Creating Triggered Email Campaigns

Dynamic Yield's triggered emails allow you to run a 1-to-1 email personalization program. For example, recover an abandoned cart, or alert a user on a price drop on a product they expressed interest in.

Creating a Triggered Email Campaign

1. Go to Email › Triggered Email › Add New and select the type of triggered email.
2. Name the campaign, and you can also add notes and labels to better manage the different campaigns.

3. Each type is relevant for a different use case, and includes different settings:

   Cart Abandonment

   This trigger allows you to send emails to users who added items to their cart, but did not complete any purchase afterward. 

   • Trigger: This email will be triggered when a user is adding a product to the cart. You can limit it to only be triggered if products with a specific property are added to the cart.
   • Delay Send: The email will be sent to the user after this time passes.
   • Cancel Send: The action that will cause the email to not be sent. By default, cart abandonment emails will not be sent if the user made a purchase or visited the site again. You can change it if you want.
   • Frequency Capping: This allows you to set a limit of how many emails we send in a given timeframe. 

   Product View Abandonment

   This trigger allows you to send emails to users who viewed at least one product page, but did not add to cart or purchased afterward. 

   • Trigger: This email will be triggered when a user is viewing a product page. You can limit it to only be triggered if products with a specific property are viewed.
   • Delay Send: The email will be sent to the user after this time passes.
   • Cancel Send: The action that will cause the email to not be sent. By default, product view abandonment emails will not be sent if the user made a purchase (any product, not necessarily the products they initially viewed) or added an item to the cart (any product as well). You can change it if you want.
   • Frequency Capping: This allows you to set a limit of how many emails we send in a given timeframe. 

   Category View Abandonment

   This trigger allows you to send emails to users who visited a category page, but did not visited the site again, or viewed a product, added a product to the cart, or completed afterward. 

   • Trigger: This email will be triggered when a user is adding a product to the cart. You can limit it to only be triggered if products with a specific property are added to the cart.
   • Delay Send: The email will be sent to the user after this time passes.
   • Cancel Send: The action that will cause the email to not be sent. By default, category view abandonment emails will not be sent if the user viewed a product, added a product to the cart, made a purchase, or visited the site again. You can change it if you want.
   • Frequency Capping: This allows you to set a limit of how many emails we send in a given timeframe. 

   Price Drop

   This trigger allows you to send emails to users to let them know that a product they viewed or added to the cart, is now sold at a lower price. 

   • Trigger: By default, this email will be sent when any product that their price is 10% lower than before, to all users who viewed it in the past 30 days. You can limit it to only be triggered if the product has a specific property, and you can limit sending it only to users who added the product to the cart. You can change the 10% to any other percentage or any other monetary value (e.g. $100 lower).
   • Schedule: The email will be sent at the nearest time within this time window. 
   • Frequency Capping: This allows you to set a limit of how many emails we send in a given timeframe. 

   Custom

   This trigger allows you to send emails to users that performed a specific behavior. It may be viewing a product, making a purchase, or any other event. 

   • Trigger: The action that a user needs to do for the email to be sent to them. It can be a single event, or it can be a list of multiple events (for example, user signup or logged in).
   • Delay Send: The email will be sent to the user after this time passes.
   • Cancel Send: The action that will cause the email to not be sent. It can be a single event, or it can be a list of multiple events.
   • Frequency Capping: This allows you to set a limit of how many emails we send in a given timeframe. 
4. Click Next to continue to Targeting. You can target this campaign to all users, or you can target it only to users who belong to a specific audience or a shared audience.
   
5. Create one or more variations. Each variation is the content of header and body content of the email.

   Creating variations and templates is different, based on your ESP integration:

   Emarsys

   With this integration, at the moment the email should be sent, Dynamic Yield sends an API call to Emarsys - with all the email information in the JSON format (e.g. the user, the recommended items). This information is later populated inside the email template you develop in Emarsys. For the integration to work, you will need to use the same properties in the JSON format (in the Dynamic Yield variation or template) and the template you develop in your Emarsys account.

