Editing a sent email

[BartF18]

If we find a typo after sending, is it possible to edit the original copy so anyone who opens the email sees the correction?

[William_D]

Hello @BartF18 ,

The ability to replace an email already in someone's inbox isn't allowed for legal and Compliance reasons since it requires effectively hacking someone's email account and rewriting the email that was sent. Think of it like breaking into someone's PO Box, and replacing a letter that was already delivered. 

With that said, if you need to issue a correction, you can copy the email and resend it. Customers that do this will typically include something like "Correction:" or "[Updated]" or something similar in their subject line. 

[BartF18]

I already knew that we cannot "correct" an email that has been opened. My question was can we make a correction so those opening the email later would see the corrected copy. 

[William_D]

Ah, I see what you mean @BartF18 . If you're wanting to do a Resend to Non-Openers with some corrections, you'll want to copy your email, make the edits, then send it to a list made from the original version's DNO report. Similar to the process I mentioned earlier, just with the added step of making a list that's specifically made of the original email's did-not-openers.

[RobertaD088]

You are not getting what he's asking.  Other email distribution systems allow you to edit sent email content when it's something simple like an incorrect link in the email already gone out.  It's not acceptable to have to send a "correction" to thousands of people when a simple edit should be doable.  I understand compliance but not in the face of minor corrections and as I said, I'm aware of other email distribution systems to do this so I think I will have to look at other options for future communications to my groups.

[William_D]

Hello @RobertaD088 ,

I understand what they were asking, however ESPs cannot do this, as it is both illegal and non-Compliant. It may be possible for internal systems to issue corrections to some degree, but it wouldn't be possible for an ESP like us without causing significant API and permissions issues with the various email clients. Doing stuff like this is essentially allowing a backdoor into a contact's email account so that we can overwrite data they've already received.