Create and send targeted announcements, feature updates, or promotional campaigns to specific segments of your UniLink user base directly from the admin panel.
Running a platform-wide communication to thousands of users without a dedicated campaign tool means emailing a list you exported manually, writing a generic message that does not account for who the recipient is, and having no way to know who opened it. Admin Campaigns in UniLink gives platform administrators a structured way to reach users directly — with segmentation, scheduling, delivery tracking, and a clear record of what was sent to whom and when. Whether you are announcing a new feature, warning about upcoming maintenance, or promoting an upgrade path, the right message reaches the right users without the overhead of a separate email platform.
What Admin Campaigns Does
Admin Campaigns is a platform-level feature available only to accounts with admin privileges. It lets administrators compose messages and deliver them to segments of the UniLink user base through two channels: in-app banners (shown inside users' dashboards) and email (sent to account email addresses). A campaign can use one or both channels simultaneously, with the same or different messaging per channel.
Segmentation is the core value of the feature. Instead of broadcasting to every user, you can narrow delivery by subscription plan (free, pro, business), account creation date range (e.g., users who signed up in the last 30 days), country (based on account registration location), or activity status (active in the last 30 days versus inactive). Combine filters to build precise audiences — for example, paid users in Germany who signed up before January 1 and have not logged in for 60 days.
Campaigns can be sent immediately or scheduled for a specific date and time in any timezone. Scheduled campaigns can be edited or cancelled up until the send time. Once sent, a campaign enters the delivery stats view showing how many users were in the target segment, how many messages were delivered, and — for email — how many were opened and clicked. In-app banners track dismissals as an engagement signal.
How to Get Started With Admin Campaigns
- Access the Admin Panel — navigate to your UniLink Dashboard and access the Admin section. This is only visible if your account has admin privileges. Go to Admin → Campaigns in the left sidebar.
- Click Create Campaign — the campaigns list page shows all past campaigns with their status (draft, scheduled, sent) and key metrics. Click Create Campaign in the top-right corner.
- Name the campaign — enter an internal campaign name (not visible to users). Use a naming convention that identifies the type, date, and audience — for example, "Feature-Update_May2026_AllPaid."
- Define the audience segment — in the Audience section, apply filters: Plan Type (All, Free, Pro, Business), Sign-Up Date (before, after, or between dates), Country, and Activity Status. The audience size estimate updates in real time as you add filters.
- Compose the message — write the campaign title and body. For email campaigns, you have a rich text editor with formatting options, a subject line field, and a preview mode. For in-app banners, you have a short message field (160 characters) and an optional CTA button with a URL.
- Select delivery channels — check In-App Banner, Email, or both. If you select both, confirm whether the message content is the same for both channels or set different copy for each.
- Schedule or send — choose "Send Now" to deliver immediately or "Schedule" to pick a date and time. Click Confirm. Scheduled campaigns appear in the list with a countdown to send time.
How to Use Admin Campaigns for Different Communication Types
- Feature announcements — use an in-app banner for all active users. Keep the message short: what the feature does, where to find it, and a link to a help article. In-app is preferred for feature news because users are already in the product and can act immediately.
- Maintenance alerts — send an email to all users at least 48 hours before planned downtime. Include start time, expected duration, and a contact or status page link. Also send an in-app banner 1 hour before the window starts for users who missed the email.
- Upgrade prompts — segment free users and send a targeted email campaign highlighting a feature that only paid plans include. Personalize the message to what free users are actively using — if most free users have a product block, highlight the pro inventory and analytics features they are missing.
- Re-engagement campaigns — filter for users inactive in the last 60 days and send an email with recent product updates, a success story from an active user, and a direct link back to their dashboard. Include a one-click "See what's new" CTA.
- Regional promotions — filter by country to send localized campaigns. A promotion relevant to users in the US may not be relevant to users in Brazil. Targeting by country keeps the message relevant and reduces unsubscribe rates from irrelevant content.
- New user onboarding sequences — filter by sign-up date (last 7 days) and send a welcome or onboarding campaign pointing to key features, tutorials, and support resources. Schedule this campaign to recur weekly using the scheduling feature so every new cohort receives it automatically.
Key Settings Explained
| Setting | What it controls | Best practice |
|---|---|---|
| Audience segment filters | Which users receive the campaign based on plan, country, signup date, activity | Always check the audience size estimate before sending — a segment of 5 users or 500,000 users both require different QA approaches |
| Delivery channel | In-app banner, email, or both | Use both for high-priority alerts; use in-app only for minor feature nudges that do not warrant an email |
| Email subject line | The subject line shown in users' inboxes | Keep under 50 characters and lead with the most compelling word — avoid "Update," "Newsletter," or "Announcement" as the first word |
| In-app banner duration | How long the banner stays visible in the dashboard before auto-dismissing | Set to at least 7 days for important announcements so users who log in infrequently still see it |
| Send time | When the campaign message is delivered | For global audiences, send at 10–11 AM in the largest time zone cluster of your user base; avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons |
How to Get the Most Out of Admin Campaigns
The most common mistake with admin campaigns is sending too broadly and too often. When every communication goes to every user, users stop reading. The platform's ability to segment by plan, country, and activity is the primary differentiator — use it. A re-engagement campaign to inactive free users is a very different message than a feature announcement to active paid users. Sending both to both groups reduces the effectiveness of both.
