Setting up an Informed Delivery campaign involves navigating USPS systems that weren't designed with simplicity in mind. This guide walks through the actual process—the screens you'll see, the information you'll need, and the places where things commonly go wrong. Whether you're managing campaigns yourself or preparing to work with a mail service provider, understanding the workflow helps you plan realistically and avoid surprises.
One important note before we begin: this guide assumes you're already using Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcodes on your mailings, either through your own systems or through a mail service provider. If you're not there yet, start with understanding the technical requirements first—Informed Delivery campaigns only work with Full-Service mail infrastructure in place.
Step 1: Establish Business Customer Gateway Access#
The Business Customer Gateway (BCG) is USPS's portal for commercial mailing accounts. You need BCG access before you can reach the Mailer Campaign Portal where campaigns are actually created.
If your organization doesn't have BCG access yet, start at gateway.usps.com. Click "Sign Up" to begin the registration process. You'll create a USPS.com account first (if you don't have one), then apply for Business Service Administrator (BSA) status, which grants permission to manage mailing accounts.
The BSA approval process involves identity verification. USPS uses a knowledge-based authentication system that asks questions about your personal history (addresses, financial accounts, etc.) drawn from public records. If you pass online verification, approval typically comes within 2-3 business days. If online verification fails, you'll need to complete an in-person identity proofing process, which adds time.
Once approved as a BSA, you can access the full range of USPS business tools through BCG, including the Mailer Campaign Portal.
For many businesses, a mail service provider handles this access—if your MSP manages your Informed Delivery campaigns, you may never need direct BCG access yourself. But understanding the process helps you know what's involved if you want visibility into campaign management.
Step 2: Access the Mailer Campaign Portal#
With BCG access established, navigate to the Mailer Campaign Portal. From the Business Customer Gateway dashboard, look for "Mailer Campaign Portal" in the services menu under the Mailing Services section.
The portal opens to a campaign management dashboard showing any active or past campaigns associated with your account. First-time users see an empty list—you'll build from here.
The interface is functional rather than elegant. USPS built this for mailers who submit thousands of campaigns, so the design prioritizes data density over intuitive navigation. Expect a learning curve on your first few campaigns as you figure out where controls and information live.
Before creating campaigns, familiarize yourself with the navigation. The main sections cover campaign creation, campaign monitoring, reporting, and account management. Bookmark the portal URL directly—finding it through BCG's nested menus every time gets tedious.
Step 3: Gather Required Information#
Before starting campaign creation, collect the information you'll need. Having this ready prevents mid-process searches that risk losing unsaved work.
Your Mailer ID (MID): The 6 or 9-digit identifier for your mailings. If you use multiple MIDs, identify which one applies to the specific mailing you're building a campaign for.
Serial number range: Informed Delivery campaigns link to specific mailpieces through their serial numbers. You need to know the serial number range for your mailing. If you're working with an MSP, they provide this information; if you're generating your own barcodes, your mailing software shows the assigned serial numbers.
Campaign images: Your ride-along and/or representative images, saved as JPEG files meeting the specification requirements (300×200 pixels maximum for ride-along, 780×500 pixels maximum for representative images, RGB color mode, under 200 KB).
Target URL: The landing page URL where clicks from your campaign should direct. Have the full URL including https:// ready to paste.
Campaign dates: Start and end dates for when your campaign should be active. Remember to allow buffer days around expected mail delivery—USPS recommends a 3-day cushion on either side.
Campaign name and description: Internal identifiers that help you track campaigns in reporting. Choose names that will make sense when you're reviewing performance months later.
Step 4: Create a New Campaign#
From the Mailer Campaign Portal dashboard, select the option to create a new campaign. The creation workflow walks through several screens collecting campaign details.
Campaign type selection: You'll choose whether to create a ride-along image campaign, representative image campaign, or both. Make this selection based on your prepared images and strategy—you can't easily change campaign types mid-process.
Campaign information: Enter your campaign name (for internal tracking), description, and the URL where clicks should direct. The URL field validates to ensure the link is functional, so test your landing page before this step.
Date range specification: Set your campaign start and end dates. The start date must be at least one day in the future (campaigns must be submitted by 12:59 PM the day before activation). End dates can extend as long as needed, though most campaigns run for a window around expected delivery dates rather than indefinitely.
Mailer ID and serial number association: This is where you connect your campaign to specific mailpieces. Enter your MID and the serial number range for pieces that should receive the enhanced treatment. The format for serial number specification varies—you may enter a range (start number to end number) or specify individual serial numbers depending on your mailing structure.
Image upload: Upload your prepared images. The portal validates dimensions, file format, and file size during upload. If validation fails, you'll receive an error message identifying the issue—usually wrong dimensions or incorrect color mode.
For representative images specifically, you may be asked to confirm that the image accurately represents your mailpiece. USPS reviews representative images and can reject campaigns where the image doesn't reasonably match the actual mail.
Step 5: Review and Submit#
Before final submission, the portal presents a summary screen showing all campaign details. Review carefully—changes after submission are limited, and starting over is tedious.
Check dates against your mail schedule. Confirm the campaign window actually overlaps with expected delivery dates. A campaign running January 10-14 doesn't help mail that delivers January 16.
Verify the URL is correct. A typo here sends clicks to a broken or wrong page. Click through to the actual destination from the summary screen if possible.
Confirm serial numbers match your mailing. Wrong serial numbers mean your campaign won't attach to the intended mailpieces, and you may not discover the problem until after the mail drops.
Review images one more time. The preview shows how your images will display in the Daily Digest context. Ensure text is readable and the visual hierarchy works at the displayed size.
