Group Email

Group Email lets you write one message for a few friends, your customers, a class, or any other group of contacts. Send a separate email with each person's name and details, or one email to everyone. Save messages you send often as templates, so you don't have to write them again.

Group Email is included with BusyContacts, with no extra subscription or separate mailing account. You can prepare emails offline on your Mac, without signing up for a mailing service.

Your chosen mail app sends the emails directly from your Mac using your email account. Sending needs an internet connection. Your messages do not go through a BusyMac mailing service. See Privacy and saved information for details.

For example, you could:

• Arrange a family get-together and reuse the same recipient list next time.
• Send a regular note to a few friends or relatives without picking the same recipients each time.
• Let customers know about new services, holiday hours, or a change of address.
• Follow up with contacts after a trade show or client meeting.
• Send suppliers or contractors a project update or revised deadline.
• Send a weekly class reminder using a saved message and student list.
• Invite people to a workshop, with each person's name in the greeting.
• Send your team a meeting agenda with an attachment.
• Send an update to volunteers with their addresses hidden from one another.

To start:

1. 1
   Pick your recipients

   Choose contacts or a tag in BusyContacts.

2. 2
   Write or reuse a message

   Write a message or choose a template, then check Preview. Use Templates > Save as Template… to keep a message for next time.

3. 3
   Choose a mail app and send

   Choose your mail app and sending options, then create drafts or send now.

Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, and MailMate support separate emails and Send Now…. Other supported apps open shared drafts for you to send. See Sending options for the differences.

Group Email requires BusyContacts 2026.4.4 or later.

Start a group email

Select the contacts in the main BusyContacts window, then choose File > Group Email…. You can also control-click one of the selected cards and choose Group Email….

To email everyone with a tag, control-click the tag in the Tag List. For a tag named Workshop Volunteers, choose Group Email to "Workshop Volunteers"…. You can also click the tag, then choose File > Group Email… without clicking another part of the window.

The Group Email window opens with the selected contacts. For a tag, it uses the contacts shown for that tag in the main window. Linked cards shown as one person are added once. You can add or remove recipients before sending.

The question-mark Help button at the bottom right of Recipients opens this guide.

BusyContacts saves your unfinished email, including its recipients, text, filled-in details, attachment, and sending choices. You can close the window or quit the app and return to it later. To reopen it without adding anyone, deselect the contacts in the main window before choosing File > Group Email….

If you have changed the recipients in the saved email, opening Group Email for a different selection asks whether to Add to Recipients or Replace Recipients. Either choice keeps the subject and message.

Reuse a class list

A teacher can save a class list and a regular reminder as one template. Each week, choose that template and fill in the new details.

1. Open Group Email for the class tag or selected contacts.
2. Check the recipient list and choose the right address for each contact. Leave out anyone who should not receive this message.
3. Write the message. Insert First Name for a personal greeting, and add fill-in fields for details that change, such as the topic or dates.
4. Choose your mail app and either separate emails or one email. For one email, also choose To, Cc, or Bcc.
5. Choose Templates > Save as Template… and give it a name, such as Class Reminder.
6. Turn on Include Recipients. Turn on Include Sending Choices as well if you want the same mail app and sending options next time, then click Save.

Next time, choose the template from Templates. Leave Include Recipients checked in the confirmation, then click Replace Message. Fill in the new details, check the recipients, and read the preview before sending. You can also send a test to yourself first.

A template saves the contact list as it is at that time. Adding a student to the tag later does not add them to the template. Change the recipients in your email, then click Update Template to save the revised class list.

When you use the template, BusyContacts reads each contact's current details. Check the chosen addresses and any warnings before sending. If a card can no longer be found, the person stays listed but will not receive the email. Remove that entry and add the correct contact if needed.

Use the same message for another group

To reuse the wording for different groups, save a template without recipients or sending choices.

1. Write or open the message you want to reuse.
2. Choose Templates > Save as Template… and leave both Include Recipients and Include Sending Choices unchecked.
3. Save it with a name that describes the message, such as Event Reminder.
4. Start an email for the other group, then choose that template from Templates.

The template replaces the subject, message, and field settings. Your recipients and sending choices stay as they are. Fill in the new details and check the preview.

If a template includes another group, clear Include Recipients in the confirmation. Clear Include Sending Choices as well to keep your current mail app and sending options. Then click Replace Message.

