Scheduling Campaigns
Set up and schedule your campaign by selecting the target list, configuring the delivery time, and defining key campaign details. Customize filters, subject lines, and other elements to create a focused and effective broadcast. Manage all aspects of the campaign for a smooth and timely execution.
Overview
Scheduled Campaigns is where you connect your broadcasts to recipients and configure delivery settings. The system supports:
- Multiple broadcasts - Select multiple broadcasts to rotate through
- Multiple sending nodes - Use multiple SMTP servers with rotation
- Multiple contact lists - Send to multiple lists at once
- Audience filtering - Apply filters to target specific contacts
Accessing Schedule
Navigate to Actions → Schedule to create and manage scheduled campaigns.
Creating a Scheduled Campaign
The scheduling wizard has 4 steps:
- Campaign Type - Define campaign details and select recipients
- Broadcasts - Choose which broadcasts to send
- Sending Nodes - Select SMTP servers for delivery
- Settings - Configure delivery options and tracking
Step 1: Campaign Type
Campaign Name
Enter a name for this scheduled campaign. This helps identify the campaign in reports and logs.
Campaign Type
Select the type of campaign:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Regular | Standard one-time email campaign |
| Split Test | A/B testing campaign (requires split test configuration) |
| Evergreen | Recurring automated campaign |
Recipient Selection
Choose how to select recipients:
Contact Lists
Select Contact Lists to send to one or more lists.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Search for lists by name |
| Show selected | Toggle to view only selected lists |
| Checkbox selection | Check multiple lists to include |
| Contact counts | Shows number of contacts in parentheses |
Lists are displayed in a hierarchical structure grouped by category. Select multiple lists to combine their contacts.
When multiple lists are selected, the campaign sends to all contacts across selected lists. Duplicate contacts are handled based on the "Skip duplicates" setting in Step 4.
Segments
Select Segments to send to a dynamic segment.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Search for segments by name |
| Radio selection | Select one segment |
| Contact counts | Shows number of matching contacts |
| Refresh | Refresh contact counts |
Segments are single-select (one segment per campaign).
Target Audience Filters
Toggle Target audience filters to add additional filtering criteria within your selected lists or segment.
When enabled, you can build filter rules:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Field dropdown | Select the field to filter on |
| Operator dropdown | Select the comparison operator (e.g., "Is") |
| Value field/dropdown | Enter or select the value to match |
| X button | Remove this filter rule |
| + Add New | Add another filter rule |
Available Filter Fields
By Contact Details:
- Status
- Subscription status
- Confirmation status
- Spam status
- Content format
- Creation date
- And more...
Example filter: Subscription status | Is | Unsubscribed
Click Continue to proceed to Step 2.
Step 2: Broadcasts
Select which broadcasts to send in this campaign.
Broadcast Selection
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Search for broadcasts by name |
| Show selected | Toggle to view only selected broadcasts |
| Select all | Check to select all broadcasts |
| Checkbox selection | Check multiple broadcasts to include |
Broadcasts are displayed in a hierarchical structure grouped by broadcast group.
Multiple Broadcast Rotation
When multiple broadcasts are selected:
- The system rotates through selected broadcasts
- Each contact receives one of the selected broadcasts
- Rotation distributes broadcasts evenly across recipients
Selecting multiple broadcasts is useful for:
- Sending varied content to different recipients
- Testing content variations without formal split testing
- Distributing different offers or messages
Click Continue to proceed to Step 3, or Back to return to Step 1.
Step 3: Sending Nodes
Select which SMTP servers (sending nodes) to use for delivery.
Sending Node Selection
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Search | Search for sending nodes by name |
| Show selected | Toggle to view only selected nodes |
| Select all | Check to select all nodes |
| Checkbox selection | Check multiple nodes to include |
Sending nodes are displayed in a hierarchical structure grouped by SMTP group.
Multiple Node Rotation
When multiple sending nodes are selected, the system rotates through them for delivery.
Sending Mode
Choose how emails are processed:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Batches (sends fast) | Process emails in batches for faster delivery |
| Loop | Process emails one at a time in a loop |
Sending Node Selection Pattern
Choose how nodes are selected during rotation:
| Pattern | Description |
|---|---|
| Sequential | Use nodes in order, one after another |
| Random | Randomly select nodes for each batch/email |
Using multiple sending nodes with rotation:
- Distributes sending load across servers
- Improves deliverability by varying sending IPs
- Provides redundancy if one node has issues — if a node becomes unreachable mid-campaign, delivery fails over to the remaining healthy nodes and continues without pausing. The affected node rejoins automatically once it recovers, and the campaign only System Pauses if all assigned nodes go down. See Automatic SMTP Failure Handling.
Click Continue to proceed to Step 4, or Back to return to Step 2.
Step 4: Settings
Configure delivery timing, tracking, and sender options.
When to Send
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Send now | Begin sending immediately after submission |
| Send later | Schedule for a specific date and time |
Performance Settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Threads | Number of parallel sending threads (e.g., 1) |
| Hourly speed | Toggle to limit emails per hour |
Tracking Options
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Insert Unsubscribe Link | Add unsubscribe link to emails | Enabled |
| Track Opens | Monitor when recipients open emails | Enabled |
| Track Clicks | Monitor when recipients click links | Enabled |
Contact Handling
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Skip duplicates | Send only once to duplicate emails across lists | Enabled |
| Skip unconfirmed | Don't send to unconfirmed contacts | Enabled |
Email Headers
| Option | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Add List-Unsubscribe header | Include header for one-click unsubscribe | Disabled |
Sender Information
Choose how sender details are determined:
From Sending Node
Use the sender name and email configured in the selected SMTP sending node.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Overwrite sender name | Toggle to override the node's sender name |
| Override subject line | Toggle to override the broadcast's subject |
Custom
Specify custom sender details:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Sender Name | Display name for the sender |
| Sender Email | Email address (with domain dropdown) |
| Bounce Email | Email address for bounced messages |
| Reply-to Email | Email address for replies |
| Override subject line | Toggle to use a custom subject |
Send Test Preview
Test your campaign before sending:
- Enter an email address in the Email Address field
- Click the send button (arrow icon)
Sending a preview will not convert the variables e.g. first name, last name, web version or unsubscribe links, etc.
