Getting started

Use this quick list to get started using Lob:

• Review our general testing guidelines (below)
• Follow in-depth design guidelines for your form factor of choice
  • For PDFs, JPEGs, or PNGs, follow our guides on mail formats
  • For HTML templating and merge variables, follow our guides on dynamic personalization 
• Grab the correct set of API keys to test and then send mail
• Handle rate limits
• Verify mail strictness settings
• Validate everything in the Test Environment and, once ready, switch to Live
  • Lob's Test environment is just like a sandbox. You can do anything in here and no mail will ever be produced. Use this location to validate everything before moving to Live.
• Monitor your mail analytics dashboard after sending
• Iterate & experiment
  • Set up webhooks
  • Set up metadata
  • Set up idempotency keys to help prevent duplicate mail from being sent out
  • Set up error handling and retry logic (e.g. mass deletion, network outages, etc.)

What should I test as I integrate Lob?

Rendering

Before you go live, verify that your mail pieces are rendering correctly. Lob's dashboard will show proofs of the mail piece you create. The proofs are also available in the API response.

 

PDF

• Verify your PDF is PDF/X-1a compliant
• Embed all images and fonts and flatten your transparencies
• Use CMYK Color Space

HTML

• Lob's HTML render is based on Webkit, but is highly modified to be used with Lob. Test rendering by using your test API key and checking the dashboard for proofs, instead of designing using the browser.

PNG / JPEG

• Verify that your images are at least 300 DPI. This will prevent blurry prints.

Logs

As you integrate Lob, you may find it useful to view logs of your requests. If you send a request with your Test or Live API key, both the request and response will be logged to use for debugging.

For Enterprise customers 

Consider these additional steps to send large mail volumes at scale: 

• Set up Single Sign-On (SSO)
• Explore advanced templating options
• Utilize flexible invoicing to separate cost centers
• Grant appropriate user permissions to each team member
• Learn about additional tooling such as user audit logging, NCOA reporting, etc.
• Establish a meeting cadence with your dedicated Customer Success Manager (CSM)
• Set up trainings with your CSM to ensure you can leverage the dashboard analytics efficiently