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How to Test Your Email or SMS Before Sending

Plans: All plans Platforms: All platforms


Overview


Testing your message before it goes out to customers is one of the simplest ways to catch mistakes early like broken links, missing names, formatting issues, or incorrect data. This article walks you through everything you need to know to conduct simple email and SMS notification testing.


Why is testing important


Even a well-written message can go wrong if a dynamic field doesn't populate, a link breaks, or the layout looks off on mobile or desktop. A quick test gives you a chance to catch these issues before they reach your customers.


AfterShip enables you to proactively catch these mistakes in email and SMS notifications with a simple test feature.


Step 1: Choose who receives the test


When you send a test, you decide who gets it.


  1. Send to a team member: Select one or more people from your organization. Each person selected will receive the test message. This is great for getting a second pair of eyes or running it through an approval process before launch.


  1. Send to a custom email or phone number: Enter any email address (for email tests) or phone number (for SMS tests). Only one address or number can be used at a time. Use this option when you want to check how the message looks on your own device or in a specific inbox.


Step 2: Choose your test data


You can test notifications with either mock data or real data, depending on what you need to check.





  1.  Test with mock data


Mock data automatically fills in all your dynamic fields (like customer name, order number, or tracking link) with placeholder values. No real customer information is used.


Use mock data when you want to:


  • Check that your layout and formatting look correct
  • Confirm that merge tags are placed in the right spots
  • Review the overall design and structure of your message


  1. Test with real data


Real data pulls from an actual shipment or order in your system, so you can see exactly how the message will look for a real customer.


Use real data when you want to:


  • Verify that personalization fields populate correctly
  • Confirm that links point to the right places
  • Do a final review before going live


The type of real data available (shipment or order) depends on how your flow is set up. Make sure you select a record that matches the flow's trigger type.


Step 3: Choose your test location


The test send experience works slightly differently depending on where you open it. Here's what to know for each.


1. If you are testing from flows' email editor


  1. Go to Notifications > Flows > Flow editor > Email editor in your AfterShip Tracking admin.
  2. Click Send test SMS from the upper-right corner.
  3. Select the recipient of the email.


  • You can select one or more people from your organization to send the test to. Select Organization members option and choose the email addresses from the dropdown.
  • You can also send it to someone outside your organization. Select Other email address option and type in the the email address of the person.


  1. Select whether you want to test the email notification with mock or real data.
  2. Click Send now.


The flow's trigger type determines whether you can select shipment data or order data. When choosing real data, make sure you pick a record that matches the trigger.


Special case of split order digest emails: If you're testing a digest email, keep in mind that the order list will only include split orders, and the digest content is based on updates from the past 72 hours of the selected order. For the most accurate test, run it close to when relevant updates have occurred.





2. If you are testing from email templates' editor


  1. Go to Notifications > Email templates > Email editor in your AfterShip Tracking admin.
  2. Click Send test SMS from the upper-right corner.
  3. Select the recipient of the email.


  • You can select one or more people from your organization to send the test to. Select Organization members option and choose the email addresses from the dropdown.
  • You can also send it to someone outside your organization. Select Other email address option and type in the the email address of the person.


  1. When testing from the Email Templates section, there's no automatic flow context. You'll need to manually select the trigger type that this template will eventually be used with. If you skip it or choose the wrong type, your dynamic fields may appear blank or show incorrect content in the test.
  2. Select whether you want to test the email notification with mock or real data.
  3. Click Send now.






3. If you are testing from flows' SMS editor


Testing an SMS works the same way as testing an email from a flow. The trigger type determines what real data you can select. Use this test to check your message text, personalization, and any links included in the SMS.


  1. Go to Notifications > Flows > Flow editor > SMS editor/Email editor in your AfterShip Tracking admin.
  2. Click Send test SMS from the upper-right corner.
  3. Select country code and input phone number to send the test SMS to.
  4. Select whether you want to test the SMS notification with mock or real data.
  5. Click Send now.




Pre-send checklist


Before sending your message to real customers, run through this checklist:


  • Content is accurate and free of typos or errors
  • Dynamic fields are correctly populated (customer name, order details, etc.)
  • All links and buttons work correctly
  • Images and media display as expected (email only)
  • The layout looks good on both desktop and mobile
  • The trigger type and data source are correctly selected


💡 Tip: Always do at least one internal test with a team member before sending to customers. A fresh set of eyes often catches things you've looked past.


FAQs


1. Can I send the test notification to someone outside my organization?


Yes, use the custom email address or phone number option to send the test to any address or number you choose.


2. What if my dynamic fields show up blank in the test?


This usually means the trigger type isn't set correctly, or the selected data record doesn't match the flow's trigger. Double-check both settings and try again.


3. Can I send a test notification to multiple custom addresses at once?


No, the custom option only supports one email address or phone number at a time. To test with multiple recipients, select them from your organization members instead.


4. Does test email and SMS notifications count as a real send?


No. Test notifications are separate from your live messages and do not affect your sending limits or customer communication history.






Updated on: 19/02/2026