Subscribers: Subscriberfields

You import the data of your subscribers into the subscriber fields. The data can be output in the mailing and used to create target groups.

Common fields such as e-mail address, title, first and last name, and birthday are already created. You can create additional subscriber fields as needed, for example, to store a customer number or additional contact information per subscriber.

Important to know: Subscriber fields are available identically in all subscriber lists.

Please choose the names of your subscriber fields so that they match the column headings of your in-house data. This will facilitate the later subscriber import, as an automatic column assignment is possible.

Create new subscriber field

By clicking on 'New subscriber field' you create an additional subscriber field.

• Name: Name the fields in Ideenfabrik Mailingwork to match the column headings of your existing data. This is because, during the subscriber import, the field name is used to map each column in your import file to a subscriber field in Ideenfabrik Mailingwork. If the names match, the column mapping is done automatically.
• Alias: The alias is the unique placeholder that you use to include subscriber data in the text of your mailings. For example, if you enter "Customer-No." as an alias here, you could write "Your customer number is: [customer-no /]". Of course, you can also insert placeholders using the entry helpers that are offered in many places.

Edit / delete subscriber field

In the 'Actions' column you will find the icons for editing and deleting a subscriber field.

• Edit: Change the name, description and type of the subscriber field.
• Delete: The subscriber field will be deleted incl. all subscriber data stored in this field so far. The confirmation prompt must be confirmed by entering the word 'DELETE'.

Select subscriber field type

Depending on what kind of data you want the field to store (text, number, date, etc.) choose the type of your subscriber field:

Text

Text fields are the most commonly used field type. Thanks to security filters, they are also suitable when the subscriber enters the data himself, for example in the newsletter registration or profile data change form.

• Single-line text (max. 250 characters): Suitable for single-line shorter texts, e.g. name, company name, phone number.
• Multi-line text: Suitable for long or multi-line texts.

The above field types are not suitable for storing HTML source code or a URL, because the field content is filtered on output. In this way, you deliberately protect fields against abusive input that could later execute malicious code when displayed in the mailing.

For a flexible text field without security filter use the following field type:

• HTML source code / URL: Similar to 'Multiline Text', but additionally suitable for saving HTML content or a URL.

Only with this field type the content is output 1:1 and without filtering. For example, suppose the subscriber field contains the text  <font color='red'>red Text</font>. Depending on the field type, the output in the mailing will look different:

• Output at field type 'Single-line text' or 'Multi-line text':<font color='red'>red Text</font>
• Output for field type 'HTML source code/URL':  red Text

Number

Compared to text fields, number types have two advantages: they allow numerical size comparison in target groups (larger/smaller) and also allow addition/subtraction of the field value via profile enrichment.

• Integer: Suitable for integers (without comma) in the range +/- 2 billion, e.g. as counter of a campaign run. Please do not use for postal code or phone number, because an integer field does not know a leading zero.
• Decimal number: Suitable e.g. for product prices. Please use the English notation, i.e. dot as decimal separator, no comma. The value range is practically unlimited (+/- 10^38), the accuracy is maximum of 7 digits.

Selection

The recipient selects one or more options, depending on the field type. You enter the possible options in the field settings, comma-separated and without spaces. If "no option" is also to be selectable and this is to be placed at the top of a registration form, for example, insert a "naked" comma at the beginning of the line, for the salutation field, e.g. ,Ms,Mr.

• Boolean value (checkbox): Corresponds to the classic checkbox where you can set or remove a checkmark. Allowed values during import are 0 or 1.

• Single selection (1 out of max. 500 options, text length per option max. 255 characters): Provides a selection of predefined options from which the user can choose exactly one option. For a salutation field you could enter ,Ms,Mr as possible options. The comma at the beginning ensures that the field can also handle an empty option, for example if the salutation is not known. In the registration form you can later choose whether the field should be displayed as a drop-down menu or as a radio group.

