# Newsletter Performance Retrospective

Assess an issue's editorial choices, delivery, engagement, audience response, consent, workflow, quality, and evidence-based lessons for the next issue.

## Usage note

Evaluate the issue against its promised reader outcome and editorial purpose. Opens and clicks are incomplete signals and should not override replies, complaints, consent, quality, or context.

## How to use this template

1. Gather the approved plan, final send, audience, context, delivery, and tracking record.
2. Review editorial quality, links, replies, delivery, engagement, consent, and downstream outcomes.
3. Separate observations from hypotheses and include contradictory or minority evidence.
4. Select a small number of issue, sequence, or workflow decisions with owners.
5. Carry learning into the next plan and verify whether the change helps.

## Blank template

### Issue baseline

- **Issue ID, version, and send time:** [Enter]
- **Audience segment and list size:** [Enter]
- **Consent/message class:** [Enter]
- **Theme and promised outcome:** [Enter]
- **Primary action:** [Enter]
- **Comparison issue/period:** [Enter]
- **External and campaign context:** [Enter]
- **Tracking limitations:** [Enter]

### Delivery and behavior

- **Delivered/bounced/deferred:** [Enter]
- **Complaints/unsubscribes/preferences:** [Enter]
- **Open data and limitation:** [Enter]
- **Useful link actions:** [By section job]
- **Downstream completion:** [Enter]
- **Replies and support contacts:** [Enter]
- **Device/client anomalies:** [Enter]
- **Broken links or rendering incidents:** [Enter]

### Editorial review

- [ ] Subject and preview matched the issue.
- [ ] The theme and section balance served the audience promise.
- [ ] Summaries, sources, links, and disclosures were accurate.
- [ ] Primary action followed editorial value.
- [ ] Accessibility, plain text, localization, and mobile were acceptable.
- **Strongest section and evidence:** [Enter]
- **Weakest or unclear section:** [Enter]
- **Minority/contradictory feedback:** [Enter]

### Finding and action

- **Observation:** [Enter]
- **Interpretation:** [Enter]
- **Alternative explanations:** [List]
- **Decision:** [Maintain / Investigate / Revise / Test / Retire]
- **Action, owner, and next issue:** [Enter]
- **Workflow improvement:** [Enter]
- **Outcome to review:** [Enter]
- **Retrospective approver/date:** [Enter]