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AI Email Campaign FAQs
Frequently asked questions about Halda's AI Email Campaigns.
Getting Started
What do I need before I can launch a Halda AI email campaign?
Four things: Slate as your CRM, a completed email integration, AI Campaigns enabled on your Halda account (your Account Manager can confirm this), and a prospect list ready for upload. If your integration isn't configured yet, start with the Slate AI Campaign Email Integration Setup guide before building your first campaign.
Where do I go to create a new campaign?
Navigate to the AI Student Recruiter section in the left-hand menu of the Halda app and select "Email Campaigns." Click the blue "Configure New Campaign" button in the top right corner to open the campaign builder.
Prospect List & Data
What fields are required in my prospect list upload?
Every student record must include: First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Student Status, Slate Reference ID, and Record Created at Date. You'll also need to include personalization data points — a minimum of five, though eight or more is ideal.
Why is the Slate Reference ID required?
It provides a persistent system-of-record identifier so Halda can reliably match records back to Slate, prevent duplicates (even if an email address changes), and maintain long-term data integrity between systems.
Can I use a student's Preferred Name instead of their First Name?
Yes — but First Name is still required. When a Preferred Name is provided, Halda uses it in messaging. If no Preferred Name exists, Halda defaults to First Name. Think of Preferred Name as a communication enhancement, not a replacement for the identity field.
What kinds of personalization data should I include?
Include a mix of explicit data (things you'd reference directly, like major of interest or state of residence) and implicit data (things that shape tone behind the scenes, like enrollment model scores or email interaction history). Aim to cover four categories: geographic, temporal, behavioral, and interest-based. The simulation engine performs best with diverse, rich data across all four.
How many data points per student do I need?
Five is the minimum. Eight or more is the sweet spot. More data means more tailored, relevant messaging. Fewer data points means less personalization.
Should I include data points I might not use in the campaign?
Yes. It's easier to exclude a field later than to go back and add one for every student. When in doubt, include it.
How should I name my imported audience?
Be specific. "List 1" creates confusion down the road. Something like "In-State Undergraduate Prospects for 2027" makes it clear who the list contains and is easy to identify when building campaigns.
Campaign Configuration
What happens during the campaign setup process?
You'll walk through five sections: Campaign Overview (define type, audience, and goals), CTA Selection (set primary and secondary calls-to-action), Email Facts (review the knowledge base used for generation), Persona Definition (select at least five personalization fields — eight to ten is ideal), and Preview Emails (preview what a specific student's email will look like and refine your prompt).
Can I preview emails before the campaign goes live?
Yes. In the Preview Emails step, you can select a student record and see what their personalized email content will look like. If the output doesn't match your goals, adjust the prompt until it does.
What delivery schedule options do I have?
You can choose between a fixed interval and a custom interval. After selecting your schedule, review your campaign details, type "Start Campaign" to confirm, and launch.
Slate Integration
What Slate configurations do I need for the email integration?
You'll need to create a Halda Email Entity, build custom fields (Email ID, Campaign ID, Email Subject, Email Pre-header, and Email Body), set up a Deliver Mailing, build a recipient list query, configure filters, edit the message template with Halda merge fields, and set send mailing configurations. The full step-by-step process is covered in the Slate AI Campaign Email Integration Setup guide.
Do I need to build the integration from scratch?
Not entirely. Halda provides a suitcase containing a source format, a web services-based email reporting query, and an optional suppression query. If you're already using Halda's AI Comeback Emails, you can duplicate existing configurations and skip several steps.
How does Halda send emails through Slate?
Halda uses a combination of Entities and Custom Fields to store email content in Slate. A Deliver Mailing is configured to pull those records daily and send individualized emails to each student. The mailing filters use the Campaign ID to ensure the correct emails go through the correct mailing.
Where do I find my Campaign ID?
In the Halda app, go to the AI Email Campaign card. Click the three dots in the top right corner and select "Slate Integration." Use the copy-to-clipboard button to grab your Campaign ID, then paste it into the Campaign ID filter in your Slate recipient list query.
What send mailing settings should I use?
Set the frequency to recurring, select all weekdays, use the delivery window option with all windows except "Overnight," allow recurring delivery to the same recipient, and set the deduplication to one email per day. These settings ensure each student receives one email per day from this mailing.
Why do I need to add 'rawhtml' to the Email Body merge field?
Adding 'rawhtml' is essential for Slate to properly parse and style the email content coming from Halda. Without it, the HTML formatting in the email body won't render correctly.
Email Reporting & Web Services
How does Halda get email performance data from Slate?
Halda uses a Slate Web Services query (JSON output) that returns delivery and engagement data. Halda authenticates with a Web Service Grantee (username and password) and syncs data incrementally — no scheduled exports or manual processes required.
Do I need to build the reporting query myself?
No. The query is delivered via the Halda Email suitcase, pre-configured with the correct exports, incremental sync logic, and pagination. Don't modify the exports, SQL, or parameters.
What does the reporting query return?
Message Mailing GUID, Message GUID, Recipient, Status, Delivered Date, and an Updated Date (calculated). The Updated Date ensures engagement activity triggers a fresh timestamp and incremental syncing works reliably.
Do I need a separate reporting query for each campaign?
No. A single Email Metrics query supports reporting across all campaigns. Just update the Message Mailing / Name filter to include each new campaign's mailing name.
What's the 10,000 row limit about?
It's a performance safeguard built into the Halda configuration — not a Slate-enforced limit. It prevents slow-running requests and timeouts. Halda handles pagination automatically, requesting up to 10,000 rows at a time and repeating until all records are synced.
What credentials does Halda need for Web Services?
You'll need to securely provide the JSON Web Service endpoint URL, a Web Service Grantee username, and a Web Service Grantee password. You can reuse the same credential across Halda integrations or create separate ones.
Suppression
What is campaign suppression?
Suppression automatically excludes students from receiving campaign emails based on criteria you define — like application completed, event registered, deposited, or enrolled. It keeps your outreach relevant and prevents students from getting messages they've already moved past.
How does suppression work with Slate?
Halda calls a Slate Web Services query (CSV output) that returns students matching your suppression criteria. Halda authenticates via Basic Auth, retrieves the list, and suppresses those students from the associated campaign on an ongoing basis. No manual uploads or scheduled exports needed.
Do I need a separate suppression query for each campaign?
Yes. Each campaign must have its own suppression query with its own filter logic and its own Web Service endpoint. This keeps suppression rules campaign-specific so they don't conflict.
What does the suppression query export?
Three fields: Person First, Person Last, and Person Email. Email address is the key field used for suppression. Don't modify the export field names.
Can I manage suppression without Web Services?
Yes. Suppression can also be handled manually within the Halda app or via CSV upload. Web Services integration is recommended for automated, ongoing suppression — but you can choose the method that fits your workflow.
What should I provide to Halda for each suppression setup?
For each campaign: the CSV Web Service endpoint URL, the Web Service Grantee username and password, and the associated Halda campaign name. Transmit credentials securely.
Testing & Troubleshooting
How do I test the integration before going live?
After configuring your Slate mailing and filters, your Account Manager will help send a test email to an existing test lead in your Slate instance. This confirms the full pipeline — from Halda email generation through Slate delivery — is working.
What should I avoid changing in the Slate integration?
Don't modify export field names, the Updated Date formula, Web Service parameters, built-in pagination SQL, the 10,000 row limit, or the execution mode. If changes are needed, coordinate with Halda first.
Who should I contact if I need help?
Your Halda Account Manager. They can assist with integration setup, list building, campaign configuration, suppression logic, and testing.