AW-Send General or Priority Message (How-To Guide Template)

Tool Search: Messenger 2.0

The procedures on this page describe how to send a general or priority message via inbox, email, voice or text to students, Messenger contacts, and/or staff.

General messages and Priority messages have identical workflows. They differ in that General messages will only contact email addresses and phone numbers that have been marked 'General' under Census > People > Demographics > Messenger Preferences Contact Reasons, and Priority messages will only contact email addresses and phone numbers that have been marked 'Priority' under Census > People > Demographics > Messenger Preferences Contact Reasons.

screenshot of messenger 2.0

Before you start

Messages can be created as new messages or based on a template. To use a template, see Messenger Templates.
User rights determine if you can create each type of message. See tool rights.

Step 1: Set Recipients and delivery options

Select the Delivery Mode. Options may include Inbox, Email, Voice and/or Text message.
Select the School Year. The current year is the default selection.
Select the Calendars to which you want to send the message. The calendar in the Context Switcher is selected automatically. To change this:
1. Click the Select Calendars button.
2. In the Calendars side panel, add or remove additional calendars.
Optionally, select a Preferred Language.
Select at least one recipient group from the Add Recipients section.
- Send to Students
- Send to Messenger Contacts
- Send to Staff
  - Side quest 1
- Individual Recipients
  - Side quest 2
- Non-Campus Recipients
  - Side quest 3
By default, all students currently enrolled in the selected Calendar(s) or their Messenger Contacts are selected as message recipients. Click Custom Selection to open a side panel. Filter options include
- Removing Active Students only, which sends the message to any student with an enrollment record in the calendar.
- Grade Level
- Ad hoc filter
- Transportation, which is based on the student's bus.
Click the Recipients button to review the recipients in the side panel.
1. Recipients can be deselected if they shouldn't receive the message.
2. A CSV report of recipient details can be generated.
Click Next to move on to the next step.

Step 2: Enter Content for each Delivery Mode

Enter the subject of the message in Message Subject.
Complete the following Inbox, Email, Voice, and/or Text options.
1. Inbox: Compose the body of the message in the Message Body.
2. Email:
  1. Enter or confirm the correct email is showing in the Reply to Email field.
    Tip: This Field is only editable if the Allow Custom Sender’s Email Address checkbox is marked in the Email Settings tab of Messenger Admin.
  2. Enter a Sender Display Name. (Optional)
  3. Compose the body of the message in the Message Body.
  4. Click the Select File button to attach a file to the email.
3. Voice: Select one of the following options.
  - Upload - Use this option to attach a pre-recorded .WAV file.
  - Text-to-Speech - Use this option to have Campus convert text from the Voice Message Body field on this screen to a voice message. If you are also sending an Email message the Voice Message Body field is not available and the Message Body from the Email card will be converted instead.
4. Text: Compose the body of the message in Text Message Body.
Optionally, follow one of two workflows within Preview/Test to view a message before sending it to recipients. Test messages will be sent in context of the recipient.
Click Next to move on to the next step.

Step 3: Schedule Message Delivery

Select a Message Delivery option:
- Send Now: Deliver the message as soon as the Send step is completed.
- Schedule One-Time: Schedule a message to be sent a single time in the future. The recipient list for this message will be generated at the time of delivery.
  1. Enter the Date the message will be sent.
  2. Enter the Inbox/Email Time the message will be sent.
  3. Enter the Voice/Text Message Time the message will be sent.
- Schedule Recurring: Schedule a message to be sent on a recurring basis. The recipient lists for these messages will be generated at the time of delivery.
  1. Enter the Inbox/Email Time the message will be sent.
  2. Enter the Voice/Text Message Time the message will be sent.
  3. Setup the Recurrence Pattern based on Day(s) of the Week or Custom Dates:
    - Day(s) of the Week
      1. Click the Day(s) of the Week radio button.
      2. Select the days of the week the message will be sent.
      3. Select the Frequency the message will be sent.
      4. Select a Start and End Date for the message.
    - Custom Dates
      1. Click the Custom Dates radio button.
      2. Click the day the message will be sent in the Select Dates calendar.
Confirm you would like to receive a confirmation email that the message was successfully sent by marking the Confirmation Email checkbox. Clear the checkbox if you do not want to receive a message sent successfully email.
Click Send. An alert will display the number of message recipients for each selected Delivery Mode. Use the 'Generate Recipient CSV' to download the Recipient Report before sending the message.
Click Send. After you initiate the send message process, you'll be taken back to the main Messenger 2.0 screen. The message then starts processing and shows up in the 'In Progress' tab of Upcoming Messages. A loading graphic of three dots appears while the list refreshes with your latest sent messages.

Impact

You've just sent or scheduled a message to the users selected when you set the recipients.

What's next

While the message is processing, you can leave the screen and return later to check your message details. A status label below the 'Created By' field shows the progress of the message in the sending process. After the message is fully processed, it leaves the 'In Progress' tab and moves to the Sent Message Log 2.0. For more information about In Progress messages and their statuses, read the Upcoming Messages documentation.