The video shows how to use Class Reminder without changing the three recipients or the chosen mail app.

To choose a different group in the current email, open the menu beside Recipients and choose Remove All Recipients…. Then add the new contacts or tag. The menu button shows three dots, or a filter icon when a filter is active.

Add contacts or a whole tag

1. Click the plus button at the bottom of Recipients. When the list is empty, you can also click Add Recipients….
2. Type in Search contacts and tags.
3. Click a contact to add that person, or a tag to add its contacts.
4. Add any other contacts or tags you need, then click Done.

You can keep adding contacts while the picker is open. A contact already in the email is marked Added and will not be added again.

In this example, Workshop Volunteers and Planning Team both include Alex and Priya. Adding Planning Team adds Sam without listing Alex or Priya twice. The video also shows how to choose Alex's Home address and leave Elena out of the email.

To add contacts selected in the main BusyContacts window, choose Add Selected Contacts in the picker. The command shows their count, or reads Add Selected Contact when one person is selected.

Add all contacts

Clear Search contacts and tags, then click Add All Contacts to add everyone from the checked address books. This includes contacts beyond those shown in the picker. People already in the email keep their chosen addresses and checked or unchecked state.

Choose who receives the email

A checked box beside a contact means they will receive the email. Clear it to leave them out. Their contact card stays in BusyContacts.

The count beside Recipients covers the whole email, including names hidden by a search or filter. For example, “3 of 5” means three of the five listed contacts are included. Each row shows the contact's picture and chosen email address.

The list uses your Card View sorting and grouping settings. If letters appear along its right edge, click a letter to scroll to that group. This does not change the selected contact or the preview.

If a contact's card can no longer be found, its saved details appear under Contacts Not Found at the end of the list.

Drag the divider beside Recipients to make the list wider. BusyContacts remembers the width when you reopen the window.

If a contact has several email addresses, click the address beneath their name and choose Work, Home, or another address. This changes the address for this email, not the contact's primary address.

To remove someone from this email, select their row and click the minus button below the list. You can also control-click their row and choose Remove from This Email. Their contact card stays in BusyContacts.

Search and change several recipients

Type a name or email address in Search recipients. Press ⌘F to move to the search field. Searching or filtering hides names without changing who will receive the email. Empty groups are hidden too.

To change several contacts at once, select their rows and click one of their checkboxes. You can also press the Space bar while the recipient list is active.

Hold ⌘ while clicking a checkbox to check or uncheck everyone in this email, including contacts hidden by a search or filter. This keeps their chosen addresses. Contacts with a disabled checkbox, such as those with no address or a no-reply address, stay excluded.

The menu beside Recipients also has Include Everyone, Remove Contacts Not Included, and Remove All Recipients…. Include Everyone checks contacts you left out. Contacts without a usable address, and repeated addresses that were excluded automatically, stay unchecked.

Find people who are not included

Open the menu beside Recipients and choose Show > Not Included. The menu marks the chosen filter with a check, and its button changes to a filter icon. If you used Show Recipients in Issues to show a particular problem, that filter is also listed and checked here.

Choose Show > All Contacts to clear the filter. Clear Search recipients too if you want to see everyone.

Click a warning or error icon beside a contact to read the reason. The explanation may also have a button such as Show Contact or Field Settings…. After correcting a contact in the main window, return to Group Email to refresh its details.

Contacts with no email address or a no-reply address are excluded. If several contacts use the same address, BusyContacts includes that address once by default. With separate emails, you can check another contact with the same address to send an extra email to that mailbox. With one email, each address is used once.

Write your message

Enter a Subject and Message. You can use paragraphs and links, and insert fields for names or other details. Messages use plain text.

For a starting message, click Templates in the toolbar:

• Short Note starts with a personal greeting. If First Name is missing, it uses “there”.
• Friendly Reminder includes a greeting, Reminder Details to fill in, and your full name from My Card.
• Event Invitation provides Event Name, Event Date, Event Time, and Event Location.

When the message is empty, you can also choose a template from Preview or click All Templates….

To clear the subject and message, choose Templates > Blank Email. BusyContacts asks before replacing text you have written. Your recipients, attachment, and sending choices stay as they are.