   Oracle Responsys

   With this integration, at the moment the email should be sent, Dynamic Yield sends an API call to Oracle Responsys - with all the email information in the JSON format (e.g. the user, the recommended items). This information is later populated inside the email template you develop in Oracle Responsys. For the integration to work, you will need to use the same properties in the JSON format (in the Dynamic Yield variation or template) and the template you develop in your Oracle Responsys account.

   Mandatory Template Parameters:

   "name": "urlWrapping", "value": "${dyTrackingPixel}"
   Used for tracking clicks on any link within the email. Use this parameter to wrap all the links in the email. The variable (dyRedirectStringLink) will be generated in the API call.

   "name": "hiddenPixel", "value": "${dyRedirectStringLink}"
   Used for tracking impressions on the email. Use it as the src of a 1×1 transparent image inside your email template.

   "email": "${identifier}"
   Used for delivering personalized content and recommendations. The value should be a variable that Dynamic Yield populates the user's plain text or hashed email. Use Dynamic Yield variable syntax as value - ${identifier}, click the variable in the code, and in the panel, choose "Plain Text Email" or "Hashed Email". This will replace the variable with the user true email / hashed email.
   

   Presenting Relevant Products:

   The JSON can also include a list of relevant products:

   • Products that the user has in the cart - for cart abandonment emails.
   • Products that the user viewed recently - for product view abandonment emails.
   • Products that the user has engaged with recently, and their price has dropped - for product drop emails.
   • Product recommendations - as an additional recommendation widget that can be added to any email (e.g. most popular products, personalized recommendations by affinity).

   To request a list of products:

   1. Add to the JSON a parameter with a value of that describe the list of products, and the product attribute you need to be sent to Oracle Responsys. For example: "name": "productsInCart", "value": "${#Products in Cart(sku)}".
      
   2. Go to the Variable Tab, and find the variable with the same name that you just used. 
      
   3. Choose the type of product list.

   If you want to display product recommendations, you need to first create a recommendation widget for email. Once created, it will appear in the dropdown.

   Custom ESP Integration

   With this integration, at the moment the email should be sent, Dynamic Yield sends an API call to your ESP - with all the email information in the JSON format (e.g. the user, the recommended items). This information is later populated inside the email template you develop in your ESP. For the integration to work, you will need to use the same properties in the JSON format (in the Dynamic Yield variation or template) and the template you develop in your ESP account.

   Other (e.g. Listrak, SendGrid)

   With this type of integration, the variation includes the HTML of the email. 
6. 
   
7. Set the allocation, primary metric. 
8. Configure the end of the attribution window in the advanced experience settings. The beginning of the attribution window for triggered emails is defined as the time of the user's last click on the email.
9. If you created multiple variations, configure how much traffic to allocate to each variation.
10. Click Save Experience and create additional targeted experiences as needed by clicking the plus icon .
11. To send a preview email, click the preview icon  and enter your email address. Make sure that the email address is opted-in with the ESP vendor (not relevant if you are using the Dynamic Yield integration with Sendgrid; relevant for Emarsys, Responsys, and others).
    
12. To verify the trigger functionality, click Simulation. For more details, see below.
    
13. Save & Publish if you are ready to fully publish the experience, or Save as Draft if you want to verify the functionality before publishing.

Creating Triggered Email Variations and Templates

are using a custom ESP, use the procedure about creating JSON triggered email variations below instead of this procedure.

1. Variations are created as part of the triggered email campaign creation process, or on their own from Assets › Variations. Select one of the Dynamic Yield templates for triggered emails that are already configured for common use cases.
   
