Email sends types/Send Flow

Send Flow (Guided)

Type of send: "Guided Send" is the legacy interface. In modern SFMC, this is called [ ] —a visual, step-by-step wizard in Email Studio used to target lists, data extensions, or Salesforce CRM reports.

Test Send or A/B Testing

Type of send: SalesForce Marketing Cloud includes a dedicated testing interface, typically called [ ] or [ ], allowing you to preview personalization and send test emails to specific subscriber seeds before a live launch.

Triggered Send

Type of send: These are automated, event-driven, or transactional messages (like welcome emails or password resets) sent in real-time via API or CRM triggers.

No built-in deduplication mechanism exists.

Workarounds for Triggered with no deduplication

• SQL Queries: Pre-clean data extensions via Automation Studio before injection.

• Exclusion Scripts: Use AMPscript logic within the email activity to suppress immediate duplicates.

Finding ‘Send Flow’ 1 of 3

Email Studio → ‘Content’ tab → from the Content Builder grid → click ‘Send’.

Finding ‘Send Flow’ 2 of 3

Email Studio → ‘Content’ tab → from list of emails, find one email → click ‘Send’.

Finding ‘Send Flow’ 3 of 3

Email Studio → ‘Content’ tab → from list of emails, find one email → in the ‘Send Flow’, click ‘Save and Send’.

Four steps of ‘Send Flow’

What 4 steps are these below for?

1. Define Properties

2. Select Audience

3. Configure Delivery

4. Review Send

Define Properties

This is Step 1.

Select your email, and edit or verify the subject line, preheader, send classification, and sender profile.

The subject and preheader can’t be edited when Approvals is enabled. To update the field, edit the actual email. The subject and preheader of shared Content Builder emails can’t be edited.

The From Options are defaulted to the Default Commercial Send Classification for the account. However, you can select from either saved verified send classifications or use account-related From and Reply names.

Select Audience

This is Step 2.

Choose the data extensions, lists, or data filters/filters to target you can drag and drop them to the Target section, as well as any audiences to exclude or suppress. Drag and drop exclude or suppress to the Suppressed / Excluded section

Marketing Cloud Connect users can send to Sales and Service Cloud campaigns, reports, and data extensions using the same interface. These audiences appear in their own category of folders in Select Audience. The audiences from other clouds don’t display.

When enabled in your account, this feature allows you to send to multiple data extensions. Contact your relationship manager to enable this feature.

When enabled in your account, this feature allows you to send to all subscribers.

When enabled in your account, carbon copy or blind carbon copy recipients to an email send who aren’t members of the targeted audience. You’re charged for each CC and BCC email sent.

Configure Delivery

This is Step 3.

Set your send timing (send immediately or schedule for later), apply send throttling, and configure advanced sending options.

Send Immediately - Sends the email immediately after you review the email.

Schedule - Send the email at the selected date and time. The system uses the time zone configured for the user scheduling the send. For example, if you schedule a send for 7:30 AM and your time zone is Pacific Standard Time (PST), the send deploys at 7:30 AM PST. The send uses the records that are available at the time of the send, not when the email is scheduled. For accurate targeting, make sure that subscriber data is updated before the send.

Send Throttling - set an hourly throttle limit without a window, a throttle window without an hourly limit, or an hourly limit with a time window.

Send Throttling Option:

Delivery Window - Specify the start and end time for the send.

Hourly Threshold - Specify the maximum number of emails to send per hour.

Tracking Option:

Track Clicks - Wrap links in the send with a special URL that tracks clicks.

Suppress From Send Report - Suppress tracking data from reports and Email Studio Overview. Send results are sent to the Test Send Emails folder in Email Studio Tracking.

Tracking Destination Folder - Specify a destination for tracking data. The default value is the My Tracking folder.

Send Logging - Enable send logging for this send.

Send Tracking Results to Sales Cloud - Send the results of your email sends in Marketing Cloud Engagement to Sales Cloud.

Additional Info - Include email-level data for Web Analytics in the links of the email.

Advanced Options:

Multipart MIME - Send both HTML and text versions of the email.

Prebuild Burst Sending

When enabled in your account, Prebuild Burst Sending allows you to send emails fast. The audience is locked down and the emails are built when the schedule send time is set. Use this feature for flash sales or emergency messaging.

Review Send

This is Step 4.

Preview the email here.

1. Hover over any blue text to view more information.

2. Review the email configuration allows you to see configurations made in the previous tabs and confirm that all information is correct and ready to send and accept the confirmation message when all looks correct.

3. To send the email immediately, click Send. To send the email based on your send configuration, click Schedule.

True for Lists & Groups be target together

During Send Flow’s ‘Select Audience’ Lists & Groups be target together. You can target any number of Lists and Groups in a single send.

