This article covers how to create an email in the Keap™ Advanced Automation builder, including customizing the sender and subject, defining the audience, building the email content, using affiliate merge fields, sending a test email, and setting the email to Ready.

Getting Started

1. Create a new Advanced Automation or open an existing one for editing.

2. Drag the new email step onto the automation canvas.

   

   The screenshot above shows the email step being added to the Advanced Automation canvas.

3. Select View and edit on the email step.

   

   The screenshot above shows the View and edit button on the email step in the Advanced Automation canvas.

Customize the Sender and Subject

The email configuration panel allows modification of the sender address, subject line, preview text, audience, and email content.

1. Select Edit next to the Sender step.

   

   The screenshot above shows the email configuration panel with all setup steps.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Edit button in the Sender step.

2. Select the sender from the dropdown.

   

   The screenshot above shows the sender dropdown with available users listed.

3. To send from a verified domain or a custom email field, select + Customize email address.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Customize email address option in the sender settings.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Validated domains and Custom fields options in the sender customization screen.

4. If Validated domains is selected, a list of validated domains for the account is displayed. Select a domain, then enter a sender name (From name) and sender email address.

   

   The screenshot above shows the sender name and email fields after selecting a validated domain.

5. If Custom fields is selected, the sender email address is populated by a merge field. Only Email type custom fields are available in the dropdown. Enter a sender name (From name) to complete the sender configuration.

   

   The screenshot above shows the custom field sender configuration with the merge field and sender name.

6. Select Save. The Sender step updates to reflect the changes.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Sender step updated with the saved sender configuration.

7. Select Edit next to the Subject step.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Edit button next to the Subject step.

8. Enter the subject line and preview text, then select Save. Emojis and merge fields can be used to personalize the subject line and preview text. For more information, see how to use merge fields in Keap email subject lines.

   

   

   The screenshots above show the subject line and preview text editor with merge field and emoji examples.

Define the Audience

1. Select Edit next to the Add audience step.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Edit button next to the Audience step.

2. Select the email address type to send to: Work, Personal, or Other. To add a specific address manually, select Manually add an email. In Max Classic, the options are Email, Email address 2, Email address 3, and Other.

   

   The screenshot above shows the audience email type options for Keap Pro and Max.

   

   The screenshot above shows the audience email type options for Max Classic.

Create the Email Content

1. Select Edit in the Content section to open the email builder. For a full guide to customizing the email, see the Keap email builder guide.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Edit button in the Content step.

2. Select Preview to see how the email will render in email clients and on mobile devices.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Preview button in the Keap email builder.

3. Select Save and exit when the email is complete.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Save and exit button in the Keap email builder.

4. The Template and Create steps can be navigated back and forth without losing content. If starting over with a new template, a warning is displayed before existing content is replaced.

   

   

   The screenshots above show the template navigation flow and the warning prompt when replacing existing email content.

Affiliate Merge Fields

Affiliate record information can be merged into the email body, subject line, and preview text. This feature is only available in Keap Ultimate.

Note: The affiliate password merge field is not available for merging.

The screenshot above shows the affiliate merge fields available in the Keap email editor for Ultimate accounts.

Send a Test Email

1. After composing the email, select Send a test on the right side of the email builder.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Send a test button in the Keap email builder.

2. Select who to send the test from, who to send it to, and optionally add instructions for the test recipient. Test emails can be sent to Keap users, contacts, or any valid email address. A contact can be added as a reference to preview how merge fields appear — for example, Hi, [[contact.first_name]] [[contact.last_name]]!! displays as "Hi, Jane Doe!!" in the test email. Automation merge fields are also displayed when testing from within the Advanced Automation builder.

   

   The screenshot above shows the test email panel with sender, recipient, and contact reference fields.

3. The Spam Content Risk Check scans for spammy content and the Audit tool scans for errors before sending.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Spam Content Risk Check and Audit tool results in the email builder.

Note: In test emails, merge fields that pull contact information may not display correctly, and email signatures may not appear. To verify merge fields are working correctly, send a live test to a personal email address before sending to a contact list.

Set the Email to Ready and Complete

1. Set the draft status to Ready and select Done.

   

   The screenshot above shows the Ready toggle and Done button on the email configuration panel.

2. The email step now shows as Ready on the automation canvas.

   

   The screenshot above shows the email step displaying Ready status on the Advanced Automation canvas.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this article cover?

This article covers how to create and configure an email in the Keap Advanced Automation builder, including sender setup, subject lines, audience, content, affiliate merge fields, and testing.

Can test emails be sent to non-users?

Yes. Test emails can be sent to Keap users, contacts, or any valid email address.

Can emails be sent from a custom address?

Yes. Any address from a validated domain can be used as the sender address.

Can emojis be added to the subject line and preview text?

Yes. Emojis can be added to both the subject line and preview text.

Why is the affiliate password merge field unavailable?

The affiliate password merge field is not available for merging in Keap emails.

Can custom merge fields be used in the sender address with a non-validated domain?

No. Emails using a non-validated domain in the sender address merge field will not be delivered. Validate the domain in Settings to ensure delivery.

Can it be confirmed that an email with a custom merge field sender was delivered?

Since merge field values may change before the email is sent, check the Email Reports after sending to confirm delivery.

Is the custom merge field sender available in Max Classic?

No. The custom merge field sender address feature is not available in Max Classic. It is available in Keap Pro, Max, and Ultimate.

Why are there no custom merge fields in the sender dropdown?

Verify the following:

1. Custom merge fields exist in the account. Navigate to Contacts, then select Custom fields to verify. For more information on custom field types, see custom contact field types in Keap.

2. The custom contact field type must be set to Email to appear in the sender dropdown.

Can automation merge fields be previewed in test emails?

Yes. Automation merge fields are displayed in the subject line, preview text, and email body when sending a test from within the Advanced Automation builder.