2. Configure the email variation header attributes: Subject, Sender Name & Sender Email.
   
3. Click the HTML tab to code the email body. Here you can dynamically add products to the email that were added to the cart, recently viewed, recommended, or dropped in price.
   1. In the HTML, create a variable by adding opening and closing variable tags as follows: ${#Name}...${/Name}. For example: ${#Cart}...${/Cart}.
   2. Click the tags to open the Variable Settings panel. Select the variable type that corresponds to your trigger. You can also create an additional variable to include an email recommendation widget.
      
      
   3. 
   4. Define the minimum and maximum items to include, and specify a tooltip if desired. This limits the range of items to include that can be selected in the variables tab, and the tooltip that is visible in the variables tab.
   5. Between the cart variable opening and closing tags, code the HTML markup for each cart item.
      You can dynamically insert properties from your product feed by adding variables of type Feed Property to the code.
      For Price Drop variations, you can add variables of type User Profile Property to dynamically include information about the difference in price.
      
      At send time, this markup will be multiplied times the number of items included. Every Feed Property variable will be taken from the product feed for the products in the email.
4. Go to the Variables tab and specify values for all the variables you defined. For recommendations, make sure the strategy you select matches the type of triggered email you are using.
5. Save the variation.

Creating JSON Triggered Email Variations

If you are using Responsys or a custom ESP, use the JSON template to create triggered email variations as follows:

1. Configure what information will be sent to your ESP from Dynamic Yield using JSON code. Make sure the following variables exist in the payload and then incorporate them into your ESP templates to compose the full email:
1. dyTrackingPixel - allows Dynamic Yield to track the email, for example, whether the email was opened or not.
2. dyRedirectStringLink - Should be included in EVERY item that is clickable in your ESP email template (for example a product image) to allow Dynamic Yield to collect information.  For Responsys, you can use Responsys RPL to concatenate the redirect link with every additional URL.
2. Add email variable - add the standard special character as any variable for example - ${email} or ${external}. Click on the variable to open the variable settings panel, and change the variable type to either Hashed email, Plain Text email, or External ID depending on the type of your identifier. 
   
   
3. Add products in cart, recommendations, or price Drop Products
   1. Add the special character ${#} for example - ${#cart}, click on the variable settings panel and choose Products in cart, Recently viewed products, Email recommendation widget, or Price drop products.
   2. Configure the minimum and maximum value of items you would like to allow. You can choose to show the number of items in the variable tab settings as well.
   3. Between the cart variable opening and closing tags, code the HTML markup for each cart item.
      You can dynamically insert properties from your product feed by adding variables of type Feed Property to the code.
      For Price Drop variations, you can add variables of type Price Drop Property to dynamically include information about the difference in price.
      At send time, this markup will be multiplied times the Maximum amount placed in the settings. Every Feed Property variable will be taken from the product feed - either items in cart, recently viewed, or any recommended items.
      
   4. The variable ${#Cart Products(sku)} provides a comma-separated list of products within the string. This should be used in Responsys and any other ESP that required this structure. If you would like a different feed property, it should be stated within the variable as follows ${#Cart Products(url)}. Examples are documented below. 
      
      
      
      
4. Define your Variables
   In the variables tab, select values for the variables you defined in the code. For recommendations, make sure the strategy you select matches the type of triggered email you are using.
5. Get a preview of the JSON variation payload structure 
   
   

Examples

{
 "content": {
   "templateId": "1",
   "region": "US"
 },
 "recipients": [
   {
     "hashedemail": "${Email}",
     "profile": {
       "userAttrs": [
         {
           "content": {
             "itemsInCart": {
                   "${#cart}": "${skuInCart}"
             },
             "recommendations": {
                   "${#recommendation}": "${sku}"
             },
             "hiddenPixel": [
               "${dyTrackingPixel}"
             ],
             "urlForWrapping": [
               "${dyRedirectStringLink}"
             ]
           }
         }
       ]
     }
   }
 ]
}

