Operational links are used to trigger automatic modifications to the contact's profile when the link is clicked in a message. It can also trigger the sending of a confirmation email. For example, you could have 2 links in a message to change language preferences. When the contact clicks on the link for French, the contact's language is added or updated in the profile. This link can be reused in several emails inside the same project.
Event registration confirmation
Dialog Insight offers various tools for managing events. It is also possible to manage participations using an operational link.
You can invite people to click on a registration link in an email, which redirects to a confirmation page. Clicking on the link triggers the change of the value of a subscription field (registered or not registered) you created in the project. You can also send a confirmation email that includes another operational link to cancel the registration in case the contact cannot attend the event. Include details in the email, such as the event schedule.
Language preference change
You can also use operational links to change the language of the newsletters for that contact. You could include an English link in the French version and a French link in the English version. Here is an example of text to add to your operational link:
I would prefer receiving future mailings in English | J’aimerais recevoir les prochains envois en français
You can also include a link to see the French version in case the contact receives the wrong version of the email. when the contact clicks on that version, it changes the language in the profile so that further messages are sent in this language.
Region or favorite store update
When sending newsletters or promotions, it is common to present the content according to the contact's location (store or region). When clicking on the store's promotion, the link can trigger the update the contact's preference. This will allow you to target according to the store or region, or to generate statistics for the location.
Opt-in confirmation (double opt-in)
Usually, when you subscribe to a newsletter, you receive a confirmation presenting a link to click to confirm you want to subscribe. By clicking this link, an opt-in field is updated so that the person receives messages.
Resources for double opt-in |
Step 1: Create the Landing Page
You will need a link to redirect the contact after the click. Generally, this link is a landing page that contains a contains a confirmation message. Copy the link for that landing page. You will need it during the operational link configuration.
Tip: You can create a landing page in Dialog Insight.
The redirect link doesn't need to be for a landing page. You could use the URL from your website or online store. What matters is that the contact is redirected to a page that displays relevant information (e.g. form, featured products) related to the call to action from the operational link.
Step 2: Create Project Field(s) to Update
To record the new values, you will need the field you want to modify the value for the profile of the contact who clicked the link. Choose a field that has static values with text, number or true/false format. It won't work with a drop-down list or radio button type fields.
Step 3: Configure the Operational Link
Go to the configuration list page in the Email channel and click Operational links:
Click Create a link:
In the new window, give a name that represents the link function and paste the URL from the landing page (see step 1):
You can add parameters to the URL so you can retrieve them in the landing page (optional):
In the Update section, select fields from the contact's profile that you want to update:
In this example, when the contact clicks the link, the language preference field is modified for English for that contact. Most of the time, the update is only done for one field, but you could use 2 at the same time.
Step 4: Add a Confirmation Email (optional)
You could trigger the sending of an email when the contact clicks the link. It can be relevant, for example, for an operational link to register for a webinar. You could send an email with the receipt, the schedule or the connection link. In other cases, such as a language preference change, it wouldn't be necessary since the landing page already gives a confirmation message. The edition is only in HTML.
Select New message and click Edit:
Do not forget to rename the message with a name that says what it is used for (it will be easier to find if you have several messages).
You could also configure an administrative message to send to an internal user from your company. In this case, edit the Message oplink admin and indicate the user's email.
Important: Make sure the communication type corresponds to your recipients' opt-ins. You will find the communication type by clicking the 3 dots in the upper right in the message edition.
Step 5: Insert the Operational Link in the Message
To insert the operational link in an email, you must insert a button, an image or a text block (or any other content that has a link) and select DI icon:
Select Operational link to choose your link: