Hail Mail Top 10 FAQ

Answers to the most common questions about using Hail Mail for your email campaigns.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

What is Hail Mail?

Hail Mail is a bulk emailing solution built directly into Hail that lets you create and maintain subscriber lists, add contacts, and send newsletters and articles to thousands of emails—all from within Hail itself. It's streamlined to include only what you need, with no extra features getting in the way.

Where do I find Hail Mail?

You can find Hail Mail in the left-hand menu of your Hail account. When you click it, you'll see the new Mail Dashboard showing your delivery stats, subscriber issues, and quick access to your lists and campaigns.

What can I do with Hail Mail?

With Hail Mail, you can: - Create and manage subscriber lists - Add contacts individually or import them in bulk - Send newsletters and campaigns to thousands of subscribers - Track email performance with detailed analytics - Monitor delivery rates and subscriber health - Integrate with Student Management Systems (KAMAR, FACTS, Hero, Edge, eTAP) - Sync with CareerWise and build alumni lists.

How do I send my first email campaign?

  1. Create a mailing list (or use an integrated list and skip the next few steps)
  2. Add or import subscribers to that list
  3. Verify your sender email address
  4. Create your content in Hail (Article or Publication)
  5. When publishing, select your Hail Mail list as the destination
  6. Monitor performance in the Mail Dashboard

Mail Lists

What are the different types of mail lists?

There are three types of mail lists in Hail:

Hail Mail Lists - Standard subscriber lists you create and manage manually. You control who's added and removed.

SMS Integration Lists - Student Management System integrations (if enabled). These sync automatically with your school's data from systems like KAMAR, Hero, FACTS, Edge, or eTAP.

How do I create a new mailing list?

  1. Navigate to Hail Mail from the left-hand menu
  2. Click on Your Mail Lists tab
  3. Click the + Mail List button
  4. Enter a name for your list (required)
  5. Add a description (optional but recommended)
  6. Click Create List

Your new list is now ready to receive subscribers!

Can I edit a mailing list after creating it?

Yes! You can edit the list name, description, and other settings anytime:

  1. Go to Your Mail Lists
  2. Find the list you want to edit
  3. Click on the edit icon to open it
  4. Make your changes
  5. Click Save

Can I delete a mailing list?

Yes, but be careful- deleting a list removes it permanently. When you delete a list: - The list is gone forever - Subscribers on that list become "Unlisted" (they're not deleted, just removed from lists) - You can't undo this action.

To delete a list: 1. Navigate to the list you want to delete 2. Click the Delete button (trash can) or settings menu 3. Confirm you want to delete it 4. The list is removed

Why are some lists greyed out or uneditable?

SMS Integration lists (from KAMAR, Hero, FACTS, etc.) and Alumni lists (from CareerWise) are managed by those external systems. You can't manually add or remove subscribers from integrated lists- all changes must happen in the source system (your SMS or CareerWise), and they'll sync to Hail automatically.

Can I see which subscribers are on a specific list?

Yes! Click on the number of subs in Your Mail Lists, and it will open up all your subscribers currently on that list. You can also filter the Your Subscribers view by selecting a specific list from the filter dropdown.

Subscribers & Contacts

What's the difference between a subscriber and a contact?

In Hail Mail, these terms are used interchangeably. A subscriber/contact is anyone with an email address in your Hail Mail system who can potentially receive emails from you.

What information do I need for a subscriber?

Required: - Email address (must be valid format)

Optional but recommended: - First name - Last name

That's it! Hail Mail keeps things simple.

Can the same person be on multiple lists?

Yes! A subscriber can be on as many lists as you want. When you send a campaign to multiple lists, Hail automatically deduplicates, so each person only receives one email even if they're on multiple lists you're sending to.

How do I edit a subscriber's information?

  1. Navigate to Your Subscribers
  2. Find the subscriber (use search if needed)
  3. Click the Edit icon
  4. Update their information
  5. Click Save

You can edit their name, email address, and which lists they're on.

