# Send Flow steps, classifications and exclusions

*Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations Study Guide · Email Sending and Journeys · Last updated November 3, 2026 · https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-foundations/email-sending-and-journeys/send-flow-steps-classifications-and-exclusions*

The four Email Studio Send Flow steps and what each one sets: subject, preheader and send classification; target, excluded and suppressed audiences with publication lists; schedule, throttling and tracking; and the final review, plus de-duplication on user-initiated sends.

- Certification: Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations
- Exam section: Email Sending and Journeys
- Study guide: https://www.certifyforce.com/study-guide/marketing-cloud-engagement-foundations

**Official exam objective:**

> Given a scenario, identify the recommended configuration for the email send wizard settings.

## What the exam expects

- Place a requirement in the right Send Flow step: Define Properties, Select Audience, Configure Delivery or Review and Send.
- Choose a Commercial or Transactional send classification, including when the classification is unclear.
- Tell a sender profile, a delivery profile and a send classification apart.
- Combine target, excluded and suppressed audiences correctly, and use a publication list to honour opt-outs on a data extension send.
- Stop duplicate addresses from receiving several copies of a user-initiated send.
- Key terms: **Send Flow** (Email Studio's four-step interface for sending Content Builder emails); **send classification** (saved send parameters: sender profile, delivery profile and CAN-SPAM classification); **sender profile** (the From name and address); **exclusion** (an audience removed from the send); **publication list** (the list that records opt-outs for a type of email sent to a data extension).

## Key facts

| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Send Flow steps | Define Properties, Select Audience, Configure Delivery, Review and Send | [Improve Email Campaigns](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/email-creation-and-sending/test-and-send-emails) |
| Subject line | Required, 200 characters maximum | [Define Properties](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_define_properties.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Default From option | Default Commercial Send Classification | [Define Properties](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_define_properties.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Send classification parts | Sender profile, delivery profile, CAN-SPAM classification | [Send Classifications for Email Studio](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_send_classifications.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Unsure classification | Commercial with an unsubscribe link | [Send Classifications for Email Studio](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_send_classifications.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Target plus exclusion | The subscriber is excluded | [Audience Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_audience_rules.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Suppression lists | One per send; can't be targeted | [Audience Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_audience_rules.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| Scheduled send data | Records at send time, not schedule time | [Configure Delivery](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_configure_delivery.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |
| No de-duplication | Every address in the audience is sent to | [User-Initiated Email Messages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_email_messages.htm&type=5&language=en_US) |

## Check yourself

- What does a delivery profile hold that a sender profile does not?
- When Send Flow opens, which From option is already selected?
- When must a data filter be the only audience in the target area?
- When are exclusions and suppressions treated differently?

## Sources

- [Improve Email Campaigns with Effective Testing and Sending (Trailhead)](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/content/learn/modules/email-creation-and-sending/test-and-send-emails)
- [Send Flow](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_send_flow.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Define Properties](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_define_properties.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Send Classifications for Email Studio](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_send_classifications.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Sender Profile](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_sender_profile.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Delivery Profiles](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_delivery_profiles.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Audience Rules](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_audience_rules.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Configure Delivery](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_configure_delivery.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [User-Initiated Email Messages](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_es_email_messages.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations Exam Guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=005298962&language=en_US&type=1)

## About the full unit

The "Core concepts", "Exam traps" and "Worked scenario" sections of this unit, its 7 linked practice questions, and unlimited timed mock exams are included with the Marketing Cloud Engagement Foundations pack (USD $19): https://www.certifyforce.com/practice-exams