Send newsletters, 100x cheaper

Note: We recommend install script on VPS server with 512 mb RAM or more.

You are looking for VPS? Look at the offer from our partners REG.COM.

Below is the list of system requirements your server should meet to get our script running smoothly.

• - PHP 5.2 or newer (with MySQL extension)
• - MySQL 5 or higher (with utf8_general_ci MySQL-encoding)
• - Latest IonCube PHP Loader enabled on your server
• - magic_quotes, safe_mode & open_basedir restriction switched Off
• - allow_url_fopen switched On
• - Cronjobs/scheduler support (better to configure them to run every minute)
• - gd2, iconv, mbstring, imap, curl, sockets, tidy, mysql extensions for php
• - mod_rewrite library and support of .htaccess files with RewriteRule attribute
• - max_execution_time is 0 and max_input_time is -1 in the php.ini config file

You can check requirements by file inf.php?action=requirements on your site.

Site speed and work safety depend on hosting.

Note: We recommend install script on VPS server with 512 mb RAM or more.

1. Upload all files to your server.

2. Make sure the .htaccess file (from the main directory), is uploaded to your server as well (may be hidden if you're using a Mac).

Note: Use Binary transfer mode when uploading source codes. This is a strict requirement of IonCube encoded files. Open code version also has 1 encoded file.

Installation and updates requires the application, temp, system folder's permission to be set to 777 (and all of its subfolders and files).

Image, attachment and CSV uploads requires the uploads folder's permission to be set to 777 (and all of its subfolders and files).

1. Visit your Newsletter+ installation. If you uploaded Newsletter+ to http://yourdomain/newsletter, visit this link to install.

2. Your License key is included in the email sent to you after you made your purchase.

3. Fill in your FTP server access information (hostname, username and password) and press "Save data" to continue. You can skip this settings.

4. Fill in your MySQL database access info (host, name, user, password) and save it.

5. The system will download all modules before installation.

6. The system will start installation.

7. You'll be asked to specify your Email and Password. These will be your login credentials for Newsletter+.

Run this jobs every minute:

* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron email_newsletters process >/dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron email_newsletters bounces >/dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron email_servers send >/dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron email_notifications process >/dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron subscribers import >/dev/null 2>&1
* * * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron monetization time_limited >/dev/null 2>&1

Run this job every day:

0 0 * * * php /path_to_script/cron_index.php cron install check_license >/dev/null 2>&1

This is examples of Cron Jobs. Don't use copy/paste. path_to_script need replace to full path from the root folder to folder with cron_index.php file.

Cron jobs don't know site url. To fix it open file /application/config/config.php and enter website url to variable base_url, if the script did not do so during installation.

In order to use Amazon SES, you need to signup for an Amazon Web Services (AWS) account.

1. Visit Amazon Web Services (AWS) and sign up for an AWS account.

2. Once signed up, you need to retrieve your 'Access Credentials' from your AWS account. These are the set of "keys" to allow script to send emails via your Amazon SES account. Start by creating an IAM (Identity and Access Management) user in your IAM console.

3. Click the Create New Users button:

4. Type "nps" in the first field, then click the Create button.

5. Copy your Access Key ID and Secret Access Key from the screen that follows and paste it in System -> SMTP & API systems -> API systems > Amazon SES API. Check API hosts (endpoints) here. Save your Settings then return to your IAM console to close the credentials window.

6. IMPORTANT: Do not skip the remaining steps.

7. You now need to "Attach Policy" to your Access Credentials to allow nps full SES access. In your IAM console, click on "nps".

8. In the next page, click the Attach Policy button.

9. Search for AmazonSESFullAccess, then click the checkbox next to the AmazonSESFullAccess item. Then click Attach Policy at the bottom of the screen.

IMPORTANT: Before continuing, ensure that the drop down menu at the top right of your SES console displays the same region as what is set in your API host Settings.

In order to start sending bulk emails, you need to verify your sending emails or domains and increase your SES Sending Limits.

1. Verify your sending email address in your Amazon SES console > Verified Senders > Email Addresses. Say you're going to use yourname@domain.com to send newsletters, verify yourname@domain.com in your SES console. Click the Verify a New Email Address button and follow the instructions.

Tip: If you want to send from any email address belonging to a particular domain without having to verify each email address, verify your sending domain instead (see #2 below).

2. To verify your sending domain, go to your Amazon SES console > Verified Senders > Domains. Then click the Verify a New Domain button and follow the instructions. By verifying your sending domain, you can send from any email address belonging to this domain without verifying them in #1.

