New to Campaigns? Some common early mistakes that might occur

New to Campaigns? Some common early mistakes that might occur

Hello Marketers,
Welcome back to another post in Marketer's Space.
If you're just getting started with Zoho Campaigns, things can feel exciting and slightly confusing at the same time. You're not alone. Most early frustrations come from setup gaps rather than product issues.

Looking at all the features in the product, many new users tend to run into the same few roadblocks. In this post, we'll breakdown what usually causes trouble (and how to avoid it). Whether you're just setting up your first campaign or refining your existing process, this post will help you build a strong foundation early.

Skipping domain authentication   

Many users start sending campaigns before setting up SPF and DKIM properly. Here's what happens when they skip it:
  1. Emails are visibly sent from "via zcsend.net".
  2. They encounter lower inbox placement.
  3. They result in trust issues in Gmail or Outlook.
Domain authentication isn't optional if you care about deliverability; it should be step one.

What can you do instead?
  1. Add and verify your sending domain inside Zoho Campaigns before launching your first campaign.
  2. Configure SPF and DKIM records in your domain's DNS settings.
  3. Wait for verification confirmation before sending in bulk.
  4. Run a small test campaign after setup to confirm proper alignment.
Authentication issues don't just affect inbox placement; they can also prevent campaigns from going out altogether.

Campaign moves back to draft after sending   

This often happens because one of the final checks fails—like sender verification, mandatory fields, or authentication settings.
Before clicking send, ensure the following:
  1. Your sender email is verified.
  2. Authentication (SPF/DKIM) is properly configured.
  3. You've reviewed the campaign checklist inside the editor carefully.
Most "failure to send" cases are configuration-related, not system errors.

Uploading large or unclean contact lists without preparation   

Many new users decide to import a large database and send a campaign immediately. Others upload lists that haven't been cleaned in months or years. Both situations can quietly hurt performance.
Common issues include:
  1. Importing thousands of old or inactive contacts at once
  2. Sending to contacts who haven't engaged in a long time
  3. Including duplicate entries
  4. Not removing bounced or inactive addresses
What does this lead to?
  1. Low open and click rates
  2. Higher bounce rates
  3. Increased spam complaints
  4. Poor sender reputation
For new accounts especially, this can impact deliverability very quickly.
A better way to approach this is to do the following:
  1. Start with your most engaged contacts.
  2. Gradually increase volume over time.
  3. Remove duplicates and inactive addresses.
  4. Segment your contacts based on engagement before sending.
Good deliverability isn't just about authentication; it's also about list hygiene and sending behavior.

Open rates show zero (especially in Gmail)

Open tracking depends on images being loaded. If the recipient's email client blocks images by default, if privacy protection is enabled (especially on Apple devices), or if images are preloaded differently, the open may not register.
This is common with:
  1. Gmail (especially with image blocking)
  2. Privacy-focused email settings
  3. Apple Mail privacy protection
A sudden drop in open rate doesn't always mean your emails aren't being read.
So what is the fix?
  1. Send internal test emails to see if tracking pixels are functioning.
  2. Use A/B tests to validate subject line performance rather than judging from one send.
  3. Compare trends over a period of time instead judging from one campaign.
Your open rate should be treated as an indicator, not as an exact measurement—because it isn't.

Automation doesn't trigger for everyone   

A common assumption is that once automation is active, it applies to all contacts, and users forget that building automations without testing entry conditions might never yield expected results.
A workflow may look correct, but in reality:
  1. Contacts must meet the trigger conditions.
  2. They must enter the workflow at the correct stage.
  3. Timing filters and status settings matter
This is usually a logic issue, not a bug. So how can you solve it?
  1. Test the workflow using a sample contact before activating it fully.
  2. Double-check entry criteria and filter rules.
  3. Review contact status and segmentation settings.
  4. Use the workflow report to confirm whether contacts entered the automation.

