When reviewing an individual contact record, you might notice unexpected entries under the "Mailings" section—specifically mailings labeled with a [TEST] tag. This can raise some eyebrows, especially if you're sure that contact shouldn't have received a particular test email. Here's why those entries appear and what they really mean.

This image displays an example listing that includes the [TEST] mailings:

What's Happening Behind the Scenes

When you send a test version of an email campaign from your Delivra account, the system selects a random contact from the campaign’s assigned segment to merge test data. This is done to ensure that any personalization fields (like first name, preferences, or custom fields) display correctly before sending to your audience.

That random contact’s information is used strictly for validation—however, the system still logs the test as if it were a real send in that contact's mailing history. So while the person never actually received the test email, the record shows it as part of their activity.

It’s also common to see a different email address in the "To" field or in the footer of the test version. Again, this is part of how the system renders merge data for review and doesn’t indicate a delivery to that person.

Best Practices and Tips

• Don’t panic if you see test mailings: They’re system-generated and don’t mean the contact actually received anything.

• Use contact previews for validation: If you want to check personalization without affecting history, previewing emails with specific contacts can be a useful alternative.

• Label your test sends clearly: Including [TEST] in your subject line or internal naming helps keep things organized when reviewing mailing records.

Practical Use Case

Let’s say you’re testing a campaign that uses dynamic content and conditional personalization. The system pulls a random contact to test these features. If "Jane Doe" from your segment is used for this purpose, her record will show a test email—even if it never actually hit her inbox. This lets you check how the campaign would look for a real subscriber, but it can confuse users who stumble upon the test in contact history.

Questions?

If you have any concerns about test sends, mailing history, or other reporting data, feel free to reach out to our Support team.