Lesson #13 - Emailing

Following anti-spam laws is crucial for businesses engaged in email marketing or electronic communication. These laws are designed to combat unsolicited and often intrusive messages, commonly referred to as spam. 

Ensure that your messages are effective, compliant with regulations, and well-received by your audience by following these guidelines.

Email Messaging Guidelines

To keep email service available and to prevent Jackrabbit Technologies from being spam black-listed, all emails sent from Jackrabbit must adhere to these guidelines.

All emails are monitored by our email delivery platform which filters all content to check for spam indicators. Messages that violate spam legislation will not be delivered.

Text Messaging Guidelines

Text messaging in Jackrabbit is intended to facilitate urgent and timely communication between your organization and customers. 

Texting has very strict regulations on use governed by the FCC, CTIA, and MMA.  Not following these guidelines may cause your sending phone numbers to be blocked and your account to be closed.

Additional best practices:

• Minimize the number of messages per day. Too many messages will not only annoy customers but may trigger a carrier to block your sending phone number permanently. Jackrabbit will alert you when you’ve sent 200 cumulative texts in a 1-day period.
• Avoid marketing phrases like "Congratulations," "Buy Now," or "Sale Today Only."
• Avoid $ or other symbols that indicate marketing such as $199, Buy Now!, or 20% off.

Jackrabbit sends out a large number of emails for our clients every day. A question we sometimes hear is, "Why are some of my customers not receiving emails?" It is important to understand the process of email before working towards a solution! 

Before getting started, it's even more important to understand what you can do to avoid problems with delivery rates.

What You Should Avoid

• Bad content: Avoid ALL CAPS and exclamation points !!!!! Don't use a red font when drafting your email; this is a common trick used by spammers.
  
  
• Issues with HTML: When composing emails, it is sometimes tempting to save time by converting Microsoft Word files to HTML, but this should be avoided because it can corrupt HTML. Broken HTML is a red flag for spam and will be sloppy and unreadable by most email clients.
  
  
• One big image: creating an HTML email containing an image with little or no text. Spam filters can’t read images and will assume you’re a spammer trying to trick them.
  
  
• Spam words: Act Now, Percent Off, Free Offer, etc. Check out this great Hubspot article The Ultimate List of Email SPAM Trigger Words.

Understand the Email Process

Let’s look at the route an email takes:

Step 1: Create and send an email

You compose and send an email in Jackrabbit, directing the email to our server.

Step 2: Jackrabbit servers process the email

The email is queued and sorted with financial emails (e.g., statements and receipts) being flagged as a higher priority. The email status will show in your system as Pending.  

The emails are then sent to one of Jackrabbit’s servers. The server processes and releases the email. As soon as it is delivered, the email will show as Complete in your system. The email is considered successful and is no longer controlled by Jackrabbit. 

Step 3: The email travels via the internet

Now the emails are released to the internet, passing through several routers. A server examines the to address for validity and sorts it in the right direction. The from address is checked for good standing and to ensure it is not blacklisted.

Step 4: The email searches for its destination

As an email reaches the domain address, the receiving server must process it. Many emails are rejected because they look like spam. The domain server may also determine that the specific recipient doesn’t live there. Different domain servers have different rules and different filter strictness.

Step 5: The email reaches its destination 

If the email is successfully processed above, it is forwarded to the recipient’s email program. It must pass through any rules or filters the recipient’s email program (Outlook, Gmail, etc.) uses and any filters the recipient applied in their personal settings. Even though the email made it to the recipient’s email program doesn’t mean the email is sitting in their Inbox. It could be in another folder, including the junk or spam folder.   

Improve Your Deliverability Rate

Your deliverability rate is the percentage of emails sent that are delivered to the recipient. The recipient’s ISP and personal settings are the largest determination of your deliverability rate. However, you can take action to increase the likelihood of emails arriving at their destination. 

• Remove non-existent and undeliverable email addresses from your system. Reference the Email Bounce report.
  
