What are the Advanced HTML Functionalities Available in Email Builder?

The purpose of this article is to provide deeper insight into the possibilities within Paytronix Email Builder including advanced parameters, balance tables, conditional statements, etc.
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This article is best suited for email marketers, specifically those whose main responsibility is to create email content. It is not required to have an advanced understanding of HTML coding; however, it may help to have that background.
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A parameter, sometimes referred to as a merge tag, displays dynamic content that is personalized to the guest receiving the message.

There are many different types of parameters, including:
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Wallet parameters (e.g. Wallet Balance, Wallet Expiration Date)
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InEmail Builderunder theContenttab, drag and drop inTextcontent.Click on the Text Box>Text Editor>More>Parameters.

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​Personalize It: Lists all the substitution parameters based on guest demographic information. Read How can I Personalize My E-mails? to see the full list.
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​Add Special Link: These parameters generate links once they are sent through campaign builder or through a trigger.
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​Add Wallet: This is where you will find all parameters related to wallets.
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​Add Survey: This is where you would insert surveys created in the Survey Center.
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​Add Order Info: Lists all the parameters used for transactional emails only.
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​NOTE: Please do not use these parameters in loyalty campaigns because it will cause the campaign to fail.
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​Parameters Help: The final tab is the main documentation for all parameters that currently exist.
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Please note that because of the HTML parser, all code must be closed with a closing tag. Only images and break tags can be closed with a self-closing tag. Please see below for incorrect and correct parameter syntax examples.
This parameter syntax is incorrect:
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This parameter syntax is correct:
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Having a tag closed incorrectly may cause the campaign or email not to send. It can also cause formatting errors. Parameters are case sensitive. Please do not use capitalization when typing out parameters Lastly, please do not use parameter that do not exist. For a full list of supported parameters, within Email Builder please Click on the Text Box>Text Editor>More>Parameters>View Params Help button.

Substitution parameters refer to any demographic information collected at guest sign-up such as First Name, Last Name and/or Favorite Store. To learn more about the over 100 parameters available please read How can I Personalize My E-mails?

To see all available fields in Email Builder, drag in a text block, click on the text to open the text editor then click on More and Parameters. The first tab lists all the substitution parameters.

This is one example of a substitution parameter is inserting a customer's first name.
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These parameters must begin with <template:insert field= “parameter”> and end with </template:insert> Anything that is between the brackets becomes the default value.
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For example, in this first name parameter:
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The default value is “Friend” meaning that if there is no first name found in our database when the campaign is executed, then the value “Friend” gets displayed.
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​Please notethat substitution parameters will only render based on what information you collect during guest sign-up. For example, if you do not ask for a guest’s address at sign-up, then there will not be an address to render in email copy. Using a non-existent substitution parameter can cause the email to fail during sending.
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To style a substitution parameter apply the font style to the entire parameter.
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The result is the image below.
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Wallets hold value and track information like points, coffees purchased, free coffee rewards, visits, stored value dollars (gift card dollars), or any number of other items. It is important to note that wallets refer to both rewards AND tracking information. As an example, one wallet could be “Free Beverage” and another could be “Visits.” “Free Beverage” would hold value when a guest has earned a free beverage reward. “Visits” would hold value every time guest visits, regardless of if they earned a reward.

Every client has different wallets which are set up by Paytronix. Please be aware that wallet setups can be different between Production and Train environments. If you are unsure of the wallet codes you need, contact Paytronix Support.. If you need a new wallet, please contact [email protected] and allow at least 7 days lead time for proper implementation and testing.

Wallet parameters are designed to work in different messaging campaigns, including Email and Push/Pull.

Wallets store three keys pieces of information:
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Balance
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​Expiration date(s)
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​Name of the wallet
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Balances and expirations are unique to the guest, whereas the label is unique to the merchant account.
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This parameter displays the number of units stored in the guests’ wallet. Some wallets display decimals and others do not, it depends on the wallet settings set by Paytronix.
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Wallet expiration parameters have 2 formats short (MM/DD/YYYY) and long (Month Day, Year). These parameters cannot accommodate other date formats like DD/MM/YYYY or MM/DD/YY.
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Here are some wallet expiration conditions

This parameter will display the same for every guest who receives it.
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Long Label

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Short Label

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Tiny Label

These can be modified on the Wallet Specification page. Please contact Paytronix Support at [email protected] for help.