Not testing across devices and email services 

Emails that look perfect in the Zoho Campaigns editor may:
  1. Break in emails formatting/structure.
  2. Stack oddly on mobile displays.
  3. Misalign buttons.
The clear action is to first find out how your email looks via the Preview and Test mode, after which you can always send those test emails from the same section and see the actual results.
You can send such emails to:
  1. Gmail
  2. Outlook
  3. Mobile devices


The editor preview is not a perfectly accurate reflection of the real inbox view, so we always recommend that you test your email campaigns first across different devices and email services before sending them in bulk.

Ignoring spam score or content red flags 

The actual content of your email plays a major role in where it lands.
Common content-related mistakes include:
  1. Using heavy promotional language like "BUY NOW," "LIMITED OFFER," or excessive exclamation marks
  2. Writing subject lines that feel overly aggressive or misleading
  3. Including too many links in a short email
  4. Using shortened URLs
  5. Designing image-only emails with very little supporting text
  6. Embedding large attachments directly in the campaign
Another common oversight is not checking the spam score before sending. Even if the content feels fine, running it through the built-in checks helps identify structural red flags early.
Here's a better approach:
  1. Maintain a healthy balance between text and images.
  2. Keep links purposeful and minimal.
  3. Avoid excessive capitalization and exaggerated claims.
  4. Write subject lines that are clear rather than sensational.
  5. Test-send and review how the email appears in different inboxes.
Sending successful campaigns is all about earning inbox trust through clean structure and responsible messaging.

If you're just starting out, take your time with the setup. A well-configured account will always outperform a rushed campaign.

If you've already encountered one or more of these issues, you're not alone; they're all part of the learning curve. Feel free to share your experiences or additional insights in the comments below. Your input might help another marketer avoid the same roadblock.

Until next time, happy campaigning!

Regards,
Yashwanth S
User Education
Zoho Campaigns Team

    • Recent Topics

    • Tips & Tricks #3: Zoho CRM - Agentes en la página de inicio

      Hola a todos, Vuestros Agentes realizan un trabajo muy útil. Encuentran información como clientes potenciales importantes, oportunidades de venta y actualizaciones relevantes. Sin embargo, hasta ahora no era posible ver esa información directamente en

    • Pricelists

      So we have them in books but I cannot find them in commerce?

    • Automating CRM backup storage?

      Hi there, We've recently set up automatic backups for our Zoho CRM account. We were hoping that the backup functionality would not require any manual work on our end, but it seems that we are always required to download the backups ourselves, store them,

    • 'Pinned' notes feature of a pipeline record

      Hi team, Could you please implement a feature which will allow users to pin different notes so that they will appear at the very top of the notes tab in a pipeline record. Sometimes we have a wide range of notes on a record which means more important

    • Associate emails from both primary and secondary contacts to deal

      We need to associate emails from multiple contacts to a deal. Please advise how this can be achieved. At present, only emails from primary contacts can be associated. Thanks

    • Custom Button Creation from Layout Editor in Zoho CRM

      Hello All, Buttons in Zoho CRM act as triggers that perform a specific action when clicked. Zoho CRM includes a set of system buttons that help you carry out common actions with a single click. Beyond these, your organization can create custom buttons

    • #PitStop3: Share & Collect Payment using Zoho Invoice

      We have reached another milestone in our journey. Post #15 to #20 weren't just about sharing invoices, they were about building a payment workflow that works for you, your customers and your business. Here's a quick wrap of what we covered in this segment:

    • Suggestions for Improving the Deluge Development Experience

      Hello, I would like to share some ideas that could significantly improve the Deluge development experience, especially for partners and developers building larger solutions across the Zoho ecosystem. Some key areas that would add a lot of value: Deluge

    • Enhancement announcement: Mitigate mailbox clutter using the new field: "Sync emails from"

      Dear Customers, We hope you're well! We are here with a minor enhancement in email integration in Zoho CRM. Emails have become the primary mode of communication these days. Because of which mailboxes are getting overly cluttered day after day. To help

    • Zoho CRM Sandbox now supports integrations

      Hello everyone, We are now expanding Zoho CRM Sandbox to support integrations with other Zoho products. You can connect, configure, and validate the behavior of your integrated tools within a safe, isolated environment - testing end-to-end without touching

    • Building Toppings #8 - Using widgets to extend the Bigin UI

      Hello Biginners, In our previous forum post, we explored schedules and workflow functions and learned how to automate real-time and time-based actions inside a topping. In this post we'll look at how to embed custom UI components inside Bigin using widgets.

