What's New Digest 5.0.6

[Sim]

Sim submitted a new resource:

What's New Digest - Sends daily or weekly emails containing highlights of what's new

This XenForo 2.0 addon sends a daily or weekly email to users with a list of top new threads and top updated threads.

Configuration settings:

View attachment 181736



A test tool is included to validate settings and to send test emails:

View attachment 181737



Users can set their preferred email delivery period, daily or weekly:

View attachment 181738




Example email (Thunderbird) ... note that my forum is called "XenForo Test (2.0.6)" ...

Read more about this resource...

 

[giorgino]

Hey Sim great Addon!!!
Why 10 new threads only? Is it possible to change this value?
Thank you!

 

[Sim]

Hey Sim great Addon!!!
Why 10 new threads only? Is it possible to change this value?
Thank you!

Thanks!

It's actually up to 20 threads across both categories shown (10 in each) - which I figured would generate emails that were plenty long enough.

However, I could make it configurable - will do that in an upcoming release.

 

[giorgino]

However, I could make it configurable - will do that in an upcoming release.

Let me know if I can contribute. I'm really interested in it!

One more feature I need is a text box between title and list of threads to put some contents (like ads, announcements and so on) writable in some way from admin area.

 

[Frode789]

Awesome work! Installed right away

 

[mkucuksari]

Thanks for this great free addon. As a new featured is it possible to add user permission settings ?

 

[Sim]

As a new featured is it possible to add user permission settings ?

Exactly what permissions do you suggest are required?

 

[mkucuksari]

Exactly what permissions do you suggest are required?

The user group who has permission can see and edit their profile in order to get email from this addon. Other people who are not a part of this user group will not see this setting at their profile page.

 

[BBQ Love]

This is great and I am excited for it! I am testing this now.

1. The link at the button of the email that says disable digest emails brings me to a page that says Unsubscribe from New and Updated Threads email or Stop all emails from "site name". It didn't seem to change the digest preference to none in the testing phase. I feel like this should just impact the digest emails and not any other threads that a user may was updated emails.
2. Maybe there can be a preset email where the subject and body can be edited. Maybe a logo added.

I have a new forum. Could the same threads potentially get sent if new content hasn't replaced the top 10-20 spots?

 

[Sim]

The link at the button of the email that says disable digest emails brings me to a page that says Unsubscribe from New and Updated Threads email or Stop all emails from "site name". It didn't seem to change the digest preference to none in the testing phase.

I will double check that it is working for me and investigate what might be fragile there.

Maybe there can be a preset email where the subject and body can be edited. Maybe a logo added.

I will look at adding more flexibility in this area in a later release.

FYI - I strongly recommend against adding a logo to your emails - any links to images included in emails can have a negative impact on deliverability, so caution is recommended. But I'll still look at adding that functionality at some point.

For now, you could just edit the phrases yourself:

• subject: whatsnewdigest_email_subject
• body (first line): whatsnewdigest_email_new_and_updated_threads
• footer: whatsnewdigest_email_html_footer

I have a new forum. Could the same threads potentially get sent if new content hasn't replaced the top 10-20 spots?

"New content" is only shown if it is actually new since the email was last sent (ie last 24 hours or last 7 days). If there is no new content, then no threads will be shown for that section.

"Updated content" is only shown if there has actually been new posts in that thread since the email was last sent (and sorted by threads with the most new posts made in that period - not by total posts in the thread). New content can potentially be included in the updated content list.

So it is theoretically possible that the same list of threads could be sent for both new and updated - or at least some overlap, but that is less likely to occur the busier your site becomes.

 

[BBQ Love]

FYI - I strongly recommend against adding a logo to your emails - any links to images included in emails can have a negative impact on deliverability, so caution is recommended.

Excellent point and well taken.

For now, you could just edit the phrases yourself:

• subject: whatsnewdigest_email_subject
• body (first line): whatsnewdigest_email_new_and_updated_threads
• footer: whatsnewdigest_email_html_footer

Fantastic!

