# Getting started with Lookout Send

What Lookout Send is, its five tabs, the Dashboard, and what to do before your first campaign.

Source: https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/overview/

**Add-on**
Lookout Send is an add-on, so not every website has it. If it is not in
your menu, see [Add-ons](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/billing/add-ons/) to add it.

Lookout Send is our own newsletter service. You keep your mailing list here,
write your emails here, and send them from here. You never leave your admin
panel.

Go to **Plugins**, then **Lookout Send**. It sits in the **Marketing** group.

We set up the link between your website and Lookout Send. There is nothing to
connect yourself.

There are five tabs: **Dashboard**, **Campaigns**, **Templates**,
**Subscribers** and **Settings**.

This page covers the basics. The rest of the guide:

- [Sending a campaign](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/campaigns/). Write an email, test it, and send it. Templates are there too.
- [Your subscribers](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/subscribers/). Add people, make segments, and let visitors sign up.
- [Lookout Send settings](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/settings/). Your sender details, the look of your emails, tracking, and who else can use it.

## A few words first

- A **list** is a group of people who asked for your emails.
- A **segment** is part of a list, such as everyone on it who unsubscribed.
- A **campaign** is one email, sent to a list or a segment.
- A **template** is a starting point for a campaign's words and layout.

## The connection pill

At the top right of the page is a small pill. It reads **Connected** when all
is well, and **Disconnected** when your website cannot reach Lookout Send.

Rest your mouse on it, or click it, to see the details. **Check connection**
tries again.

## If it says Not connected

When your website cannot reach Lookout Send, each tab shows a box headed
**Not connected**. Click **Check connection**. If that does not fix it, wait a
few minutes and try again.

![The Lookout Send screen on the Dashboard tab, with a red Disconnected pill at the top right. Two numbered marks: 1 on the Not connected box, 2 on its Check connection button.](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/_astro/lookout-send-unavailable.B8xnqHCT_e61zG.webp)

*What you see when your website cannot reach Lookout Send.*

Number 1 in the picture is the **Not connected** box. Number 2 is **Check connection**.

**Contact support**
Contact us if Lookout Send stays unavailable. Tell us roughly when it
started.

Email [support@lookoutridgeit.com](mailto:support@lookoutridgeit.com).
[Getting support](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/help/getting-support/) says what to put in the message.

## The Dashboard tab

This tab shows how your emails are doing. Nothing here changes anything.

The **Overview** box has two buttons, **New campaign** and
**Browse templates**, and six tiles:

| Tile | What it counts |
| --- | --- |
| **Subscribers** | People on your active lists. Someone on two lists counts twice. |
| **Campaigns sent** | Campaigns that finished sending. |
| **Emails delivered** | Emails that reached the person's mail server. |
| **Avg open rate** | The share of delivered emails that were opened. |
| **Avg click rate** | The share of delivered emails where someone clicked a link. |
| **Bounce rate** | The share of emails that bounced back. |

The rates cover your latest 24 finished campaigns. Opens and clicks only count
when tracking is on. See [Tracking](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/settings/#engagement-tracking).

The **Bounce rate** tile shows **High bounces** over 2%, or
**High complaints** when over 0.1% of people mark you as spam. Mail providers
expect you to stay under both. If you see one, look at who is on your list.

Under the tiles:

- **Campaign performance** charts the open and click rate of each campaign.
- **Delivery health** shows how many emails were delivered, bounced or failed.
- **Audience** shows how many people are on each list.
- **In flight** shows campaigns that are scheduled or sending right now.
- **Top campaigns** lists your best five by open rate. Click one to see its
  results.

## Before your first campaign

You need a list with people on it.

1. Click the **Subscribers** tab.
2. In the **Audience lists** box, type a **List name**, such as "Monthly
   tips".
3. Click **Create list**.

Then add people to it. You can add them one at a time, or bring in a
spreadsheet. Both are covered in [Adding people](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/subscribers/#adding-people).

To let visitors join from your website, see
[Letting visitors sign up](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/subscribers/#letting-visitors-sign-up).

Fill in your sender details and mailing address too. See
[Lookout Send settings](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/settings/).

When your list is ready, go on to [Sending a campaign](https://docs.lookoutridgeit.com/lookout-send/campaigns/).