In this documentation, you will learn how to schedule a newsletter (only for Acajoom Plus and PRO) :

• Step 1 - Create a list
• Step 2 - Create your Scheduled Newsletter
• Step 3 - Send your Scheduled Newsletter (optional)

Step 1 - Create a list

To create a list, you must go to the menu Components > Acajoom > Lists

Click on the button new to create a new list.

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Select the option 'Published : Yes' to publish your list. Otherwise, you won't be able to send your newsletters.

Select the type 'Newsletter' to create a newsletter list. 

This is an example of list :

Once the list is created, click on the link Create / View mailings:

 If you need so, you can find more informations about how to create a list here .

Step 2 - Create your newsletter

You just created your list, we will now add a Newsletter in this list that we will schedule to use the powerful queue system of Acajoom.

After clicking on the link Create / View mailings, you arrived on a the page to manage your Newsletters.

Now, we will create a new newsletter. Click on the button new.

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First, write a subject :)

In the field send date, enter the date of your choice.  If you filled a date before the current date, your newsletter will be published or unpublished depending on your preferences. If you filled a date in the future (in comparison with your server time), your newsletter will be in waiting mode (Your Newsletter will be scheduled) so the value of the field Published have no effect.

If you don't see the field 'Send date', please make sure the option 'Use Auto-responders' is turned ON in your Acajoom configuration page, tab 'Miscellaneous'.

Create the content of your newsletter. And save it (Do not click on the button 'SEND' otherwise Acajoom will not use the queue process).

After saving, you will see an icon that shows you that your newsletter is in the status "Scheduled". That means Acajoom scheduled your Newsletter and will send it automatically at the send date you entered if your cron task is set up .

 

 The status waiting ('Scheduled') : (This is not the 'unpublish' icon!)

You don't have to do anything else. Acajoom will take care of the send process and you can follow it by checking the statistics in Acajoom. 

Once your newsletter is sent (automatically with your cron task), Acajoom will publish your Newsletter so you won't see any more the scheduled icon but you will see the published icon : 

You must wait until your cron task launch your website to see the status "Published" for your Newsletter.

 

BE CAREFUL!

Sometimes, the server of your web hosting has not the same time than your local time. So, if you scheduled a newsletter at 7am, this Newsletter will be sent when your server time will be 7am.

You can check the server local time : Go to the menu Components > Acajoom and check it. Each Scheduled Newsletter will be sent in comparison with this date. If you change the value 'time offset' in your Joomla global configuration, the date displayed by Acajoom will be updated.

Step 3 - Send your Scheduled Newsletter (optional)

If the send date is in the past and you still see the scheduled icon, that probably means your cron task didn't launch Acajoom so Acajoom didn't send your Scheduled Newsletter. (As your cron task only launch Acajoom every X minutes, you should wait until the send date + X )

In this case, you can simulate your cron task. The newsletters which have a send date in the future won't be sent.

To simulate the cron task, go to the menu Components > Acajoom > Configuration

Click on the button Process Queue

You should see a message which will inform you that Acajoom sent your Scheduled Newsletter and your Scheduled Newsletter should be now published :