Emailing Partners

Send direct, one-off emails to individual partners from the partner detail sidebar. This is perfect for personal follow-ups, quick updates, or ad-hoc communications.

Overview

Journeybee offers three types of email:

This article covers Direct Partner Emails - the compose feature in the partner sidebar.

When to Use Direct Partner Emails

Use the partner compose feature when you want to:

• Follow up on a specific conversation

• Send a personalized update to one partner

• Share information not relevant to other partners

• Quickly reach out without creating a campaign

• CC or BCC additional recipients

Don't use this for:

• Bulk scheduled emails → Use Marketing Campaigns instead

• Recurring partner communications → Set up automation rules

• Marketing announcements to multiple partners → Use Marketing Campaigns

Prerequisites

• You must have an Admin, Partnership Manager, or User role

• The partner must have at least one contact with a valid email address

• Your email integration must be configured (Gmail, Outlook, or Journeybee default)

Composing and Sending

Step 1: Open the Compose Modal

1. Go to the Partners page or open a partner's portal detail page

2. Find and open the partner you want to email

3. Click the Compose Email button in the partner sidebar header

   • Icon: Envelope icon

   • Location: Top-right of the partner sidebar

The compose modal opens.

Step 2: Select Recipients

The compose modal automatically selects all contacts from the partner by default.

To adjust recipients:

1. Review the To: field showing selected contacts

2. Uncheck contacts you don't want to email

3. You must select at least one contact

Note: You can only email contacts associated with this specific partner. To email multiple partners, use Marketing Campaigns instead.

Step 3: Add CC or BCC (Optional)

• Click Add CC to add visible copy recipients

• Click Add BCC to add hidden copy recipients

• Type email addresses separated by commas

Use cases:

• CC: Include your team members for visibility

• BCC: Include yourself or managers without partners knowing

Step 4: Choose Email Content

You have two options:

Option 1: Use an Email Template

1. Click the Template dropdown

2. Select from published email templates

3. The subject line and body are automatically populated

4. You can still edit the content after selecting a template

Benefits:

• Consistent branding and formatting

• Pre-written content with variables

• Saves time for common communications

Option 2: Compose from Scratch

1. Leave the Template dropdown as "None"

2. Type your subject line

3. Compose your message in the rich text editor

Rich text formatting available:

• Bold, italic, underline

• Headings (H1, H2, H3)

• Bulleted and numbered lists

• Links

• Text alignment

Step 5: Personalize with Variables (Optional)

If using a template or composing from scratch, you can insert variables that auto-populate with partner data:

Example:

Hi {{contact_first_name}},

I wanted to follow up on our conversation about {{partner_company_name}}'s Q1 goals...

Becomes:

Hi Sarah,

I wanted to follow up on our conversation about Acme Corp's Q1 goals...

Step 6: Review and Send

1. Review recipients, subject, and message

2. Click Send Email

3. A confirmation appears

4. The email is sent immediately

Important: Direct partner emails are sent immediately. There is no scheduling option. For scheduled sends, use Marketing Campaigns.

Viewing Sent Emails

After sending, your email is tracked in the partner's Emails tab.

Accessing Sent Emails

1. Open the partner sidebar

2. Click the Emails tab

3. You'll see all emails sent to this partner

Email Information Shown

For each email:

• Subject line

• Sent date (e.g., "2 hours ago")

• Delivery status badges:

  • ✓ Sent (green) - Successfully delivered

  • ⚠ Failed (red) - Delivery failed

• Email provider (Gmail, Outlook, or Journeybee)

• Recipient count (how many contacts received it)

Viewing Email Details

1. Click on an email in the list

2. The email detail sidebar opens showing:

   • Full subject and body

   • All recipients with delivery status

   • Timestamp and sender

   • Email provider used

Tip: Use this to verify delivery or troubleshoot bounce issues.

Email Providers

Journeybee supports three email providers for sending partner emails:

Priority order: Outlook → Gmail → Journeybee Default

The compose modal automatically uses your configured provider. You cannot manually select which provider to use per email.

Differences from Campaign Emails

Understanding when to use each email type:

Troubleshooting

Compose button is greyed out

Problem: Cannot click the Compose Email button.

Solution:

1. Verify the partner has at least one contact with an email address

2. Check that you have permission to send emails (Admin, Partnership Manager, or User role)

3. Ensure the partner is not archived

Email send failed

Problem: Email shows "Failed" status in the Emails tab.

Solution:

1. Verify the recipient email address is valid

2. Check that your email integration (Gmail/Outlook) is still connected

3. If using Gmail/Outlook, ensure your token hasn't expired (reconnect if needed)

4. Check your spam folder - the email may have bounced back

5. Contact support if issue persists

Cannot find sent email

Problem: Email does not appear in the Emails tab.

Solution:

1. Refresh the partner sidebar

2. Check that you're looking at the correct partner

3. Scroll down in the Emails tab - emails are sorted by most recent first

4. If still not visible, the send may have failed silently - try sending again

Template variables not working

Problem: Variables like {{contact_first_name}} show as plain text in the sent email.

Solution:

1. Verify the contact record has data in those fields (first name, last name, etc.)

2. Check that you used the correct variable syntax (double curly braces)

3. Ensure there are no typos in the variable name

Email sent to wrong contacts

Problem: Email was delivered to contacts you didn't intend to include.

Solution:

1. Before sending, always review the "To:" field showing selected contacts

2. Uncheck any contacts you don't want to email

3. Remember that BCC recipients receive the email invisibly

Gmail/Outlook not sending

Problem: Emails fail when using Gmail or Outlook provider.

Solution:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations

2. Find your Gmail or Outlook integration

3. Check if it shows "Reconnect Required"

4. Click to reconnect and authorize access

5. Try sending again

Best Practices

1. Use templates for common messages: Save time by creating templates for frequently sent communications (e.g., "Welcome Email", "Quarterly Check-in").

2. Personalize with variables: Use {{contact_first_name}} and {{partner_company_name}} to make emails feel personal even when using templates.

3. Check recipients before sending: Always review the "To:" list to ensure you're emailing the right contacts.

4. Keep it concise: Direct partner emails work best for short, focused messages. For longer content, consider creating a resource or campaign.

5. Follow up in the Emails tab: Use the Emails tab to track whether messages were delivered and when they were sent.

6. Don't abuse CC/BCC: Only copy people who truly need visibility. Overcrowding CC/BCC lines reduces effectiveness.

7. Verify delivery: After sending, check the Emails tab to confirm delivery status, especially for important messages.

8. Use campaigns for announcements: If you're sending the same message to multiple partners, use Marketing Campaigns instead for better tracking and scheduling.

Related Articles

• Marketing Email Templates - Create reusable email templates

• Marketing Campaigns - Send bulk scheduled emails to filtered partner audiences

Need Help?

Contact Journeybee support through the in-app chat or email support@journeybee.io.