you know exactly who will and won't receive this email.
- Check the "Opted in to email" count. This is the number of people who will always be emailed. They have said yes to hearing from you, so they receive your email no matter what.
- Decide about anyone who hasn't opted in. If some people in your group shared an email but never opted in, a yellow warning box appears reading "[N] people haven't opted in to email." It explains that they gave you their email when they registered or signed up, but never opted in to receive email.
- Tick "Also email these [N] people" only when it's right. Inside the warning box is a checkbox labeled Also email these [N] people. Leave it unchecked for a newsletter or promotion. Check it only for something personal and important, like a direct follow-up to people who registered for an event.
- Note the "Can't be reached" count. If some people can't receive email at all, the breakdown shows a "Can't be reached" line with a count. There is no checkbox here, because these people can never be sent to.
- Send when the breakdown looks right. Once you're happy with who's included, finish sending. Only the people shown as included receive your email.
Good to know
- "Opted in to email" is the safe, always-included group. These are people who actively agreed to hear from you. They're the right audience for regular newsletters and announcements.
- The include checkbox can only add people who never opted in. It can never email someone who actually unsubscribed. People who said stop are always kept out, even if you check the box.
- "Can't be reached" covers three cases. It counts people who unsubscribed, whose email bounced or was reported as spam, or who have no email address on file. This line only appears when there's at least one such person, and there is no way to override it.
- Event emails are a little different. If your email is tied to an event, anyone who registered for that event is treated as opted in and always included, because they handed over their email specifically for that event.
- When in doubt, skip the not-opted-in group. Including them for a newsletter or promotion can hurt your church's sending reputation. Save that checkbox for genuinely personal, one-off follow-ups.