CDP - Personalization – Merge Variables

Owned by Bettina Lippisch
Last updated: Aug 28, 2024 by Alyssa Sands
3 min read

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Overview

There are two types of merge variables available in the Personalization tool: Olytics merge variables & merge variables for known visitors. These are all listed in the ‘Merge Variable’ Dropdown at the top of the WYSIWYG editor.

 

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Olytics Merge Variables

Encrypted Customer Id | @{encrypted_customer_id}@

This merge variable contains a visitor’s known cookie ID. There are three ways that this is often used:

  1. In links that are sent within emails: Clicking on a link with this merge variable will tie the visitor to their cookie when they land on the website so that you can track their behavior. This will increase your ‘Known (+ Behaviors)’ group within Audience Builder.

In an email URL, it will look like this:&oly_enc_id=@{encrypted_customer_id}@

  1. In Redirect URLs on Dragon Confirmation Pages: Adding this merge variable to a redirect URL will pass the encrypted ID to the destination URL as ‘known’. In order to do this successfully, you’ll need to redirect the visitor back to one of your website pages that has Olytics.

In a redirect URL, it will look like this: &oly_enc_id

  1. In Dragon Form URLs where you’d like the known visitor’s information to pre-populate on the form: For example, if you’re prompting someone to renew and you don’t want them to have to re-enter all their info.

In a Dragon Form URL, it will look like this:r=@{encrypted_customer_id}@

Olytics Cookie Id | @{oly_anon_id}@

This merge variable allows you to track your anonymous visitors from one domain to another by passing their anonymous cookie ID to a form that can then be merged with their encrypted customer ID upon conversion.

The main use case is to pass an anonymous visitor’s cookie ID from your site to a Dragon Form when an anonymous person clicks on something in a personalization.

In a Dragon Form URL, it would look like this: &oly_anon_id=@{oly_anon_id}@

Return URL | @{return_url}@

This merge variable will allow you to capture the page a visitor was on before they are taken to a Dragon Form and will return them to that same page once they’ve submitted the form.

There are 3 steps you’ll need to follow in order to set this up:

  1. Insert this merge variable into the URL that takes the visitor to your Dragon Form.

In the URL, it will look like this: &returnurl=@{return_url}@

  1. Create a returnURL field for your Dragon Page and place this field on the first page of the form. This field is where the return URL is captured.

  1. Insert the Return URL merge variable into the redirect link on the confirmation page of your Dragon Form.

In a Dragon Form URL, it will look like this: &returnurl=@{return_url}@

[icon name=”lightbulb-o” unprefixed_class=””]Pro Tip: You can also pass back the encrypted customer ID as well, so that you can capture them with their cookie ID.

Together, it would look like this:&returnurl=@{return_url}@&oly_enc_id=@{encrypted_customer_id}@

Merge variables for known visitors:

You can insert any of these into the text of your personalization job to customize the messaging for your visitors:

  • First Name

  • Last Name

  • Title

  • Company

  • Email Address

For instructions on setting merge variable defaults for any of these fields, check out our Personalization Standard Setup page, and scroll to #12. For questions on the use of merge variables, or for help setting up any of these variables, please contact your client success team.