This guide explains how to use Content Blocks and Display Rules to create email templates with content that is displayed dynamically, based on registration values such as attendee type or registration status.
This feature is available to all Certain customers. Everything is already available and ready for use.
Contents
1. What can I do with dynamic emails?
2. How do I build a dynamic email template?
What can I do with dynamic emails?
Display Rules control what dynamic content is displayed in an email template.
Display Rules can display content that includes Content Blocks of HTML. Display Rules can also display “Confirm Sections”. Confirm Sections are the sections that could be included in confirmation emails.
Content can be included in whatever order you choose.
An email can display different content for different attendee types. The email can include extra information for VIP guests.
An email can include a travel section only when the attendee has a travel reservation.
How do I build a dynamic email template?
Three Steps are used to create a dynamic email template.
1. Create a Content Block.
- Plan > Event Setup > Content Display > Content Blocks OR Account Settings > Management > Content Blocks
2. Create a Display Rule which uses the content block and/or selected confirm sections.
- Plan > Event Setup > Content Display > Display Rules
3. Create Email Templates, adding the display rule.
- Communication > Email Templates
Sending dynamic emails is no different to sending any other emails.
You can email several attendees by running a report. You can select the recipients in the Report Results window.
You can click Compose Email in the Report Actions section.
Adding a Content Block
Add a Content Block of HTML for use in display rules.
- For event-level content, go to Plan > Event Setup > Content Display > Content Blocks.
- For account-level content, go to Account Settings > Management > Content Blocks.
Both pages look the same and work in the same way. The pages differ in which dynamic data fields are available.
Registration-specific fields such as attendee type are not available at the account level. Profile-specific fields such as name and contact details are available at the account level.
Content blocks you add here can be displayed conditionally in emails. The condition is determined by the rules set up in Display Rules.
Content blocks can also be used like any other dynamic data fields. Dynamic data fields can be inserted directly in emails, forms, and websites. This guide does not cover that use case.
To add a new content block, click the Add New button to open the Content Block Details section.
Content Block Details fields
1. Give the content block a unique Name and optionally an explanatory Description.
2. The Text Above Header is optional for introductory remarks. Click the </> icon below the box to edit the text in a pop-up HTML Editor window if you prefer plain text or HTML code.
3. The Header (if any) is displayed above the body of the content block.
4. Type the Body of the content block in the unlabeled text box in the center of the page.
- The usual editing features are available unless the Enable Editor? check box is cleared.
- If you clear Enable Editor?, you can hand-craft the HTML code.
- The Body editor supports inserting dynamic information about the registration, event, or location.
- Select a dynamic data field from the Append list.
- Click the Body button to append that field to the block.
- The fields available depend on whether you configure event-level or account-level content blocks.
- Available field types may include Standard and Custom Profile Fields, Standard and Custom Registration Fields, Standard and Custom Event Fields, Location fields, and Other Fields.
- The example includes the Event Name.
5. Click Save to save the block and return to the List of Content Blocks. Click Save & New to save the block and create a new one.
Editing and Copying Content Blocks
To edit a content block, click the content block in the list of Content Blocks. This opens the Content Block Details section described above.
To copy a block, click the copy action. Then edit and rename the copy in the Content Block Details section described above.
> Note: The Event Setup > Content Blocks page also includes a list of account-level blocks. You cannot edit an Account Content Block there. You can copy the account-level block to the event level. You can then edit the resulting new Event Content Block.
Adding a Display Rule
To add a display rule in an event, go to Plan > Event Setup > Content Display > Display Rules.
On the Display Rules page, you configure Display Rules which you can add to email templates.
Each rule determines when selected Content Blocks and/or Confirm Sections are displayed in an email.
What are “Confirm Sections”?
A Confirm Section displays a summary of that part of an attendee’s registration.
The summary is displayed as it would be if selected as a section of the Confirmation page of a registration form. The confirmation page is on Plan > Forms > Confirm.
A Confirm Section can display inline details for the corresponding part of the registration.
For example, if you select the Confirm Section: accommodation to be displayed along with a Content Block of accommodation-specific text, the details of the attendee’s room reservations are displayed inline in that part of the email.
This avoids having to display the entire registration confirmation at the bottom of the email.
Creating a Display Rule
Click Add New to add a new display rule in the Display Rule Details section.
1. Under Display Rule Details, give the rule a unique Name. 2. Setting up display rules here is like setting up Logic Rules in forms.
Rule Conditions
Under Rule Conditions, select the radio button: Apply ONLY if these conditions are met.
- The conditions begin with an IF.
- Select a question/data field, a comparison operator, and an answer value.
- Example: IF ‘Attendee Type Name’ = ‘Exhibitor’
You can make the condition multi-faceted by adding ‘AND’ and ‘IF’ conditions at the end.
Rule Action
Under Rule Action:
4. In the list of Available Sections, select the Confirm Section(s) and Content Block(s) to be displayed in the email if the rule is met.
Click ->> to move them into the list of Active Sections.
5. If necessary, adjust the order of the Active Sections by clicking Top / Up, Down / Bottom.
Adding a Display Rule to an Email Template
After you save your display rule, you can add it to an email template. The display rule can be added like a dynamic data field.
1. Go to Promote > Communication > Email Templates. 2. Click Add New to add an email template, or edit one. 3. Place your cursor in the email at the point where you want to add the display rule. 4. Scroll down towards the end of the Append drop-down list and select the display rule. 5. Click the Message button. 6. Save the email template.
The display rule is now part of the message.
When you send an email based on that template, the email contains the relevant text for that attendee if the rule is met.