Audience preview is the last sanity check before a send or automation. It helps catch missing filters, wrong lists, and contacts who should not be included.

What this guide helps you do

• Preview how many people will receive or enter something.
• Inspect sample members for targeting mistakes.
• Catch unsubscribe, empty email, or wrong-list issues before launch.

Before you start

• Choose the Audience, People list, or all-subscribers target.
• Know the purpose of the send and who should be excluded.
• Confirm sender and subscription group when email is involved.

Do it manually

1. Open the broadcast, newsletter, journey, or Audience.
2. Open the audience or recipient preview.
3. Review total count and sample members.
4. Check exclusions, contact preferences, and missing email warnings.
5. Adjust targeting if the count is too high, too low, or surprising.
6. Preview again before scheduling or starting.

Ask Faster AI

• Preview this broadcast Audience and explain who will receive it in plain English.
• Check whether this journey Audience excludes unsubscribed contacts and people already in the workflow.
• Compare this Audience count to last week and list likely reasons it changed.

Review before saving, sending, or starting

• Do not send when the count is surprising.
• Check sample members, not only the total count.
• Confirm compliance and contact preferences for email.

Common issues and fixes

• If count is zero, check list membership, date windows, and required fields.
• If count is too high, add exclusion rules or use a narrower People list.
• If sample members look wrong, fix the Audience before editing the email content.

After you use this Audience

• Review who entered the Audience after the first send, journey start, or follow-up task.
• Open a few customer records to confirm the group still matches the business intent.
• Keep a note on why the Audience exists, when it should be reviewed, and who owns changes.
• If the Audience should stay current automatically, convert the one-time logic into clear rules and preview it again.

Audience segmentation strategy

For why previewing every Audience before a send is the final safeguard in small-team segmentation, read the customer segmentation article. Customer Segmentation for Small Teams: Send Less, Sell More.

Email marketing playbook

For why list quality and recipient preview matter before every newsletter, broadcast, or automated email, read the email marketing guide. Email Marketing for Small Businesses: The Only Guide You Need.

Win-back customer journeys

For why a win-back Audience should be previewed before messages start, read the win-back article. Win Back Lapsed Customers with Three Emails.

Connected workflows

• Connect a form to an Audience or journey
• Send a newsletter
• Create a welcome journey
• Use customer activity for follow-up

Placeholder media

• Screenshot placeholder: add an annotated screenshot of preview audience counts before sending with customer names, emails, counts, and private campaign data blurred.
• Video placeholder: add a short walkthrough that starts from Engagement, shows the manual path, then shows the review step before any journey, broadcast, newsletter, or sequence goes live.

Related help

• Create an Audience
• Preview Audience counts before sending
• Respect unsubscribe and contact preferences