ACHQ - Send a pushdown campaign

One of ACHQ's (ActiveCampaign HQ) main advantages is allowing a franchise head office to create and send campaigns to administrators in sub-accounts. These are called "pushdown" campaigns, and they help make large email marketing campaigns easier to manage and execute.

When you send a pushdown campaign, that campaign goes out to all contacts in your selected sub-account(s). If you use a segment, the campaign goes out to contacts who meet your conditions in the selected sub-accounts.

This article shows you how to send a pushdown campaign to your sub-accounts.

How to send a pushdown campaign

1. Click Campaigns on the top menu.
2. Click the "Publish new campaign" button.
3. The Campaign Summary page will open. Complete the following details:
   • Campaign name
   • Subject line
   • The “From Name” and “From Email” fields are set to the sub-account default sending name and sending email. This cannot be changed
4. Next, select your template. Templates are sourced from the parent or ACHQ account. 
   • Click the “Select template” button
   • Click the template you want to use. Note you can use the search bar to locate your preferred template
5. On the Campaign Summary page, click the “Select accounts” button.
6. On the Select Accounts page:
   • Click the checkbox for each account you want to include in the pushdown campaign send
   • Click the “Select” button
7. (Optional) On the Campaign Summary page, click the “Segment” dropdown to select the segment you want to include in the pushdown campaign send. You can also create a new segment in this step by clicking 
8. (Optional) Click the “Test” button to send a test campaign. You can choose from one of these three options:
   • Quick Test: Send a single test to specified email addresses
   • Multiple Version Test: Send multiple versions of the test to designated email addresses, with customized sender names and account details per sub-account
   • Pushdown Test: Send a test to administrators of included sub-accounts, along with any necessary comments or instructions
9. Click the “Schedule” button to send your campaign:
   • Select the delivery date
   • Set the delivery time
     • To send the campaign immediately, set the delivery time to 5 minutes later than your current time
   • Select a timezone:
     • Sub-account’s time zone - The campaign sends at the time set in each time zone for the selected sub-account
     • Your time zone - The campaign sends at the time set in the administrator’s time zone
   • Click the "Set Schedule" button
10. Click the “Send” button.
11. A modal window will appear. Click the “Confirm and schedule” button.

A confirmation message will appear at the top of the Campaign Summary page, letting you know the campaign is scheduled to be sent. It includes a “Cancel” button to stop the send.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cancel a scheduled send?

You can cancel a send for any campaign with a “Scheduled” status. It is not possible to cancel a campaign during its sending process or after it’s been sent.

To cancel a scheduled send:

1. Click “Campaigns” to go to the Campaigns page.
2. Click the “Edit” button for the campaign you want to cancel.
3. Click the “Cancel scheduled send” button at the top of the Campaign Summary page.
4. Click the “Remove schedule” button.

How do I modify templates in ACHQ?

All templates in the ACHQ account directly reflect those in your parent ActiveCampaign account. If you wish to modify this template, you must do so within your parent account. Modifications will appear in ACHQ immediately after refreshing the page.

How do I edit a segment?

All segments in the ACHQ account directly reflect those in your parent ActiveCampaign account. If you wish to edit any segments, you must do so from within the parent account. Modifications will appear in ACHQ immediately after refreshing the page.

How do I send a campaign immediately?

You can send campaigns immediately by selecting a time 5 minutes later than your current time.

How do I add or remove subaccounts from a campaign?

To add or remove subaccounts from the send:

1. Click “Edit accounts” on the Campaign Summary page.
2. Check the box next to the subaccounts you want to include in the send.
3. Uncheck the box next to the subaccounts you wish to remove from the send.
4. Click the “Select” button.

How do I manage or find the message variables?

A Message Variable is a body of text to which you can assign a personalization tag for use in any direct or automated campaign. To use Message Variables, they must be established in each sub-account with location-specific information. Learn how to use message variables.