Insert names and other fields

Insert a field where you want BusyContacts to fill in a detail. For example, Hi followed by First Name becomes “Hi Alex” in Alex's email and “Hi Priya” in Priya's.

1. Click where you want to insert the field.
2. For the message, click Insert Field below its editor. For the subject, click the @ button at the end of the Subject row. You can also type @ in either editor.
3. Type part of the field's name to find it, then choose the field.

You can insert the same field several times, in the subject, message, or both. The Insert Field and @ buttons add a space where needed so the new field does not run into the word or field beside it.

Field group	Where the value comes from	Example
Recipient	Each recipient's contact card	First Name, Company, or Phone
My Card	Your own contact card	My Full Name or My Company
Date and Time	The date and time on your Mac	Today’s Date, Tomorrow’s Date, Friday’s Date, or Current Time
Fill-in Fields	A value you enter once for this email	Event Name or Event Date

Greeting Name uses the contact's nickname, or their first name when no nickname is set. Other fields can insert company details, an email address, a phone number, parts of a postal address, a birthday, or a website.

Use a Date fill-in field for a specific date, such as the day of a workshop. Use a date that updates automatically for reminders that should always refer to today, tomorrow, or an upcoming weekday.

Decide what happens when a field is empty

Click a field in the subject or message to open its settings.

If First Name is empty, you can use a nickname or last name instead. You can choose alternatives for First Name, Middle Name, Last Name, Full Name, Nickname, and Greeting Name.

BusyContacts checks the field you inserted first. If it is empty, it tries the alternatives from top to bottom and uses the first one that is filled in.

Choose separate emails to use different names for each recipient. You can also set alternatives for My Card name fields. Those use your own card and work with either email type.

1. Click Try Another Name and choose a name field.
2. Repeat to add more alternatives.
3. Use the up and down arrows to change the order. To remove a name, click its circled minus button. Remove all the alternatives to use only the original field.

For separate emails, choose what to do when a contact has no value for the field or any of its alternatives:

Setting	What happens when that contact has no value
Leave it blank	Leave that part of the message empty.
Skip that contact	Leave the person out until you add the missing detail or change this setting.
Use this text instead:	Insert the text you enter here.

For example, type Hi followed by a space in the message, then insert First Name. Add Nickname, then Last Name, as alternatives. Choose Use this text instead: and enter there. If all three names are empty, the greeting becomes “Hi there”.

The settings show how many contacts are missing the detail. If you chose name alternatives, the count includes only contacts with none of those names. Click Show Recipients, when available, to see them. These settings apply everywhere that field appears in the email.

BusyContacts saves these settings, including the order of alternative names, with your unfinished email, templates, and History.

My Card and fill-in fields use the same detail for everyone. Their settings include Don’t send until it is filled in, which prevents the whole group email from being sent while that detail is missing. For a date, time, or date range, you can choose a replacement of the same type.

With one email, everyone reads the same message, so recipient fields cannot insert a different name for each person. They use your replacement text or stay blank. Use a greeting such as “Hello everyone”, or switch to separate emails for personal greetings.

Recipient name alternatives stay saved, but you cannot use or change them while one email is selected. Try Another Name is hidden if no alternatives were set.

K. Ito's card has no first name. The video shows how to add Nickname and Last Name as alternatives, put Last Name first, and get the greeting “Hi Ito”.

Fill in details for everyone

Use fill-in fields for details that change each time you reuse a message. For an invitation, you might keep the wording and fill in a new event name, date, and location.

To add a fill-in field to the message:

1. Click in the message where you want the field.
2. Click the plus button at the right of the Fill-in Fields heading.
3. Enter a Name, such as Event Name.
4. Choose Text, Date, Time, or Date Range under Type.
5. Click Add Field.

To add one to the subject, click where it should go, click the @ button, and choose New Fill-in Field…. You can also find that command in the field list opened by Insert Field or by typing @.

The new field appears in your text and under Fill-in Fields below the message. Enter the detail there. For dates and times, use Choose Date…, Choose Time…, or Choose Dates… for a range. Select the date or time, then click Done. Opening a date picker without choosing a date leaves the field empty.

BusyContacts scrolls the field list to show the new field, while the insertion point stays in your text. Scroll inside Fill-in Fields to see more fields. A fade at the bottom means more are below.

