--- title: "Read Mode" slug: "read-mode-configure-sent-message-format" description: "Read mode defines per group which channels a contact accepts or prefers and which email format they get. Values, sendout logic, and where to set it." status: "update" updated: 2026-11-06T09:49:59Z published: 2026-11-06T09:49:59Z canonical: "docs.mapp.com/read-mode-configure-sent-message-format" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mapp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Read Mode ## Overview Read mode defines how a contact receives group messages in a group: which channels the contact accepts or prefers, and which email format the contact prefers. Mapp Engage stores the read mode for each group membership, so a contact can have a different read mode in each group. When you send a group message, Mapp Engage uses the read mode to decide whether a contact receives the message and in which format. Read mode applies to group messages only. For the difference between group messages and single messages, see [Group Messages and Single Messages in Mapp Engage](/v1/docs/group-messages-and-single-messages-in-mapp-engage). --- ## Channel Settings For each channel, Email, SMS, and Mobile Push, the read mode contains one of the following settings: | Setting | Effect | | --- | --- | | **Allow** | The contact can receive group messages in this channel. | | **Prefer** | The contact can receive group messages in this channel, and it is the preferred channel. The preference matters when a message can be sent in more than one channel. | | **Deny** | The contact never receives group messages in this channel. | In import files, you can also use the following values: - `none`: The contact receives no messages by email, SMS, or Mobile Push. Use this value to pause a contact temporarily. - `any`: The contact has no channel preference. --- ## Email Format For the email channel, the read mode also contains the preferred format: | Setting | Format | | --- | --- | | **any** | No preference. Mapp Engage selects the format, see [How Mapp Engage Decides](/docs/read-mode-configure-sent-message-format#how-mapp-engage-decides). | | **email-html** | HTML email. | | **email-html-multipart** | Multipart email: one email with an HTML version and a text version. The email program of the contact displays the version it supports. | | **email-text** | Plain-text email. | SMS and Mobile Push have only one format each. --- ## How Mapp Engage Decides For each contact, Mapp Engage checks the read mode in two steps: 1. **Channel:** If the contact denies the channel of the message, the contact does not receive the message. The message statistics list the contact under **Skipped Messages** with the reason **Read mode denied**. See [Skipped Messages (tab)](/v1/docs/skipped-messages-tab). 2. **Format:** For email messages, Mapp Engage sends the preferred format if the message contains it. If the message does not contain it, or if there is no preference, Mapp Engage sends the first available format in this order: multipart, HTML, text. A multipart email requires an HTML version and a text version of the message. Unless the contact denies the channel, Mapp Engage always tries to send the message. ### Examples | Read mode of the contact | Message contains | Result | | --- | --- | --- | | Email: **Allow**, format **any** | HTML and text | Multipart email | | Email: **Allow**, format **email-text** | HTML and text | Text email | | Email: **Allow**, format **email-text** | HTML only | HTML email | | Email: **Deny** | HTML and text | No email. The contact is skipped with the reason **Read mode denied**. | > [!NOTE] > Note > > The sendout options of a group contain the older setting **Preferred Sendout Channel**. It applies only to contacts without a read mode and only to multichannel messages. The setting is being removed from Mapp Engage. See [Group Creation: Sendout Options](/v1/docs/sendout-options-tab). --- ## Where to Set Read Mode - **Manually for one contact:** Go to *Audience > Contact Management > Group Members*, select the group, and in the **Actions** column, select **Read Mode**. Mapp Engage shows only the channels for which the contact profile contains an identifier: email address, mobile number, or mobile app alias. See [Group Members: Read Mode](/v1/docs/edit-read-mode-window). - **Import:** Set the read mode in the CSV or XML file when you import contacts into a group. To apply the read mode to all groups the contact is a member of, select **Set Read Mode System-Wide** in the **Advanced Options** of the import. See [CSV Format for Contact Imports](/v1/docs/csv-format-for-contact-imports). - **Automation:** The job [Change Member Read Mode](/v1/docs/change-member-read-mode) changes the read mode of all group members in a selection at a scheduled time. The job [Change Member Read Mode (C)](/v1/docs/change-member-read-mode-c) changes the read mode of one contact when an event occurs. For example, you can pause contacts who asked for a break in your preference center. To change the read mode of other contacts, you need the group permission **Members: Edit any user's read mode**. See [Group Permissions List](/v1/docs/group-permissions). > [!WARNING] > Warning > > If you import mobile numbers and email addresses in the same file, Mapp Engage sets the SMS channel to `deny`. To send SMS to these contacts, set `member.MobileChannel` to `allow` or `prefer` in the file. See [Importing Mobile Numbers for SMS](/v1/docs/import-mobile-numbers-for-sms). ## Related - [Group Members: Read Mode](/edit-read-mode-window.md) - [Group Creation: Sendout Options](/sendout-options-tab.md)