I will double check that it is working for me and investigate what might be fragile there.

Thank you!

"New content" is only shown if it is actually new since the email was last sent (ie last 24 hours or last 7 days). If there is no new content, then no threads will be shown for that section.

"Updated content" is only shown if there has actually been new posts in that thread since the email was last sent (and sorted by threads with the most new posts made in that period - not by total posts in the thread). New content can potentially be included in the updated content list.

This is fantastic thinking, great to hear.

So it is theoretically possible that the same list of threads could be sent for both new and updated - or at least some overlap, but that is less likely to occur the busier your site becomes.

This is the goal

 

[djbaxter]

FYI - I strongly recommend against adding a logo to your emails - any links to images included in emails can have a negative impact on deliverability, so caution is recommended.

What is that conclusion based on? I'm not saying it's wrong, but is there any data on the question?

 

[Xon]

Spammers & fishing emails often will link to existing images (especially corporate logos), where as small logos tend to be embedded. So some platforms consider linking to images a flag for possible spam.

 

[djbaxter]

So the comment by sim would not apply to embedded logos in an email then?

 

[Sim]

What is that conclusion based on? I'm not saying it's wrong, but is there any data on the question?

Advice read from various ESPs - would have to hunt down the source.

So the comment by sim would not apply to embedded logos in an email then?

I'm not sure what the advice on embedded logos would be - but my thought would be that it specifically refers to linked images only and embedded would be okay. Would have to clarify that with the ESPs.

EDIT: couldn't find the reference - will post if I manage to track it down.

Now that I think about it - it may have referred specifically to transactional emails, it's quite common to see images in marketing (non-transactional) emails.

As mentioned by @Xon - it's more about minimising the possibility of getting a "spam" flag raised on your email - so avoiding images will certain help there.

 

[djbaxter]

See https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/infographics/11-elements-of-an-epic-email-newsletter/

 

[Sim]

See https://www.campaignmonitor.com/resources/infographics/11-elements-of-an-epic-email-newsletter/

That's specifically about newsletters and says nothing about deliverability - if I recall correctly, the information I read was about transactional emails.

I just spent some time hunting around but couldn't locate the article I was thinking of.

I did find this information from SparkPost about Gmail deliverability best practices - they specifically mention to avoid having your emails appear in the "Promotions" tab and be more likely to appear in the Inbox, then avoid using images.

https://www.sparkpost.com/blog/email-deliverability-best-practices-gmail/

Lose the images. Gmail sees images as a sign of a promotion or spam message. You will increase your readership by not having pictures.​

But that being said - these digest emails aren't strictly speaking transactional - they are personalised, but they are still bulk emails and are effectively a type of newsletter.

I stand by my stance that for purely transactional emails (email verification, password reset, receipts, etc), you should avoid images. But for other emails, a few images such as a logo should be fine.

 

[BassMan]

From FAQ:

Q) Does this honour the "Receive news and updates from us by email" mailing list checkbox in user preferences?

A) as of v4.0.0a (the first public release), no - the email digest emails are considered separate to the newsletter emails. I might add a configuration setting which allows you to over-ride that behaviour and have "Receive news and updates from us by email" stop email digests as well when unchecked.

That option would be great! If user check on registration to recieve news and updates and admin for example set for Weekly digest, they recieve weeky digest. If they don't check it the weekly digest is not sent.

 

[Sunka]

I disable sending mails to users last week (check test option to send only to admin/my self) and one hour ago it send more than 800 mails to me.
Where is bug?

It seems that cron for weekly digest run, and send all mails that users would be reciving, send to e-mail for testing addon.

 

[djbaxter]

This XenForo 2.0 addon sends a daily or weekly email to users with a list of top new threads and top updated threads.

1. What does "top new" mean? Most recent? Most popular? some combination of those?

2. any updates on a new version incorporating some of the requests above?