  
• Stay current with email communication best practices to avoid triggering spam filters.
  
  
• Honor email opt-outs when sending mass marketing emails. Only include opt-outs for important notices like weather closures.
  
  
• Use a recognizable from email address and name, accompanied by a clear and relevant subject line. The subject line could prevent email providers from sending your email. 

There are many reasons why an email can be prevented from making it to the recipient. Use Jackrabbit to help you find out why customers aren't receiving your emails. 

Reasons an Email May Not be Received

Unfortunately, there are multiple reasons why an email isn't received. Many issues cannot be researched by Jackrabbit, but these are some of the most common issues:

• The email was sorted into the recipient's spam folder. The recipient doesn’t know they received it.
• The email was automatically deleted by the recipient's personal Spam rules.
• The recipient's Inbox is full and won’t accept any more emails until some are deleted.
• The recipient no longer uses that email address.
• The recipient's Internet Service Provider (ISP) refused to deliver the email because the ISP thinks it is spam.
• The email address is not typed correctly.
• The email address is the contact’s business email address. Some businesses block 3rd party redirected emails. Jackrabbit emails fall under this category.

Troubleshoot Email in Jackrabbit 

Jackrabbit allows you to easily email families individually or in a large group. When you have problems with emails check the following to help troubleshoot the issue:

• The family record shows if the contact has opted out of mass emails. 
• The family record holds a copy of emails sent to the family over the last 365 days. Check the status of an email sent to the family using the View Sent Emails button.
• The Email Bounce report provides a list of bounced email addresses to inform you of those returned to our server with an error. 
• The Parent Portal allows contacts to view all emails you have sent to them over the last 365 days. Even if the email didn’t successfully make it to the contact’s Inbox, they can still view a copy here.
• Use the Sent Emails Report to see a list of emails sent to your students, contacts, and staff during a specified timeframe.

Sending a mass email uses Jackrabbit's Internet Service Provider (ISP), which can be seen as spam by the recipient's ISP and block it from being delivered.

The correct domain name and IP address must be used. Refer to Add Jackrabbit to Safe Sender List for more information and a complete list of our IP addresses.

Use Email Best Practices

Sending emails is the best way to communicate with a number of families at one time, especially when you have important information to share. How can you ensure that families are receiving emails? 

• Create the habit of running the Email Bounce report after sending an email. This helps you identify bounced emails immediately instead of waiting for families to report the issue.
• Remove invalid email addresses (found on the Email Bounce report) from contact records in Jackrabbit to avoid future bounces.
• Send a test email to a contact’s email address after removing them from the Email Bounce report to make sure emails are delivered.

Jackrabbit offers a wide selection of professionally designed email templates, featuring full-color graphics and standard wording. These templates (101 and greater) were created in the classic editor and must be edited using that editor. To access and customize them, go to the Gear icon > Settings > Email Templates.

Many templates include placeholder images for your business logo, which can be effortlessly replaced with your own company logo to fit your brand identity. Note: Some of the information in the templates is sample content. Make sure you change all of the dates, times, locations, etc., in a template before you send it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.  I accidentally deleted one of the professionally designed templates. Can I add it back?

A.  It's possible to delete one of the professionally designed templates (using the Trash Can icon), but don't panic. If you realize that you did this in error, contact Support and they will provide instructions for you to re-create it.

Creating your own email templates offers a powerful way to elevate your email marketing strategy. With custom templates, you ensure that every email consistently reflects your brand’s identity while streamlining your workflow.

With Jackrabbit's email template editor, you can customize every aspect of the email, from the layout to the content and images!

• Ensure consistent and professional branding.
• Save time with reusable designs.
• Enhance engagement with personalized communications.

Expand/Collapse All

The Email Template Editor - An Overview

Jackrabbit's email template editor simplifies the process of creating stunning emails, making it as easy as building with blocks. No technical expertise is required—just drag, drop, and customize to bring your vision to life!

