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

# Email & Link

> Send invitations via email or share direct links with participants

Once you've created your research agent and added participants, you can distribute it through multiple channels. This guide covers email invitations, direct links, and walk-in access.

## Email Invitations

Email invitations are automatically sent from Propane when you add participants with the "Send email invitation" option enabled.

### What participants receive

When you send an email invitation, participants receive:

* A personalized email from your configured sender profile
* A unique link that tracks their specific session
* Any custom messaging you've configured on the landing page

### Sending invitations

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="During participant addition">
    When adding participants (manually or via CSV), check the **Send email invitation** option to immediately trigger the invitation email.

    <Tip>
      This is the most common method for bulk outreach after importing a CSV of participants.
    </Tip>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="After participant addition">
    If you initially added participants without sending invitations, you can trigger them later:

    1. Navigate to the **Participants** tab of your research agent
    2. Click the three dots menu (...) next to a participant's name
    3. Select **Send Email Invite**

    <Info>
      This is useful for staged rollouts or when you want to manually control timing.
    </Info>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

### Email deliverability

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Sender configuration" icon="envelope">
    Emails are sent from the sender profile you selected when you created the research agent. Make sure your sender profile is properly configured with:

    * A recognizable sender name
    * Your organization's branding (if configured)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Spam considerations" icon="shield-check">
    <Warning>
      Sending too many emails in a short period may trigger rate limits. Contact support if you need to send to large lists (1000+ participants).
    </Warning>
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Direct Link Distribution

Every participant gets a unique session link that you can share through any channel you prefer.

### Copying session links

1. Navigate to the **Participants** tab of your research agent
2. Find the participant in the list
3. Click the three dots menu (...) next to their name
4. Select **Copy Session Link**

<Tip>
  Use this method to send sessions through your preferred channels: Slack DMs, Intercom messages, SMS, or personal emails.
</Tip>

### Link characteristics

* **Unique per participant** - Each link is tied to a specific participant and cannot be shared
* **Pre-filled context** - The AI already knows the participant's information (name, company, NPS score, etc.)
* **Single use** - Once completed, the link shows the thank you message
* **No expiration** - Links remain valid unless you remove the participant

### Common use cases

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Personal outreach" icon="comment">
    Send via Slack, Teams, or direct message for high-touch engagements
  </Card>

  <Card title="In-app messaging" icon="message">
    Trigger via Intercom, Zendesk, or your customer support tool
  </Card>

  <Card title="SMS campaigns" icon="mobile">
    Include in text message campaigns for mobile-first audiences
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom workflows" icon="layers">
    Integrate into your own notification systems via API
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Walk-in Distribution

Walk-in mode allows anyone to participate without being added as a participant first. This is ideal for open feedback collection.

<Warning>
  Walk-in mode is only available for **custom templates** (not NPS follow-ups, which require pre-existing scores).
</Warning>

### Enabling walk-in mode

Walk-in access is configured when you create the research agent or can be enabled later:

1. Open your research agent settings
2. Enable **Walk-in mode** in the distribution settings
3. Participants will be prompted to enter their information before starting

### Walk-in vs. standard distribution

| Feature                          | Standard Invitations              | Walk-in Mode                   |
| :------------------------------- | :-------------------------------- | :----------------------------- |
| **Participant pre-registration** | Required                          | Not required                   |
| **AI context**                   | Has full participant data         | Only has what user provides    |
| **Best for**                     | Targeted feedback, NPS follow-ups | Open feedback, website widgets |
| **Access control**               | One unique link per person        | One shared link for everyone   |

### Walk-in use cases

* **Website feedback widgets** - Embed on your site for visitor feedback
* **Event QR codes** - Print QR codes at events for instant feedback collection
* **Public feedback forms** - Share one link via social media or other channels
* **In-store tablets** - Set up kiosks for customer feedback at physical locations

### Collecting participant information

In walk-in mode, participants are prompted to provide:

* First name
* Last name
* Email address

<Note>
  Once a walk-in participant completes the signup form, they appear in your Participants list just like invited participants.
</Note>

## Best Practices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Choose the right distribution method">
    * **Email invitations** for formal, tracked outreach to known contacts
    * **Direct links** for personal, high-touch engagement through existing channels
    * **Walk-in mode** for open, public feedback collection
  </Step>

  <Step title="Personalize your messaging">
    Use dynamic variables like `{{participant_name}}` in your landing page text to create personalized experiences, especially for email and direct link distribution.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Track engagement">
    Monitor the Participants tab to see who has:

    * Received invitations
    * Opened the landing page
    * Started the session
    * Completed the session
    * Not yet responded (for follow-up)
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Related

* [Adding participants](/interviews/adding-participants)
* [Creating a research agent](/interviews/create-interview)
* [Embed a research agent](/distribution/embed-interview)