How do I remove a single subscriber from a list?

  1. Open the subscriber's profile
  2. Find the "Lists" section
  3. Uncheck the list you want to remove them from
  4. Click Save

They'll be removed from that list but will stay on any other lists they're subscribed to.

Can I see a subscriber's email history?

Yes! Open a subscriber's profile to see: - Which campaigns they've received - Which emails bounced - Their subscription history - Which lists they're on - Their current status

This helps you understand their engagement and identify any issues.

Adding & Importing Subscribers

How do I add a single subscriber?

  1. From the Hail Mail section, click + Subscriber
  2. Enter their email address (required)
  3. Add first name and last name (optional)
  4. Tick the "This person gave me permission to email them" checkbox
  5. Select which list(s) to add them to (you can select multiple)
  6. Click Subscribe

They'll immediately appear on the selected lists.

What if I add someone without choosing a list?

They'll be added as an "Unlisted" contact. They'll exist in your system but won't receive any emails until you add them to a list. You'll see a notification reminding you that they were added as unlisted.

How do I import multiple subscribers at once?

  1. Click Bulk Import from the Hail Mail section or Your Subscribers tab
  2. Select which mail list to add them to
  3. Check the consent box confirming they've agreed to receive emails
  4. Click Open Importer
  5. Either upload a CSV/TSV file or paste email addresses directly
  6. Map your fields (Email, First Name, Last Name)
  7. Review and fix any invalid entries
  8. Click Import

All valid contacts are added to your selected list instantly.

What file format should I use for bulk imports?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) works best. Your file should have: - One row per contact - Header row with column names like "Email", "First Name", "Last Name" - Email addresses in one column

Example: Email,First Name,Last Name john@example.com,John,Smith sarah@example.com,Sarah,Johnson    

Most spreadsheet programs (Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers) can export to CSV format.

What happens if I import an email that already exists?

Hail simply adds that subscriber to the new list without creating a duplicate. If they're already on that list, nothing changes. Hail's smart deduplication means you'll never have duplicate email addresses in your system.

Why are some of my imported contacts showing as "Invalid"?

Common reasons: - Email addresses in the wrong column (like appearing in the "First Name" field) - Improperly formatted email addresses - Missing @ symbols or domain names - Spaces or special characters in email addresses

You can fix these directly in the importer by clicking on the data and moving it to the correct field or editing the email format.

Do I need permission to email people I import?

Yes, absolutely. You should only import and email contacts who have explicitly given you permission to contact them. This is legally required in many jurisdictions (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, etc.) and essential for maintaining good email practices and delivery rates.

Subscriber Statuses

What does "Unlisted" mean?

Unlisted contacts are email addresses that exist in your Hail account but are not attached to any of your active mail lists. They won't receive any emails from you until you add them to a list.

Why you might have unlisted contacts: - You deleted a mail list but chose not to delete the subscribers - You added someone without selecting a list - You removed someone from all their lists

What to do: Either add them to a list or delete them to keep your database clean.

What does "Unsubscribed" mean?

Unsubscribed contacts are people who have chosen to opt out of receiving future emails from you. When someone clicks the unsubscribe link in one of your emails, they're automatically marked as unsubscribed.

Important: You cannot email unsubscribed contacts. Respect their decision- it's the law and good practice.

Can someone unsubscribe from just one list?

Currently, when someone clicks "unsubscribe" in a Hail Mail email, they unsubscribe from that specific list. They can still be subscribed to other lists they've joined separately.

How can someone resubscribe after unsubscribing?

They can sign up again using any of your public subscription forms, or you can use the resubscribe request feature to send them a confirmation link they can click to rejoin (only if they've given you permission to contact them for this purpose).

What does "Bounced" mean?

A bounced contact is an email address that could not be delivered. There are two types:

Soft bounce - Temporary issue like a full inbox or server problem. Hail will try again automatically.

Hard bounce - Permanent issue like an invalid or non-existent email address. These contacts are automatically marked as bounced and won't be sent future emails.