Rows, columns, and content blocks are the foundation of your email design. They are added to the main workspace, called the canvas, where you'll build your content.

• Rows are horizontal sections that divide your email into different parts, like headers, content areas, and footers.
• Columns are vertical divisions within a row that help you organize content side by side, such as placing text next to an image.
• Content blocks are individual elements you place in columns, such as text, images, and buttons. Each block can be customized to fit your design.

The image above displays a single row on the canvas with one column containing two content blocks.

Your design 'toolkit' is located in a side panel with several tabs. Each tab provides access to the tools you'll use to build your email. You can collapse the side panel to increase your canvas working space.

Content

The Content tab provides access to various content blocks you can use to build your email. Drag and drop these blocks into rows on your canvas to create and organize your content.

• Columns - Add columns to your design.
• Attach File - Add a link to a Jackrabbit file.
• Button - Add any type of button in your email, controlling color and style.
• Divider - Use to add spacing and division between sections in your email.
• Heading - Add headings (from levels 1-6).
• Text - Add a block of text.
• Image - Add an image (uploaded or stock) to your email.
• Google Drive - Add a link to a file in Google Drive.
• Menu - Used to create navigation menus.
• HTML - Add a block to the design in code.

Blocks (structure)

Add a new row with your chosen number of columns by dragging a block above or below an existing row on the canvas.

Body

The Body tab includes options related to the overall design and layout of the email body, such as text color, background color, content width (max 900px), and more.

Images

Search through literally millions of stock images to drag and drop into your design.

Audit

The Audit tab alerts you to any issues in your design and content, e.g., missing alternate text (accessibility).

Create a Template from Scratch

To create a new template, click the Gear icon, select Settings, and select Email Templates. On the List Templates page, select the Add Template button to open the classic template editor. To create your template using the drag-and-drop functionality, select Try New Editor.

Let's step through creating a simple newsletter template to get the gist of it. As you get comfortable in the template editor, you'll be able to create more customized designs.

Create the Layout

The newsletter will have a logo, heading, divider, two columns of side by side text, and a footer with a divider and a call to action button.

The first step is to lay out the email by adding rows and content blocks to the canvas. When initially creating the template, the first row has already been added to the canvas for you.

1. In the side panel, select the Image content block and drag and drop it in the row. A blue line indicates where the block will be dropped.
2. Drag the Heading content block and drop it when the blue Drag it here line is below the image. The heading will be added to the row below the image.
3. Add the divider line. Because we want it to go the full width of the newsletter, we can drop the Divider content block into the row directly below the heading. This completes the first row.
4. Add text blocks. We are going to use a side by side, two-column design. We'll need to create a new row to be able to divide it into two columns. There are three options to add the new row:
   • Select the Columns content block and drag it onto the canvas below the first row. Drop it and select the two-column layout in the side panel. 
   • Go to the Blocks tab, select the two-column layout, and drag it onto the canvas below the first row.
   • Use the bottom Add Row option (available when you hover or highlight a row) to add a new row below the first one. Then highlight the row to open the row options and select two columns.
5. Select the Text content block and drag and drop it into the first column. Drag and drop another Text block into the second column.
6. Because we want the last row to extend the full width, we must create a new row below our two text columns. There are two options to add a new row:
   • Go to the Blocks tab, select the one-column layout, and drag it onto the canvas below the second row.
   • Use the bottom Add Row option (available when you hover or highlight a row) to add a new row below.
7. Select the Divider content block and drag it into the last row. Then drag the Button content block directly below it.

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Our layout is now ready to be customized!

Customize Your Content

Now that we have our newsletter laid out, we'll customize the content blocks.

1. On the canvas, click on the Image content block to open the image options in the side panel. There, you can choose to upload an image or search the stock photo library supplied for an image to use. Once the image has been selected, use the image options available to make edits like sizing, alignment, etc.
   
