Sending Mass Messages
Learn how to send messages to multiple users at once using smart lists and custom lists. This tutorial covers the two-step process: discovering your audience lists and sending targeted mass messages.
Overview
Mass messaging allows you to send a single message to many users efficiently. Instead of sending individual messages, you can target entire audience segments defined by:
- Smart Lists: Pre-built audience segments (all fans, subscribers, top spenders, etc.)
- Custom Lists: User-created lists for custom audience targeting
The Two-Step Flow
Step 1: Discover Available Lists
- Fetch smart lists to see pre-built audience segments
- Fetch custom lists to see user-created segments
- Optionally fetch members to preview recipients
Step 2: Send the Mass Message
- Select lists to include (required)
- Optionally select lists to exclude
- Send with text, media, or pay-to-view content
Authentication Required
Mass messaging requires OAuth with these scopes:
write:chat- Permission to send messagesread:fan- Permission to read fan/subscriber data
See the OAuth Tutorial for setup instructions.
Prerequisites
- OAuth authentication with required scopes (see note above)
- Basic familiarity with REST APIs
- Understanding of your Fanvue audience structure
Step 1: Discovering Your Lists
Before sending a mass message, you need to know which lists are available. There are two types:
Smart Lists (Pre-built Audiences)
Smart lists are automatically maintained audience segments based on user behavior and relationships.
Fetch All Smart Lists
Response:
Common Smart Lists:
all_fans- Everyone who follows yousubscribers- Users with active subscriptionsexpired_subscribers- Users whose subscriptions expiredtop_spenders- Your highest spending fans
Smart list identifiers are lowercase with underscores. The actual values available depend on your account configuration.
Preview Smart List Members (Optional)
Response:
Custom Lists (User-created Audiences)
Custom lists are manually created segments for specific targeting.
Fetch All Custom Lists
Response:
Preview Custom List Members (Optional)
Response structure is the same as smart list members.
TypeScript Example: Fetching Lists
Step 2: Sending Mass Messages
Once you know your available lists, you can send a mass message to one or more lists.
Basic Mass Message Request
Response:
Request Schema
Validation Rules:
- Must provide either
textormediaUuids(or both) - At least one list must be included
- If
priceis set,mediaUuidsmust be provided - Price must be in cents (e.g., 999 = $9.99) with a minimum of 200 (i.e., $2.00)
- Smart list identifiers are lowercase (e.g.,
"subscribers", not"SUBSCRIBERS")
Practical Examples
Example 1: Send to All Subscribers
Example 2: Send to Multiple Lists
Target both active and expired subscribers:
Example 3: Send to Custom List with Exclusions
Send to VIP list but exclude users who already received a similar message:
Example 4: Send Pay-to-View Message with Media
Send a message with media that requires payment to unlock:
Price is specified in cents. In this example, 999 represents 2.00).
Example 5: Combine Smart and Custom Lists
Complete TypeScript Implementation
Here’s a full example combining list discovery and mass messaging:
Best Practices
1. Start Small
When testing, start with a small custom list or use the preview feature to understand your audience:
2. Handle Rate Limits
The mass messages endpoint has rate limits. Handle them gracefully:
3. Validate Before Sending
4. Track Send History
Store mass message results for analytics:
Troubleshooting
”At least one list must be provided”
Ensure you’re providing at least one list in includedLists:
“Smart list not found”
Smart list identifiers must be lowercase:
403 Forbidden Error
Verify you have the required OAuth scopes:
write:chatread:fan
Check your OAuth configuration includes both scopes.
Empty recipientCount
If recipientCount is 0, the lists might be empty or exclusions removed all recipients:
Additional Resources
- OAuth Authentication - Set up OAuth with required scopes
- API Reference: Send Mass Message - Full endpoint documentation
- API Reference: Chat Lists - List endpoints reference
- Rate Limits - Understanding API rate limits