This feature allows you to create rules to limit the number of email messages that Contacts in a group can receive during a specified time period. For example, you could create a rule that prevents a group of Contacts from receiving more than three messages during a 7-day period. And, you can have multiple send limit rules simultaneously active.

NOTE: This is not a default feature. To have it enabled in your account, create a case.

Access your rules

1. Access the Admin interface.
2. Click Messages > Options > Send Limit Rule.

Manage your rules

The Send Limit Rule page has three sections: Edit, Create, and Delete.

Edit a rule

1. Select a rule from the Edit Send Limit Rule dropdown and click Go.
2. On the Edit Send Rule page, you can change the number of messages, time period, group selections, and/or status.

NOTE: Refer to Select Groups for the rule and Status of the rule, below, for detailed information on the groups options and setting the status.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Go to apply your changes.

The page refreshes and the edit is indicated at the top of the page.

Create a rule

1. Type a rule name in the Create Send Limit Rule field and click Go.
2. On the Create Send Rule page, specify the number of messages and the time period, and then select a group and status.

NOTE: Refer to Select Groups for the rule and Status of the rule, below, for detailed information on the groups options and setting the status.

3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Go to create your rule.

The page refreshes and the addition is indicated at the top of the page.

TIP: You can create another rule by specifying a name and configuring it without having to return to the Send Limit Rule page.

Delete a rule

1. Select a rule from the Delete Send Limit Rule dropdown and click Go.
2. Click Delete on the Delete Send Rule Limit page to confirm the action.

WARNING: This action is irreversible.

Back on the Send Limit Rule page, the deletion is indicated at the top of the page.

Select Groups for the rule

After having specified the number of email messages and the duration of the rule, you have to choose which groups the rule applies to. The rule can be set up to include, exclude, or both. To better understand this -- and how the rules can be used with one another -- assume your organization has the following groups.

• Action Alerts (50 members)
• Newsletter Subscribers (173 members)
• Marketing Promotions (34 members)
• Internal Staff (217 members)
• New Deal Offers (12 members)
• Local Events (41 members)

Note that some Contacts might belong to more than one of these groups. If this is the case and you create a rule and an exception to that rule, the system will enforce the restrictions for the group that has them set.

Use the information in the following sections to better understand the function of each option and how the options can be used in conjunction to establish effective send-limit rules.

TIP: To select more than one group, press and hold the Ctrl (Windows) or command (Mac) key and select the other groups that you want to include. To select a continuous list on Windows and Mac, click one group, then press and hold the Shift key and click the last of the groups that you want to include.

Apply to selected groups

You can use this option to apply a rule to one or multiple groups. All Contacts who are in any of the selected groups will be affected by the rule (unless they are excepted in the next group section).

EXAMPLE: You want to create a rule for promotional email messages. You set Maximum # of Emails = 2 and Number Of Days = 4. For this rule, you choose four groups (Action Alerts, Newsletter Subscribers, Internal Staff, Local Events) but you do not choose the Marketing Promotions and New Deal Offers groups.

RESULT: The Contacts in the four selected groups will receive no more than two promotional email messages over the next four days, even if you were to send more than two. The combined 46 members in the two groups that you did not choose will receive however many promotional email messages are sent by your organization.

Apply to all groups except the following

This option makes it easy for you to apply the rule to all of your current (and any future) groups, while simultaneously giving you the ability to exclude groups from the rule.

EXAMPLE: You want to create a rule for promotional email messages. You set Maximum # of Emails = 2 and Number Of Days = 4. For this rule, you choose (i.e., exclude) three groups (Local Events, Marketing Promotions, New Deal Offers).

RESULT: All of your organization's Contacts, except those belonging to the three selected groups, will receive no more than two promotional email messages over the next four days. The combined 87 members in the three groups that you selected (i.e., excluded) will receive however many promotional email messages are sent by your organization.

Whitelisted groups

This is a bypass rule for any recipient who is sent any message while being a member of these groups.

Use this option in conjunction with either of the above options to exclude group members from a rule that applies to a group to which they belong.

Status of the rule

Use the Active and Inactive options to set the status of the rule.