Note: Do not verify your domain with 'www' prepended to your domain. Eg. if your domain is mydomain.com, verify mydomain.com and not www.mydomain.com unless your emails looks like this name@www.mydomain.com (which is rarely the case).

3. Now, you'll need to request Amazon to increase your SES Sending Limits to be able to send to and from any email address as well as raise your daily sending limits from 200 per day to a number you need.

In order to use Mandrill, you need to signup for a Mandrill account.

1. Visit Mandrill and sign up for an account.

2. Once signed up, you need to retrieve your 'API key' from Mandrill account. Go to the Settings and click to Add API Key button.

3. Increase your sending limits. Go to the Account and click to Upgrade account button.

In order to use Sendrid, you need to signup for a Sendrid account.

1. Visit Sendrid and sign up for an account. You can choose Free plan.

2. Once signed up, you can use your login and password in Newsletter+.

3. Complete personal information. Your account will verified. You will not be able to send out any email before verification.

In order to use Mailgun, you need to signup for a Mailgun account.

1. Visit Mailgun and sign up for an account.

2. Once signed up, you can verify your Doman name. Click to Add Your Domain button.

3. Mailgun will show DNS records which you must add. Once you make the above DNS changes it can take 24-48hrs for those changes to propagate. Mailgun will email you to let you know once your domain is verified.

Email Services are required to track bounces & complaints. If an email bounced, the email address will be flagged as Error in Newsletter+ so that future newsletters won't be sent to them again. To make this possible, here's what you need to do:

1. Go to your site in the Admin mode, click System in the Left menu, then click the SMTP & API button.

2. You will set sender's Email and name. This data will be used for Email alerts from your site.

3. Below you can see Boucnes settings. You will enter IMAP access for mailbox where Newsletter+ will accept bounces and complaints. Script will add this Email to each letters into Return-Path and X-Complaints-To.

Email Services has API keys or credentials. You received this information in the steps 6-10. To add Email Services into Newsletter+, here's what you need to do:

1. Go to your site in the Admin mode, click System in the Left menu, then click the SMTP & API button. Click the Email servers tab.

Note: You must add Email servers for each Email service. One Email server is One sending thread. Newsletter+ uses Multi-Threading. If you want send faster then you can add many Email servers for Email Service, just use similar API keys or credentials.

2. You will add Email server. Click to Add button.

3. Select Email service in Mail solution like Amazon SES, Mandrill, Sendgrid or Mailgun. Complete API keys or credentials.

4. Fill all default fields. You can set Server's name like Amazon 1, Amazon 2, Madrill 10, etc. This is just for identify. You can set Charset, Quota limit. Enable server's usage for Email newsletters and/or Email alerts.

Note: You must enable usage for Email newsletters and/or Email alerts. If you have disabled "usage for Email newsletters" it mean that server do not used for Email newsletters sending.

Remember: If you want send faster then you can add many Email servers for Email Service, just use similar API keys or credentials.

Congratulations! You're all set up.

Log in to your Newsletter+ installation and start adding your first User's account. Why user's account first? Let's just say you own this company called Widgets Inc. And, you have several products under it. These several "child" products are what we refer to as 'User's account'. With Users feature, you can also setup accounts for each of your clients. Optionally send them a password to login and send newsletters on their own at a price you set.

For every new email you wish to use as your 'From email', don't forget to verify it (step 7).

If you've already verified the sending domain in your Amazon SES console and setup bounces & complaints for it, you don't have to do the same for each email you want to use as your 'From email'.

Have fun!

• 1. Go to Admin mode - Content - Languages and Export english language as english.xml file.
• 2. You may want to save this language file in your local hard disk for ease of translation.

• 1. Edit the english.xml file.
• 2. Don't forget to save after you're done translating.

Go to Admin mode - Content - Languages and Import new language from .xml file.

Congratulations. You've just translated Newsletter+ into your own language.

Future versions of Newsletter+ will no doubt have new texts added to it which will require you to translate them. Here's how to update your language and translate new texts.

• 1. Go to Admin mode - Content - Languages and export your language as language.xml file.
• 2. Compare old file and new file for new lines and translate this lines.
• 3. Import file with changes again.

Newsletter+ uses URLs without extensions, also known as 'Pretty URLs'. Instead of using URLs that ends like this /email_newsletters.php, it uses URLs that ends like this /email_newsletters. If you get a 404 error, check the following list:

• 1. Did you upload Newsletter+ .htaccess file?
• 2. Try this → /forum/forums/topic/404-error/
• 3. If you setup your own server, ensure AllowOverride All is set in your Apache's httpd.conf instead of AllowOverride None so that Newsletter+ .htaccess file is not ignored by your server.