Should I delete bounced subscribers?

Yes, especially hard bounces. Invalid email addresses hurt your delivery rate and sender reputation. Here's what to do:

  1. Check if any are just typos you can fix (like "gmial.com" instead of "gmail.com")
  2. Try to unbounce legitimate addresses that may have had temporary issues
  3. Delete the rest (delete if that email add is not in use for example)

High bounce rates can cause email providers to mark your campaigns as spam, affecting everyone.

What does "Complained" mean?

A complained contact is someone who marked your email as spam. This is serious—it indicates they didn't want to receive your emails or found them inappropriate.

What to do: - Review why they might have complained - Check your email content and sending practices - Remove them from your lists - Focus on preventing future complaints by only emailing engaged, consenting subscribers

High complaint rates can severely damage your sending reputation.

How do I see all subscribers with a specific status?

  1. Go to Your Subscribers
  2. Click the Status filter
  3. Select: Regular, Unlisted, Unsubscribed, Bounced, or Complained
  4. The table shows only subscribers with that status

This is perfect for identifying and managing problem contacts.

Bulk Operations

What are bulk operations?

Bulk operations let you perform actions on multiple subscribers, campaigns, or lists at once instead of one at a time. They save hours of repetitive work when managing large subscriber bases.

What bulk operations can I perform?

On Subscribers: - Add to Lists - Add selected subscribers to one or more lists - Remove from Lists - Remove from specific lists - Unlist Contacts - Remove from ALL lists - Delete Subscribers - Permanently remove from your system

On Campaigns: - Delete Campaigns - Permanently remove old campaigns

On Mail Lists: - Delete Mail Lists - Permanently remove lists

How do I select multiple items for bulk operations?

Individual selection: Click the checkbox next to each item

Range selection: Click the first item, hold Shift, click the last item—all items in between are selected

Select all visible: Click the checkbox in the table header to select everything on the current page

Multi-page selection: Select items on page 1, go to page 2, select more—all selections are retained

What's the safest way to use bulk operations?

  1. Filter first - Use filters to narrow down to exactly what you want
  2. Review selection - Check the selection count matches your expectations
  3. Export backup - Export a CSV before deleting anything
  4. Read warnings - Pay attention to warning messages
  5. Verify results - After the operation, check that it worked as expected

Can I undo a bulk operation?

No. Bulk delete operations (delete subscribers, delete campaigns, delete lists) are permanent and cannot be undone. That's why exporting a backup first is so important.

How do I bulk delete all bounced subscribers?

  1. Navigate to Your Subscribers
  2. Filter: Status > Bounced
  3. Review the list (fix any obvious typos first)
  4. Click Export to save a backup
  5. Click Select All (checkbox in header)
  6. Click Bulk Actions > Delete Subscribers
  7. Confirm deletion

All bounced subscribers are permanently removed, improving your delivery rate.

How do I add multiple subscribers to a new list?

  1. Navigate to Your Subscribers
  2. Use filters or search to find the subscribers you want
  3. Select them using checkboxes
  4. Click Bulk Actions > Add to Lists
  5. Check the list(s) you want to add them to
  6. Click Add to Lists

They're instantly added while keeping all their existing list memberships.

Mail Dashboard & Analytics

What is the Mail Dashboard?

The Mail Dashboard is your command centre for monitoring email campaign health, tracking delivery performance, and identifying subscriber issues. It's the first thing you see when you open Hail Mail.

What does the 14-Day Delivery Rate show?

Your delivery rate is the percentage of sent emails that successfully reached recipient inboxes (didn't bounce) over the past 14 days. It's calculated as:

Delivery Rate = (Sent - Bounced) / Sent × 100

What's in the Subscriber Issues panel?

This panel shows contacts causing delivery problems:

Bounced Subscribers - Email addresses that couldn't be delivered (click to view and clean)

Unsubscribed Subscribers - People who opted out (click to review patterns)

Complained Subscribers - People who marked emails as spam (serious issue—investigate)

Each number is clickable to view and manage those specific contacts.