Submit Campaign
Click Submit to schedule/send the campaign, or Back to return to Step 3.
Viewing Scheduled Campaigns
Navigate to Campaigns → Scheduled Campaigns to view all scheduled campaigns.
Campaign Status
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Pending | Scheduled but not yet started |
| Preparing | Campaign is being prepared (building the recipient log table) |
| Starting | Campaign threads are being initialized |
| Running | Currently sending emails |
| Completed | All emails have been sent |
| Paused | Manually paused by user |
| System Paused | Automatically paused because all assigned sending nodes became unavailable during delivery (see SMTP Failure Handling) |
| Auto Paused | Automatically paused because a sending limit was reached (daily, monthly, or credit limit) — the campaign resumes automatically when the quota resets |
| Resumed | Campaign has been resumed and is waiting for the next cron cycle to start sending |
| Failed | Encountered a critical error during preparation or sending |
The campaign statistics detail page automatically polls for status changes. When a campaign transitions to System Paused or Completed, the page refreshes to show the updated status and metrics.
Managing Campaigns
From the scheduled campaigns list, you can:
- View campaign details and statistics
- Pause running campaigns
- Resume paused campaigns
- Delete campaigns
Stuck Campaigns
Occasionally a campaign can stall — for example, it sits in Preparing far longer than expected, or a background worker was interrupted mid-preparation. Mumara now detects these situations and surfaces them so a stalled send never sits unnoticed.
How stuck campaigns are detected
An hourly background check inspects in-progress campaigns and flags any that appear stuck, recording a reason (such as a preparation that hasn't advanced or a send that has stopped making progress). This is an advisory flag — it does not stop or alter the campaign on its own.
Where they appear
Flagged campaigns are surfaced to their owner in three places:
- A banner on the Broadcasts page linking to the affected campaigns.
- A dedicated Stuck Campaigns page listing everything currently flagged.
- A Stuck filter on the Scheduled Campaigns page.
What you can do
From any of those views you can act on a stuck campaign directly:
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Stop | Halts the campaign so it no longer attempts to send |
| Resume | Clears the flag and lets the campaign continue from where it left off |
| Delete | Removes the campaign entirely |
Automatic recovery
Separately, an always-on recovery process watches for campaigns stranded in a scheduling state — typically caused by a preparation that ran out of memory or timed out — and releases them automatically, without you needing to intervene. This works alongside the large-segment streaming improvements that keep big campaigns from stalling at Preparing (0%) in the first place.
If a campaign is flagged as stuck but is genuinely still working (for example, a very large segment mid-preparation), you can simply leave it — the flag is advisory and clears on its own once the campaign makes progress or completes.
Campaign Types Explained
Regular Campaign
Standard one-time email send:
- Select recipients (lists or segment)
- Choose broadcasts
- Configure sending nodes
- Set delivery options
- Send immediately or schedule
Split Test Campaign
A/B testing campaign:
- First create a Split Test in Campaigns → Split Tests
- Then schedule via Actions → Schedule
- Select Campaign Type: Split Test
- Choose your split test configuration
- Complete remaining steps
Evergreen Campaign
Recurring automated campaign:
- Sends on a recurring schedule
- Can be RSS-powered
- Configured in Campaigns → Evergreen Campaigns
Best Practices
Recipient Selection
- Use segments for dynamic, criteria-based audiences
- Use lists for static, defined audiences
- Apply filters to target specific contact attributes
- Enable skip duplicates when sending to multiple lists
Sending Configuration
- Multiple nodes improve deliverability and distribute load
- Random selection provides better IP distribution
- Batches mode is faster for large campaigns
- Appropriate threads balance speed and server capacity
Tracking
- Enable open tracking to measure engagement
- Enable click tracking to measure interest
- Include unsubscribe for compliance and list health
Testing
- Always send a preview before large campaigns
- Verify links work in the preview
- Check rendering on different email clients
Troubleshooting
Campaign Not Sending
Possible causes:
- No sending nodes selected
- Selected nodes are offline or misconfigured
- No contacts in selected lists/segment
- All contacts filtered out by audience filters
Solutions:
- Verify at least one sending node is selected and active
- Check contact counts in lists/segment
- Review audience filter criteria
- Check sending node status
Duplicate Emails Sent
Cause: "Skip duplicates" is disabled and contact exists in multiple lists.
Solution: Enable "Skip duplicates" in Step 4 settings.
Contacts Not Receiving
Possible causes:
- Contact is unconfirmed and "Skip unconfirmed" is enabled
- Contact matches audience filter exclusion
- Contact email is in suppression list
Solutions:
- Check contact confirmation status
- Review audience filter rules
- Check suppression lists
Slow Sending Speed
Possible causes:
- Low thread count
- Single sending node
- Loop mode instead of Batches
Solutions:
- Increase threads (within server capacity)
- Add more sending nodes
- Use Batches mode for faster delivery
Next Steps
- Broadcasts - Create email content
- Dynamic Content Tags - Conditional content and RSS feeds
- Evergreen Campaigns - Recurring automated campaigns
- Split Tests - Set up A/B testing
- Drip Campaigns - Automated sequences