   
2. Click on the Heading content block to open the text options. Select the Heading Type and font preferences, such as size, weight, color, etc.
3. Customize the width, weight, and color of the Divider content block using the side panel options.
4. Add your text in each of the Text content blocks and use the side panel options to adjust the font, alignment, padding, etc. The text editor offers formatting options for further customization.
   
   
   
   
5. Use the side panel options to customize the width, weight, and color of the second Divider content block.
6. Customize the button with the call to action text, e.g., Log in to Your Parent Portal. Add the Action Type and use the options for color, width, font, etc. to get the look you want.
7. As the final step in customizing your email, go to the Body tab in the side panel. Here, you'll find options that control the whole body of the email rather than each individual block. Some examples are text and background colors, content width (max 900 px), etc.
   
   

Make a mistake? Don't panic! Use the Undo and Redo options in the canvas controls (bottom left of canvas) to get back on track!

Preview and Save Template

Once the email is laid out and you've customized your content, preview the template using the Eye icon in the canvas controls.  

Three preset screen sizes allow you to preview your email on Desktop (1280px), Tablet (768px), and Mobile (360px). Many more screen size options are available from the pixel size drop down.

The Audit tab in the side panel displays a red notification badge if there are any issues with your email that should be addressed. Review the issues and make any necessary corrections. 

When you are happy with your email, select the Save Changes button. This saves the draft as a template that will be available for use from the drop-down in the email editor throughout Jackrabbit💥! 

Note: If a User navigates away from the page when creating the template, the draft is auto-saved and remembered the next time they return. There is no need to save changes to a draft.

Edit a Previously Created Template

Rarely are things ever one and done. Thankfully, editing an email template is simple in the new editor. Start with one design and drag and drop your way to a revamped and revitalized email!

From the List Templates page (Gear icon > Settings > Email Templates), locate the template to be edited and click the link to open the Template Editor.

We've created a template, 100 Newsletter, for you to work with as an alternative to starting from scratch. This template has many rows and utilizes several types of content blocks and column layouts.

Let's step through some edits you can make to customize the template to suit your needs.

Replace Images

To replace an image, you must delete the existing one and then add a new one (there is no option to swap or replace).

1. Click on an Image content block to access the image options. Use the Trash Can icon to delete the image.
2. From the side panel, drag an Image content block and drop it into the row.
3. Click on the Image content block to open the image options. Upload a new image or select a stock photo.

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Edit Text Content Blocks

Click on a Text content block to open the text and formatting options. Highlight the existing text and add new. Format as needed. 

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Delete a Row

Click on a row on the canvas to highlight it and open the row options. Use the Trash Can icon to delete the row.

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Delete a Content Block

Click on a content block to highlight it and open the options. Use the Trash Can icon to delete the block.

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Reorder Rows

Drag and drop rows in any order. Highlight a row on the canvas to open the row options. Click the Drag icon to move the row to another area and drop it onto the canvas.

Click here to see this in action (GIF).

Copy an existing email template:

1. Go to the Gear (icon) > Settings > Email Templates.
2. On the List Templates page, click the Copy icon to the left of the template Name.
   
   
   
3. When the Template Editor opens, change the Template Name.
4. Make changes to the subject line and message if needed.
5. Click Copy Template.
   • The copied template will now be available on the List Templates page.

The Notifications page provides a centralized location for email addresses in Jackrabbit. 

• View or edit the various email addresses in your Jackrabbit system. 
• Set an email address as the default for replies to emails you send from Jackrabbit.
• Designate an email address to receive system notifications such as Online Registrations or Parent Portal payments.

There are a few different ways to email an individual family or staff member in Jackrabbit:

• Email button on a Family or Staff record.
• Email links in multiple locations within Jackrabbit.

Use the Email Button in Family or Staff Record

To send an individual email from Jackrabbit's email program use the Email button located in either the Family or Staff records.

