Creating an email channel

Steps to create an email channel

Creating and Email Channel Steps

The Chanel Editor allows you to configure the following:

  • Basic Details - Name, Broadcaster, and API connection credentials

  • Broadcast Parameters - Configure the parameters required by the ESP

  • Output Settings - Settings to use for each output

  • File Settings - Configure the file settings, CSV, Zipped, Encoding etc.

  • Additional Variables - Append any additional variables and how they are presented to the ESP to match the broadcaster template requirements

Every email channel integration starts in the broadcasters account web panel. You must access your existing broadcaster's web panel, or set up a new account.

Please refer to the Before you Begin page for your broadcaster for information specific to that ESP and tips on what to do before creating a channel.


To create a new broadcast channel do the following:

  • Open the Campaigning Channel Editor, in Application Settings

Application Settings Menu

The Application Settings page is available from the user menu, it will only be visible if you have admin permissions.

You can manage application settings here.

User Menu Application Settings

  • From: User icon in the top right

  • Select Application Settings >

  • Select the Campaigning Channel Editor

The Channel Editor will list any existing defined channels under each channel type on the left

  • Click the + Item icon to create a new channel

New Channel

Use the following options

Create a New Channel Prompt

  • Create A New - Channel

  • Name - Enter a descriptive name for the channel

  • Parent Folder - Email

Use a name that indicates some of the channel's features, for example the broadcaster name followed by if the channel is setup to Upload Only or Upload and Broadcast. "Email - MyESP", "Email - MyESP Upload"

Select Email Channel Type

The red ! icon will display until all the required fields have been entered

Channel Editor pages

  • Complete the channel editor pages ensuring you have entered all the required settings

Basic Details

Channel Editor page 1 blank

The Broadcast Parameters page will be shown when you select a broadcaster

Basic Details

A blue highlight indicates a Required field

Blue Highlighted text indicates a required field

Name Description
Channel Name Enter a name for the channel
Broadcaster Select Your Broadcaster from the drop-down
Broadcaster Username Enter your broadcaster API username, Available from Your Broadcaster
Broadcaster Password Enter your broadcaster API password, Available from Your Broadcaster
Update Password This button displays once a password has been set you can use this to change the password if required
Test Login Use the Test Login button to confirm the above details are correct. A "Test login successful" message will display to if the credentials are correct
Email Variable Select Email Address from the drop-down
Advanced Email Variable Settings The Email Variable drop down enables the check-box option to "Select email variable during campaign creation". This is for use with PeopleStage. Do not use this channel option in Orbit
Email Variable Description Override Optional - Enter the description, for example, “Email Address” Note: This must correspond to the e-mail field within Your Broadcaster
Reply Email Address The email address that will receive notifications when the channel is used, this is NOT the reply email address that will be used for the email send
Broadcaster Action The default is Upload and Broadcast, select Upload Only to upload the list only without initiating a broadcast

Values shown may be for example only, the options will differ for each broadcaster.


 

Broadcast Parameters

Channel Editor - Broadcast Parameters blank

Broadcast Parameters

A blue highlight indicates a Required field

The parameters shown on this page differ for each broadcaster, we are creating help pages with broadcaster specific information, please see Integration for an overview of all the supported email integrations.

Common Parameters

Parameter Name Parameter Value
SFTP Private Key Path If secure ftp is used above and requires a private key, this should refer to the path and filename of that key.
Use Dated List Setting this to false will remove the date and time stamp at the end of the file name. The default option is 'true'.
Dated List Format Enter the date format string for the date and time stamp if created. The default value is yyyyMMdd-HHmmss.
FTP Protocol Enter the date format string for the date and time stamp if created. The default value is yyyyMMdd-HHmmss.

Values shown may be for example only, the options will differ for each broadcaster.

 


Output Settings

Channel Editor - Output Settings blank

Output Settings

A blue highlight indicates a Required field

Name Value
Allow in Transactional Output This is a setting specific to PeopleStage and Transactional Campaigning. (Note: if you select Yes, it means you can send multiple emails to the same email address)
Append to List When selected the
Number of Retries The number of times to retry on failure of the channel. It is recommended (for Broadcast Channels) to leave this at 0. The Delivery Agent also has a retry value, so setting this to > 0 can result in multiple retries and may cause undesirable results
Response File Key Type This is a specific setting to channels where Response Gathering has been set up in FastStats.The key field to match responses to sends. Varies from broadcaster to broadcaster due to the fields they return in the response file. Should be set to Communication Key for Your Broadcaster.
Message Content Type Only Your Broadcaster and Your Broadcaster can use SMS templates, so this will always be Template (using the Broadcaster Template)
Retrieve Existing List Names When selected, the
   

Values shown may be for example only, the options will differ for each broadcaster.

 


File Settings

Channel Editor - File Settings

File Settings

A blue highlight indicates a Required field

Name Value
Zip File Default is deselected, select this optional setting to compress the file if required
Output File Format Default is Comma Separated Values (CSV)
Output Header Default is Descriptions, will use the title of the variable in the header
Delimiter Default is Tab
Alpha Encloser Default is None
Numeric Encloser Default is None
Extras This field is empty by default, it can reference the name of Extras XML file, this area is reserved for advanced use
Encoding Default is UTF-8

Ordinarily, you would use the default settings on this page unless the broadcaster requires a different option explicitly.

Values shown may be for example only, the options will differ for each broadcaster.


Additional Variables

Channel Editor - Additional Variables

Additional Variables

Common variables used in this section are Forename, Surname, etc. The purpose here is to map any additional FastStats variables to the broadcaster's variables. For example the Forename variable in FastStats may be named FirstName in the broadcaster. This ensures any broadcaster templates that use one of the additional variables are populated correctly.

  • Click the +Add Variable button to select a variable

Additional Variable Search Form

  • Click in the Search data box

Variable Search List

  • Select the variable to add from the system

Add Variable Text Options

Text variable options, Variable Description Override and Formatting

Add Variable Selector Options

Selector and Multi-Response Variables options, Choose Output, and Handle "Unclassified" as

Naming Convention

Formatting options

Add Variable Append Options

Append Additional Variables Directly options, see below

A blue highlight indicates a Required field

Name Value
Variable Click to search the FastStats system for the additional variable
Variable Description Override Optional, use this field to override the variable header description to match the name in the broadcaster, e.g Forename - FirstName
Formatting Default is Unformatted, you have the option to apply a naming convention to the variable, either UPPERCASE, lowercase or TitleCase
Append Additional Variables Directly Deselected by default, select this option to change how the additional variables are added to the list, either at the End or Beginning. When not set the variables will append to the end of the list.
Selector and Multi-Response Additional options are available for these types of variables
Chose Output Selects what to output, either the Description or the Code from the system design, the default is description.
Handle "Unclassified" as Select how to handle unclassified selector data, use the setting as specified in the system From Design or send no content Empty

Values shown may be for example only, the options will differ for each broadcaster.