What you enter is used everywhere that field appears, in every email. To insert the field again, choose its name under Fill-in Fields in the field list.

Templates save the fields without the details you fill in, so you can enter new dates and other details each time. If the email already has fields with matching names and types, their current details can remain when you use a template. Check them before sending.

Needed means you must fill in the field before creating the emails. Click the field in your text to change what happens when it is empty. Not used means the field is saved in the email but does not appear in its subject or message. Click either badge for an explanation.

Click the three-dot button beside a fill-in field to Rename… or Delete Field…. Deleting a field this way removes it everywhere in the subject and message and cannot be undone. To remove it from just one place, delete it from that part of the text.

Choose a date range

Use Date Range for an event that lasts several days or a class update that covers a week.

1. Click Choose Dates… beside the field.
2. Under Start Date, click Choose Date… and choose the first day.
3. Under End Date, click Choose Date… and choose the last day.
4. Click Done to save the range.

The range includes the start and end dates. Choose an end date on or after the start date; using the same date for both makes a one-day range. Done is available once both dates are valid. Closing the picker without clicking Done leaves the previous range unchanged. Click Clear to remove both dates.

These dates apply to this email. A template saves the field so you can choose new dates next time.

The video shows how to add a Date Range field, choose November 16 through 20, and check the dates in Preview.

Use dates that update automatically

Choose Today’s Date, Tomorrow’s Date, or a weekday such as Friday’s Date under Date and Time in the field list. BusyContacts calculates the date when it prepares the emails. These fields are useful in templates because you do not need to choose a date each time.

If today is Friday, Friday’s Date uses today. Otherwise, it uses the next Friday. The other weekday fields work the same way. Today’s Weekday inserts the day name, such as Friday, rather than a date.

Convert an existing date field

To make an existing Date fill-in field use an automatic date:

1. Open its date picker.
2. Open Always Use.
3. Choose Today’s Date, Tomorrow’s Date, or the weekday's date you need.

This replaces the field everywhere in the subject and message. It also removes the original fill-in field and the date you chose for it. For example, replacing Event Date with Friday’s Date makes every Event Date in the invitation use the automatic date.

For a fixed event date, keep the Date fill-in field and choose the day in its calendar.

Undo and redo edits

Use Edit > Undo (⌘Z) and Edit > Redo (⇧⌘Z) while editing the subject or message. You can undo typing, inserting fields, adding or renaming a fill-in field, and changing a date field with Always Use.

Undoing Always Use restores the original field and its date everywhere in the subject and message. Redo applies the automatic date again. Delete Field… cannot be undone.

Save and reuse templates

A template saves your subject, message, fields, and field settings. You can also save the recipients and sending choices. The details you fill in for a particular email, and its attachment, are not saved.

Choose Templates > Save as Template… and enter a name. You can check either of these options; both start unchecked:

Option	What it saves and restores
Include Recipients	Save the listed contacts, their chosen addresses, and which ones are checked or unchecked.
Include Sending Choices	Save the mail app, separate emails or one email, and To, Cc, or Bcc for a shared email.

Click Save when you have chosen what to include. When you use the template, anything you did not save stays as it is in the email you are writing. For example, a template saved without recipients keeps your current recipient list. If the name is already used, BusyContacts asks before replacing that template.

If My Templates is empty, you can also click its Save as Template… link. The link appears when the current email has text and can be edited. If the email is blank, write some text or use a starter template first.

Saved recipients do not change when a tag changes. BusyContacts restores the saved list and reads the contacts' current details. Check the recipients, mail app, and any Issues before sending, especially if the saved mail app is no longer installed or its features have changed. Choosing a template does not send an email.

Preview or edit a template

Choose Templates > Manage Templates…, then select a template under My Templates or Starter Templates. The right side shows a preview of its subject and message. You cannot edit it there. Below the preview are its fill-in fields and a note if it includes sending choices.

If the template includes recipients, Saved Recipients shows their saved names and chosen addresses. Unchecked contacts are marked Not included. You cannot edit this list in the preview. BusyContacts reads the contacts' current details when you use the template. If you include an empty saved list, it clears the email's current recipients.

Click Use Template to copy the message into the Group Email window. If it includes recipients or sending choices, the confirmation shows those options checked. Clear Include Recipients to keep your current contacts, or Include Sending Choices to keep your current mail app and sending options. Click Replace Message to use the template's subject, message, and field settings.

