Overview 
Send targeted communications to your event participants via email and SMS. The messaging system supports personalization, recipient filtering, and tracks delivery history.
Navigate to Messaging to compose and send messages. The page has two tabs:
- Send New Message - Compose and send new communications
- History - View previously sent messages
Message Channels
Choose how to deliver your message:
| Channel | Description |
|---|---|
| HTML-formatted emails with your branding | |
| SMS | Text messages via Twilio (restrictions apply) |
SMS Warning: SMS messaging is restricted to important event notifications only. Misuse may result in your account being banned from SMS sending.
Template Variables
Personalize messages with variables that are replaced per-recipient:
| Variable | Replaced With |
|---|---|
| `` | Recipient's name |
| `` | Event name |
| `` | Event date |
| `` | Event location |
| `` | Your organizer name |
Click the variable buttons in the composer to insert them into your message.
Before sending, preview your message to see how it will appear with variables replaced. The preview shows a sample with placeholder values.
Selecting Recipients
Choose who receives your message:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| All Event Entrants | Every competitor registered for the event |
| All Volunteers | Every volunteer signed up for the event |
| Individual Competitors | Hand-pick specific competitors |
| Individual Volunteers | Hand-pick specific volunteers |
| Volunteer Positions | All volunteers assigned to selected positions |
When selecting individuals, use the multi-select dropdown to choose specific recipients.
Message History
The History tab displays all messages sent for the selected event:
- Date and time sent
- Message type (Email or SMS)
- Recipient name
- Event name
Use the history to track what communications have been sent and to whom.
SMS Permissions
SMS messages are only sent to recipients who have opted in:
- Competitors must have SMS notifications enabled in their profile
- Volunteers must have SMS opt-in enabled
- If a recipient hasn't opted in, they will receive email only
The system checks both competitor and volunteer SMS preferences when sending.
Email Delivery
Emails are sent with:
- From: "[Your Name] via SidewaysData.com"
- Reply-To: Your organizer email address
- HTML formatting with SidewaysData branding
- Unsubscribe headers for compliance
Managing Subscriptions
Users can access their email preferences at Manage Subscriptions. This page allows control over:
| Preference | Description |
|---|---|
| All non-transactional emails | Opt out of all marketing/notification emails |
| Nearby Events | Events within the user's configured distance radius |
| New Event Emails | Notifications when subscribed organizers create events |
| Event Update Emails | Updates about events the user is registered for |
Preferences can be set globally or per-organizer/per-event using the tab navigation.
One-Click Unsubscribe
All emails include RFC 8058 compliant unsubscribe headers, allowing recipients to:
- Click "Unsubscribe" directly in their email client
- Use the unsubscribe link in the email footer
- Manage granular preferences via the subscriptions page
Unsubscribe links are valid for 90 days and are signed for security.
Opt-Out Levels
Users can opt out at different granularities:
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| All | No non-transactional emails from SidewaysData |
| Nearby Events | No proximity-based event notifications |
| Specific Organizer - New Events | No new event announcements from one organizer |
| Specific Organizer - Updates | No event updates from one organizer |
| All Organizer Emails | No emails from any organizer |
Subscribing to Organizers
Competitors can subscribe to specific organizers to receive notifications when they create new events:
- Subscribe via the organizer's profile page
- Manage subscriptions in dashboard settings
- Unsubscribe anytime via email links or settings
Location-Based Notifications
Users can configure proximity notifications in their Profile Settings:
- Set a distance radius (default: 300 miles)
- Update their location for accurate proximity calculations
- Opt out of nearby event notifications entirely
Transactional Emails
Some emails cannot be opted out of as they are essential for account functionality:
- Registration confirmations
- Account activation emails
- Email change confirmations
- Password reset emails
These are always delivered regardless of opt-out preferences.