{
  "content": {
    "templateId": "1",
    "region": "US"
  },
  "recipients": [
    {
      "hashedemail": "fcc1c1ecbc0b14e7d83d3dca4ece1fcbec85d0a413b3f518eb916c21bd38d25a",
      "profile": {
        "userAttrs": [
          {
            "content": {
              "itemsInCart": [
                "1002300-410",
                "1004800-469",
                "1002600-001"
              ],
              "recommendations": [
                "1005111-290",
                "1005900-001",
                "1005666-210"
              ],
              "hiddenPixel": [
                "<img src=\"http://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremop/?cuid=0&amp;cuidType=ihe&amp;sec=8772173&amp;expId=0&amp;expVer=0&amp;expVisitId=&amp;mech=0&amp;smech=&amp;va=\" alt width=\"1\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" style=\"height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\">"
              ],
              "urlForWrapping": [
                "http://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremclk/?cuid=0&cuidType=ihe&sec=8771748&expId=0&expVer=0&expVisitId=&mech=0&smech=&va=&targetUrl="
              ]
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

{
  "recipientData": [
    {
      "recipient": {
        "plainemail": "${Email}"
      },
      "optionalData": [
        {
          "name": "PRODUCTS_TO_SHOW",
          "value": "${#Cart Products(sku)}"
        },
                {
          "name": "Rcom_TO_SHOW",
          "value": "${#recommendations(sku)}"
        },
        {
          "name": "hiddenPixel",
          "value": "${dyTrackingPixel}"
        },
        {
          "name": "urlForWrapping",
          "value": "${dyRedirectStringLink}"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

{
  "recipientData": [
    {
      "recipient": {
        "plainemail": "test@dynamicyield.com"
      },
      "optionalData": [
        {
          "name": "PRODUCTS_TO_SHOW",
          "value": "sku1,sku2,sku3"
        },
        {
          "name": "Rcom_TO_SHOW",
          "value": "sku1,sku2,sku3"
        },
        {
          "name": "hiddenPixel",
          "value": "<img src=\"http://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremop/?cuid=0&amp;cuidType=ihe&amp;sec=8772173&amp;expId=0&amp;expVer=0&amp;expVisitId=&amp;mech=0&amp;smech=&amp;va=\" alt width=\"1\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" style=\"height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\">"
        },
        {
          "name": "urlForWrapping",
          "Value": "http://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremclk/?cuid=0&cuidType=ihe&sec=8771748&expId=0&expVer=0&expVisitId=&mech=0&smech=&va=&targetUrl="
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

{
 "content": {
   "templateId": "1",
   "region": "US"
 },
 "recipients": [
   {
     "hashedemail": "${Email}",
     "profile": {
       "userAttrs": [
         {
           "content": {
             "itemsInCart": {
                   "${#cart}": {"sku":"${skuInCart}",
                     "image":"${cart_image}",
                     "name":"${cart_name}",
                     "price":"${cart_price}"
                   }
             },
             "recommendations": {
                   "${#recommendation}":{ "sku":"${sku}",
                     "image":"${recs_image}",
                     "name":"${recs_name}",
                     "price":"${recs_price}"
                   }
             },
             "hiddenPixel": [
               "${dyTrackingPixel}"
             ],
             "urlForWrapping": [
               "${dyRedirectLink}"
             ]
           }
         }
       ]
     }
   }
 ]
}