Edit the subject and message in the main Group Email window. For a brief explanation, click the question-mark Help button at the bottom left of Templates.

Editing an email does not change the template. To save your edits to the template you used, click Update Template beside its name above the message. You can also choose the Update command for that template in Templates.

Update Template changes saved recipients only if you included them when using the template. The same rule applies to sending choices. Anything you left unchecked stays unchanged in the template. BusyContacts remembers these choices when you close and reopen the unfinished email.

To make another version, or change whether the template includes recipients or sending choices, use Save as Template…. Set the checkboxes, then enter a new name or confirm replacing the existing template.

Below the list, use Rename, Duplicate, or Delete… for the selected template. You can duplicate a starter template, but you cannot rename or delete the original. You can also use a starter, edit the message, and save it as your own template.

Using a template keeps the current attachment. It can also keep filled-in details when the fields have matching names and types, so check those details before sending.

Choose a template icon

Templates use a note icon by default. You can choose an emoji for a saved template:

1. Under My Templates, click the icon beside the template's name. You can also control-click its row and choose Change Icon….
2. In Search or paste an emoji, search by name or paste one emoji. Pasted emoji do not have to be in the list.
3. Click the emoji you want to use.

Use Default Icon restores the note icon. Emoji & Symbols… opens the macOS character picker.

To customize a starter, select it under Starter Templates and click Duplicate. Change the copy's icon under My Templates.

Review each email

With separate emails, select a contact to read their email in Preview. The arrows at the bottom move through the visible contacts who will receive an email. They follow your search or filter and skip anyone you unchecked or BusyContacts excluded.

Preview shows the address, subject, and message. Make changes in the subject and message editors, not in Preview.

Turn Highlight on beside Preview to mark the details filled in by fields. Turn it off to read the email without those marks. The highlights are not sent with the email.

If an information button appears beside Preview, click it to open Preview Details. This explains which fields are blank or use replacement text.

You can still select an excluded contact to read their preview. It is dimmed and marked Not Included; click the badge to read the reason. Selecting a contact works even when the preview arrows are unavailable because none of the visible contacts are included.

With one email, Preview shows the shared message and the addresses in To, Cc, or Bcc. Click Show beside a count to see those recipients. If a large group is split into several emails, use the Email 1 of… arrows at the bottom to check each email. The preview stays visible while you correct any Issues.

Your mail app may add a signature or make other changes according to its settings. Preview shows the text prepared by BusyContacts.

Choose how to send

Choose a mail app from the menu after using at the bottom of the window. The menu lists installed apps and marks your Mac's default mail app. Set up your email account in that app first.

The features available in Group Email depend on the app you choose:

Mail app	What you can do from Group Email
Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, MailMate	Create separate emails or one shared email, use To, Cc, or Bcc, attach one file, and use Send Now…. These actions require AppleScript and macOS Automation permission.
Spark Desktop, Canary Mail, eM Client	Open shared drafts with To, Cc, or Bcc. Add attachments and send the drafts in the mail app. Separate emails and Send Now… are unavailable.
Other mail apps	Open shared drafts with To only. Add attachments and send the drafts in the mail app. Separate emails and Send Now… are unavailable.

For Mail, Outlook, Airmail, and MailMate, BusyContacts uses AppleScript, the macOS feature that lets one app control another. BusyContacts includes the scripts; you do not need to write one. Your installed mail app must support the commands, and you must allow BusyContacts to control it when macOS asks. Without that permission, BusyContacts cannot create drafts or send through that app.

The other apps open drafts from email links. Those links cannot send a draft or include an attachment. There is also a limit on how much text BusyContacts can pass through an email link. A length indicator appears near that limit. Shorten the message or choose an app that supports separate emails if you reach the limit.

Spark Desktop and the older Spark app are separate choices. Airmail and Airmail Beta also have different features in Group Email. Use the exact app name when checking the table above.

For help with the selected app, move the pointer over its menu and click the question-mark button that appears.

See the Group Email FAQs for help with Spark attachments, Chrome and webmail, your Mac's default mail app, and unavailable sending options.

Choose the sending account

BusyContacts cannot choose the sending account or From address in your mail app. The mail app decides which account to use according to its own settings. Configure your accounts and preferred sending address there before sending a group email.