NOTE: To style a wallet parameter apply the font style to the entire parameter.

In addition to setting expiration dates on Wallet Parameters, there are three other date parameters that you can use.
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This parameter pulls the expiration date from campaign set in campaign builder/campaign tool. It therefore does not work in triggered messaging, like welcome or forgot password.
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This parameter pulls date from when the campaign email was sent via campaign builder/campaign tool. It also does not work in triggered messaging, like welcome or forgot password. If you would like the email to display the date it was sent in a triggered message, see the Relative Dates section.
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The relative dates parameter generates dates based on when the email is sent plus an offset specified in the parameter. The parameter works in triggered emails and the Send test function of Email Builder.

For example, if you want a date to display 7 days from the email sent then use the following syntax.
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This parameter requires 3 fields: Format, Type, and Offset.
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​Format - Date format, e.g., “long” for January 22, 2020, and “short” for 1/22/20
​Type - Type of date offset, e.g., “day”, “week”, or “month”
​Offset - Integer value, e.g., 5, to represent number of days, weeks or months of date offset from the email sending date. Using an offset of 0 will display today’s

​NOTE: This parameter will work in the text block and to style this parameter, apply the font style to the entire parameter.
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Survey, Click to Load, Refer a Friend and Reset Password are all examples of Special Link Parameters. Each of these parameters require different ways to test them, outlined in the next section of this article: How do I use Special Link Parameters?

For any other special link parameters, it is imperative that you test to ensure that they render as you expect. You can test one of two ways:
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By choosing to test through Email Builder you will send a test email directly to your desired email address. However, note that through the “Send Test” function, some substitution parameters and wallet parameters will populate default values. This is because there is no account number to reference.

In Email Builder, the default card number is 6000123456789055 and John Guestuser is the default first and last name.

If you are using a new parameter, we recommend deploying a test through a campaign before deploying to guests.
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Sending an email through a campaign and only to an account filter that only includes test email recipients is the best way to test parameters. This process mimics a real execution and will populate the parameters with real account information. Ideally, you should ask Paytronix Support for assistance with Campaign Builder before attempting to send your first test campaign.

If you do not have a test account please email [email protected] for assistance.

If you have already created an account, find your card number by doing an Account Lookup. If the email address associated card number is incorrect then click on Edit Customer Account Information to confirm or update the email address.

To utilize the survey parameter, you need to first create a survey. To learn more about creating surveys, please read Survey Best Practices. To create a survey, from the left hand navigation, click Marketing Tools>Survey Center. Once you create a survey, take note of the Survey Code.
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In Email Builder, you can easily insert the survey parameter by navigating to the Parameter modal and selecting the last tab. Under the Survey dropdown, select the survey you want to link to and include a link label to make it clickable.
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​NOTE: There can only be one survey parameter per email. Using more than one survey parameter will break the survey link.

Below is the syntax for the survey parameter:
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This parameter works in a text block and will render as a simple link. To use this parameter with an image just paste the parameter in the URL field.
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To use a button with a link to the survey, enter the parameter into the URL field.
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A survey must be created in survey center first then the survey parameter must be inserted into an email and approved before it can be sent from Campaign Builder. The survey parameter is automatically detected and can only be sent to existing loyalty members.
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In Campaign Builder, there should be an icon on the email that indicates that the system recognizes the survey parameter in the email.
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If you use the test function in Email Builder to send a survey email, it will render the page but no responses will be recorded. If you run into any formatting issues please email [email protected].
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Click-to-Load parameter enables guests to receive a reward once they click on a link. This parameter can be found under the Add Special Link tab in the parameter modal.
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It generates the following syntax:
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You do not need to modify this parameter to get the Click-to-Load function to work. Instead, the link is generated via a campaign. To read more about Click to Load campaigns, please read What is a Click to Load Campaign?

This parameter can be inserted in the URL field of an image and button.
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The Click to Load parameter only works in campaigns. In Campaign Builder, there should be an icon on the click to load email that indicates that the system recognizes the click to load parameter in the email.
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If you are unable to select the Click to Load email then there is a chance that either the merchant account or user is missing the action to load permission in the PXS.
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The Refer a Friend parameter is used in triggered emails when registered guests send registration invitations to their friends.
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This parameter can be found under the Add Special Link tab in the parameter modal.
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It generates the follow syntax:

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Refer a Friend emails need to be set up as a Guest Messaging Rule. It can only be tested if it is set up correctly by Paytronix Support. To test this email, log into the guest website and on the Account Summary page there will be a dialog box that will open to the Send Referrals feature. Enter the email address of the recipient and hit send.
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The reset password parameter be used in two ways:
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1. In a triggered Reset Password flow when a guest attempts to login to their account on the guest website but forgets their password. This flow is generally set up by Paytronix Support.
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2. Through a Reset Password campaign where guests are prompted to change their password.