Marketing Cloud will automatically deduplicate subscribers who happen to exist on more than one of the selected lists using the SubscriberID.

Is this true or false?

True for target many sendable data extensions

During Send Flow’s ‘Select Audience’ you can target a many data extensions. If the same subscriber (based on Subscriber Key) exists in multiple Data Extensions that you have targeted, Salesforce will automatically deduplicate them. They will only receive one email. Require the manual selection of the "De-duplicate subscribers" checkbox during the send flow. By default, data extensions de-duplicate by email address rather than by SubscriberKey or SubscriberID.

Every Data Extension you target must be configured as "Sendable" when it is created. If it is non-sendable (used only for storing data like product tables), the system will not let you drag it into the target zone.

Is this true or false?

No - Data Extensions can only be targeted along with other Data Extensions

Can list and sendable data extension be target together in Send Flow’s ‘Select Audience’?

Using ‘Data Filter’ as a target Audience in a ‘Send Flow’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - Select Audience: When Data Filters can be selected to be the target. Only 1 can be targeted at a time. Data Filters created from a List or List-Based Filters are automatically de-duplicated at send-time using the SubscriberID.

They cannot be targeted with other data extensions, lists, or even other filters in the same send configuration.

The Exception: Journey Builder

• Multi-filter targeting: If you need to target multiple Data Filters or mix them with other sources, you must use Journey Builder or an Automation Studio query instead of the standard send flow.

• Entry Source: Journey Builder allows you to use a Data Extension as an entry source and apply multiple filter criteria at the start of the journey.

Best Practice Alternative

1. Filter Activity: If you need to combine data, create a Filter Activity in Automation Studio.

2. Resulting DE: This outputs the filtered subscribers into a new Data Extension.

3. Targeting: You can then target that single resulting Data Extension in your send flow.

Suppression in ‘Send Flow’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - Select Audience: you cannot use suppression file as a target.

How to Target a Suppression List

If your goal is to actually send an email to the subscribers sitting inside a Suppression List, you must convert them into a targetable format:

• Export and Import: Export the Suppression List as a CSV file and import those subscribers into a standard List or Data Extension.

• Automation Studio / SQL: If it is a Data Extension-backed suppression list, write a quick SQL query in Automation Studio to copy the records into a standard, targetable Data Extension.

Data Cloud/Audience Builder’s audience in ‘Send Flow’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - ‘Select Audience’: you target any number of Audience Builder Audiences and Shared Audience Builder Audiences at the same time in a single send. You can freely mix and match shared and non-shared audiences.

If you choose to target Audience Builder audiences, they must be the only audience type targeted in that send flow. You cannot mix them with:

• Standard Lists

• Groups

• Data Filters

• Standard Data Extensions

Audience Builder is retired is now Data Cloud, for ‘Select Audience’. Audience Builder Audiences/They are treated as Standard Data Extensions: When you publish a segment from Data Cloud to Marketing Cloud Engagement, Data Cloud pushes that audience into a shared or specialized folder inside your instance. Structurally, it is just a Data Extension (DE).

You follow Data Extension rules, not Audience Builder rules: Because it lands as a DE, you must follow the "Data Extension" rules in the Send Flow, not the old legacy audience behavior.

Salesforce Data Extensions in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - ‘Select Audience’: you can target Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs) in the Send Flow, provided your account uses Marketing Cloud Connect to link your system with Sales or Service Cloud.

1. They Live in a Dedicated Folder

• The Location: You cannot find them in the standard "Data Extensions" tree. You must expand the specific Salesforce Data Extensions folder in the audience selection step.

• The Requirement: The data extension must be saved in that folder, be marked as Sendable, and use a valid 18-digit Salesforce Lead or Contact ID mapped to the Subscriber Key to successfully process.

2. The Isolation Rule (No Mixing)

• Pure Salesforce Sends: If you choose to target a Salesforce Data Extension, you cannot mix it with standard Marketing Cloud assets. You can target many (multiple) Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs) at the same time for a single send. If the same Contact or Lead ID exists across multiple targeted SFDEs, Marketing Cloud will automatically deduplicate them so the subscriber only receives one email.

• Allowed: You can target multiple Salesforce Data Extensions at once.

• Blocked: You cannot combine a Salesforce Data Extension with a standard List, standard Data Extension, or Data Filter in the same exact Send Flow.

3. Exclusion Logic Restrictions

• Like-with-Like: If you need to exclude or suppress records while targeting a Salesforce Data Extension, your exclusion audience must also be a Salesforce Data Extension. You cannot drag a standard DE into the exclusion box of a Salesforce Send Flow.

