On this page: Understand how the direct mail channel works so you can generate the extraction files that third-party providers use to send physical mail to your customers.
Direct mail is an offline channel that allows you to personalize and generate the extraction files required by third-party direct mail providers to send mail to your customers.
When creating a direct mail campaign or journey, Journey Optimizer automatically generates a file containing all the targeted profiles and selected data, such as postal addresses and profile attributes. This file is sent to the server of your choice so that it is accessible by your chosen third-party direct mail provider, who will handle the actual mailing process for you.
You will need to work with your chosen third-party direct mail provider to obtain any required consents from you customers, if applicable, so that your customers can receive mail from you.
Your use of mailing services is subject to additional terms and conditions from the applicable third-party direct mail provider. Adobe does not control and is not responsible for your use of third-party products. For any issues or requests for assistance related to the mailing of your direct mail campaign, contact your chosen third-party direct mail provider.
Before you start before-you-start
Before you create direct mail messages, configure file routing and a direct mail channel configuration. You also need audiences and profile data (such as postal addresses) in Adobe Experience Platform.
The main steps to send direct mail messages are as follows:
Additional resources additional-resources
- Create direct mail - Learn how to create direct mail deliveries and configure extraction files for offline channels.
- Configure direct mail channel - Set up direct mail surfaces and file routing configurations.
- Batch decisioning in direct mail - Use decisioning to personalize extraction files for direct mail or to export decisioning data for downstream systems.
- Test and send direct mail - Learn how to test, validate, and publish your direct mail deliveries.
- Direct mail tutorials - Explore step-by-step video tutorials on direct mail features and best practices.
How-to video how-to-video
Learn how to leverage the Direct Mail channel in Adobe Journey Optimizer to automate and schedule direct mail deliveries within your journeys.
For a written walkthrough of the same steps, see the direct mail channel tutorials.
For common questions about direct mail, see the Additional resources section above.
This section contains structured knowledge intended to support interpretation, retrieval, and question answering related to this topic.
For complete understanding, this information should be combined with the documentation on this page. Neither source is intended to stand alone; the page describes the feature, while this section provides additional context that helps disambiguate terminology, intent, applicability, and constraints.
- TL;DR: This overview explains how the direct mail offline channel works, generating personalized extraction files that third-party direct mail providers use to send physical mail to your customers.
Intents:
- Understand that direct mail is an offline channel handled by a third-party provider
- Understand how extraction files are generated and sent to a server
- Learn what to configure before creating direct mail messages
- Understand where direct mail messages can be created
Glossary:
- Direct mail: An offline channel that personalizes and generates the extraction files required by third-party direct mail providers to send mail to your customers (product-specific)
- Extraction file: The automatically generated file containing all targeted profiles and selected data, such as postal addresses and profile attributes, sent to a server for the provider to retrieve (product-specific)
- Third-party direct mail provider: The external provider that retrieves the exported file and handles the actual mailing process (product-specific)
Guardrails:
- Before creating direct mail messages, you must configure file routing and a direct mail channel configuration.
- You need audiences and profile data, such as postal addresses, in Adobe Experience Platform.
- Direct mail messages can be created in journeys and campaigns, but they are not available for use in API-triggered campaigns.
- Obtaining any required customer consents is handled with your chosen third-party direct mail provider.
- Use of mailing services is subject to additional terms and conditions from the applicable third-party direct mail provider; Adobe does not control or take responsibility for your use of third-party products.
Terminology:
- Canonical name: Direct mail — Acronym: n/a — variants: direct mail channel, direct mail message
- Synonyms: “extraction file” = “export file”
- Do not confuse: “Journey Optimizer” (generates and exports the extraction file) ≠ “third-party direct mail provider” (handles the actual mailing)
FAQ:
- Q: What is the direct mail channel? — An offline channel that personalizes and generates extraction files for third-party providers to send physical mail.
- Q: What do I need before creating direct mail messages? — File routing and a direct mail channel configuration, plus audiences and profile data such as postal addresses in Adobe Experience Platform.
- Q: Where can direct mail messages be created? — In journeys and campaigns; they are not available for use in API-triggered campaigns.
- Q: Who performs the actual mailing? — Your chosen third-party direct mail provider retrieves the exported file and handles the mailing process.