Skip to main content
Valerie_Armstro
Valerie_Armstro
Level 9
Oct 19, 2016 2:58 PM UTC
Solved

Writing email script

Hi Community,

I am not an expert on writing email scripts so I would love your help writing one for an upcoming email send.

The logic I want to use is based on the Lead Owner Email Address

  • If Lead Owner Email Address = valeriearmstrong@upserve.com, return the URL calendly.com/valeriearmstrong
  • If Lead Owner Email Address = notvaleriearmstrong@upserve.com, return the URL calendly.com/notvaleriearmstrong
  • All else, return the URL calendly.com/default

Here is my best guess on how I would write this.  If I'm missing any best practices, please let me know.

#set($valeriearmstrong = "calendly.com/valeriearmstrong”) 
#set($notvaleriearmstrong = "calendly.com/notvaleriearmstrong”)
#set($defaultvalue = "calendly.com/defautvalue”)
#if (${lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address} == “valeriearmstrong@upserve.com")
<a href="http://${valeriearmstrong””>Book time with Val</a>
#elseif (${lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address} == “notvaleriearmstrong@upserve.com")
<a href="http://${notvaleriearmstrong}”>Book time with Not Val</a>
#else
<a href="http://$​{defaultvalue}”>Book time with our MOPS Team</a>
#end
    This post is no longer active and is closed to new replies. Need help? Start a new post to ask your question.
    SanfordWhiteman
    SanfordWhitemanAccepted solution
    User Group Leader
    Oct 19, 2016 8:42 PM UTC

    I recommend a data-first approach.  It makes maintaining Velocity scripts (and all code) much, much easier (and has some other powers I'll get into another time).

    Data-first means you set up a "translation map" ahead of time, then just seek into the map.  No "magic strings" ever appear in the code portion proper, and you maintain code and data separately without accidental side effects or typos.

    #set( $calendlyByEmail = {
      "valeriearmstrong@upserve.com" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/valeriearmstrong",
            "text" : "Book time with Val"
        },
        "notvaleriearmstrong@upserve.com" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/notvaleriearmstrong",
            "text" : "Book time with Not Val"
        },
        "" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/defaultvalue",
            "text" : "Book time with our MOPS Team"
        }
    } )
    #if( $calendlyByEmail.containsKey($lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address) )
    <a href="http://${calendlyByEmail[$lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address].href}">${calendlyByEmail[$lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address].text}</a>
    #else
    <a href="http://${calendlyByEmail[""].href}">${calendlyByEmail[""].text}</a>
    #end
    View in thread

    8 replies

    SanfordWhiteman
    User Group Leader
    SanfordWhitemanUser Group LeaderAccepted solution
    User Group Leader
    Oct 19, 2016 8:42 PM UTC

    I recommend a data-first approach.  It makes maintaining Velocity scripts (and all code) much, much easier (and has some other powers I'll get into another time).

    Data-first means you set up a "translation map" ahead of time, then just seek into the map.  No "magic strings" ever appear in the code portion proper, and you maintain code and data separately without accidental side effects or typos.

    #set( $calendlyByEmail = {
      "valeriearmstrong@upserve.com" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/valeriearmstrong",
            "text" : "Book time with Val"
        },
        "notvaleriearmstrong@upserve.com" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/notvaleriearmstrong",
            "text" : "Book time with Not Val"
        },
        "" : {
            "href" : "calendly.com/defaultvalue",
            "text" : "Book time with our MOPS Team"
        }
    } )
    #if( $calendlyByEmail.containsKey($lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address) )
    <a href="http://${calendlyByEmail[$lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address].href}">${calendlyByEmail[$lead.Lead_Owner_Email_Address].text}</a>
    #else
    <a href="http://${calendlyByEmail[""].href}">${calendlyByEmail[""].text}</a>
    #end
    Translate
    Valerie_Armstro
    Valerie_ArmstroAuthor
    Level 9
    Oct 20, 2016 2:49 PM UTC

    @Sanford Whiteman​ to the rescue again!   thank you.