Salesforce Campaigns in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - ‘Select Audience’: you can target ‘Salesforce Campaigns’ using the ‘Send Flow’ in Email Studio, provided you have the ‘Marketing Cloud Connect’ integration installed.

When stepping through the Send Flow, you can select specific ‘Salesforce Campaigns’ up to 10 at a time as your target audience instead of using standard Data Extensions.

You can select a mix of both Salesforce Campaigns and Salesforce Reports in the same send.

No Standard Extensions: You cannot mix Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs) or standard Data Extensions with Salesforce Campaigns in the same Send Flow.

1. When Your Target is Salesforce Campaigns

If your target audience is built using Salesforce CRM objects via Marketing Cloud Connect, your exclusions must match that ecosystem:

• Salesforce Campaigns: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Salesforce Reports: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs): Yes, but only if they are designated as Salesforce Data Extensions.

• Standard Data Extensions, Lists, Groups: No. You cannot mix core Marketing Cloud data structures with CRM-based sends in the Send Flow.

Data Filters: No, never. You cannot drag or select a Data Filter directly into the exclusion box of a Send Flow. To exclude a filtered segment, you must first run the filter to output its results into a filtered Data Extension or Group, and then exclude that resulting data set.

2. When Your Target is Standard Data Extensions

If you are targeting a standard, sendable Data Extension:

• Standard Data Extensions: Yes, you can use other sendable data extensions as exclusions.

• Salesforce Campaigns: No, you cannot cross-mix them here.

3. When Your Target is a List or Group

If you are using the classic list-based model:

• Lists: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Groups: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Data Extensions: No, you cannot mix lists and data extensions in the standard Send Flow exclusion window.

Salesforce Reports in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’

In ‘Send Flow’, Step 2 - ‘Select Audience’: you can target ‘Salesforce Reports’ using the ‘Send Flow’ in Email Studio, provided you have the ‘Marketing Cloud Connect’ integration installed.

When stepping through the Send Flow, you can select specific ‘Salesforce Reports’ up to 10 at a time as your target audience instead of using standard Data Extensions.

You can select a mix of both Salesforce Campaigns and Salesforce Reports in the same send.

No Standard Extensions: You cannot mix Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs) or standard Data Extensions with Salesforce Reports in the same Send Flow.

1. When Your Target is Salesforce Reports

If your target audience is built using Salesforce CRM objects via Marketing Cloud Connect, your exclusions must match that ecosystem:

• Salesforce Campaigns: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Salesforce Reports: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Salesforce Data Extensions (SFDEs): Yes, but only if they are designated as Salesforce Data Extensions.

• Standard Data Extensions, Lists, Groups: No. You cannot mix core Marketing Cloud data structures with CRM-based sends in the Send Flow.

Data Filters: No, never. You cannot drag or select a Data Filter directly into the exclusion box of a Send Flow. To exclude a filtered segment, you must first run the filter to output its results into a filtered Data Extension or Group, and then exclude that resulting data set.

2. When Your Target is Standard Data Extensions

If you are targeting a standard, sendable Data Extension:

• Standard Data Extensions: Yes, you can use other sendable data extensions as exclusions.

• Salesforce Reports: No, you cannot cross-mix them here.

3. When Your Target is a List or Group

If you are using the classic list-based model:

• Lists: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Groups: Yes, can be used as an exclusion.

• Data Extensions: No, you cannot mix lists and data extensions in the standard Send Flow exclusion window.

Data Filter in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’ - Exclusion section box

You cannot drag or select a Data Filter directly into the exclusion box of a Send Flow. To exclude a filtered segment, you must first run the filter to output its results into a filtered Data Extension or Group, and then exclude that resulting data set.

Suppression in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’ - Exclusion section box

Suppression List cannot be placed inside the standard ‘Excluded’ box. The Send Flow treats exclusions and suppressions as two completely separate categories with their own distinct rules and sections.

Suppression List is simply a static or automated repository of email addresses or Subscriber Keys that you want to prevent from receiving specific emails. A subscriber's actual status lives on the All Subscribers list. If a user clicks "Unsubscribe" and their status changes to Unsubscribed on All Subscribers, Marketing Cloud automatically blocks them globally. You do not need to add them to a Suppression List to stop them from receiving promotional emails.

Exclusions list are subscriber list to prevent subscribers from receiving emails again for that one time but they are not Unsubscribed on All Subscribers.

The ‘Suppressed’ Section in ‘Send Flow’ - ‘Select Audience’

• Only actual Suppression Lists or Shared Suppression Lists.

• The Rule: This dedicated drop zone exists specifically for your Suppression Lists. You drag your suppression file here to filter out internal employees, competitors, or do-not-contact registries.