Preguntas frecuentes
How often should I email developers?
Developers hate unnecessary email, so get frequency right. Weekly product update emails are standard. Immediate notifications for critical breaking changes, security patches, and service incidents are expected. Monthly community and event emails are good. Avoid daily emails unless it's a digest of curated updates. Always offer developers control over frequency and topic preferences. A developer who unsubscribes from your emails might miss a critical security patch, so make them want to stay subscribed by respecting their inbox.
What should I include in a new SDK release email?
Include the version number and release date, a brief summary of what changed (new features, fixes, performance improvements), links to full release notes with detailed changelogs, migration guides if breaking changes exist, and code samples showing new functionality in action. Include a direct link to update via package managers (npm, pip, etc.). Optional: invite developers to provide feedback or report issues. Make the email skimmable so developers can quickly assess if they need to update.
How do I announce a breaking change without causing panic?
Give plenty of notice. Send an announcement email at least 6 months before the breaking change, another at 3 months, another at 1 month, another at 1 week, and final warnings at 3 days and 1 day before. Make the stakes clear: "This API endpoint will stop working on [date]." Provide migration guides showing old code and new code side by side. Offer support channels for questions. Consider offering a grace period where both old and new versions work simultaneously. Developers appreciate clarity and time to plan changes.
Should I email developers about features they probably don't use?
No. Developers get frustrated with irrelevant email about features outside their interest. If you release a new Android SDK feature, don't email iOS developers. If you add a PHP SDK, don't email Python developers. Use segmentation ruthlessly. Also avoid emailing developers about marketing announcements, company news, or events unless it's relevant to their actual development. Signal-to-noise ratio matters a lot. Every email should pass the test: "Would a developer stop what they are doing to read this?" If no, don't send it.
How do I build a strong developer community through email?
Create monthly newsletters featuring developer spotlights, community projects built with your platform, best practices and tutorials, upcoming webinars and events, and open discussions about the roadmap. Let developers contribute content and ask them for feedback on upcoming features. Create a sense of shared ownership in the platform. Share what developers are building with your tools and celebrate their wins. Make developers feel like part of a community, not just a list of users being marketed to.
How do I handle service incidents and downtime through email?
Create an automated incident notification system that emails only affected developers immediately when downtime begins. Include expected duration, impact on their applications, and a status page link for updates. Send follow-up emails every 30 minutes if ongoing, plus a final email when service is restored. Don't over-email developers who aren't affected. After incidents, send a postmortem email explaining what happened and how you will prevent it in future. Developers respect transparency and clear communication during problems.