If you use several accounts and want to choose the sender for each email, use Create Draft or Create Drafts. Check or change From in the drafts before sending them. With Send Now…, there is no chance to change the account in a draft first, so check your mail app's sending settings before continuing. A test email can help you check the sender address.

My Card supplies your name and other fields in the message, the test destination, and your To address when the group is in Cc or Bcc. Choosing My Card or a test address does not select the account that sends the email.

Choose separate emails or one email

Use the menu after Send:

Choice	What recipients receive
separate emails	Each person receives their own email. Fields can insert their name and other details from their card.
one email	Everyone receives the same message, with the group in To, Cc, or Bcc.

An unavailable option stays in the menu but is disabled. Move the pointer over the menu and click its question-mark button to read the reason.

If an app cannot use your email type or To/Cc/Bcc choice, the controls show the supported option for that app. BusyContacts remembers your original choice and restores it when you switch back to a compatible app.

Choose To, Cc, or Bcc

For one email, choose To, Cc, or Bcc from the menu after with everyone in:

Choice	Address lines and visibility
To	Everyone is in To and can see the other recipients' addresses.
Cc	Your own address is in To. Everyone else is in Cc and can see the other recipients' addresses.
Bcc	Your own address is in To. The recipients are in Bcc, with their addresses hidden from each other.

Bcc is selected by default. Use it when recipients should not see one another's addresses, such as in a club or class announcement.

Cc and Bcc need an email address on My Card for the To line. To set My Card, select your contact in the main window and choose File > Make This My Card. Check its email address before using Cc or Bcc. This is a recipient address; the sending account is set in your mail app.

The mail-app table shows which apps support Cc and Bcc. Other choices remain visible but disabled.

If your saved choice was Cc or Bcc and you select an app that supports only To, BusyContacts asks before creating an email that shows everyone's addresses. Choose an app that supports Cc or Bcc, or confirm that you want to use To.

A large group may be split into several shared emails. Each has at most 50 group recipients, or fewer if the mail app's email-link limit requires it. Check Preview to see the recipients for each email.

Add an attachment

Click Add Attachment… below the message and choose one file. Its name appears there and in Preview. Click Replace… to choose a different file or Remove to leave it out.

Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, and MailMate can include the file with every email. The file must be readable. Folders, packages, and links cannot be attached.

For apps that only open drafts, add the attachment yourself. BusyContacts shows the file in Finder after opening the group drafts so you can drag it into each draft. Test drafts do not include the attachment or show it in Finder.

If BusyContacts can no longer read the attachment, choose the file again before sending.

Review issues before sending

If an issue count appears beside the send buttons at the bottom right, click it to open Issues. Problems are grouped by what needs attention:

Group	What to review
Fix Before Sending	Something must be corrected before creating the emails, such as a missing required detail or an unreadable attachment.
Recipients Not Included	Contacts left out because of a problem, such as a missing address. You can still send to the other included contacts.
Review Before Sending	Something to check, such as an empty subject or a personal field in a shared message.
Details	Other information about the email.

Click the button beside a problem to go to it, such as Show Field, Show Recipients, Field Settings…, or Show in Message.

A warning beside Subject or Insert Field means some text looks like a field but is not recognized. Click the warning to find and correct it. A warning beside the mail-app menu means the chosen app is no longer available.

Create Draft, Create Drafts, and Send Now… stay disabled while BusyContacts checks the email or a problem prevents sending. Items that only need review, and contacts left out of the email, do not prevent sending when the other checks pass.

BusyContacts checks again when you click a send button. If Before You Send opens, follow the instructions there. Some problems have a button to help fix them; others explain what you need to change. Click Close to return to the email and make a correction. If nothing prevents sending, the sheet has a button to continue.

Fixing a problem does not start a send. Check the email and click the send or create-draft button when you are ready.

Send a test to yourself

Send a test to yourself to check the email in your mail app before sending to the group.

First, make sure My Card has your email address. To set My Card, select your contact in the main window and choose File > Make This My Card.

1. For separate emails, select the contact whose email you want to test. For one email, check the shared message in Preview.
2. Hold the pointer over Send Test to Me at the bottom of Preview to see which address the test will use.
3. If My Card has several usable addresses, click the arrow beside Send Test to Me to choose one. The selected address has a checkmark. Choosing it does not send anything.
4. Click Send Test to Me to send the test or open a test draft, depending on the mail app.

