Before activating a workflow, it’s essential to test your emails to ensure they look correct and contain the right information. BookLive provides several tools to preview and test workflow emails before they reach your clients.
Why Test Your Workflows? #
Testing helps you catch issues before your clients see them:
- Template errors – Missing or incorrect placeholders
- Formatting issues – Broken layouts or styling problems
- Content mistakes – Typos, wrong links, or outdated information
- Timing verification – Ensure delays are configured correctly
Preview Mode #
Preview mode shows you how each email will look with sample data populated in the placeholders.
How to Preview #
- Open your workflow
- Click Preview (usually near the top of the page)
- View each email step with sample data filled in
What Preview Shows #
- Subject line – With sample client name and other placeholders replaced
- Email body – Full HTML rendering with sample data
- Unsubscribe link – Shows where the compliance link appears
- Step order – Which step number each email is
Sample Data Used #
Preview uses fictional sample data so you can see how placeholders render:
- Client: “John Doe” (john@example.com)
- Company: “Acme Corp”
- Location: New York, NY
- Performance: 30 days from today
- Venue: “Grand Ballroom” at 123 Main Street
Note: Preview uses your actual group information, so the sender name and group details will be accurate.
Sending Test Emails #
Test emails let you see exactly what clients will receive, delivered to your own inbox.
How to Send a Test Email #
- Open your workflow
- Navigate to the email step you want to test
- Click Send Test Email
- Enter the email address to send to (defaults to your login email)
- Click Send
What the Test Email Includes #
- [TEST] prefix in the subject line (so you know it’s a test)
- Sample data in all placeholders
- Actual email formatting and styling
- Working unsubscribe link (clicking it won’t affect anything)
What to Check #
When you receive the test email, verify:
- Subject line is appropriate and placeholders resolved correctly
- Email renders properly in your email client
- Images load (if any)
- Links work correctly
- Formatting looks professional
- No broken placeholders (showing {placeholder} instead of actual values)
- Unsubscribe link is visible and clickable
Previewing Specific Enrollments #
Once clients are enrolled, you can preview emails specific to their data:
- Open an enrollment
- Find a pending email step
- Click Preview
- See the email with that specific client’s information
This shows you exactly what that particular client will receive, including:
- Their actual name and email
- Their performance date and venue
- Any custom content you’ve added
Testing Different Scenarios #
Test Early in the Sequence #
Always test the first email in your workflow—it’s what clients see first and sets the tone.
Test Each Email Type #
If your workflow has different types of emails (welcome, reminder, thank you), test at least one of each to ensure templates are working.
Test on Mobile #
Send test emails and view them on your phone. Many clients read email on mobile devices.
Test with Different Email Clients #
If possible, check how your emails render in:
- Gmail
- Outlook
- Apple Mail
- Yahoo Mail
Email rendering can vary between clients.
Common Issues Found During Testing #
Broken Placeholders #
Symptom: Email shows {client.name} instead of “John Doe”
Cause: Placeholder syntax is incorrect or field doesn’t exist
Fix: Check placeholder spelling and available fields in your template editor
Missing Template #
Symptom: Preview shows “Template not found”
Cause: The template was deleted or the step isn’t properly configured
Fix: Re-select a template for the email step
Formatting Issues #
Symptom: Email looks different than expected
Cause: Email client rendering differences
Fix: Use simple HTML formatting, test in multiple email clients
Wrong Information #
Symptom: Email contains outdated or incorrect content
Cause: Template needs updating
Fix: Update the email template with correct information
Testing Timing #
While you can’t fully simulate time-based triggers, you can verify timing by:
- Enrolling a test client
- Reviewing the step timeline to see scheduled dates/times
- Verifying delays are calculated correctly
- Using Skip on delay steps to move through faster
Testing Checklist #
Before activating your workflow, confirm:
- ☐ All email steps have templates assigned
- ☐ Preview mode shows correct content for each email
- ☐ At least one test email was sent and reviewed
- ☐ Subject lines are appropriate
- ☐ Placeholders resolve correctly
- ☐ Links in emails work
- ☐ Unsubscribe link is visible
- ☐ Delay timing looks correct
- ☐ Goals are set up appropriately
- ☐ Mobile rendering is acceptable
After Activation #
Even after activating, continue to monitor:
- Check enrollment progress for the first few clients
- Review any failed steps
- Ask a friendly client for feedback on the emails they received
- Make adjustments to templates as needed
