> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firstrespondershub.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Email campaigns

> Compose and send an email to a contact audience: audience picker, recipient count preview, test sends, and what's attached to every email.

The email composer lets you send a one-off email to any subset of your contacts — everyone interested in a program, a specific cohort's waitlist, a saved custom list, or a tag.

## Opening the composer

The composer opens from several entry points, each pre-scopes the audience:

* **Overview tab** — Click **Send email** on a program or cohort card to email that audience directly.
* **Overview → Saved custom list** → **Send email**.
* **All Contacts → bulk select → Send email** — Scoped to the selected contacts only.
* **Custom list builder → Save and email** — Opens pre-scoped to the list you just saved.

You can also open it blank and pick an audience.

## Audience types

| Audience                  | Who it resolves to                                             |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **All contacts**          | Every active contact in the organization.                      |
| **Interested in program** | Contacts with program interest in the selected offering.       |
| **Cohort students**       | Contacts enrolled in the selected cohort.                      |
| **Cohort waitlist**       | Contacts on the selected cohort's waitlist.                    |
| **Custom list**           | The contacts currently matching a saved custom list's filters. |
| **Tagged contacts**       | Contacts with a specific tag.                                  |

Contacts with email status `Unsubscribed` or `Bounced` are always excluded. The dialog shows both the eligible recipient count and the excluded count.

## Writing the email

* **Subject** — Required.
* **Body** — Plain text. Line breaks render as `<br>` in the delivered email. Rich text is not currently supported.

Every delivered email automatically includes:

* Your organization's name and address (from organization settings)
* A per-recipient unsubscribe link (see [Unsubscribe and compliance](/contacts/unsubscribe-and-compliance))
* A CAN-SPAM compliant footer

## Recipient count preview

The composer fetches the eligible recipient count as you change the audience, with a short debounce. Counts refresh when you change the audience, program, tag, or saved list.

The preview is also the pre-send safety check — if the count is `0`, the send button is disabled.

## Test send

Before sending for real, click **Send test**. The test goes to your own email address (the one you're signed in with) with:

* The same subject and body as the real send
* `[TEST]` prefix on the subject line
* The CAN-SPAM footer rendered

Test sends don't count against your monthly email quota.

## Sending

Clicking **Send** queues a background job (Inngest) that sends sequentially with rate limiting to protect deliverability. The dialog closes immediately and you can watch progress on the **Send History** tab — see [Send history and deliverability](/contacts/send-history-and-deliverability).

<Warning>
  **Quota enforcement is at send time.** If sending would push you over your monthly email limit, the send is rejected with `email_limit_exceeded` and a toast suggesting an upgrade. Recipient count is checked against remaining quota, not the plan cap. See [Plan tiers and limits](/plans-and-billing/plan-tiers-and-limits).
</Warning>

## What you cannot do (yet)

* A/B tests, drip campaigns, scheduled sends, or open/click tracking.
* Rich-text / image / attachment composition — this is enrollment-focused communication, not a full marketing platform.
* Re-subscribe on behalf of a contact who has unsubscribed.