How to Test MailCalm Safely Before Going Live

MailCalm opens in Test mode after first-time setup.

Test mode lets you review routing decisions without forwarding, moving, marking or renaming emails.

Keep Test mode on until the important routing scenarios for your team have been checked.

Before testing

Confirm:

• the correct mailbox is connected
• the Microsoft account is signed in
• the MailCalm licence is active
• the routing engine is running
• the correct people have been added
• names and email addresses are correct
• Active, Available and Off statuses are correct
• working hours and schedules are correct
• Test mode is on

Use harmless test emails

Use test messages that cannot be mistaken for real customer work.

Recommended subject format:

MAILCALM TEST — New enquiry

For replies and rule tests, include the purpose in the subject:

• MAILCALM TEST — Sticky reply
• MAILCALM TEST — Filter rule
• MAILCALM TEST — Special rule
• MAILCALM TEST — Holiday cover
• MAILCALM TEST — Round Robin

Avoid using sensitive customer information in test emails.

Check Activity after every test

After sending a test email:

1. Open Activity.
2. Find the test message.
3. Open its detail.
4. Confirm the suggested assignee.
5. Confirm which routing rule matched.
6. Confirm the sender MailCalm used.
7. Check any matched trigger phrase or Special rule.
8. Check whether the entry is marked as Test mode or simulated.

Do not rely only on the assignee name. Check why MailCalm made the decision.

Test 1: New email and Round Robin

Send a completely new email from an address with no existing ownership or matching rules.

Confirm that:

• the email reaches Round Robin
• the expected available person is selected
• the next Round Robin position updates correctly in Test mode
• Off or unavailable people are skipped

Repeat the test enough times to confirm the rotation order.

Test 2: Direct ownership

Send an email that should clearly belong to a named team member.

Confirm that:

• Direct ownership is recognised
• the email does not fall through to Round Robin
• Activity explains the ownership match

Test 3: Sticky ownership

Send a new email that establishes ownership, then send another message from the same sender or conversation.

Confirm that:

• the later email returns to the same person
• Sticky ownership is shown in Activity
• the Sticky time limit behaves as expected
• Sticky exclusions behave correctly

Test 4: Filter rules

Send a message containing a sender, subject or trigger phrase covered by a Filter rule.

Confirm that:

• the correct Filter rule matches
• the email does not continue into later routing rules
• the result shown in Activity is correct

Also test a similar message that should not match, to make sure the rule is not too broad.

Test 5: Special rules

Send a message containing a phrase covered by a Special rule.

Confirm that Activity shows:

• the Special rule that matched
• the phrase or keyword that triggered it
• the correct specialist assignee

Also test a message without the trigger phrase.

Test 6: Person Off

Set one routing person to Off.

Send a message that would normally reach that person.

Confirm that:

• the Off person is not selected
• MailCalm chooses the correct fallback
• the routing-person count remains within the plan limit

Return the person to the required status after testing.

Test 7: Availability and working hours

Test a person:

• during their working hours
• outside their working hours
• with schedule-based availability enabled
• with no working days selected, where appropriate

Confirm that MailCalm only includes them when expected.

Test 8: Holiday and absence cover

Set the absent person to Off or apply the intended cover arrangement.

Send emails that would normally belong to them.

Confirm that:

• new work is shared between the available team
• Sticky or direct ownership does not unexpectedly send work to the absent person
• any configured Sticky exclusions behave correctly
• the cover arrangement is clear in Activity

Test 9: CC behaviour

Send a message where a routing person is copied in.

Test the configured behaviour when that person is:

• available
• Off
• outside working hours

Confirm that the result matches the Options settings.

Test 10: Extracted sender handling

Use a message from a webform, forwarding service or system sender that contains the real customer email in the content.

Confirm that:

• MailCalm identifies the intended customer email where appropriate
• Activity shows the customer email as the primary sender
• the original source remains visible
• Sticky behaviour uses the expected sender

Test 11: Move to Allocated and Add prefix

These settings do not change the mailbox while Test mode is on.

Before going live, confirm the intended settings:

• Move to Allocated on or off
• Add prefix on or off
• routing header on or off

For the first live test, use one harmless test email and check that:

• the original email moves only when enabled
• the subject prefix is added only when enabled
• the forwarded routing header appears only when enabled

Test 12: Schedule

Confirm:

• the selected working days
• start and end times
• whether the schedule is enabled
• whether overnight hours are configured correctly

Test that the engine starts and stops as expected.

Remember that Schedule controls the engine when enabled.

Before turning Test mode off

Complete this final check:

• Correct mailbox
• Correct Microsoft account
• Licence active
• Engine running
• Routing people correct
• Plan limit not exceeded
• Working hours correct
• Filter rules checked
• Sticky rules checked
• Special rules checked
• Round Robin order checked
• Holiday cover checked
• CC behaviour checked
• Move to Allocated confirmed
• Add prefix confirmed
• Routing header confirmed
• Schedule confirmed
• Activity results match expectations

First live test

When you are satisfied:

1. Keep only harmless test emails in scope.
2. Turn Test mode off.
3. Confirm MailCalm shows as running.
4. Send one new test email.
5. Check the forwarded email.
6. Check the original mailbox.
7. Check the Allocated folder if enabled.
8. Check the subject prefix if enabled.
9. Check Activity.
10. Confirm the correct person received the message.

Do not move straight from Test mode into a busy live inbox without checking one controlled live message first.

If a result is unexpected

1. Turn Test mode back on.
2. Leave the affected email safely in Outlook.
3. Review Activity detail.
4. Check people, availability and schedules.
5. Check the matched rule.
6. Correct the configuration.
7. Repeat the harmless test.

If the cause is still unclear, export safe diagnostics from:

Account → Support → Export diagnostics

Send the ZIP and a description of the test to:

support@mailcalm.co