# Testing tools Use built-in tools to verify content and workflows before sending or releasing to your live audience. ## Content previews When creating messages in the dashboard, previews show an approximation of how your content will render. Use them to check the appearance as you build. Additional tools are available for specific message types and personalization: - **Scene preview tools** — For [Scenes](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#scene), you can see how your content appears at different device sizes, orientations, color modes, and text scales. You can even step through interactive elements. See [Preview tools](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/scenes/about/#preview-tools) in *Scenes editor*. - **Email inbox previews** — Use inbox previews to see how your message will look in various browser, desktop, and mobile email clients. See [Inbox previews](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/content/email/email/#inbox-previews) in *Email content*. - **Personalization previews** — If your content contains [Handlebars](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#handlebars), preview the appearance with actual values from sample data. The data can come from a member of a [preview group](#preview-and-test-groups) or from a random or specific [contact](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#contact). See [Previewing personalized content](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/personalization/previewing/). ![Previewing personalized content in a push notification](https://www.airship.com/docs/images/personalization-example_hu_26c52160d455c1b3.webp) *Previewing personalized content in a push notification* ## Accessibility agent for Scenes The accessibility agent automatically flags accessibility issues in your [Scenes](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#scene) and suggests fixes. Review, apply, and verify them to catch problems you might otherwise miss before sending. See [Accessibility audit](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/editors/scenes/about/#accessibility-audit) in *Scenes editor*. ## Preview and test groups One group, two roles. A preview and test group is an audience group used for previewing personalized content and testing messages, app and website content, and Sequence runs. For testing purposes, create different groups for different reviewers, such as QA, product, and marketing teams. ### Preview personalized content Use a member of a preview and test group as a data source when [previewing personalized content](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/personalization/previewing/) in the dashboard. The member's real attribute data populates any Handlebars expressions in your preview. ### Send to an audience of test users Select a preview and test group in the Audience step for a [Message](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/create/), [Scene](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/in-app-experiences/scenes/create/), or [In-App Automation](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/in-app-experiences/in-app-automation/create/). The message sends or displays according to its configuration. See also [About test messages](#about-test-messages) below. ### Send an immediate test In a [Message](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/create/), [Automation](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create-automation/), or individual [Sequence message](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create/add-messages/), select **Send Test** in the Review step to send a message for immediate delivery. The option is also available from a Sequence's Manage screen: Select the more menu icon () for a message, then **Send test message**. In addition to selecting preview and test groups, you can select [named user](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#named_user) IDs. If your message includes email, you can also search for existing email addresses or add a new one. Airship registers the new channel for your project and opts it in to transactional messaging. See also [About test messages](#about-test-messages) below. ### Validate Sequence workflow and content [Test a Sequence](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/sequences/create/test/) to exercise its timing, triggers, tag conditions, and conversion or cancellation events against [named users](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#named_user) or preview and test groups. This validates the flow, not just how individual messages render. ### Test app and website content In a [feature flag](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#feature_flag) configuration, set the audience to a preview and test group. Only members of the group see the feature or A/B test variant live in your app or website, so you can verify it works as expected before releasing to another audience. When you're ready, change the configuration audience to **All Users** or **Target Specific Users**. ### Create preview and test groups You can create up to 20 groups: 1. Go to **Audience**, then **Preview and Test Groups**. 1. Select **Create group** and enter a name. The name cannot be changed later. 1. Enable **Test group** if you plan to send test messages to its members. This setting cannot be changed later. 1. Select **Save and continue**. 1. For each group member, select **Add user**, then enter a name and an [identifier](#identifiers). If an MSISDN is associated with more than one [sender ID](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#sender_id), choose the one to use as the sender of test messages. 1. Select **Done**. After you add a user, you return to the list of all users in the group. The ID column shows the channel ID for each user. You cannot view the original email address or MSISDN that was entered. You can edit a group to add more users, edit a user's name, or delete users. ### Identifiers When adding users to a preview and test group, you must enter an identifier: [channel](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#channel_term) ID, email address, or [MSISDN](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#msisdn). Make sure to use IDs that are valid for the group's intended purpose. For example, if you plan to send push notifications to the group, enter a channel ID for an iOS or Android channel. Airship validates the ID when you enter it and shows an error if any of these requirements are not met: * Your project must already be configured for the engagement channel for an entered ID. * Channel IDs must exist for the project. * MSISDNs must be for SMS channels that exist for the project. You can add any email address. Airship then registers it as an email channel for the project. See also [Finding channel IDs](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/developers/identifiers/). The [1st Flight app](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/getting-started/try-airship/) also provides a channel ID without an SDK integration. ## Test designation In the [Message composer](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/messages/create/), you can designate any message as a test, regardless of who you target. Once a test message is ready for your live audience, [duplicate it](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/manage/duplicate/) and change the audience selection before sending. You cannot remove the designation after a message is sent. When creating or editing a message, select the settings icon (), enable **Mark this message as a test**, and select outside the modal to close it. See also the information in the next section. ## About test messages Messages [sent to an audience of test users](#send-to-an-audience-of-test-users), [sent as an immediate test](#send-an-immediate-test), or with the [test designation](#test-designation) appear in the Tests view in [Messages Overview](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/messaging/manage-views/). All test messages are excluded from reporting. Users in an active [Holdout Experiment](https://www.airship.com/docs/reference/glossary/#holdout_experiment) cannot receive test messages. You can view a user's current holdout group status and history when [viewing their channel details in Contact Management](https://www.airship.com/docs/guides/audience/contact-management/#viewing-channel-details).