What does "Export Hygiene Data" do?

It downloads a ZIP file containing CSV files for: - All bounced addresses - All unsubscribed contacts - All complained addresses

Use this to: - Share problem addresses with your team - Analyze patterns in spreadsheet software - Archive subscriber data for records - Clean up email lists in external systems

Why can't I see accurate open rates?

Open rates can be unreliable due to: - Email clients blocking image downloads - Privacy features like Apple Mail Privacy Protection - Corporate firewalls stripping tracking pixels - People reading emails without loading images

For more accurate analytics, consider using Hail's Stats Reporting service or Google Analytics integration to track actual clicks and website visits.

What does the Monthly Sends chart show?

It shows the total emails you've sent each month as a donut chart. Use it to: - Track email volume over time - Identify busy campaign periods - Monitor usage patterns - Ensure you're staying within any plan limits

SMS Integrations

What are SMS integrations?

SMS integrations connect Hail Mail with your Student Management System, automatically creating and updating mailing lists based on your school's data. "SMS" here stands for "Student Management System," not text messaging.

Which Student Management Systems does Hail integrate with?

  • KAMAR - School management system
  • FACTS - Via Wonde integration partner
  • Hero - Student information system
  • Edge - School administration software
  • eTAP - Educational administration platform

What gets synchronised from my SMS?

Depending on your system: - Parent and Caregiver lists - Staff lists - Student email addresses (if applicable) - Year group lists - Custom groups configured in your SMS

How often does synchronisation happen for SMS lists?

Automatically! Your SMS lists sync: - Before each campaign is sent - Daily (depending on your provider) - When you manually force a sync

Changes in your SMS automatically flow to Hail—no manual import/export needed.

Can I manually add subscribers to an SMS-integrated list?

No. SMS-integrated lists are managed entirely by your Student Management System. You cannot manually add or remove contacts from these lists. All changes must happen in your SMS, and they'll sync to Hail automatically.

For manual control: Create separate Hail Mail lists.

How do I force a sync of my SMS integration?

  1. Navigate to Your Mail Lists
  2. Find your SMS-integrated list
  3. Click on the list to open it
  4. Click Settings or the settings icon
  5. Select Integration Settings
  6. Click Force Sync
  7. Wait 1-5 minutes for sync to complete
  8. Check "Last Sync" time to verify

When should I force a sync?

Good reasons: - Just updated many contacts in your SMS - About to send an urgent campaign - Testing new integration settings - Troubleshooting sync issues

Not necessary when: - Normal automatic sync is working fine - No recent changes in your SMS

Can people unsubscribe from SMS-integrated lists?

Yes, recipients can always unsubscribe from any Hail Mail list, including SMS-integrated lists.

What happens: - They're removed from that specific list in Hail - Their data remains in your SMS - Next sync doesn't re-add them (Hail remembers their preference) - They won't receive future emails to that list

Why are contacts missing from my SMS integration?

Check: - Are they in the right group in your SMS? - Do they have valid email addresses in SMS? - Are they marked as inactive or departed? - Is the sync scope configured to include them?

Solutions: - Verify contact details in your SMS - Check sync scope settings in Integration Settings - Force a sync - Contact Hail support if still missing

How do I set up a new SMS integration?

Contact Hail support—initial setup requires coordination with your SMS provider. You'll need: - SMS system administrator contact - API credentials from your SMS (if applicable) - Decision on which lists to sync - Approval to enable API access

The process usually takes 1-2 weeks depending on your SMS provider's responsiveness.

Troubleshooting

Why aren't my emails being delivered?

Common causes: - High bounce rate hurting your sender reputation - Subscribers marking emails as spam - Invalid sender email address - Email content triggering spam filters - Recipient's email server blocking your emails

Solutions: 1. Check your delivery rate in the Mail Dashboard 2. Clean bounced and complained contacts 3. Verify your sender email address 4. Review email content for spam triggers 5. Ensure you're only emailing engaged, consenting subscribers

Why do some subscribers not appear in my list?