BusyContacts remembers the test address until you quit, as long as it remains on My Card. This choice only sets where tests go. It does not change My Card fields, your To address for a shared email, or the sending account.

If Send Test to Me is disabled, click the question-mark button beside it to find out what needs to be changed.

Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, and MailMate send the test immediately. Other apps open a test draft for you to send. Either way, the test is addressed only to you. For a separate email, it contains the selected contact's details so you can check their message. The group does not receive the test.

History records the test as Test. Your unfinished group email stays open.

The video shows how to choose a different test address. No email is sent when you choose an address.

Create drafts or send now

Create drafts in your mail app

Click Create Draft or Create Drafts to open the emails in your chosen mail app. You can check the sender, edit the text, and send them there. The button reads Create Draft when there is one email.

1. Check the recipient count, sending choices, and preview.
2. Click the button to create drafts.
3. Follow any Before You Send instructions or macOS permission prompts.
4. Check the drafts and their From addresses in your mail app. Add any required attachment, then send the drafts.

If there are more than 20 drafts, BusyContacts opens them in groups and pauses after each group. Check the drafts in your mail app, then click the continue button, such as Continue with Next 20 Drafts. Click Stop Here to leave the rest for later. Apps that only open drafts do not report whether each one opened, so check before continuing.

When BusyContacts finishes, it clears the composer for a new email and keeps the previous one in History. Changes you make to a draft in the mail app, including sending it, do not update that History entry.

Send now

With Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, or MailMate, click Send Now… to send without reviewing drafts first. The confirmation shows how many emails will be sent, the mail app, and any attachment. The mail app may still open a compose window while sending. Check its sending-account settings before continuing.

Choose a Sending speed:

• As fast as possible adds no delay between emails.
• One each second waits one second between emails.
• One every 5 seconds waits five seconds between emails.

Check the confirmation, then click Send Email or the button showing the count, such as Send 3 Emails.

The mail app may queue the emails or report a delivery problem later. BusyContacts can confirm that the app accepted a send request, but not that each person received the email.

Sending to larger groups

For large recipient lists, send in smaller groups and leave time between batches. Your email provider's sending limits and policies still apply, even at a slower speed. Frequent or unexpected messages may be blocked or marked as spam, so send only to people who expect to hear from you.

Allow BusyContacts to control the mail app

Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, and MailMate require macOS Automation permission so BusyContacts can control them through AppleScript. When permission is needed, BusyContacts explains the request. Click Continue, then Allow when macOS asks. Permission is granted separately for each mail app.

If permission was refused, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Automation and enable the mail app under BusyContacts. You can use Open Privacy & Security Settings in the permission message to get there. Return to Group Email and try again, or click Choose Another Mail App.

Check History or use an email again

Click the clock button in the toolbar to open History. It lists past group emails by day. Select an entry to see the date, mail app, sending choices, recipients, and results. The preview shows the first person's saved email. Select another person to read theirs.

Scroll the details if needed. Save as Template…, Use Again, and Done stay at the bottom.

History records whether the mail app created drafts, accepted a send request, or reported an error. Sent confirms that the app accepted the request, not that the email was delivered. Test emails are marked Test. If a result says Unknown. Check…, check the named mail app before trying again.

Save a past email as a template

1. Select the email in History.
2. Click Save as Template… at the bottom of the sheet.
3. Enter a name and choose whether to Include Recipients, Include Sending Choices, both, or neither.
4. Click Save.

This saves the message and fields from the History entry without changing the email you are writing. You do not need to click Use Again first. Filled-in details and the attachment are not saved in the template.

You can save a test's message and fields as a template too. A Test entry contains the test address and test settings, so Include Recipients and Include Sending Choices are unavailable. To save the original group and its sending choices, save the email in the composer or select the original email in History instead of its Test entry.

Use a previous email as a starting point

1. Select the entry in History.
2. Click Use Again at the bottom of the sheet.
3. Confirm that you want to replace the email in the composer, if asked.
4. Check the recipients, edit the message or filled-in details, and read the preview before sending.