•  -> Note: Please do not import the names of your subscribers into the salutation field, but use a separate field of type 'Single-line text' for this purpose.
• Multiple selection (several out of max. 64 options, text length per option max. 255 characters): Provides a selection of predefined options from which the user can choose as many options as desired. A use case would be interests or product categories for which he would like to receive newsletters in the future. In the subscription form, you can later choose whether the field should be displayed as a drop-down menu (rather unusual) or as checkboxes. When updating subscriber data, for example via import, duplicate matching or renewed registration, you can choose whether previous and new options should be merged or replaced.
• Country selection: Same as Simple selection, but with predefined list of all countries. When importing, please fill the field with the two-character country code according to ISO 3166-2. The country name can be output in any language.

Date

For the import of date values as well as the display in the subscriber management the English format %Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S is preset (year-month-day hour-minute-second). The format can be changed in the subscriber field settings. The German format of the date can be reached by entering %d.%m.%Y (corresponds to e.g. 31.12.2020).

You have numerous formatting options for the output of date values in the mailing.

• Date: Suitable for saving the date when the time is not important. Typical example is the date of birth to send congratulations via automated campaign.
• Time: Suitable for saving time, e.g. from the reservation form of an event.
• Date and time: Suitable for saving the date and time, such as the time of the last contact or order.

Unique special types

Jeder der folgenden Feldtypen lässt sich nur einem einzigen Feld zuweisen, da er eine Sonderfunktion erfüllt. Each of the following field types can be assigned to only one field because it has a special function.

• E-mail address: This is required as the recipient's address when sending e-mails. Exactly one e-mail address can be assigned to each recipient. The check for logically incorrect addresses also deals exclusively with this field type. If you have several e-mail fields, for example "E-mail business" and "E-mail private", please decide which of them should become the "real" e-mail field. The other fields must be content with the type "Single line text", without special function.
• SMS number: Is mandatory required as recipient number when sending SMS. Exactly one SMS number can be assigned to each recipient.
• Zip code: If you want to send postcards via Ideenfabrik Mailingwork, the sender zip code must have this special field type. The postal code may consist of numbers and letters (e.g. for British postal codes).
• Consent to collect personal usage data (profiling): Mandatory for personalized collection of opens and clicks if the subscriber has consented to this collection. The field can contain the value 0 (not consented, i.e. anonymized collection) or 1 (consented, i.e. personalized collection). Target groups that check for opens and clicks contain only subscribers with profiling=1. Anonymous opens and clickers are captured in their sum for the e-mail statistics, but basically without an evaluable subscriber assignment.
• Dispatch weekday: Is mandatory for the function Dispatch time optimization -> Dispatch according to desired time. The field contains the desired weekday on which the dispatch to this subscriber should take place. It can contain the values 1 (Monday) to 7 (Sunday) or be empty.
• Dispatch time: Is mandatory for the function Dispatch time optimization ->Dispatch according to desired time. It contains the desired time at which the dispatch to this subscriber should take place. The field can contain a time or be empty.

Convert field type afterwards, e.g. salutation

When subsequently changing the field type, please ensure that subscriber data that has already been saved must be displayable in the new field type. Otherwise field data will be lost during the conversion.

Example: You have the text field "Salutation", which is filled with "Mr." or "Ms." depending on the subscriber. Now you want to offer the salutation in a form. For this purpose, however, the input field should no longer be an (error-prone) free text, but only offer the choice between the specified options "Mr." and "Ms.". To do this, change the field type to 'Single selection (1 of n)', but you must enter the permitted options "Mr" and "Ms" in the "Options" field directly during the conversion. Texts other than the options entered during conversion will not be accepted.

Arrange fields

Via 'Arrange fields' you can move the subscriber fields in their position via drag&drop and organize them into up to four groups as required. Your subscriber data is thus clearly organized and you can find your way around the subscriber lists more easily.