    I am having one issue though with the default value.  When I preview the email using the lead details, the default link works. However, when I send myself the sample email, it opens an about:blank page.  I've tried changing the URL to see if that was the cause, but I still keep running into the same error. Do you have any suggestions for troubleshooting?

    Translate
    SanfordWhiteman
    User Group Leader
    SanfordWhitemanUser Group Leader
    User Group Leader
    Oct 20, 2016 9:16 PM UTC

    What is the final rendered link in the email?  I can't repro this -- your default value calendly.com/defaultvalue of course doesn't exist @ Calendly (404) but I go there, not to about:blank. Did you leave out the http: somewhere?

    Translate
    Valerie_Armstro
    Valerie_ArmstroAuthor
    Level 9
    Oct 21, 2016 3:18 PM UTC

    Hi @Sanford Whiteman​

    I had copied/pasted the code you shared with me into the token and ensured that the Lead Owner Email Address was selected in the email script token builder.

    Here is what I am seeing when I hover and click the link in the email preview using the lead details:

    And here's a quick video of what happens when I click on the link from sending this as a test email to myself using the same lead details: 2016-10-21_1111 - vearmstrong35's library

    Translate
    SanfordWhiteman
    User Group Leader
    SanfordWhitemanUser Group Leader
    User Group Leader
    Oct 22, 2016 12:18 AM UTC

    Are you positive you didn't leave off a trailing curly brace ( } ) in your VTL?

    When I follow the tracking link in your video, I see that the underlying email link is

         http://${calendlyByEmail[?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiT0RFMk9HTTNZVE00WXpSbCIsInQiOiJHaUxCK0RXSHhrckd2d05URUMxVlNkZW1HcGtiWjkxb0tucTJmSGdnZlNaOWZPTHFaa2wrOFFEMk9objdaRkpFQ3BqcTdzTkJvdWQzY0hTRU1DdlFsdz09In0%3D

    That is what you'd see if the last line of output in Velocity were cut off and ended with

         ${calendlyByEmail[

    Thus causing a parsing error, and in turn causing part of your raw VTL code to be left in the final email (if Velocity can't parse something, it outputs it as plain text). You can also try 

         <a href="http://${calendlyByEmail[''].href}">${calendlyByEmail[''].text}</a>

    Note the single quotes used inside the square brackets instead of double quotes. Perhaps you have some other quote nesting that is causing the issue. Again, if I send myself a sample email with the same code I don't have this prob.

    Translate
    Valerie_Armstro
    Valerie_ArmstroAuthor
    Level 9
    Oct 24, 2016 6:06 PM UTC

    Made the switch over to the single quotes and now all is working as expected .  Thanks again for walking me through this @Sanford Whiteman​!

    Translate
    Anonymous
    Apr 20, 2017 11:49 AM UTC

    Hello,

    I have been trying to use your script as a reference and integrate it but without great success.

    Would you be so kind and help me out figuring what I do wrong?

    #set( $calendlyByEmail = { 

       "jtalafous@yotpo.com" : { 

            "href" : "calendly.com/jtalafous/15min", 

            "text" : "link to see my calendar and simply book a slot"

                                                }

    } ) 

    #if($calendlyByEmail.containsKey (${{lead.Lead Owner Email Address}}))

    <a href="${calendlyByEmail[${{lead.Lead Owner Email Address}}].href}">${calendlyByEmail["jtalafous@yotpo.com"].text}</a> 

    #else

    <a href="#">check</a>

    #end 

    Translate
    SanfordWhiteman
    User Group Leader
    SanfordWhitemanUser Group Leader
    User Group Leader
    Apr 20, 2017 11:08 PM UTC

    Netali, please open a new Question for this. You can refer back to this thread as necessary.

    Also include a detailed explanation: "without great success" isn't enough to go on. Your code already looks a little weird to me, since you have an email address hard-coded in one part and in another part you've used a variable.

    Finally... please use syntax highlighting when posting code. You'll see I always do this, by selecting the text and then clicking the » on the button bar. Java highlighting is ok since there's unfortunately no Velocity choice.

    Translate
    Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement

    Loading footer...