Find and understand message records
Use a reader's Mail log to inspect the stored mail records associated with that reader and publication.
For fictional City Journal reader Alex, confirm the publication and reader before looking for an expected notice. Use the subject and stored date to identify the relevant row, then read its status.
Locate the ordinary Mail log
- Find the reader in Audience and open their existing record.
- Locate Mail log.
- Read #, the displayed date, Subject and Status. Use the table's paging controls when needed.
This view selects records associated with the reader in the current publication. It is not the entire publication's mail history. For example, the event-driven admin-mail path can store records without a reader association, so those records are excluded here.
For message bodies, processing errors or sending a message again, ask the integration owner to inspect the relevant system.
Interpret the stored status
In event-driven mail processing, a normal record is stored before the send attempt and then updated with its outcome.
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| wait | The path stored a record before its send attempt. It is not proof of queue acceptance or completed sending. |
| sent | The mailer returned success for that attempt. It does not establish inbox delivery, opening, reading or completion of the wider workflow. |
| failed | An exception was recorded in this path. Ask the authorized owner to inspect the relevant processing evidence. |
For another status or an unclear failure, ask the owner to inspect the processing records.
Read the date cautiously
The table displays the stored record timestamp as a calendar date. In the event-driven sender, that timestamp can be rewritten after the send call returns. It is not necessarily the initial record-creation time, original queue time or provider delivery time.
Compare subject, reader, publication and the intended workflow when investigating similar records. A row with sent does not prove the reader's membership or access changed.
Investigate a missing or surprising row
First check the publication, reader association, subject and displayed date. Then confirm the expected template and consuming automation settings with the owner.
Some processing paths stop before storing a normal record—for example, because of missing context, template rendering or a duplicate check. A failed path may instead store a failure record. An absent row therefore does not establish that nothing was sent.
Give the authorized integration owner the intended workflow and time, publication, reader context, template/rule IDs and any relevant Mail log record ID. Avoid copying private message bodies, credentials or secret links. Ask the owner to inspect the applicable sender/provider evidence through their authorized tools.
For message content changes, return to Prepare a message template. Receipt and billing records belong to Transactions, reporting and billing.