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Sending test messages

Before sending out a messaging campaign to your users, you may want to test it to make sure it looks right and operates in the intended manner. You can use the dashboard to create and send test messages with push notifications, in-app messages (IAM), or email.

Sending a test message

Step 1: Create a designated test segment

After you set up a test segment, you can use it to test any of your Braze messaging channels. When set up correctly, this only needs to be done a single time.

To set up a test segment, go to Segments and create a new segment. Select Add Filter, then choose a one of the test filters.

A Braze test campaign displaying the filters available in the targeting step.

With test filters, you can ensure that only users with a specific email address or external user ID are sent the test message.

A dropdown menu displaying several filters listed under a heading that reads Testing

Both email address and external user ID filters offer the following options:

You can select multiple specific emails using the “matches” option and separating the email addresses with a | character. For example: “matches” “[email protected] | [email protected]”. You can also combine multiple operators together. For example, the test segment could include an email address filter that “matches” “@braze.com” and another filter that “does not equal” “[email protected]”.

After adding the testing filters to your test segment, you can verify it’s working by selecting Preview or by selecting Settings > CSV Export All User Data to export that segment’s user data to a CSV file.

A section of a Braze campaign titled Segment Details

Step 2: Send the message

You can send a message using the Braze dashboard or the command line.

To send test push notifications or in-app messages, you need to target your previously created test segment. Begin by creating your campaign and following the usual steps. When you reach the Target Audiences step, select your test segment from the dropdown menu.

A Braze test campaign displaying the segments available in the targeting step.

Confirm your campaign and launch it to test your push notification and in-app messages.

If you’re only testing email messages, you do not necessarily have to set up a test segment. In the first step of the campaign composer where you compose your campaign’s email message, click Send Test and enter the email address to which you wish to send a test email.

A Braze campaign with the Test Send tab selected

Alternatively, you can send a single notification using cURL and the Braze Messaging API. Note that these examples make a request using the US-01 instance. To find out yours, refer to API endpoints.

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curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer {BRAZE_API_KEY}" -d '{
  "external_user_ids":["EXTERNAL_USER_ID"],
  "messages": {
    "android_push": {
      "title":"Test push title",
      "alert":"Test push",
      "extra":{
        "CUSTOM_KEY":"CUSTOM_VALUE"
      }
    }
  }
}' https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/messages/send

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curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer {BRAZE_API_KEY}" -d '{
  "external_user_ids":["EXTERNAL_USER_ID"],
  "messages": {
    "apple_push": {
      "alert": "Test push",
      "extra": { 
        "CUSTOM_KEY" :"CUSTOM_VALUE"
      }
    }
  }
}' https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/messages/send

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curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer {BRAZE_API_KEY}" -d '{
  "external_user_ids":["EXTERNAL_USER_ID"],
  "messages": {
    "kindle_push": {
      "title":"Test push title",
      "alert":"Test push",
      "extra":{
        "CUSTOM_KEY":"CUSTOM_VALUE"
      }
    }
  }
}' https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/messages/send

Replace the following:

Test limitations

There are a few situations where test messages don’t have complete feature parity with launching a campaign or Canvas to a real set of users. In these instances, to validate this behavior, you should launch the campaign or Canvas to a limited set of test users.

  • Viewing the Braze preference center from Test Messages will cause the submit button to be grayed out.
  • The list-unsubscribe header is not included in emails sent by the test message functionality.
  • For in-app messages and Content Cards, the target user must have a push token for the target device.
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