    • Tip #81 – Turn every session into a story with Session Highlights – 'Insider Insights'

      Hello Zoho Assist Community! Picture this: your team wraps up dozens of remote support sessions every week. Each one involved troubleshooting, tools, fixes, and back-and-forth with customers. But when it's time to review what actually happened across

    • Zoho CRM APIs

      Hello, I think as a developer, it is very important to have the ability to manage, develop, and execute functions directly from my local development environment (for example, VS Code). Zoho CRM should have a way to create, deploy, and manage functions

    • 🎙️ Ask The Experts: Get Your Bigin Questions Answered Live

      We've seen so many thoughtful questions from our #BiginnersClub community over the years. While we're always happy to help here, we're excited to introduce a new way for you to connect with us directly. Join us for Ask The Experts, a one-hour live fireside

    • Postcode problems

      So we were very pleased to see we could limit shipping with postcodes. Brilliant. Unfortunately we have discovered It does not seem fit for purpose. In the UK we write postcodes in various ways Examples BH217NL BH21 7NL Bh217nl bh217NL and many more ways

    • Certain items certain shipping

      Me again it would be helpful to have different shipping for different categories. Our example are salt. Delivery is free but have a minimum delivery. Pickup is cheaper so it has its own category- pickup.

    • Cookies Consent Management in Webforms

      Hello Everyone! We are excited to introduce Cookie Consent Management for webforms. Read on to learn more. Webforms are online forms embedded on websites that allow users to submit data and create records in Zoho CRM. These forms utilize cookies to track

    • Payment links in Bigin just got supercharged

      Greetings, We're happy to announce major enhancements to the Payments feature in Bigin. As you may already know, Bigin supports Payments integration, which enables you to create and send payment links directly from Bigin to your customers. It also allows

    • Disable Spam filter

      Hi Support Team, Please disable spam filter for https://desk.zoho.in/support/keboli. Some spam ticket ids: #102, #103, #104

    • I just signed up

      Hi, I have just signed up for the domain griffithcgenterprises.com. I would like to make two adjustments: If possible, I would prefer a 5 GB hosting/email plan instead of the current 10 GB option, as I believe that should be sufficient for my needs at

    • History tab stuck loading indefinitely on Android (v2.22.0)

      History tab stuck loading indefinitely on Android (v2.22.0) — server returns 500 on visitorhistoryviews Hi all, I'm running into an issue where the History tab in the SalesIQ Android app (v2.22.0) never loads — it just spins indefinitely. Screenshots

    • Não consigo enviar e receber e-mail

      Estou tendo problema de envio e recebimento de e-mail (meu e-mail é ands....lisi.com.br) Esta mensagem foi criada automaticamente pelo software de entrega de e-mails. Uma mensagem que você enviou não pôde ser entregue a um ou mais destinatários. Este

    • إلغاء الإشتراك

      أريد إلغاء الإشتراك نهائياً.

    • Opening two notes at once in the Mac app

      Just like the title says - I want two notes open the same time on my Mac Air. AI search seems to think I have the option to open one window, then click on a second one. But of course if one window is open I can't see the others. It also recommended using

    • Introducing the Employee Portal for internal job posting

      Employee referrals and internal applications are one of the most trusted hiring channels. But in many organizations, employees only hear about openings through messages, word of mouth, or after the role has already been open for a while. When employees

    • Department Customization Copy/Paste

      Hello! I love the new customization of the layouts, rules and templates! However, we have several "departments" that operate similar and as I'm updating either ticket layout or workflow rules, I'm finding that I have to do it in each department. I would

    • How do you import mail from Thunderbird into ZOHO mail

      Hi, We have Thunderbird on our Apple Macs and want to transfer the emails from this to our shiny new Zoho mail account. I know using Outlook on a PC you can zip the .eml files up and upload them into specific folders on your ZOHO mail account using this form: mail.zoho.com/mail/jsp/importFolder.jsp However as Thunderbird use mbox files I'm not sure how to do it. Can anyone let me know if they have migrated mail from Thunderbird to Zoho mail and how they did it. I have many folders and emails to transfer

    • How to Open .mbox file in Gmail with Attachments?

