In Connectif, variables represent data whose value can change depending on the contact who is browsing and his web context. This allows you to create personalized content and experiences that are tailored to the user and their behavior, increasing their loyalty and conversion rate.
1. Properties
- In Connectif, a variable represents data that changes according to the contact and their behavior.
- Any data gathered in a workflow can be assigned to a variable, whether it relates to product information, for example or a contact.
- Each variable is distinguished by a unique name and identifier.
The variable identifier cannot include spaces, only letters, numbers and the hyphen (-) or underscore (_) symbols.
- Variables can have a set format type depending on the data they represent. These formats are Number, Date, Currency and Percentage. By default, these variables are defined as No format. This undefined type is used to represent text or data that will not be displayed in a particular way.
If you want to learn more about the format of variables in email, web content, push notifications or SMS, click here.
- Variables can be included in any type of content from its respective editor and linked to any data gathered in the previous nodes in a workflow.
- The assignment of data to variables is carried out in the configuration of the action nodes that send content to the contact "Send Web Content", "Send email", "Show push notification" and "Send SMS".
- When creating a variable, you can define a default value, which would be assigned automatically when there are no values to link from the origin of the data. If it isn’t linked to any data and doesn’t have this default value, a white space will be shown instead.
2. How they’re used in Connectif
2.1 Creation of variables
Web content
1. Go to "Content > Web" and click Create new web content. If you want to create variables in an existing website content design, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
2. Add or select the component in your design where you want to create a new variable.
3. Click (Edit element).
4. In the editor, click the Variables button.
5. In Variable identifier, type a name to distinguish this variable..
6. (Optional) Set Default value if necessary..
7. (Optional) Assign a Data type if necessary.
8. Click Accept to save your changes in the node and Save to save your changes to the workflow.
Emails
1. Go to "Content > Email" and click Create new email. If you want to create variables in an existing email design, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
2. Add or select the component in your design where you want to create a new variable.
3. Click (Edit element).
4. In the editor, click the Variables button.
5. In Variable identifier, type a name to distinguish this variable.
6. (Optional) Set Default value if necessary.
8. Click Accept to save your changes in the node and Save to save your changes to the workflow.
Website push notifications
1. Go to "Content > Push notifications" and click Create new push notification. If you want to create variables in an existing design, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
2. In the Content or Compact version, tab, click the button {} (Define a dynamic variable).
3. In Variable identifier, type a name to distinguish this variable.
4. (Optional) Set Default value if necessary.
5. Click Accept.
6. Click Acceptar to save your changes in the node and Save to save your changes to the workflow.
SMS
1. Go to "Content > SMS" and click Create new SMS. If you want to create variables in an existing design, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
2. On the Content tab, click the {} (Define a dynamic variable) button.
3. In Variable identifier, type a name to distinguish this variable.
4. (Optional) Set Default value if necessary.
5. Click Accept.
6. Click Accept to save your changes in the node and Save to save your changes to the workflow.
2.2. Modifying the type of data of a variable
You can only modify the type of data of a variable for website or email content.
1. In the editor, click General properties.
2. Select the Variables tab.
3. Click (Edit).
4. Modify the type of data.
5. Click Accept to save your changes to the variable and Save to save your changes to the design.
2.3. Assigning variables
“Send web content” node
1. Go to "Workflows" and click Create new workflow. If you want to assign variables to an existing strategy, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
To be able to follow the steps in this section, you will need web content with variables, and a workflow containing at least one "and a workflow containing at least one" node.
Remember that you can use one of the existing Connectif templates, for example Home page recommender.
2. In the "Send web content node" click (Edit node settings).
3. Select the website content with variables.
4. Click Next .
5. In the second step, configure the setting for sending according to the type of web content.
To find out more about the "Send web content", click here.
6. In the third step of the settings, establish the relationship between the data obtained in the previous nodes and the variables created in the website content design.
