Publishing your first email

Ready to send your first newsletter? This guide walks you through the process from drafting to publishing.

The "Emails" page is the command center for your newsletter. When you write, schedule, and publish newsletters, they'll appear here.

To write a newsletter, click New in the upper right corner of the Emails page:

Buttondown saves your work automatically as you write.

Before publishing to your subscribers, you can send a draft to yourself:

1. Open the Preview pane by clicking Preview in the top-right corner.
2. Click the Send draft button.
3. Enter the email address to receive your test newsletter.
4. Click Send draft.

The draft will appear in the recipient's inbox with [PREVIEW] in the subject line.

When you're ready to send, review this checklist:

• Verify that all links work
• Decide your target audience (all subscribers, or only those with certain tags)
• Decide whether to send immediately or schedule for later

To publish:

1. Click the Publish button in the top-right corner. The "Send this email" drawer appears.
2. Review the summary and verify everything looks correct.
3. Click Publish.

After sending, a pop-up appears with social sharing buttons and a URL to copy. You'll also see an Undo option if you change your mind.

After you've sent your first email, here are some things to explore:

• Advanced email configuration -- update your URL slug, issue numbers, and more.
• Scheduling emails -- draft now, send later.
• Sharing your newsletter -- promote your newsletter to reach more readers.
• Designing your email -- customize the look and feel of your newsletters with CSS.

For the complete guide to all email sending features, see Sending emails.