• 1. Visit your compatibility checklist page via http://installation_url/inf.php?action=requirements (replace 'installation_url' with your Newsletter+ URL) and check that mysqli and IonCube Loader extensions are installed on your server. If otherwise, contact your hosting support to install mysqli and IonCube Loader extensions on your server.
• 2. Check writable permissions for all files and folders. Newsletter+ uses Smarty templates. If server can't write temporary files then you can see White page.
• Check that regular apostrophes are wrapping the credentials in all files into /application/config/. The text or code editor you used to edit files into /application/config/ may have converted the apostrophes to non-standard apostrophes causing this issue.
• 4. Make you did not unintentionally add empty spaces or lines before the start of the first line or after the last line of code in all files into /application/config/. This will cause a 'headers already sent' error that'll halt the script, preventing it from redirecting you to the installation page.
• 5. Site mode is 'production' by default. Production mode not shows Errors and you can see White page. Edit /index.php and set mode to 'development'.

The reason why some emails aren't imported is because they are either malformed email addresses, duplicates within the list or CSV, previously marked as unsubscribed or spam in the list or marked as bounced globally (in any list or accounts).

Try adjusting/increasing the following values in your server's php.ini. Contact your host if you're unsure how to do this.

• upload_max_filesize
• post_max_size
• memory_limit
• max_execution_time (set to 0 so that execution won’t time out indefinitely)

Alternatively, try splitting your huge CSV file into several smaller sized CSV files and import them one after another.

The reason why your email goes to spam depends on a multitude of factors.

Emails are sent through Amazon SES. Amazon works day in and out maintaining good relationships with ISPs and constantly weeding out spammers so that deliverability rate is kept at its highest for all users using the service.

If your emails end up in the spam folder, it is likely due to your sender reputation. If the emails you sent has been consistently marked as spam by your recipients, the likelihood of your emails going to the spam folder will be high. If you are sending emails to 'purchased lists' or emails harvested from questionable sources, that explains it.

Spam filters on the receiving end are also very strict in what kind of emails they will put in the inbox. Try researching on this topic, eg. google for "spam filters", "how to get pass spam filters" etc.

Lastly, authenticate your 'From email' so that the receiving end knows that the email you sent is really from you and not spoofed:

• DKIM: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/easy-dkim.html
• SPF: http://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/DeveloperGuide/spf.html

This is due to a webkit issue, only happens in Chrome and Safari.

• On a Mac, press 'Shift' and click the refresh button at the same time to force the font icons to load.
• On Windows, press 'Ctrl + F5' to force the font icons to load.

Your server and its physical location determines what kind of sending speed you'll be experiencing.

Server

Newsletter+ can only perform as well as the kind of your server you're using. Newsletter+ is a 'bulk email application', almost everything is performed in bulk, from importing CSVs to sending of emails. The larger your volume, the more server resources it uses.

The better the spec of your server, the faster Newsletter+ performs.

If you can, increase your server's memory_limit to a number close to what your server physically supports by editing your server's php.ini.

Newsletter+ works well on a shared server, but if you have a very huge volume, consider running Newsletter+ on a VPS.

Server location

Also, you are able to choose which Amazon SES region (US East, US West and EU) to send emails from. Always choose the region closest to the physical location of your hosting server where Newsletter+ is hosted. When you send a newsletter, Newsletter+ transfers emails to Amazon SES. Amazon SES in turn sends out your emails. The closer the physical location of your server versus Amazon SES's servers, the lesser the latency and the faster the sending speed.

This method creates a new subscriber. You can't use this method to update an existing subscriber. On another note, you can also embed a subscribe form on your website using Newsletter+ subscribe form HTML code. Visit Forms, add new form, click 'HTML code' and place this code on your website.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

Note: Custom fields not available right now via API. Use forms for do it.

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.add
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• fname first name is optional
• sname second name is optional
• email subscriber's email
• phone subscriber's phone
• subscriber_language language for confirmation alert
• lists the array of list ids you want to subscribe a user to. IDs are integer values and can be received via mailing_lists.get_list method
• lists_statuses the array of subscription statuses for lists, 0 - not subscribed or not confirmed yet, 1 - subscribed. Keys of array must contain List IDs, values of array must contains statuses
• check_email set this to "1" so that you'll check Email for existence. Not availabe if Admin disabled this feature, check settings before via subscribers.get_settings method
• ignore_autoresponders set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email autoresponders
• ignore_triggers set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email triggers
• confirmation set this to "1" so that you'll send confirmation for Lists with 0 status. Not availabe if Admin disabled this feature, check settings before via subscribers.get_settings method

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data.subscriber_id: subscriber's ID

This method updates an existing subscriber. You can't use this method to create a new subscriber.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

Note: Custom fields not available right now via API. Use forms for do it.