When everything looks correct, submit the campaign. You'll receive a confirmation screen and a campaign ID for tracking. The campaign enters a pending state and activates automatically on the specified start date.
Step 6: Monitor Campaign Status#
After submission, campaigns appear in your portal dashboard with status indicators. Common statuses include pending (approved, waiting for start date), active (currently running), and completed (past end date).
During active campaigns, the portal shows real-time metrics:
Impressions: How many times your campaign appeared in Daily Digest emails and dashboards. This represents the recipient count, not total views—a recipient seeing your campaign once counts as one impression.
Clicks: How many times recipients clicked your campaign URL. The portal tracks unique clicks rather than total clicks, so a recipient clicking multiple times counts once.
Click-through rate: Calculated as clicks divided by impressions. This is your primary performance metric during the campaign.
The metrics update throughout the campaign period, though not instantaneously—expect some delay between actual activity and dashboard reflection.
Step 7: Review Post-Campaign Reports#
After your campaign ends, the Mailer Campaign Portal generates more detailed reporting. Post-campaign reports typically become available a few days after the campaign end date.
Reports cover the same core metrics (impressions, clicks, CTR) with additional breakdowns where available. The depth of available analytics has expanded over time—check current portal capabilities for the latest reporting features.
Export capabilities let you download campaign data for analysis outside the portal. This is particularly useful if you're tracking multiple campaigns over time and want to build a performance database for comparison and optimization.
Compare results to your expectations and baseline metrics. If performance fell short, consider whether timing issues (campaign dates versus actual delivery), creative quality, or landing page experience contributed. If performance exceeded expectations, identify what worked to replicate in future campaigns.
Common Setup Problems and Solutions#
"Serial number not found" errors: The portal validates serial numbers against USPS's records. If you receive this error, confirm you're using the correct MID and that your electronic documentation was submitted properly. Serial numbers must be in the system before campaign association works.
Image rejection during upload: Check exact dimensions (must be at or below maximums), file format (JPEG only), color mode (RGB only), and file size (under 200 KB). Even small deviations cause rejection.
Campaign not appearing for recipients: If your campaign is active but recipients don't see enhancements, verify that campaign dates cover actual delivery dates and that serial numbers match your mailing. Mail delivering outside the campaign window or with serial numbers not associated with the campaign show default grayscale scans.
Portal access issues: BCG accounts require periodic reverification. If you haven't accessed the portal recently, you may need to complete identity confirmation again. Browser issues (cached sessions, blocked cookies) can also cause portal problems—try a different browser or incognito mode.
Last-minute submission stress: The 12:59 PM deadline the day before campaign start leaves no margin for technical problems. Submit campaigns at least several days before the start date when possible, allowing time to troubleshoot issues.
Working With Mail Service Providers#
If your MSP handles Informed Delivery campaigns, your workflow looks different—but understanding the underlying process helps you work effectively with your provider.
What you typically provide:
Campaign images (meeting specifications)
Target URL
Desired campaign dates
Campaign name/description for tracking
What your MSP handles:
MID and serial number association
Portal submission
Timing coordination with mail production
Campaign monitoring and reporting
Establish clear communication about lead times. Your MSP needs your creative assets before they can submit campaigns, and their submission needs to happen before the portal deadline. Understand your provider's internal timelines to ensure your assets arrive with sufficient margin.
Request campaign performance data after completion. Some MSPs proactively share reports; others require you to ask. Either way, the data helps you optimize future campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions#
How far in advance can I create a campaign?#
Campaigns can be created well in advance of start dates—you're not limited to submitting right before activation. Creating campaigns early provides margin for troubleshooting and avoids deadline pressure.
Can I edit a campaign after submission?#
Limited changes are possible for pending campaigns, but active campaigns cannot be modified. If significant changes are needed, you may need to end the current campaign and create a new one. This is another reason to review carefully before submission.
What if my mail delivery is delayed past the campaign end date?#
Recipients whose mail arrives after your campaign ends see the default grayscale scan without enhancements. Setting generous campaign windows helps, but you can't fully control postal delivery timing. Consider extending campaign end dates further than you expect to need.
Can I run multiple campaigns simultaneously?#
Yes, you can have multiple active campaigns for different mailings. Each campaign links to specific serial numbers, so they don't conflict as long as the serial number ranges don't overlap.
How do I get help with the Mailer Campaign Portal?#
USPS offers resources through PostalPro (postalpro.usps.com) including guides and contact information for technical support. The Informed Delivery team specifically handles campaign-related questions. Response times vary, so don't rely on same-day support for urgent issues.
Building a Repeatable Process#
Your first campaign will feel cumbersome as you navigate unfamiliar systems and work through the setup steps. By your third or fourth campaign, the process becomes routine.
Document your workflow as you learn. Note the exact portal paths you use, the information you need to gather, and any organization-specific details (your MID, typical serial number formats, MSP contact information). This documentation becomes a checklist that streamlines future campaigns.
Build campaign creation into your mailing production timeline rather than treating it as an afterthought. If campaign submission is a standard step that happens three days before mail drops—every time, on every mailing—you'll never miss opportunities or scramble to meet deadlines.
The underlying goal is making Informed Delivery campaigns a normal part of how you mail, not a special effort requiring heroic coordination. That consistency is what turns Informed Delivery from an occasional experiment into a genuine program asset.
Related reading: Informed Delivery Image Specifications: Ride-Along vs Representative Images Explained
Related reading: USPS Informed Delivery Postage Discounts: How to Save on Direct Mail Campaigns