Possible reasons: - They're filtered out by an active filter - They unsubscribed from that list - They're unlisted (not on any list) - They were deleted - For SMS lists: they're not in the right group in your SMS

Check: 1. Clear all filters 2. Search for them in Your Subscribers (all lists) 3. Check their status (unlisted, unsubscribed, etc.) 4. For SMS lists: verify in your Student Management System

I deleted a list by accident. Can I get it back?

Unfortunately, no. Deleting a mail list is permanent and cannot be undone. The list is gone.

However: The subscribers on that list weren't deleted—they're now "Unlisted." You can: 1. Go to Your Subscribers 2. Filter by Status > Unlisted 3. Create a new list 4. Bulk add those subscribers to the new list

How do I unbounce a subscriber?

If you've fixed an email address or believe it bounced temporarily:

  1. Find the bounced subscriber in Your Subscribers
  2. Click on their email to open their profile
  3. Click Unbounce or similar option
  4. Their status changes back to regular subscriber
  5. They'll receive future emails

Warning: Only unbounce addresses you're confident are valid. Repeatedly sending to invalid addresses hurts your reputation.

Someone says they didn't receive my email. What should I check?

  1. Are they subscribed? Check if they're on the list you sent to
  2. What's their status? Look for bounced, unsubscribed, or complained
  3. Did the campaign send? Check Mail Activity to verify it went out
  4. Spam folder? Ask them to check spam/junk folders
  5. Email address correct? Verify you have the right address
  6. Bounced? Check their profile for bounce records

Why can't I delete a subscriber?

Possible reasons: - You don't have the right permissions (need Owner or Curator role) - The subscriber is on an SMS-integrated list (must be removed from the SMS) - Technical issue with your connection

Try: - Refresh the page - Try unlisting them first, then deleting - Contact your organisation Owner if you need higher permissions

My bulk import failed. What do I do?

Common issues: 1. Invalid email formats - Check for typos, missing @ symbols, wrong column mapping 2. Subscriber limit reached - Your import would exceed your plan's subscriber limit. Remove unneeded contacts or upgrade. 3. File format issue - Ensure you're using CSV format with proper column headers 4. Internet connection - Large imports can timeout. Try smaller batches. 5. Sometimes just a bad session.

Solutions: - Review the error message for specifics - Fix invalid emails in the importer - Try importing in smaller batches (100-200 at a time) - Export your file again from Excel/Sheets to ensure clean CSV- Try a simple refresh of the page and try again.

How do I export my subscriber list?

  1. Navigate to Your Subscribers
  2. Apply any filters if you want only specific subscribers
  3. Click Export or the export icon
  4. Choose your format (usually CSV)
  5. Download the file

You now have a backup of your subscribers that you can open in Excel or Google Sheets.

I'm getting "This list has no subscribers" but I just added people. What's wrong?

Check: 1. Active filters - Clear all filters and search terms 2. Wrong list - Make sure you're viewing the correct list 3. Added as unlisted - If you didn't select a list when adding, they're unlisted 4. Import didn't complete - Check if the import actually finished successfully

Solution: Go to Your Subscribers (all lists), search for the person, and check which lists they're actually on.

Can I change the email address a campaign sends from?

Yes, but you need to verify any new sender email address first. Unverified email addresses cannot be used to send campaigns. Contact Hail support for help with sender email verification.

Who do I contact for help?

If you can't find the answer in our documentation: - Contact Hail Support through your Hail account - Email support@hail.to - Check the Help Center for more articles and guides

  • An Overview of Hail Mail
  • Understanding the Mail Dashboard
  • Mail Lists Overview
  • Creating & Editing Mailing Lists
  • Subscribers Overview
  • Adding Individual Subscribers
  • Bulk Importing Subscribers
  • Bulk Operations in Hail Mail
  • Managing SMS Integration Settings
  • Unlisted, Unsubscribed and Bounced Contacts

Have a question we didn't answer? Contact Hail Support - we're here to help!

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