1. Select the Family or Staff member you would like to email.
2. Click the Email button.
   • In a Family record - Select Recipients from the menu listed: Send additional email to..., select Send replies to... (emails shown come from the Gear icon > Settings > General > User IDs > select a User ID > Email).
     
     
     
   • In a Staff record -  Email replies sent to and Send Additional Emails to are located below the email message section (Gear icon > Settings > General > User IDs > select a User ID > Email).
     
     
     
3. Choose a pre-existing email Template, a saved Favorite, or create a new email message by choosing one of the following from the Type drop-down list:
   • Email - Plain Text Email
   • Email - HTML
   • Optionally, you can select to send a Push Notification (if you use the Jackrabbit Plus mobile app) or a Text Message/Email (if you have text messaging enabled)
4. Add an Email Subject Line.
5. Type the email Message text.
   • We strongly recommend you compose your email in the Jackrabbit email editor. If you copy/paste from another application (ie. Microsoft Word) there may be hidden code that will affect the way your email appears to your recipient.
6. Click Attach File, Insert Image, or Choose from Dropbox to attach files and add images if needed. See Email Attachments and Images for more details.
7. Click Preview & Send (Family record) or Preview List (Staff record).
8. Review the Matched Recipients information. Clear the checkbox for any emails you do not want to send.
9. Click Send Now to send the email immediately or click Send Later to schedule a date/time for the email to be sent. See Schedule an Email for more details. 
   • If you selected Send Now a green box will display to indicate the email is on its way. 
   • If you opted to Send Later you will see a blue box confirming that your email has been scheduled.

A confirmation email is automatically sent from the Jackrabbit mail server to the email address you defined as the reply email (Email Replies Sent To). This email is not the 'real' message sent to the customer. It is simply an excerpt (1st 1,000 characters) of the email notifying you that the email was sent and listing the recipients' email addresses.

View Sent Emails on the Misc tab can be accessed from the individual Family or Staff record. Email history is retained for 365 days.

It is not possible for Jackrabbit to indicate if your email was not received or opened by the recipient. However, the Email Bounce Report will alert you to emails with certain delivery issues.

Use Email Links

In multiple areas of Jackrabbit, a family, contact, student, or staff email address may be linked (underlined & clickable). When you click the email address, Jackrabbit will launch whatever email program is installed on your computer locally (if there is one). Examples: Outlook, Microsoft Mail, Thunderbird, Gmail. The email program will open a new email with the recipient (To field) pre-filled.

Note: If you have Outlook or another email program installed but not set up, clicking the link may trigger an email client setup wizard and prompt you to specify an email address, etc. Jackrabbit can not assist you with the set up of email programs.

If you access your email via a web-based client (Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.) clicking the link may not work, however, the email address may be copied from Jackrabbit and pasted into the web-based email To field.

When you use a link in Jackrabbit to create an email it is sent by your email program (as opposed to being sent by Jackrabbit's email program). These emails are not tracked in Jackrabbit, there will be no record of that email in View Sent Emails on the Family record > Misc tab and it will not be reported in your Jackrabbit email activity. Families will not see those emails in their Parent (Customer) Portals.

Jackrabbit offers you multiple ways to email your families. Select the option that works best for your needs.

• Email from the All Families grid page.
• Email from the Families (menu) > Email/Text Families.
• Email a single family from a Family record.

There is no limit to the number of emails you can send.

Step up your email game with Zippy AI. Say goodbye to writer's block and hello to effortless communication!

Zippy AI is an artificial intelligence-powered email assistant available in the email editor in Email/Text Families (from the Families menu). It helps you craft emails with ease, saving you time and energy. Whether you're a seasoned AI pro or just getting started, this article will walk you through everything you need to know about using Zippy AI to compose emails like a champ.

• Enhance customer engagement with captivating emails.
• Increase efficiency; let AI craft your messages in seconds.
• Personalize messages with class-specific details that Zippy AI pulls from the Class record.

There are three steps to writing a message with Zippy AI.

