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Automated Communications: Standard & Custom Merge Fields: https://help.pm.leapevent.tech/a/1232956
Merge field are the bread and butter of automated communication templates. Instead of spending time creating automation templates for each Ticketable Event, utilize merge fields to save yourself time! They're a great way to bring special information to your templates, like "Link to plot summary" or "Featured Artist").
In this article we'll cover how to:
- Find a reference list of standard merge fields
- Create custom merge fields
- Some special steps for custom fields not on the Event, Instance, or Ticket Order
Let's get started.
Find a reference list of standard merge fields
Your account is already set up with essential fields from six objects:
- Ticketable Event
- Event Instance
- Ticket Order
- Ticket Order Item
- Venue
- PatronTicket Settings
If you want to check out a list of what's available, we've got you covered:
1. Head to the Automation Templates tab through app launcher
2. Click Automation Settings
3. Click the Merge Fields link
4. Here's your list!
If you have Virtual Events enabled in your account, you'll have a merge field available for the "VirtualEventAccessLink."
Similarly, if you have mobile tickets enabled, you'll have a merge field available for the "Mobile Ticket Link."
Both of these merge fields generate a button in your Automation Template that contains either a virtual ticket link or mobile ticket link.
Do not add these merge fields onto a button element in your template. Since the merge fields already create a button, adding it onto another button can cause issues with your Automation Template.
Create custom merge fields
You can include all sorts of important information in your templates when you build custom merge fields, like:
- A link to a guest artist's website
- Rescheduling information
- Information about the post-show reception
In our example, our artistic director has asked us to include a link to a relevant Wikipedia article in each pre-show email so our patrons can get familiar with the history of the show.
1. Create your custom field (if it doesn't exist yet)
If you're rusty on creating custom fields, we've got just the article for you.
To use a custom field in your templates, it needs to be located on one of these three objects:
- Ticketable Event
- Event Instance
- Ticket Order
In our example, we're adding a custom URL field to the Ticketable Event called "Relevant Wiki Link":
If you want to merge a custom Date or Date/Time field, you'll need create the field (if you haven't already), and then create a formula field to convert the Date or Date/Time value into text.
In the following steps, you'll use the formula field as the merge field - not the original Date/Time field.
2. In Setup, go to Object Manager, then search and click on the object where the custom field lives
In our example, it's Ticketable Event.
3. Click Field Sets, then click Automated Communications Custom Merge Fields
4. Click and drag your custom field into the Field Set
5. Click Save
6. Your custom field is now ready to merge!
How to handle custom merge fields not on the Event, Instance, or Ticket Order
As we've said, custom Automated Communication template merge fields need to be located on one of three objects:
- Ticketable Event
- Event Instance
- Ticket Order
If you want to reference a field not on one of those objects (e.g. Account or Contact fields), you've got some additional steps to follow. In this example, we're pulling the Donor Recognition field from the Contact record onto the Ticket Order object so we can use it as a merge field in our Automation Template:
1. Create a formula field with text output
2. When you get to the formula, click the Advanced Formula tab, then click Insert Field
3. Find your custom field via lookup relationships, then click Insert
Here are some common pathways to find the objects (and therefore, the fields) you need!
- Contact: Ticket Order > Contact (shown in the example below)
- Account: Ticket Order > Contact > Account
4. Click Next until the last step, then *don't* add the field to the page layout (clear the checkbox), then click Save
5. Your custom field is ready to graduate to a custom merge field!
You can now jump back in on the steps above.