SFMC
STACK
FACTS & TIPS
Want to share a tip with the Community? Fill out the form.
Under Content Builder, if you want to save reusable pieces of content (HTML and AMPscript code), then create a 'Code Snippet' using the below path:
Content Builder -> Create -> Content Blocks -> Code Snippet
Once saved, it can be added within an email using the 'Insert Code Snippet' button in the editor or by typing the Customer Key of the Snippet and pressing Tab.
If you want to share the Synchronized Data Extensions with a specific Business Unit or across the Enterprise without creating any queries or setting the permissions, then set the Sharing setting using the below path:
Contact Builder -> Data Sources -> Synchonized tab -> Click on the Synced Data Source -> Sharing tab
Note - Once enabled, all the Synced Objects will be shared and can be accessed using Ent.ObjectName.
Under the Content Builder, you can copy the Image location and published URL without actually opening it. Hover over the image and click on the button to the right to see these options:
🔹 Copy Location
🔹 Copy Published URL
If you want to have more control over the Synchronized Data Extensions when sharing it across Business Units, then pull the data into a new Data Extension using a Query and place it in the 'Shared Folder.'
Right-click on the new DE and select 'Permissions' to see the options:
🔹 View
🔹 Move
🔹 Delete
🔹 Rename
🔹 Create Sub Folder
🔹 Sharing window (Start/End Date and Time)
If you want to customize the view of the Data Extensions, use the 'Show Columns' setting to add/remove the fields as needed.
Note - Doing this will add/remove the columns in all Data extensions and is not limited to a specific folder.
Under Content Builder, you can copy the 'Customer Key' of any asset without actually opening it. Just hover over the key that needs to be copied and click 'COPY.'
With the April 2021 Marketing Cloud Release, Salesforce announced that the default suppression 14-day window for the 'Contact Deletion' process would be changing to 2 days in about 6 months.
As a best practice, it recommends setting the suppression period to 0, so that the contacts get deleted immediately.
In SFMC, standard reports stop running if it's active for more than 3 hours. The run time depends on the amount of data that is present in the account for the specified time range
Want to receive notification that helps prevent accidental sends for an email with a test subject and preheader?
Use the 'Subject and Preheader validation' feature available under the Setup, which allows you to set up the words as needed. If SFMC detects any of these words in the subject or preheader, a notification is displayed.
Below are some of the default words that are already set up and typically used during the testing phase -
🔸 Test
🔸 Draft
🔸 Proof
Predictive File URLs in SFMC -
By default, Content Builder generates a unique random identifier at the end of an URL for the uploaded files.
If you want to use an informative name, then enable the 'Predictive File URLs' feature under the setup. This will take the name of the file uploaded and append it to the end of an URL path instead of placing a random identifier.
Note - This feature only applies to the files uploaded after enablement.
Most of the email messages transmitted using the Marketing Cloud platform originate in the US. These messages must comply with US law.
Also, Marketing Cloud requires that all messages comply with CAN-SPAM, regardless of the sender or recipient's destination country.
Burst Sends in SFMC
This feature is available in Content Builder email sends and the Automation Studio Send Email activity.
It allows sending emails faster with a predefined audience at the scheduled time. Once set, the system starts to build the emails for each subscriber and waits until the send time.
When an SFMC SQL Query fails 24 consecutive times, the automation studio suspends this activity to safeguard the system resources.
A suspended activity cannot be -
🔸 added to an automation
🔸 copied
🔸 run it once
There is a limitation with SQL, as opposed to a Salesforce Marketing Cloud restriction. The system takes the primary key used in a data extension and attempts to build an index on that field.
So, the maximum length of the value that can be stored cannot exceed 650 characters.
Though, SFMC allows you to set the primary key field length greater than 650.
In SFMC, the tracking feature uses a 1X1 pixel transparent GIF image in the Emails to track the information for Opens. When the email gets opened, it records this image load as "Open."
But if the Recipients Email Client settings have the Image loading option disabled, then Marketing Cloud does not record this event. In such instances, you might see no opens for the subscriber but only the clicks.
If you want to have more control over the number of SMS/Emails sends within a given timeframe, then use the 'Send Throttling' feature. Available in Email Studio, MobileConnect, Automation Studio, and Journey Builder.
Set the below two options:
🔹 Delivery Window - Define a range of hours to send out the communication
🔹 Hourly Threshold - Maximum number of sends in an hour
If you want to have more control over the Data Extension, use the 'Manage Policies' option available on the top-right corner.
In SFMC, Automation run logs are stored only for the past 6 months. All the error details displayed are under the 'Activity' tab within the automation.
But if you are using a query in automation and the automation run fails due to some reason, you can check the error details in the 'Query Action Logs' as well.
This log is useful when you want to check the query error details beyond 6 months.
URL Expiration feature in SFMC -
This feature allows administrators to specify the number of days for email links to expire that are tracked by Marketing Cloud and where expired links should redirect to when clicked.
🔸 The expiration threshold can be set between 60 days(minimum-default) to 2 years(maximum).
🔸 Redirect URLs can be system default URL(Page indicating that the link has expired) or a custom defined URL (specify a web address).
🔸 Path: Setup -> Feature Settings -> Email Studio -> URL Expiration
In SFMC, you can create new users directly from the Setup Home page.
​
Go to Setup -> Create -> New User
Feedback Loops in SFMC
A feedback loop is a mechanism that allows ISP (Internet Service Provider) to forward the complaints to Marketing Cloud.
When the subscriber clicks on the 'report spam' button in an email, the complaint gets logged, and the status sets to 'unsubscribed' at the account level.
After sending out an email, you may notice that the Marketing Cloud Tracking information (such as Opens, Clicks, Bounces, Unsubscribes, etc.) may be incorrect or not be updated in real-time as soon as the action occurs.
It can take up to 72 hours to finalize or populate the data.
If you are adding any new fields to the existing Data Extension, make sure to edit and save all the Queries (without modifying them) that utilize this Data Extension. Else, it will result in NULL values.
Want to set up notifications for email send job errors that might occur in Email Studio, Automation Studio, or Journey Builder?
Select recipient's email address to receive alerts under the following path -
Setup -> Company settings -> Alert Manager
Datorama Reports (Basic) Vs Datorama Reports (Advanced) Vs Datorama
🔹 Datorama Reports (Basic) is enabled by default in SFMC under Analytics Builder. If not enabled, reach out to your Account Team.
🔹 Datorama Reports (Advanced) is a paid version with additional functionalities, features, and analytics.
🔹 Datorama Reports doesn't require a separate license but Datorama does.
With the Marketing Cloud October 2021 Release, the Journey History Dashboard has been redesigned to provide a more useful, visual, and responsive experience and additional capabilities.
1. Download Page as .csv or Copy Page to Clipboard
2. Filter by Contact Keys / Journey / Activity / Status
3. Graphs and Analytics
Email Autosave in SFMC
Under Content Builder, all the changes in the email editor get saved automatically - enabled by default in the account.
If you want to disable it, navigate to Setup -> Feature Settings -> Content Builder -> Content Builder Settings -> Email Autosave. When disabled, Content Builder does not autosave when you edit and exit an email before clicking 'Save' or when you open and close an email without editing.