Prompt	Prompts are instructions or questions used to tell Zippy AI what kind of email you want to compose and what information to include. Some examples of what you could ask Zippy AI are: "Compose an email to announce our upcoming dance recital." "Write an email about our new Advanced Tumbling class." Several ideas are provided that will pre-fill the prompt for you: Newsletter, Birthday, Congratulations, New Class, Announcements, or Complaint Response. If you are composing an email about a specific class, select the class from the drop-down, and Zippy AI will automatically retrieve and insert relevant class details from the Class record directly into your email 🪄.
Retry/Revise/Restart	Retry Use the Retry button to reject the initial draft and generate a completely new draft of the message using your original prompt. or Revise Use the ideas for Length (Shorten, Lengthen), Tone (Formal, Conversational, Humorous, Empathetic), and Audience (Family, Parent, Student), add further instructions in the Ask Zippy to write any type of message field, or do a combination of both to generate a revised draft. or Restart Bypass the draft completely and start a new message using the New Message option in the Ideas for you section.
Use the Message	When you are happy with your revisions, select Use this message to copy the message into the email editor. There, you can customize it further by replacing any brackets and placeholder text with your own information, adding a Subject line, changing any brackets and placeholder text to your own details, adjusting formatting, and making any other changes you need. Remember to double-check your email before sending it! Zippy is here to help with accuracy and efficiency but might occasionally miss something or make a small mistake.

Jackrabbit offers 1GB of file storage free of charge! The types of files that can be stored and added to your emails are:

• Image Files - Restricted to web compatible types ending in: .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, and .png.
• Files Attachments - Allowable extensions: .txt, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .xls, .xlsx, .ppt, .pptx, .zip, .rar, .avi, .mov, .mp3, .mp4, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png, .tiff, and .bmp.

It's easy to upload files. In the email Message section click either of the Jackrabbit files Attach File or Insert Image buttons and then drag the file you want to upload from your computer into the blue box in the Attach File window. Alternatively, you can click the text "Click here to choose a file" to see a traditional file browser where you can select the file to upload.

The User ID must have the permission Tools: Upload a File in order to see the Upload Files section.

Once a file has been uploaded, it will appear in the bottom section. Use the Select Files filter to quickly locate an uploaded file or sort by Date, Name, or Size.

The progress bar indicates how much of your allotted space (1 GB) has been used. Periodically remove older files to free up space. To delete a Jackrabbit File hover over the file icon and click the 'X' icon.  Note: The User ID must have the permission Tools: Delete a File in order to see the 'X' icon.

Images can be resized once inserted into the email by dragging the corner to adjust the size. It is a good idea, however, to resize them PRIOR to uploading them so that you do not use up your cloud storage unnecessarily.

Save time with the ability to compose and send class emails from multiple locations in Jackrabbit. You can also email specific groups directly from the relevant place in Jackrabbit. For example, you can email students on a specific waitlist directly from that waitlist.

Emails can be scheduled up to 90 days in the future using the Send Later button on the email Preview screen.

When you preview an email that was created in Jackrabbit, you have the option to send the email immediately or schedule the email to be sent at a later date/time.

An email scheduled to be sent on a future date will only include recipients that matched your selection criteria at the time you created the email. It is not updated, prior to being sent, to include any students who enrolled after you created the email, nor will it exclude any students who may have dropped since that date.

Schedule Email to be Sent Later

1. Go to the Families menu > All Families. 
   • All your families will display in the grid.
   • Use the filter, when applicable, to narrow down the family list.
   • Leave the 1st column in the grid unchecked to select all families or check the boxes for the families to be included in the email.
2. Click the Send Message iconand define the audience in the pop-up window.
3. Click Select. 
4. Compose your email and select the additional Recipients from the list shown.
5. Click Preview List.
6. Clear the checkbox for any email address you don't want to receive the email.
7. Select Send Later.
   
   
   
8. Select the Date and Time you want the email to be sent.  
   Note: The email will be sent based on the Time Zone designated under the Gear icon > Settings > General > Organizational Defaults (left menu) > Time & Date Settings.
   