7. Click Finish .
8. In the workflow, click Save to save your changes and Start to activate it.
“Send email” node
1. Go to "Workflows" and click Create new workflow. If you want to assign variables to an existing strategy, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
To be able to follow the steps in this section, you will need an email with variables design and a workflow containing at least one "Send email".
Remember that you can use one of the existing Connectif templates, for example Email campaign for all of the newsletter subscribers.
2. In the "Send email" node, click (Edit node settings).
3. Select the email design with variables.
4. Click Next .
5. In the second step, configure the settings and parameters for sending.
6. In the third step of the settings, establish the relationship between the data obtained in the previous nodes and the variables created in the website content design.
7. Click Finish .
8. In the workflow, click Save to save your changes and Start to activate it..
"Show push notification" node
1. Go to "Workflows" and click Create new workflow. If you want to assign variables to an existing strategy, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
To be able to follow the steps in this section, you will need an web push notification with variables, design and a workflow containing at least one "Show push notification" node.
Remember that you can use one of the existing Connectif templates, for example Push subscription workflow.
2. In the "Show push notification", node, click (Edit node settings).
3. Select the design of the web push notification with variables.
4. Click Next .
5. In the second step of the settings, establish the relationship between the data obtained in the previous nodes and the variables created in the website content design.
6. Click Finish .
7. In the workflow, click Save to save your changes and Start to activate it.
“Send SMS” node
1. Go to "Workflows" and click Create new workflow. If you want to assign variables to an existing strategy, click More to expand the menu and then Edit.
To be able to follow the steps in this section, you will need an SMS with variables design and a workflow containing at least one "Send SMS".
Remember that you can use one of the existing Connectif templates, for example Send SMS after purchase.
2. In the "Send SMS" node, click (Edit node settings).
3. Select the SMS design with variables.
4. Click Next .
5. In the second step, configure the settings and parameters for sending.
6. In the third step of the settings, establish the relationship between the data obtained in the previous nodes and the variables created in the website content design
7. Click Finish .
8. In the workflow, click Save to save your changes and Start to activate it.
2.4. Identifying variables
In the left-hand column you’ll see a list with the data obtained by previous nodes in the workflow.
The variables created in the dynamic content will be listed in the right-hand column.
The central column, in white, is used to relate the data to the variables. variables.
1. Assign the data obtained in the workflow to the corresponding variable.
Drag the data from the list (left-hand column) that you’re interested in to the middle column to establish the relationship with the variable (right-hand column).
In our example, the variables originating from Contact data from the "Start"node have been assigned first.
In our example, the data originating from the "On cart abandoned", node have been assigned second. These contain product information with the variables of the dynamic content.
Some of the most common associations of variables are:
"Name" : Contact name.
"Title" : Product name.
"Description" : Item description.
"ButtonUrl" : URL for product detail.
"ImageUrl" : Product image.
"Price" : Current price of the product.
If you’d like to learn more about the different data included in the product information sheet, click here.
2. (Optional). Assign the literal values to the variables that require them.
A literal value is a defined, static value that will be common to all contacts, as opposed to the dynamic data that changes according to the contact and their behavior.
In our example, the button links (buttonURL) always link to the cart page, hence why a literal value is used.
The result would have been the same if this behavior had been implemented from the button settings in the content editor.
3. Click Finish.
4. In the workflow, click Save to save your changes and Start to activate it.
Congratulations!
You’ve reached the end of the tutorial.
Do you have questions?
Don’t forget, our Connectif specialists are here to help you. To contact them, just open a Support ticket by clicking the blue “Help” button on your dashboard.
Keep learning!
To make the most of your Connectif account, we recommend reading these articles next:
- Create a personalized product block in email or web content, to create a dynamic product block in website content using variables.
- Show personalized products in content, o display products through the use of variables.
- Advanced assignment of variables, to work with additional filters when selecting the data you’ll use to personalize content.
- Pre-defined variables to personalize emails and content to use system variables in your content.