Custom Macros use data from Questions to create personalized content. For example, if you asked subscribers for their first and last name during the subscription process, you could create a Macro to address email bulletins to the subscriber "Dear (first name)". Custom macros are only available when you have questions enabled.

Note: Custom macros cannot be used in SMS messages.

Prerequisites

Before you can create a custom macro, you must have questions created for your account. This involves the following steps:

  1. Creating a question
  2. Assigning that question to your topic
Macros are not compatible with the “Select One or more” type of question.

Learn more about creating questions.

Accessing Custom Macros

  1. In the left navigation menu, click Macros.
  2. Click the Custom tab to view all of your custom macros and create more.

Creating a Custom Macro

  1. Click Create Macro.
  2. In the Macro Token field, name the macro. The token should be short, yet descriptive. Do not include spaces; instead, separate words with an underscore. Macros can be set up for 'Free Response' and 'Select One' type answers only. 

    Note: For macros to fully populate with a link, you will need to include _URL in the name of the macro. Without the _URL section, a link in the custom macro field will not encode correctly in the HTML field. These URLS in a macro are not link-tracked. For example:

    [[SUBSCRIBER_EXAMPLE_LINK_URL]]

https://[[UNIQUE_SUBSCRIBER_LINK_URL]]

    Note: The second option will allow for link tracking. 

  3. Enter a Description of the macro. This is used internally to clarify the macro's purpose when viewing the custom macros list.  
  4. Select the Question whose answer you want to populate in place of your token. Whatever value the subscriber has entered as the answer to this question will be the information they see when they receive your email bulletin.
  5. Set the Macro's Default Value. The default value is used when a subscriber has not answered the question you selected. This should be a word or phrase that will still work grammatically if it needs to be used.
    • For example, if you are creating a macro to insert the subscriber’s first name, you might set the default value to “Citizen.” When a bulletin is sent to a subscriber named Bob with the salutation “Dear,” the greeting might read “Dear Bob,” or “Dear Citizen” if the subscriber’s name is not known.
  6. Click Save.

You can edit an existing custom macro by clicking it in the Custom Macros list. You can delete a custom macro by selecting the checkbox next to it and clicking Delete Macro(s).