salesforce-marketing-cloud-email-specialistlisted

# Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email Specialist — Skills Reference ## Overview The **Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Email Specialist** (exam code **MC-202**) validates proven knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience in email marketing best practices within the Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) platform. The six exam domains are: Email Marketing Best Practices, Email Message Design, Content Creation & Delivery, Marketing Automation, Subscriber & Data Management, and Tracking & Reporting (see domain weights in [references/study-resources.md](references/study-resources.md)) `[volatile — verify live]`. This is the primary entry-level certification in the Marketing Cloud track. It is a prerequisite for advanced credentials such as Marketing Cloud Consultant, Marketing Cloud Developer, and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Specialist. Salesforce recommends 6–12 months of hands-on Marketing Cloud experience before attempting. **When to reach for Marketing Cloud:** SFMC is the platform for *marketing* sends — campaigns, program updates, recruitment, lifecycle messaging — with engagement tracking, unsubscribe management, and journey automation. *Transactional* 1:1 mail (submit confirmations, password resets, magic-link delivery) is often better served by a cheaper transactional email service (e.g. Amazon SES) unless a Triggered Send is already justified by the broader MC adoption. The rules below let an agent make the transactional-vs-marketing call, design a compliant jour