You can create links in a message to specific online articles. When receipients click on the link, they will be directed to that particular article. You can insert the generated URL or a friendly URL depending on whether one was configured in the selected article's Article|Basic page 'Permalink' field.
 | Caution In compliance with CAN-SPAM regulations, initiators of commercial emails must provide a working opt-out/unsubscribe link within marketing/advertising emails. For more information, refer to Email Marketing Single Click Opt-Out.
Opt-out/unsubscribe links should be added only to messages that are meant for marketing/advertising and not for other types of messages (e.g. payment notifications, electronic tickets). |
To create a link to a specific article, complete the following:
- Open the Correspondence application from the AudienceView Desktop.
- Select the Messages tab.
The Messages|Search page appears.
- Select the Build tab.
The Messages|Build page appears.
- Enter the message text for the link (e.g. 'Click HERE for more information').
- Highlight the text that you want to build the article link upon (e.g. 'HERE' in 'Click HERE for more information').
If no text is selected, the link will be created using the article name. The link will be inserted at the position of the cursor.
- Click 'Build Link' and select Article.
The Find Articles search box appears. For more information refer to The Find Articles Dialog Box.
- To search for the desired article:
- Enter the search criteria into the appropriate fields in the search articles groupbox:
- Description: The description of the article.
To add additional fields, click
or press CTRL+TAB once you have made an entry. Another field appears allowing you to enter another article description.
- Name: The name for the desired article.
To add additional fields, click
or press CTRL+TAB once you have made an entry. Another field appears allowing you to enter another article name.
- Article Type: The type of article.
- Page Size: The number of results that will be displayed at one time
- To clear the entered criteria, click 'Reload'.
The search criteria entered in the search articles group box is removed.
- Click 'Search'.
The results matching the search criteria are displayed in the search results group box. You may have to use the scroll bar at the side of the display box, or use the '<< Previous' or 'Next >>' buttons.
- Before selecting the article, complete the following:
- Select the appropriate base site for the URL in the 'Base Site URL' dropdown.
Entries available from the 'Base Site URLs' dropdown are defined in the Site URLs list. For more information, refer Configuring Lists.
- Optionally, select a value to categorize the link that you are embedding in the message from the 'Link Name' dropdown.
Entries available from the 'Link Name' dropdown are defined in the Link Name list. For more information, refer to Configuring Lists.
 | Information For example, you could insert a 'Link Name' of Electronic to any links that are related to electronic music articles. Then you can create a Correspondence BI query using the Response Link Name criteria or a Customer BI query using the Correspondence Response Link Name criteria to target customers who clicked on an Electronic link. For more information, refer to Business Intelligence and Reports Business Intelligence. |
 | Caution When users click on more than one link from an email in the same session, only the first link is registered in the audit; however, if they take further action after clicking the link (e.g. purchase the item) then the click-through is registered in the audit.
Because users have to log in to check Internal messages, links included in Internal messages are not added to the audit unless users log out or take further action after clicking the link (e.g. purchase the item). |
- Optionally, select the customer communication preference unsubscribe option that you want to use of the message from the 'Communication Pref. Unsubscribe' dropdown.
- Optionally, select the customer marketing preference unsubscribe option that you want to use of the message from the 'Marketing Pref. Unsubscribe' dropdown.
- Select the desired article.
- If the article that you have selected is not assigned a 'Context Type', a code for a link to the selected article appears in the 'Link' field. If you want to use the generated URL, contine to Step 13.
- If information was entered in the selected article's Articles|Basic page 'Permalink' field, then the 'Permalink' field will also be populated. If you want to use the friendly URL, continue to Step 14.
 | Caution Special characters (-, ., ', ", /, etc.) and spaces cannot be used in the 'Permalink' field. The corresponding article will not render properly Online. |
- If the article that you have selected is assigned a 'Context Type', a second Find Dialog Box will appear in the window. The type of Find Dialog Box that appears depends on the 'Context Type' that was set on the selected article (performance, bundle, miscellaneous item, stored value item or gift).
- Search for and select the appropriate item.
For more information, refer to:
- Click 'Search'.
A list of articles matching your search criteria is displayed.
- Click on the desired article.
A code for a link to the selected article appears in the 'Link' field.
- If you want to use the generated URL, click 'Insert Link'.
The article link is inserted in the message.
- If you want to use the friendly URL, click 'Insert Permalink'.
The article permalink is inserted in the message.
- For every article link that you want to add, repeat the process from Step 4.
- Click 'Apply'.
A window confirms that the application updated the message.
- Click 'OK'.
 | Hint If you are using alternate site branding, apply the site brand to the inserted link. For more information, refer to Applying a Brand to a Site. |