Use Again copies the subject, message, fields, filled-in details, and recipients into an email you can edit. For an entry that is not marked Test, it also restores the mail app, separate emails or one email, and To, Cc, or Bcc. Choose another mail app if the saved one is no longer installed. BusyContacts leaves out contacts it cannot find and tells you how many are missing.

Use Again keeps the attachment currently in the composer; it does not add the attachment from History. Reusing a Test entry keeps your current mail app, email type, and To/Cc/Bcc choice. A test contains only the test recipient and cannot restore the original group.

Dates and date ranges you filled in are restored as they were, so change them for the new email. Automatic fields such as Tomorrow’s Date or Friday’s Date are calculated again when BusyContacts prepares the emails.

The video shows how to open a workshop reminder from History and edit it, keeping its recipients and sending choices.

Repeated emails and History cleanup

If History already has the same subject and message for an address, BusyContacts can ask before creating that email again. This includes drafts, even if you have not sent them yet. Read the question before choosing to repeat the email or, when offered, send only to the other recipients.

History keeps up to 50 entries for up to 90 days after BusyContacts finishes or stops creating the emails. Entries still in progress are kept.

To remove a selected entry, click Delete… below the list on the left. Click Clear History… beside it to remove every entry. Deleting History cannot be undone. It does not delete emails or drafts from your mail app.

Stop and send to the remaining people

Click Stop to stop creating drafts or sending emails. BusyContacts finishes the email it is working on, then stops. If it has paused between groups of drafts, click Stop Here to leave the next group unopened. Emails and drafts already accepted by the mail app stay there.

The result shows what was completed and who is left. Click Send to Remaining there, or in the unfinished-email notice, to continue. You can also select the entry in History and click Send to Remaining above its recipient details. The button shows the count, for example Send to Remaining 2 People….

Check the remaining recipients, then choose whether to create drafts or send now. Send to Remaining uses the saved emails from the original attempt, without changes made in the composer since then. To edit the message before sending it again, use Use Again.

Separate emails require Mail, Microsoft Outlook, Airmail, or MailMate. A shared email saved with Cc or Bcc needs an app that supports that choice. BusyContacts will not change it to To when you continue. Read any repeated-email question before proceeding.

Wait for BusyContacts to finish, or click Stop, before closing the Group Email window or quitting BusyContacts.

Privacy and saved information

BusyContacts prepares your messages and fills in contact details on your Mac. You can do this offline; Group Email does not upload your recipient list or message to a BusyMac server for processing.

BusyContacts saves your unfinished email, templates, and History on this Mac. They do not sync to your other Macs. Templates can include names and email addresses. History keeps the prepared messages, their results, and copies of attached files.

Your mail app sends through its own email account. It may store drafts, sent messages, and attachments with your email provider. Your contacts continue syncing through the accounts set up in BusyContacts. Group Email does not send messages through a BusyMac mailing service or require a separate mailing account.

Use separate emails or Bcc to keep recipients' addresses hidden from one another. To and Cc show the other recipients' addresses. Check Preview before sending, especially after changing mail apps.

Deleting a template or History entry removes the saved record in BusyContacts. Your contacts and the emails or drafts in your mail app are not deleted. See History cleanup for more on removing records.

If you share diagnostic logs with support, they can include recipient addresses, message text, attachment paths, and mail-app errors.

Resolve a problem

No one can receive the email

Choose Show > Not Included from the menu beside Recipients, or click Show Recipients in Issues. Check the chosen email addresses and any fields set to Skip that contact. Correct a missing address on the contact's card, or choose another usable address, before including that person.

The message is too long for the selected app

Some apps limit how much text they accept through email links. BusyContacts shows a length indicator as the message approaches that limit. Shorten the message or choose an app such as Mail that uses AppleScript. For Send to Remaining, choose another app because the saved message cannot be edited.

A field is not recognized

Click the warning beside Subject or Insert Field, then choose Show in Subject or Show in Message to find the text. Delete it or insert the field again from the field list.

My Card is missing a detail

Select your contact in the main window and choose File > Make This My Card. Add the missing email address or other detail, then return to Group Email. See Me Card if you have your own card in several accounts.

The mail app reports a failure

Read the error and check History before trying again. A draft may have been created even if a later step failed. If the mail app accepted some emails, use Send to Remaining when it is available. Check the mail app for drafts, queued messages, and delivery errors before repeating a send.