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

# Composing & Sending Emails

> Compose personalized emails using templates or AI-generated drafts, then send or schedule them

## Overview

Raycaster provides two modes for composing emails: **Template Mode** for writing emails with dynamic variables, and **AI Draft Mode** for generating personalized emails with AI. Both modes work directly from your sheets.

## Opening the Email Composer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select Recipients">
    In any sheet, select the rows for the people you want to email by clicking the checkboxes on the left side.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open Composer">
    Click the **Email** button in the toolbar that appears above the sheet. This opens the email composer modal.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Integration">
    Select which email account to send from using the integration dropdown. You'll see all your personal accounts and any organization-shared accounts.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Template Mode

Template mode lets you write a single email template with variables that get replaced with each recipient's data.

### Using Variables

Insert variables using the `{{Column Name}}` syntax. These resolve to the actual value in that column for each recipient row.

**Example:**

```
Subject: Partnership opportunity with {{Company}}

Hi {{First Name}},

I came across {{Company}}'s work in {{Research Area}} and wanted to reach out
about a potential collaboration...
```

For a row where `First Name = "Sarah"`, `Company = "Novartis"`, and `Research Area = "oncology"`, this becomes:

```
Subject: Partnership opportunity with Novartis

Hi Sarah,

I came across Novartis's work in oncology and wanted to reach out
about a potential collaboration...
```

### Editing Per-Recipient

After writing your template, you can switch to the recipients panel to customize individual emails:

* Click on any recipient to see their resolved email
* Make edits specific to that person
* Edited emails are marked as customized and won't be overwritten if you change the template

<Note>
  Variables are resolved from the sheet row data at the time of sending. If you update your sheet data after composing but before sending, the emails will use the updated values.
</Note>

### Generate Template with AI

If you need help writing your template, click **"Generate template with AI"** and describe what kind of email you want. Raycaster will generate a template with appropriate variables from your sheet columns.

## AI Draft Mode

AI Draft mode generates fully personalized emails for each recipient based on a prompt you provide and the data in your sheet.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Switch to AI Draft Tab">
    In the composer, click the **AI Draft** tab.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Write Your Prompt">
    Describe the email you want to send. Be specific about tone, purpose, and what information to include.

    **Example prompt:**

    > Write a professional outreach email introducing our drug delivery platform. Reference the recipient's recent publications and explain how our technology could complement their research. Keep it under 200 words.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate Drafts">
    Click **"Generate drafts"**. Raycaster's AI creates a unique, personalized email for each selected recipient using their sheet data.

    You'll see real-time progress as each draft is generated (e.g., "Generating 3/10").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and Edit">
    Each generated draft loads into the editor. Review individual drafts, make edits, then send or schedule.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Sending Options

Once your emails are composed, you have several options:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Send Immediately">
    Click **Send** to deliver all emails right away. Emails are sent through your connected email provider (Gmail or Outlook).
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Schedule">
    Click the dropdown arrow next to Send and select **Schedule**. Pick a date and time for delivery. Scheduled emails appear in your emails page with a "scheduled" status.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Save as Draft">
    Click **Save as Draft** to save emails without sending. Access and edit them later from the emails page.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Managing Emails

Navigate to the **Emails** page (`/emails`) to view and manage all your emails.

### Email Statuses

| Status        | Description                                                                 |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft**     | Saved but not sent. Can be edited and sent later.                           |
| **Scheduled** | Set to send at a specific time. Can be cancelled before the scheduled time. |
| **Sent**      | Successfully delivered through your email provider.                         |
| **Failed**    | Delivery failed. Check the error details for troubleshooting.               |

### Bulk Actions

Select multiple emails using the checkboxes to perform bulk operations:

* **Bulk Send** — Send all selected draft emails immediately
* **Bulk Schedule** — Schedule all selected drafts for a specific time
* **Bulk Delete** — Remove selected emails

### Email Detail Panel

Click on any email to open the detail panel, which shows:

* Full email content (subject, body, recipients)
* Sending status and timestamp
* Associated sheet and row information
* Sequence information (if part of a sequence)