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.update
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID
• fname first name is optional
• sname second name is optional
• email subscriber's email
• phone subscriber's phone
• subscriber_language language for confirmation alert
• lists the array of list ids you want to subscribe a user to. IDs are integer values and can be received via mailing_lists.get_list method. If size of array more than 0 then Subscriber will removed from other lists not included into this array
• lists_statuses the array of subscription statuses for lists, 0 - not subscribed or not confirmed yet, 1 - subscribed. Keys of array must contain List IDs, values of array must contains statuses
• check_email set this to "1" so that you'll check Email for existence. Not availabe if Admin disabled this feature, check settings before via subscribers.get_settings method
• ignore_autoresponders set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email autoresponders
• ignore_triggers set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email triggers
• confirmation set this to "1" so that you'll send confirmation for Lists with 0 status. Not availabe if Admin disabled this feature, check settings before via subscribers.get_settings method

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method deletes an existing subscriber.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.delete
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method receives data for an existing subscriber by ID.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_by_id
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty or array, subscriber's data

This method receives data for an existing subscriber by Email address.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_by_email
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• email subscriber's Email address

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty or array, subscriber's data

This method receives count of an existing subscribers.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_count
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• mailing_list_id List ID uses for filtration, 0 - all subscribers

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data.count: count of an existing subscribers

This method receives list of an existing subscribers.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_list
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• mailing_list_id List ID uses for filtration, 0 - all subscribers
• page page's number, uses for pagination
• count items per page, uses for pagination
• order sorting by subscriber's data: email, phone, fname, sname, date_created by default, etc.
• order_type sorting direction: asc or desc by default

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: array, list of an existing subscribers

This method receives list of subscriptions for existing subscriber.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_subscriptions
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: array, Keys as List ID's and Values as statuses (0 - not subscribed or not confirmed yet, 1 - subscribed)

This method adds an existing subscriber to the list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.subscribe
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID
• list_id list's ID
• status 0 - not subscribed or not confirmed yet, 1 - subscribed
• ignore_autoresponders set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email autoresponders
• ignore_triggers set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email triggers
• confirmation set this to "1" so that you'll send confirmation for Lists with 0 status. Not availabe if Admin disabled this feature, check settings before via subscribers.get_settings method

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method removes an existing subscriber from the list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.unsubscribe
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id subscriber's ID
• list_id list's ID
• ignore_autoresponders set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email autoresponders
• ignore_triggers set this to "1" so that you'll ignore Email triggers

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method receives settings for subscribers.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method subscribers.get_settings
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data.confirmation: 0 - Feature disabled, 1 - user can use this feature or not, 2 - always sends confirmation without user

data.check_email: 0 - Feature disabled, 1 - user can use this feature or not, 2 - always checks email existence

This method creates a new list. You can't use this method to update an existing list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

Note: Custom fields not available right now via API. Use forms for do it.

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.add
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• name name is optional

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data.list_id: list's ID

This method updates an existing list. You can't use this method to create a new list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

Note: Custom fields not available right now via API. Use forms for do it.

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.update
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id list's ID
• name name is optional

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method deletes an existing list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

Note: Custom fields not available right now via API. Use forms for do it.

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.update
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• name name is optional

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method receives data for an existing list by ID.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.get_by_id
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id list's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty or array, list's data

This method receives count of an existing lists.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.get_count
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data.count: count of an existing lists

This method receives array of an existing lists.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.get_list
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• page page's number, uses for pagination
• count items per page, uses for pagination
• order sorting by subscriber's data: name, date_created by default, etc.
• order_type sorting direction: asc or desc by default

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: array of an existing lists

This method deletes all subscribers in the list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.delete_subscribers
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id list's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses

This method unsubscribes all from the list.

URL
http://your_newsletter_installation/api/

PARAMETERS (GET/POST)

• username account's login
• password account's password
• method mailing_lists.delete_subscriptions
• format format of responce: json, jsonp or xml by default
• id list's ID

RESPONSE (array)

msg.err_code: Error ID, see below, 0 - success

data: empty, not uses