{
  "content": {
    "templateId": "1",
    "region": "US"
  },
  "recipients": [
    {
      "hashedemail": "test",
      "profile": {
        "userAttrs": [
          {
            "content": {
              "itemsInCart": [
                {
                  "sku": "skuInCart1",
                  "image": "cart_image1",
                  "name": "cart_name1",
                  "price": "cart_price1"
                },
                {
                  "sku": "skuInCart2",
                  "image": "cart_image2",
                  "name": "cart_name2",
                  "price": "cart_price2"
                },
                {
                  "sku": "skuInCart3",
                  "image": "cart_image3",
                  "name": "cart_name3",
                  "price": "cart_price3"
                }
              ],
              "recommendations": [
                {
                  "sku": "sku1",
                  "image": "recs_image1",
                  "name": "recs_name1",
                  "price": "recs_price1"
                },
                {
                  "sku": "sku2",
                  "image": "recs_image2",
                  "name": "recs_name2",
                  "price": "recs_price2"
                },
                {
                  "sku": "sku3",
                  "image": "recs_image3",
                  "name": "recs_name3",
                  "price": "recs_price3"
                }
              ],
              "hiddenPixel": [
                ""
              ],
              "urlForWrapping": [
                ""
              ]
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

 {
     "email": "${email}",
     "campaign" : "${Campaign}",
     "profile": {
       "userAttrs": [
         {
           "content": {
             "itemsInCart": {
                   "${#cart}": {  // Specify the variable type as Price Drop Products in the JSON editor
                    "sku": "${sku}",
                    "SeenPrice": "${SeenPrice}", // Specify the variable type as User Profile Property in the JSON editor, and specify the value as Seen Price.
                    "Price Drop Percentage": "${Price Drop Percentage}" // Specify the variable type as User Profile Property in the JSON editor, and specify the value as Price Drop (%).
              }},
             "recommendations": {
                   "${#recommendation}": {"sku": "${sku}"}
},
             "hiddenPixel": [
               "${dyTrackingPixel}"
             ],
             "urlForWrapping": [
               "${dyRedirectStringLink}"
             ]
           }
         }
       ]
     }
 }

{
  "email": "jajiv49023@94jo.com",
  "campaign": "price_drop_DY",
  "profile": {
    "userAttrs": [
      {
        "content": {
          "itemsInCart": [
            {
              "sku": "81467",
              "SeenPrice": "15.99",
              "Price Drop Percentage" :"12.2"
            }
          ],
          "recommendations": [
            {
              "sku": "85979",
            },
            {
              "sku": "82404",
            },
            {
              "sku": "82679",
            }
          ],
          "hiddenPixel": [
"<img src=\"https://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremop/?cuid=jajiv49023%4094jo.com&amp;cuidType=ihe&amp;sec=8772046&amp;expId=0&amp;expVer=0&amp;expVisitId=&amp;mech=0&amp;smech=&amp;va=\" alt width=\"1\" border=\"0\" height=\"1\" style=\"height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important\">"
],
          "urlForWrapping": [
            "https://trem.dynamicyield.com/tremclk/?cuid=jajiv49023%4094jo.com&cuidType=ihe&sec=8772046&expId=0&expVer=0&expVisitId=&mech=0&smech=&va=&targetUrl="
          ]
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

Creating Triggered Emails in Multiple Languages

To create a single triggered email campaign that delivers content in multiple languages, follow this procedure:

1. Before you begin, verify that your product feed has multiple entries for multiple languages. 
2. Create audiences for each of the languages that are going to use that are defined by the user's location. For example, for french you might create an audience that includes users from France and any other french speaking countries you are targeting. 
3. Create a new triggered email campaign.
   1. Create one experience for each language you want to include.
      1. Each experience should have the same variations, with content that is translated to one of the languages.
      2. The variations should reference the translated entries in the product feed (e.g. “lang:FR_fr:name”). 
   2. Use the targeting settings of each experience to target one of the audiences you created above. 

When a triggered email is served, users will receive an experience based on their location that is fully localized.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the template type for triggered email templates created before January 31st, 2021? 

On January 31st, we created new template types for each triggered email trigger type. Pre-existing templates were migrated to these types as follows:

• Pre-existing triggered email templates that were only linked with campaigns of one trigger type (e.g. cart abandonment), were migrated automatically to the corresponding template type. Pre-existing triggered email templates that were linked with campaigns of multiple trigger types, were migrated to the template type any.
•