Build a campaign calendar and stick to it. A predictable cadence — one feature update email per month, one in-app banner per new release, one re-engagement campaign per quarter — trains users to expect your communications and lowers unsubscribe rates because there is no perception of being bombarded. Document every sent campaign in the calendar with its segment, content summary, and key metrics so future campaigns can learn from what worked.
Post-campaign analytics tell you which subject lines generate opens and which CTA copy generates clicks. Over several campaigns you will develop a house style for your platform communications: the subject line format that your users respond to, the message length that gets read in full, the CTA wording that converts to dashboard visits. Do not discard that learning — keep a lightweight style guide for admin campaigns so the communication quality stays consistent regardless of who on the admin team creates the next one.
For critical communications — security incidents, unexpected downtime, policy changes — bypass the scheduling workflow and use Send Now. Speed matters more than optimization in these moments. Have a pre-approved message template for each critical scenario so you are not writing under pressure when an incident happens. The template gives you a starting point; you edit the specifics and send within minutes rather than starting from blank.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Audience estimate shows 0 users after filtering | Filters are too narrow or conflicting — no users match all conditions simultaneously | Remove filters one by one to identify which condition eliminates the audience; broaden or remove overly restrictive filters |
| Scheduled campaign did not send at the configured time | Timezone mismatch — scheduled in UTC but expected local time | Check the campaign's scheduled time in the detail view; confirm the timezone setting on the campaign matches your intent |
| In-app banner not visible to users after sending | Users have already dismissed the banner type in their preferences, or the campaign is still processing | Wait 10 minutes for delivery to complete; users who have dismissed all banners will not see it — this is an expected behavior based on their settings |
| Email campaign shows 0% open rate | Campaign emails are being filtered to spam, or email tracking pixels are blocked | Check deliverability by sending a test to your own address; if it lands in spam, review the email content for spam-trigger language or ask support to review the sending domain configuration |
Pros
- Granular segmentation — target by plan, country, signup date, and activity status simultaneously
- Dual-channel delivery (in-app + email) ensures high-visibility for important messages
- Scheduling and real-time sending options give full control over timing
- Delivery and engagement metrics visible immediately after send — no third-party analytics required
Cons
- Admin-only access — platform-level feature not available to regular users
- No A/B testing on subject lines or message variants within the tool
- Users who opt out of platform emails will not receive email campaigns regardless of segment
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a campaign to a single specific user?
Yes. Use the segment filter to target by email address or user ID. Enter the specific user's email in the Email filter field. The audience estimate will show 1 user. This is useful for personalized outreach or testing a campaign against a specific account type before broadening the segment.
Can I cancel a scheduled campaign after saving it?
Yes. Open the campaign from the Campaigns list while it still shows "Scheduled" status. Click Cancel Campaign. The campaign moves to "Cancelled" status and will not be delivered. You cannot cancel a campaign that has already started sending — if it is mid-delivery, the portion already sent cannot be recalled.
Are unsubscribed users excluded from email campaigns automatically?
Yes. Users who have unsubscribed from platform emails via the unsubscribe link in any previous email are automatically excluded from all admin email campaigns, regardless of the segment filters applied. This is a compliance requirement and cannot be overridden.
Can I attach files or images to an email campaign?
File attachments are not supported in admin email campaigns. Images can be embedded in the email body using the rich text editor's image insert function — upload an image or provide a public URL. Attachments introduce deliverability risks and are intentionally excluded.
How long are campaign analytics available?
Campaign delivery and engagement data (sent count, open rate, click rate, dismissal rate) is retained for 12 months after the send date. After 12 months, the campaign record remains in your list but the detailed analytics are no longer available. Export the metrics CSV if you need long-term records.
Key Takeaways
- Admin Campaigns is accessible only to admin accounts via Admin → Campaigns
- Segment by plan type, country, sign-up date, and activity status to reach the right users
- Deliver via in-app banner, email, or both; use both channels for high-priority announcements
- Always test on a seed segment of internal accounts before sending to real users
- Unsubscribed users are automatically excluded from email campaigns — compliance is handled for you
Ready to communicate with your users more effectively?
Use Admin Campaigns to send the right message to the right segment — whether it's a feature update, a re-engagement nudge, or a critical alert.
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