Communications
Send newsletters and announcements to your unit
TL;DR: Send rich HTML emails to targeted groups (all members, specific dens, positions). Schedule for later, track delivery in real-time.
Quick Overview
Send targeted emails to members with rich formatting, images, and scheduling options.
Key Features:
- Rich text editor (WYSIWYG + markdown support)
- Smart recipient targeting (units, positions, member types)
- Scheduling (send now or later)
- Delivery tracking and status
- Image uploads to R2 storage
Communication Workflow
- Create → Draft auto-saves
- Add recipients (chips UI for targeting)
- Write content (rich editor with toolbar)
- Preview recipient list
- Send immediately or schedule
- Monitor delivery status (live updates via SSE)
Time to send: 3-5 minutes from draft to sent
Recipient Targeting
| Target Type | Example Use Case |
|---|---|
| All Members | Troop-wide announcements |
| Specific Units | Den-specific reminders |
| Member Types | Adults only, Youth only |
| Positions | All Den Leaders, Committee members |
| Individual Members | Personal messages |
Parent Notifications: Toggle "Notify Parents" to email parents instead of youth directly.
Editor Features
- Formatting: Bold, italic, underline, strikethrough
- Structure: Headers (H2, H3), bullets, numbered lists
- Links: Add hyperlinks with friendly dialog
- Images: Upload to R2 with automatic resizing
- Markdown: Type markdown syntax while editing (auto-converts)
Scheduling
Send Now: Immediate delivery to all recipients
Schedule: Set future date/time
- Schedule up to months in advance
- Cancel scheduled sends before delivery
- Edit scheduled communications
Status Tracking
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Not sent, auto-saved |
| Scheduled | Queued for future delivery |
| Processing | Currently sending |
| Sent | Delivered successfully |
| Partial Failure | Some emails bounced |
| Failed | Delivery failed |
Live Progress: Watch send progress with real-time updates (Server-Sent Events).
Best Practices
- Subject Lines: Keep under 50 characters, front-load key info
- Timing: Send important announcements Tuesday-Thursday mornings
- Images: Compress before uploading (< 1MB per image)
- Links: Use descriptive text, not "click here"
- Preview: Always check recipient count before sending