   
   
9. Click Send Later.

You will receive a confirmation that your email has been scheduled. 

The Scheduled Emails report includes icons that allow you to edit the email content, preview the list of recipients, reschedule the email and delete the email.

A Scheduled Emails alert on the Executive Dashboard keeps you informed of pending scheduled emails. Click the alert to access the Scheduled Emails report.

You can also get to the Scheduled Emails report from the Reports (menu) > Find Reports > Email/Text/Marketing (left menu) > Emails- Scheduled.

The User ID permission "Emails - Scheduled" (in the Reports category of permissions) controls a User's access to scheduled emails. Edit a User's permissions from the Gear (icon) > Settings > General > User IDs (left menu).

The Scheduled Emails report lists all emails scheduled using the Send Later button. The current status of the email (Scheduled or Complete) is displayed along with the number of recipients, the type of email (where in Jackrabbit it was created), the email subject, date/time information, and the User ID of the person who created the email.

Use the icons to work with the scheduled email.

	Use the Pencil icon to open the email editor where you can edit the content of the email.
	The Eye icon opens the Preview Scheduled Email page where you are able to remove recipients (or add back previously removed recipients). Once the email has been sent (status = Completed) the eye icon opens a view of the sent email.
	Click the Send icon to open the Send Email window where you can reschedule the date and time or choose to Send Now.
	Use the Trash Can icon to stop the email from being sent at the scheduled date/time and delete the email's contents.

While you can't add any new recipients to a scheduled email, you can remove recipients that are scheduled to receive the email or add back recipients that you removed in a previous edit to the recipients of the scheduled email.

Jackrabbit offers you multiple ways to send emails and student schedules to your students and families. Note:  Email Families & Email/Print Student Schedules from the Families category must be selected as the user permission in order to use this functionality. To learn how to update User permissions, see Manage User IDs.

Email Students

Depending on why you are sending the email and which students you want to communicate with, select from one of the following options: 

• Email students from Families (menu) > All Families, or Students (menu) > All Students
• Email students in all or selected classes from the Classes menu > All Classes.
• Email students in a single class from the Classes menu > All Classes.

Jackrabbit has made emailing different groups of people even easier by allowing you to generate an email directly from several reports! In the report results for a table style report (shown below), the Email All checkboxes allow you to select which families to email, and an Email button opens up an editor where you can create your email.

Send an Email from a Report

1. Run your selected report.
2. Use the checkboxes (last column) to select which families to send the email to or select Email All to send to all email addresses.
3. Click Email to open the email editor.
   
   
   
4. Select an Email Template if applicable.
5. Choose a Type (Email - HTML or Email - Plain Text Email).
6. Enter an Email Subject Line.
7. Enter the message body or edit the template body if needed.
8. Click Attach File, Insert Image, or Choose from Dropbox to attach files and add images if needed. See Email Attachments and Images for more details.
9. Choose whether or not you want to include email addresses that have been opted out.
10. Add a reply email address in Email Replies Sent To. This email will automatically be sent a copy of the email.  Note: User ID and Location email addresses are listed (Gear icon > Settings > General).
11. Click Preview List.
12. Clear the checkbox, in the preview,  for any families you want to omit. You can clear the Check All header checkbox to remove every email address and then select only specific families.
13. Click Send Now to send the email right away or select Send Later to schedule the email to be sent at a later time. See our Help article Schedule an Email for more information.

Note: A copy of the email is retained in the family record (Misc tab > View Sent Emails) for 365 days.

Refer to Work with Reports - Table Style and Work with Reports - Grid Style for more details about emailing from reports.

Emails sent from within Jackrabbit are maintained in the system for 365 days. This includes emails sent to families and staff members.

• Sent to Families - Emails sent to your Families (contacts and students), either individually through their Family record, in mass from the Families (menu) > All Families > Send Message (icon), or from Families (menu) > Email/Text Families are found in each Family record on the Misc tab. Click View Sent Emails to see a list of all emails sent in the last 365 days.
  