This parameter can be found under the “Add Special Link” tab in the parameter modal.
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It generates the follow syntax:
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This parameter can be inserted in the URL field of an image and button.
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The Reset Password parameter can be used in a triggered reset password email. To test this email, create an account on the guest website and in the Login page click on Click here to request a new password. Once you enter a Username, Card Number or Email Address, the reset password will get triggered.

Reset password links are valid for 24 hours. If the guest triggers another reset password email, then most recent link will work.

The second way to use the Reset Password parameter is to create a reset password campaign for migrated guests. Reset password links are valid for 7 days if sent through a campaign.

In Campaign Builder, you should see an icon on the email which means the system recognizes the Reset Password parameter.
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All emails sent from the Paytronix system are required to have an unsubscribe parameter in the email.

This parameter can be found under the Add Special Link tab in the parameter modal.
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It generates the follow syntax:
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The following error will appear if there is no unsubscribe parameter present in the email.
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Please ensure that you have a link label set for the unsubscribe parameter or guests will receive an email with nothing that they can click on to unsubscribe.
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This parameter can be inserted in the URL field of an image and button.
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Unsubscribe links are only generated via campaign builder. The link will not work if you send it as a test email.

Please note that the unsubscribe link utilizes one-click opt out. Once a guest clicks on the unsubscribe link in an email then they are automatically taken off the email list.
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If you need to control how the Special Link parameter looks like as a text link. You just need to add a:style to the parameter.
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Below is an example of how to make a link black, bolded and with no underline.
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This is the output:
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Conditional statements add another level of personalization to emails based on available guest information and logic. You can set logic based on whether a field has value based on substitution parameters, tiers, and wallets.

These statements can only handle exact amounts including decimal points or case-sensitive values. Conditional statements can be nested, but it also increases the complexity and too much complexity can increase processing times for campaign emails. In worst case scenarios, the complexity can cause the email to not be sent. If used properly, conditional statements can make email personalization efficient and easy to manage.

You would use conditional statements for email campaigns like visit challenges, loyalty tier specific messages, and if wallet values reach certain conditions.

NOTE: Conditional statements only work in HTML blocks.
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If you want to create an email that display “Hello John” when a first name is set and “Hello friend” when the first name is not present, then you would write the code as seen below.
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This example will display “Hello John” if the guest’s first name is present in the database.
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This example will display “Hello friend” if the guest name is not present in the database.
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This is called When and When-Not logic.
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​NOTE: The same When and When-Not logic can be applied to tiers and wallets.
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If you want text or fields to be displayed when the condition matches the value, use the following syntax:
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When the guest’s loyalty tier is equal to 2 then the text “Get 15% off with your card” will appear otherwise to other guests it will appear as blank.

You can also set conditions based on wallet balances by setting the value to a numeric value. Just remember that the value must match the number of decimal points set in the wallet.

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The resulting email will read "You have a balance," if the cardholder has a balance in wallet-code 2 greater than 0.

The same logic can also be used for transactional amounts by changing our markup slightly:
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The resulting email will read "You added value to a wallet," if the cardholder has added value to wallet-code 1 greater than 0 over the course of the transaction that triggered this e-mail.

​TIPS:

In additional to substitution parameters, you can also insert parameters based on customer store transactions captured by the POS. Some of these parameters will not work in campaign-based emails but only in the Guest Messaging Rule. These kinds of parameters are used for e-receipts, loyalty receipts (how many points earned after a transaction), fraud alerts, etc.
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A transactional parameter includes any parameter which triggers a specific email send. For example, an automated e-receipt which sends immediately after check close, would not render parameters through the Email Builder test or Campaign flow.

To test transactional parameters, you will need to contact Paytronix Support. They can duplicate this email’s set-up on our test server to ensure all parameters render correctly.
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For additional assistance, please contact your solutions consultant or customer success manager, or email [email protected].