# Overview

Send custom content templates or drag and drop editor emails via the [SparkPost](🔗) channel action, from a Flow (One-time Send, Recurring, or Triggered).

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Before you begin

  • Review [Flows and Channel Actions: How They Work](🔗).

  • If you haven't already, [have an engineer connect your SparkPost account to Simon](🔗).






# Action Types

ActionFunctionOne-timeTriggeredStreamRecurring
Send Email to ContactSend an email to your contact via your existing Sparkpost account.





# Field Descriptions

## Email Details (Required)

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## Template

Click **View Simon Templates in Content** to open the [Content Editor](🔗) in a new tab for the template you've selected. If you haven't selected anything, the template list opens for you to view and open an existing template.

## Subject

The template you chose will populate the subject line, or you can enter a new subject line for your email or click **\</>** to customize with Jinja:

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Optionally, use Jinja in your Subject Line

## Contact Addresses

The template you chose populates these fields, or you can edit them directly in the channel action:

  • ** From Email**: The email you want to appear in the from field in the delivered email (not necessarily the email you want replies delivered to.

  • **From Name** (Optional): Sometimes called a [friendly from name](🔗).

  • **Reply-To Email** (Optional): Address you want replies routed to should a contact reply to your message. If left blank, Simon Mail defaults routing replies to the From Address.






## UTM Parameters (Optional)

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UTM Parameters automatically append these [Google Analytics key/value pairs](🔗) to the query string of all the hyperlinks in the selected template so that you do not have to hard code those parameters into your hyperlink code one by one yourself.

### Disable Default UTM Parameters or Customize Defaults

We include UTM parameters by default, but you can choose to disable this feature either by flow, or globally.

  • To disable the UTM parameters for the **current flow only**, add the _SparkPost_ action then toggle the ** Add UTM parameters to links** option to off:



  • To disable UTM Parameters globally _or_ customize your UTM defaults:

  1. From the left navigation expand **Admin Center** the click **Settings**.

  2. Click **UTM Tracking**.

  3. Either toggle **Add UTM parameters to all campaign links** to off (no UTM parameters will display in any campaign creation) _or_ update the defaults you want to display in your campaign creation.





### Parameter Definitions

[Read parameter definitions here](🔗). Simon specific defaults are:

ParameterValue
utm_sourcedefaults to `simon`
utm_mediumdefaults to `email`
utm_campaignFlows inherit the flow name, Journeys inherit the step name





## Metadata (Optional)

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Metadata Value Pairs

  1. Click **Add**.

  2. Include a **Name** and **Value**.

  3. Toggle the **Bell** on/off to alert if there's empty [Custom context basics](🔗).

You can also copy the name/value pairs from a previous flow or journey:

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Copy previous Metadata

Click **Edit** to select and preview the value directly from Contacts, Lookups, or Blocks.

Click the **Trash Can** to delete.

You can add an unlimited number of metadata name/value pairs. Any metadata you add here flows through the channel and then back to SparkPost for you to use there.






## Frequency Cap (Optional)

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Frequency Cap

  • **Max Sends per Period** Choose how many times (1-5, or Unlimited) to send the email within the period you choose.

  • **Period**: Choose from a number of increments from 1-365 days, or choose N/A.






## Send a Test (Optional)

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Send a Test

### Test Recipient Contact

Choose an email address to, optionally, _send a live test_ email to and preview your send. Note, UTM parameters are not appended in test sends.






# How this Action Functions by Flow

Channel actions [behave differently when used in different flows](🔗). The table below describes this action's functions for each flow type.

<!-- We've used this description in multiple Responsys documents -->

Flow TypeFunction
**One-Time** (Recommended)Send an email, one at send time
**Triggered** (Recommended)_By segment membership:_ Sends an email, when a newly added contact joins a segment _By an event:_ Sends an email, once when a contact performs a specific event
**Stream** N/A
**Recurring**Sends an email, on a schedule to all _newly added _ contacts