Preview and Test Your Email

Different email programs display your HTML email differently, so we recommend you preview and test your email content before you send.

In this article, you'll learn how to preview your email and how to send tests.

Before you start

Here are some things to know before you begin this process.

• Inbox Preview requires a paid monthly Marketing plan to use.
• Contact-specific merge tags and dynamic content won't be activated in test emails. We recommend that you preview your email and test your merge tags with the Enable live merge tag info slider toggled on, or send a live email to a small test segment of your audience.
• Every email you send to a recipient counts toward your monthly send limit or uses a Pay As You Go credit, whether it's a test or live email. To learn more, check out About Test Email Sending Limits.
• Test emails sent from the template builder aren’t associated with an audience, so the from email address will be your primary account email address. Sent emails will display the from email address associated with your audience, or the address you typed in the from section of the email builder.
• Test your links with Link Checker in the classic builder. If you're working with the new email builder, we'll mark broken links with an exclamation point.

Preview your email

Preview mode gives you an idea of how your email will look in your recipients' inboxes on both desktop and mobile devices.

Preview your email in the new builder

To preview your email in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. From the email designer, click Preview.
   
   You can also enter Preview mode by clicking the Preview image in the Content section of the builder.
   
2. Click Desktop or Mobile to see how your finished email design will look on these devices. If you have a paid plan, click Inbox to see how your email will look in different email clients.
3. The Header Info panel displays the To and From email addresses, Subject, and Preview Text. If you’re using merge tags and want to see how they’ll look to your contacts, toggle on the Enable live merge tag info slider. If you see test data, check out our Troubleshooting Merge Tags article.
   
4. When you're done, click the X to close the page.

Preview your email in the classic builder

To preview your email in the classic builder, follow these steps.

1. From the email designer, click the Preview drop-down menu and choose Enter preview mode.
   
   You can also enter Preview mode by clicking the Preview image in the Content section of the email builder.
   
2. Click Desktop or Mobile to see how your finished email design will look on these devices. If you have a paid plan, click Inbox to see how your email will look in different email clients.
3. The Header Info panel displays the To and From email addresses, Subject, and Preview Text. If you’re using merge tags and want to see how they’ll look to your contacts, toggle on the Enable live merge tag info slider. If you see test data, check out our Troubleshooting Merge Tags article.
4. When you're done, click the X to close the page.

Use link checker in the classic builder

Use our Link Checker to make sure all the links in your classic email are valid and take your recipients exactly where you want them to go. Link Checker is available only in the classic builder. In the new builder, links are automatically checked and flagged if there's a problem.

To check your links, follow these steps.

1. From the email designer, click the Preview drop-down menu and choose Open Link Checker.
   
   An email preview displays, as well as a list of all the links in your email.

2. Click each link to open the Link Details. You’ll see the URL, a preview of the website when applicable, and a warning if the URL is invalid. Mailchimp can’t preview links containing merge tags, anchors, or mail-to addresses.

   To change a URL address, click Edit link under the URL or press “e” on your keyboard.
   
   To navigate between links on the Link Details panel, use the Back and Next buttons or use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard to move up and down the list.

Link Checker isn't available for Code Your Own template options, including Paste in code, Import zip, and Import HTML. If you're using a Code Your Own template, thoroughly test your email to make sure all the links are correct.

Link Checker also isn't available when creating a template from the Templates page of your account or for templates using the new builder.

Send a test email

Send a test to see how an email will appear in your inbox, or to share a draft email with a colleague. For more information on reviewing your content before sending, take a look at our Email Testing Tips.

Contact-specific merge tags won't be activated in a test because your email isn't being sent to a contact of your audience just yet (even if the test email address used is the same as a contact in your audience). Instead, we recommend that you use the Enable live merge tag info slider when you preview your email.

Send a test email in the new builder

To send a test email in the new builder, follow these steps.

1. From the email designer, click the drop-down next to Save and exit, then click Send test email.
   
   You can also click Send a Test Email in the Content section of the email builder.
   
2. Type the email address you want to send the test to. To send multiple emails, separate the addresses with a comma. You can include instructions and a personal message, if you’d like.
3. When you're ready, click Send Test.

Send a test email in the classic builder

To send a test email in the classic builder, follow these steps.

1. From the email designer, click the Preview drop-down menu, and choose Send a test email.
   
   You can also click Send a Test Email in the Content section of the email builder.
2. Type the email address you want to send the test to. To send multiple emails, separate the addresses with a comma.
   
   You also have the option to send your test email to other users on your account, include instructions and a personal message, and choose which account users will be notified about new comments.
3. When you're ready, click Send Test.

Recipients can reply to the test email with their feedback. We use an inbound email address to send their feedback directly to your account. To learn more, check out Collaborate on Emails.