Bulk Email Preferences are those values that determine how you communicate with those subscribed individuals in your customer or participant database.

Watch this short video (new tab) on Communications Settings (2.54)

How Bulk Email Works

SmartSpace uses the email addresses of individuals in your database to send personalised emails to them individually, if they are subscribed to receive such communications.  The individuals who receive these emails may be from a search, a report, a group(s) or any other list from which these records can be generated.

The values contained in the Bulk Email Preferences are necessary to enable this to happen.  Without these values, you cannot use the system.

The system can get individual data and include it in the emails, so that the email is specific to that individual.

The system takes the list of individuals that you have selected and saves their record.  After determining whether or not they have a valid email address, emails are placed in a queue where they are gradually sent, so as not to overload the SmartSpace website, and also the outgoing Name Server which is sending the emails.

When you send the emails you are given an estimate of when the emails will be sent.  Depending on the number of emails you want to send, it may take anything from a few minutes to a few hours.  Usually approximately 600 emails will be sent in an hour, although that number will be increased when more email traffic is generated through SmartSpace.

In some cases, where the email contains information which is vital to the individual's registration, membership, booking or other relationship with you, you may send emails to those which are not subscribed.

Setting Up Bulk Email Preferences

Alternate "From" Email

If this field is empty, the email field in your Trader Details will be used.  If you want to use a different address to your main email address, please insert a valid email address here.

Your Outgoing Mail Server

Your internet service provider (ISP) will have provided you with an outgoing Mail Server through which all your outgoing emails can be sent.  An example is smtp.bigpond.com.  Use the address provided to you by your ISP.

Read more here on Mail Servers

Mail Server Username

Along with the value above, your ISP will have provided you with this value.  It is sometimes your email address given to you by your ISP.

Mail Server Password

This value is also provided by your ISP or sometimes created by you.

Default Footer

If you enter some text in this field, it will appear at the bottom of every Bulk Email that you send.

Email Format

Emails can be sent either in Plain Text format or HTML format:

• Plain text is your text unformatted - it appears exactly as it was typed with the exception of website addresses or email addresses;
  • Most email programs will automatically convert these addresses into hyperlinks when entered in plain text format.
• HTML format is text which has been styled in some way (e.g. some text may be bold or coloured);
  • Please note that if you send emails in HTML format, you must use the link tool provided in the text editor to ensure the text appears as a hyperlink in the email.

Email Type

At present only normal emails are supported.

Common Settings

Both Gmail and Hotmail support the use of SMTP connections to relay outgoing emails so you can use a Hotmail, Live, or Gmail account to send your emails.  SmartSpace recognises these settings and makes the correct configuration to ensure the connection is made according to requirements of the host.

Use the settings below to connect with the relevant account.

Hotmail or Live Email Accounts

From Email Address:  Your Hotmail or Live email address.

Outgoing Mailsever:  smtp.live.com.

Mailserver Username:  Your Hotmail or Live email address.

Mailserver Password:  The password you use to login to your email account.

Gmail Accounts

From Email Address:  Your Gmail email address.

Outgoing Mailsever:  smtp.gmail.com.

Mailserver Username:  Your Gmail email address.

Mailserver Password:  The password you use to login to your Gmail account.