  
  
• Sent to Staff Members - Emails sent to Staff members, either individually through their Staff record, or in mass from the Staff (menu) > Email/Text Staff are found in each Staff record on the Misc tab. Click View Sent Emails to see a list of all emails sent in the last 365 days.
  
  

Click View to open the email for review.

The Sent Emails report provides a list of emails sent to your students, contacts, and staff based on the filters (Search Criteria) you select.

Go to Reports > Find Reports > Email/Text/Marketing (left menu) > Recommended (tab).

• Review emails sent from the Lead File.
• Access emails sent from your organization within the last 365 days.
• View emails sent to your organization from families using the Parent Portal Contact Us page.

This report, found under the Reports (menu) > Find Reports > Email/Text/Marketing > Email (tab) > Email Bounce Listing, is a tool to assist you in identifying email addresses that are repeatedly undeliverable. Use the list to identify which email addresses need to be corrected in order for future emails to be delivered.

If you do not see this report option under the Reports menu, check your user permissions. (Gear icon > Settings > Users & Permissions > select a User > User Permissions left menu > Reports Category: Email Bounce Report).

The report lists the Email Address, Current Status (see Status Definitions below), Type, First & Last Name, Family Name, telephone numbers, # of Failed Attempts, as well as Most Recent and First Bounce time stamps.

Use the Remove checkboxes to clear the email address from the report once your corrections have been made. You will be asked to confirm that the owner of the email address wishes to receive email communications from you.

Status Definitions

Want to practice what you've just learned?  Great!  

• Go to https://app.jackrabbitclass.com/jr4.0/Login  and log in with the credentials below for your Jackrabbit edition.  
• Go through some or all of the practice scenarios below as they apply to you.

Create a customized template.

1. The easiest way to copy and customize an email template is to go to the Gear Icon on the menu bar and select Settings > Email Templates.  
2. Choose a template and click the Copy icon (second from left). 
3. Make any changes and if you wish, rename the template. 
4. Select the Copy Template button to save your new template.

Send an email.  

Families > All Families

1. Go to Families on the menu bar and select All Families.
2. Select the Active segment in the Status data visual or use the Filter Icon and add a filter for Family Status = Active (click Apply button).
3. Click the Send icon and choose Email.
4. Define the audience and select additional settings as needed.  Click Next: Composer button to continue.
5. Select an email template such as #109 Payment Due in the Template field or create your own email from scratch by entering text in the Subject line field and in the Message field. If you are using the template, customize it with your facility name or logo and the day(s) you will closed/expect to reopen.
6. Click the Preview List button at the bottom.
7. When logged into your own Jackrabbit system, you will select Send Now after reviewing the Recipients List and the message in the Results section. When using the Practice Database, for security reasons, you do not have the ability to send emails.

Families > Email/Text Families

1. Go to Families > Email/Text Families.
2. Select an email template such as #109 Payment Due in the Template field or create your own email from scratch by entering text in the Subject line field and in the Message field. If you are using the template, customize it with your facility name or logo and the day(s) you will closed/expect to reopen.
3. In the Search Criteria section, add/change criteria settings to select the audience.  
4. Refine the Recipients in the Recipients section, set the email address for replies, and select email addresses to receive a copy of the email.  Recipients can be further refined by unchecking check boxes on the Preview List page.
5. Click the Preview List button at the bottom.
6. When logged into your own Jackrabbit system, you will select Send Now after reviewing the Recipients List and the message in the Results section. When using the Practice Database, for security reasons, you do not have the ability to send emails.

When you have worked through all of the articles outlined in the lesson, select the Take the Quiz button to be taken to the Lesson #13 Quiz where you can test your understanding of the concepts in this lesson.  You will be asked to enter an email address for quiz results to be sent.

Quiz #13 - Emailing

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