How do I draft an alert from a bill?

Drafting from a bill is the quickest way to start an alert. You choose a bill and a few options, and the subject and message are written for you.

Before you start

The bill must be on one of your campaigns. If you want a Take Action button, the bill must also be on one of your action pages. Setting up campaigns and action pages is covered in the campaign articles.

Steps

1. Open Alerts in the left navigation and click New Alert.
2. Click ✨ Draft from a bill at the top of the page.
3. Pick a bill from your campaign bills. If you have more than six, a search box lets you find one by number or title.
4. Choose Our position: Support or Oppose. It starts at your campaign's position on the bill.
5. Under Where supporters take action, pick the action page the button should open. Your first published page with this bill is picked for you. Choose No button if you want the message to tell readers who to contact instead.
6. Optionally, fill in Anything the draft should say or focus on? (up to 1,000 characters). For example: "Mention Thursday's hearing and keep it under 100 words."
7. Click ✨ Draft alert.

The subject and message appear in the composer. Drafting replaces any subject and message you already had there, so draft first and edit after.

Who the ask targets

The draft is written from where the bill is right now. A blue note above the composer explains it:

• In committee: the ask targets that committee, not each supporter's own legislator.
• On the floor: the ask targets each supporter's own legislator in that chamber. The draft uses personalization so each person sees their own member's name.
• Finished or no longer moving: the draft is written as an update rather than an ask.

The writer only uses personalization that fits the bill's chamber. For example, a Senate floor bill never names a supporter's House member.

The Take Action button

If you chose an action page, the message ends with a button that opens it, using the page's button text. If the page is not published yet, the note says so. Publish the page before you send, or the button will not work for supporters.

After drafting

Nothing is sent. Read the draft, change anything you like, choose your audience and check the Live preview. Then save, test, submit or send as usual. See "How do I write an alert?" and "Who approves and sends alerts?"

If this does not solve it, email support@conservativestates.app and tell us your organization's name.