Guides

While BulkMail does not offer a built-in survey tool, you can easily integrate external surveys into your email campaigns by following a few simple steps. Surveys are powerful tools for gathering feedback, qualifying leads, or measuring customer satisfaction — but they require more flexibility than standard form fields allow. The following platforms allow you to create custom surveys with various logic and design options. Most also offer free tiers and exportable results: Note: These tools are widely used, but BulkMail does not…

Some users experience problems when selecting a future date and time for a campaign. This is typically not a platform error, but rather a result of browser plugins interfering with the date field. Certain browser extensions are known to interfere with form fields, including the date and time selector. These plugins may auto-fill, modify, or override inputs — preventing you from properly scheduling your campaign. These tools are useful in general browsing but can disrupt interactive elements on platforms like BulkMail. Try…

Over the past year, many email marketers — including those in South Africa — have noticed a sharp increase in bounce rates, particularly from Yahoo email addresses. This is not a platform issue, nor is it due to a change in your sending practices. Rather, it stems from Yahoo’s internal account clean-up processes, which have significantly impacted global deliverability. Understanding what’s happening behind the scenes — and what actions to take — will help you protect your sender reputation, minimise bounces, and…

Creating a well-designed email campaign template is essential to engage your audience, maintain brand consistency, and improve email performance. Whether you're starting from scratch or leveraging past successes, our system offers five straightforward methods to suit your level of expertise and campaign needs. The Code Editor is designed for users who are comfortable working directly with HTML and CSS. This method provides full control and flexibility, allowing you to: This option is ideal if you want pixel-perfect control or need to replicate…

Triggering a workflow (automation) from a button or link in your email is a powerful feature that lets you take actions based on user behaviour. The most common use case is to initiate an opt-in workflow when a recipient clicks a link — but it can go far beyond that. You can use this function to send follow-up emails, update subscriber data, or even segment users into different journeys. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to set this up in BulkMail.

Including attachments like PDFs or other documents in your email campaigns must be handled carefully. Attaching large files directly to an email is not advisable because: To ensure optimal deliverability and performance, we recommend not attaching files directly but instead linking to the file online. Here’s how to do it effectively. If you have access to your website hosting or CMS, this is the most efficient and professional method. Locate the direct link to the file. It should look like: In your…

Exporting your Outlook contacts is essential if you're switching platforms, creating backups, or importing them into another tool (like BulkMail). The process varies slightly depending on the version of Outlook you're using, so follow the steps relevant to your version below. Your CSV file will now be saved in the location you specified, ready to import into another system. Choose which contacts to export: This file can now be opened in Excel or imported into another platform like BulkMail. Unfortunately, exporting to…

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files are commonly used to store data like contact lists, subscriber exports, or reports. While Microsoft Excel can open CSV files by default, it often displays the data incorrectly — especially when your computer's regional settings use a different separator (e.g., semicolon instead of comma). This guide shows you the correct way to open and view your CSV files in Excel without converting or damaging your data. (This is the recommended method to ensure correct formatting.) In the import…

If you have an existing mailing list stored in an Excel spreadsheet, you can easily import it into your BulkMail account — but first, it must be saved in the correct format. CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files are the standard file format for bulk imports because they store tabular data in plain text, making it compatible with most systems, including BulkMail. When you save your spreadsheet as a CSV file, each row becomes a separate contact, and each column is treated as a…

Cleaning your email list is an important step to maintain strong deliverability, reduce spam complaints, and stay compliant with email marketing best practices. This guide will help you understand when to clean your list, how it works, and what you need to consider before and after the process. Internet Service Providers (ISPs), anti-spam networks, and corporate email filters set thresholds for acceptable levels of spam complaints, hard bounces, and unsubscribe requests. If your campaign exceeds these thresholds, it can damage your sender…

Creating professional, visually engaging email campaigns often depends on finding the right image. To simplify this process, BulkMail now includes a built-in stock image search directly inside the email template editor. This feature allows you to search, preview, import, and edit royalty-free images without leaving the editor, helping you design emails faster and with fewer distractions. The built-in image search lets you: All images are automatically optimised for email use, ensuring reliable delivery and consistent display across devices. Images added using this…

Adding a BulkMail signup form to your website is one of the simplest ways to grow your email list, capture quality leads, and keep your business compliant with South African data regulations. Whether you want to embed a newsletter signup box, create a standalone landing page, or display a popup form, BulkMail makes it effortless — no coding required. Each form is securely encrypted, POPIA-ready, and integrates seamlessly with your BulkMail account to create or update subscribers automatically. All data submitted through…

When sending emails through BulkMail, it's important to ensure your message is fully visible to recipients across different email clients. Some platforms — especially Gmail — may clip or truncate emails that exceed a certain size, reducing the impact of your message and hiding key content. The 102 KB limit is calculated using the full structure of the email, including: The size limit does not apply solely to the visible content. Even hidden formatting, inline CSS, or unnecessary white space can increase…

Short answer: We do not rent, sell, or provide email lists — and never will. At BulkMail, we are committed to ethical marketing, POPIA compliance, and long-term deliverability for South African businesses. Supplying or using purchased email lists directly contradicts these principles. Using unauthorised or low-quality lists causes: Poor list quality affects everyone on the shared platform — which is why we strictly prohibit it. A clean, opt-in list: Always prioritise quality over quantity — even a small, engaged list outperforms a…

Starting your email marketing journey with BulkMail is easy when you know where to begin. To help you get up to speed quickly, we’ve compiled a list of essential articles and resources that cover everything from setting up your account to sending your first successful campaign. Follow these steps in order to build confidence and make the most of BulkMail’s powerful features. Learn how to build a targeted and organised email list to ensure your messages reach the right audience. Discover the…

Before sending a live email campaign, it’s vital to test your newsletter properly. Testing ensures that all links, images, personalisation tags, and formatting display correctly across inboxes and devices. BulkMail offers two ways to test your emails While both serve a purpose, the Campaign Send Method provides the most accurate representation of how a real campaign will behave in the inbox. This article explains how each method works, their key differences, and why using a dedicated test list for campaign-based testing delivers…