> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.avoca.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a direct mail campaign

> Design your postcard, pick who gets it, and launch.

A direct mail campaign works like a text campaign. You build a workflow with mail in it, pick an audience, and launch. For ideas on what to send, see the [direct mail overview](https://help.avoca.ai/outbound/direct-mail/overview.md).

> [!NOTE]
>
> Direct mail is only available if it's turned on for your account. Ask your Avoca team if you don't see it.

## Create a direct mail campaign

**1. Start a workflow with mail**

Go to **Products → Outbound → Workflows** and select **New Workflow**. To mail people who aren't customers yet, choose the **New Prospects (Direct Mail)** type. Otherwise, add a **Mail** step to the workflow you already have.

Choose a preset: **Four Mailers**, **Two Mailers** or **Single Mailer**. After the first piece, each mailer goes out 10 days after the one before it is delivered.

**2. Design your piece**

Select the **Mail** step to open **Edit Direct Mail**. On the **Creative** tab, choose **Design with AI** or **Upload your own**.

With **Design with AI**, write a **Creative brief**, pick your **Logos** and **Images** from your Brand Kit, and choose a size. You can also select **Add inspiration from past pieces** to start from a design you've used before. Then select **Generate with AI**.

With **Upload your own**, your PDF is sent exactly as you uploaded it. Avoca doesn't add anything to it, so before you upload, make sure your artwork already includes any QR code or phone number, and keep your text inside the safe area and out of the address zone (see the two steps below).

**3. Add a way to track it (Design with AI)**

If you used **Design with AI**, under **Tracking elements**, you can add a **QR code URL**, a **PURL (text)** and a **Phone CTA**. Each one is optional.

**4. Check the preview (Design with AI)**

If you used **Design with AI**, open the **Live Preview** tab and turn on **Guides**:

* **Trim:** where the piece is cut.
* **Safe area:** keep your text, logo, phone number and QR code inside it.
* **Address zone:** the part of the back that has to stay clear.

To make changes, use **Ask for edits**, **Visual edit** or **Edit HTML**.

**5. Check every detail**

Read the front and back. Make sure every phone number, web address, QR code, offer, date and disclaimer is right, then save the creative and publish the workflow.

**6. Pick your audience and launch**

Go to **Products → Outbound → Campaigns** and select **New Campaign**. Choose your workflow. Under **Who do you want to target?**, pick **Customers & leads already in Avoca**, or **New customers**.

For new customers, you can build the list with **Radius Blast** or **Property Search**. See [Targeting new customers](https://help.avoca.ai/outbound/direct-mail/new-customers.md).

Start with a small group, check your first pieces, then grow from there.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Mail costs real money once it's sent. Keep essential copy inside the safe area and out of the address zone, or a piece that looks right on screen can be clipped or rejected when it's printed.

The audience count for mail is the number of customers with a mailing address Avoca can use.

## More options

> **Copy a design you've used before**
>
> When you add inspiration from past pieces, choose one finalized piece and select **Clone exact design**. Avoca copies it exactly, with no changes, and opens **Live Preview**. Check every offer, date, phone number, web address and QR code before you use it for a new campaign.

> **Send a test piece**
>
> Select **Send test piece** in the editor. Leave **Send in live mode** off to test without sending real mail. Turn it on only when you want a real postcard, which costs real money. Test pieces aren't available for EDDM or magnets.

> **Mail every home on a route (EDDM)**
>
> Choose the **EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)** workflow type. In the audience step, select **Choose carrier routes**. Every active address on a route you pick gets a mailer. USPS requires at least 200 pieces per order unless you're mailing one complete route with fewer than 200 addresses, and caps large sends at 5,000 pieces per ZIP per day, so bigger sends can be split across days. EDDM can't run on a repeating schedule.

> **A customer was paused automatically**
>
> Before it sends a piece, Avoca can check each mailing address. If the address is undeliverable, marked vacant, or has a low delivery score, Avoca skips the piece and pauses that customer.
>
> 1. Select the campaign's audience name.
> 2. Open the paused customer's execution log.
> 3. Find the mail step marked **Skipped** and read the reason.
> 4. Fix the address if it's wrong.
> 5. Select **Resume & send anyway** only if you've confirmed the address and accept the risk it won't arrive.
>
> Resuming only affects that customer. It doesn't fix their address record.
>
> > [!WARNING]
> >
> > **Resume & send anyway** can send a piece Avoca held back because it probably won't arrive. Check the apartment or unit number and the whole address first.