      Gmail offer users to backup INBOX folder in .mbox file format via Google Takeout Feature. Howver there is no such option to Restore Gmail MBOX. Thus I would like to suggest you to choose an alternate approach i.e. MBOX to Gmail Wizard. This utility will open .mbox file in Gmail with attachments.  Steps to open MBOX file in Gmail are; Run MBOX to Gmail Wizard Click Add File and add .mbox file. Enter your Gmail login credentials. Click Convert button. Finished! This is how you can open MBOX file in

    • Poor Zoho Support

      Been trying to reach support via telephone and email. The support has always been slow to respond but now its been two weeks without a return call. I have even sent them screen shots of the problem I've having with no results. Is anyone had the same problem.

    • Admin Logging in as another User

      How can a Super Admin login as another user. For example, I have a sales rep that is having issues with their Accounts and I want to view their Zoho Account with out having to do a GTM and sharing screens. Latest Update (27th April 2026): With the early

    • Desk Contact Name > split to First and Last name

      I am new to Zoho and while setting up the Desk and Help Center, I saw that new tickets created or submitted from the Help Center used the Contact Name field. This would create a new Contact but put the person's name in the Last Name field only. The First

    • SalesIQ operators will not receive any messages if customers do not answer the Pre-Chat questions in Flow Controls.

      Hi Zoho SalesIQ Team, I am reaching out to report a issue regarding the Brands > Flow Controls SalesIQ operators will not receive any messages if customers do not answer the Pre-Chat questions in Flow Controls and continue sending messages without completing

    • SalesIQ's Summer '26 Release: For The Moments That Matter

      Every customer journey is made up of moments. The moment someone discovers your business. The moment they need help. The moment you decide to reach out. The moment a simple chat turns into something more. And the moments that continue long after the conversation

    • Add Comprehensive Accessibility Features to Zoho Writer

      Hello Zoho Writer Team, We hope you are doing well. We would like to submit a feature request to enhance Zoho Writer with a full set of accessibility tools, similar to the accessibility options already available in the Zoho Desk agent interface. 🚧 Current

    • Copying a Document with its Citations

      When I copy a document that contains citations using File>Make a Copy from the document's menu the text copies but the citations do not (according to Google they should). Is this the correct way to make a complete copy of a document with its citations

    • Bing ads integration and tracking

      Hi, Is there any way to track Bing ads in the same way that we are able to track google adwords?  It is important for us to be able to determine the conversion rate of our Bing ads.  If this is not possible now, will this feature be added in the future?

    • #20 Your Business Shouldn't Stop Just Because You Do

      Imagine you are on a well-deserved vacation. Your clients are expecting invoices at the beginning of the month, recurring customers are due for billing, and payments are still coming in. Do you carry your laptop everywhere, hoping you don't miss a billing

    • Marketing Tip #26: Optimize product images for SEO

      Product images can do more than make your store look good. They can also help customers discover your products through search. Since search engines can’t "see" images, they rely on text signals to understand what an image is about. Two small actions make

    • Canva Integration

      Hello! As many marketing departments are streamlining their teams, many have begun utilizing Canva for all design mockups and approvals prior to its integration into Marketing automation software. While Zoho Social has this integration already accomplished,

    • Automation Series: Mandatory Time Logging Before Task Closure

      In a project, when users work on multiple tasks simultaneously, they track time in different ways, either by starting a timer or by adding a time log. Sometimes users may forget to add time, which can lead to discrepancies in the timesheet. When timesheets

    • Next Page