Database

Generic Form Handler

iPost provides a generic form handler which you can use to allow forms hosted on your website to save subscriber preferences and demographic information to your iPost-hosted database. This form handler can also be used to trigger mailings, enabling your organization to perform robust lifecycle marketing campaigns.

Please refer to the Generic Form Handler document for complete information on how to use this valuable tool.

To enable this feature for your organization, check the Enable Use of the Generic Form Handler box in the Generic Form Handler section. Do not forget to save your changes before proceeding. If you will be using the Generic Form Handler to retrieve subscriber data, iPost strongly recommends that you also enable your GFH Key.

Similar to an API key, the GFH key is an encrypted token.  The GFH Key is required in the query parameters when doing a "fetch" operation to read (rather than store) profile data for a contact. Check the Enforce GFH Key Match on Access if you will be using the “fetch” operation.

If you have a GFH Key and need to change or disable that key, simply disable the Generic Form Handler and then immediately enable it again.

If the GFH is enabled, you are required to enter the domains that will be whitelisted for the GFH. Enter the whitelisted domains into the Limit GFH redirection to these domains field. Multiple domains should be entered as one domain per line.

Data Tables Access Information

If you would like to enable data tables in your iPost account, check the Data Tables Access option. iPost will be notified to enable data tables when this option is checked.

The Data Tables Access Status lets you know if data tables have been enabled. There are two possible statuses:

Status Meaning
Ready This status indicates that data tables have been enabled in your iPost account.
No Access This status indicates that data tables are not available in your iPost account.

UID Import Information (optional)

If you have another field identified besides email address as the Unique Idientifier (UID), this information will be populated in these fields.

Description
 Field
Unique Identifier Column Name
 If using a unique identifier other than Email Address, enter the field name of the field you are using as the unique identifier. The unique identifier can only be associated with a single entity within the All Contacts List or Lists in your iPost account.
Email Address Column Name
 Email Address Column Name

Edit Data Fields

Edit or add new database fields, following these steps:

  1. Click Edit Data Fields. This will allow you to edit existing fields. 
  2. Select Add New Data Field to add new fields. 
  3. Once edits have been made, click Save.

Changes will not be added to your organization's database until they are saved.

Field Name
 The name of the data field. This name will appear in list functions such as upload and download and in the dynamic list interface.
Column Name An internal iPost database field used when configuring UID fields.
ITL Macro
 The iTL macro for the data field. This macro can be used in your mailing documents to personalize the message content. For further information about using iTL macros, please see the iPost Template Language guide.
Type
 The data type contained in the field. There are six possible field types:

  • String
  • Text
  • Monetary
  • Integer
  • Decimal
  • Datetime
Field Notes
 Notes explaining the nature of the data stored in that field.

Field Names

The name of the data field. This name will appear in list functions such as upload and download and in the dynamic list interface.

  • This name can be a value and can include spaces, numbers and special characters like $, #, &, etc.
  • The Field Name cannot be edited after the field is added to the database.
  • iPost recommends that this name not exceed twenty characters. This limit is not enforced, only recommended.

ITL Macro

The iTL macro for the data field. This macro can be used in your mailing documents to personalize the message content. For further information about using iTL macros, please see the Personalization guide.

  • iTL macros must begin with a lower-case letter and contain lower case letters, numbers, and underscores only.
  • The iTL macro cannot be edited after the field is added to the database.
  • The Email List Data Field Wizard will pre-populate the iTL macro step with an iTL macro which is based upon the Field Name.  iPost recommends you accept this pre-populated iTL macro.
  • There are certain reserved words that the system will not allow you to use as the ITL Macro of the data field. Attempting to use a reserved word as an ITL Macro will result in an error.

Here is a complete list of reserved words for your reference:

add all alter analyze and as asc asensitive before between
bigint binary blob both by call cascade case change char
character check collate column columns condition connection constraint continue convert
create cross current_date current_time current_timestamp current_user cursor database databases day_hour
day_microsecond day_minute day_second dec decimal declare default delayed delete desc
describe deterministic distinct distinctrow div double drop dual each else
elseif enclosed escaped exists exit explain FALSE fetch fields float
float4 float8 for force foreign from fulltext goto grant group
having high_priority hour_microsecond hour_minute hour_second if ignore in index infile
inner inout insensitive insert int int1 int2 int3 int4 int8
integer interval into is iterate join key keys kill label
leading leave left like limit lines load localtime localtimestamp lock
long longblob longtext loop low_priority match mediumblob mediumint mediumtext middleint
minute_microsecond minute_second mod modifies natural not no_write_to_binlog null numeric on
optimize option optionally or order out outer outfile precision primary
privileges procedure purge read reads real references regexp release rename
repeat replace require restrict return revoke right rlike schema schemas
second_microsecond select sensitive separator set show smallint soname spatial specific
sql sqlexception sqlstate sqlwarning sql_big_result sql_calc_found_rows sql_small_result ssl starting straight_join
table tables terminated then tinyblob tinyint tinytext to trailing transact
trigger TRUE undo union unique unlock unsigned update upgrade usage
use using utc_date utc_time utc_timestamp values varbinary varchar varcharacter varying
when where while with write xor year_month zerofill email_id

Field Notes

Notes explaining the nature of the data stored in that field.

  • The Field Notes can contain any characters. Up to 255 characters can be entered.
  • The Field Notes can be edited after a field is added to the database.
  • The Field Notes are entirely optional.

Field Type

The data type contained in the field. There are six possible field types:

  • String
    Strings can be any combination of characters, including special characters like $, #, &, etc. Strings can be up to 255 characters in length. Strings cannot contain binary data. Strings may contain HTML formatting as your option, but are not handled as HTML by default, because they might be inserted into plain text documents. When used inside an HTML mailing document, HTML entity encoding is applied to ensure that the data is not interpreted as HTML formatting instructions within the document. To allow HTML formatted Strings to be interpreted in your document, use the \encode=no switch as described in the iPost Template Language guide.
  • Text
    Text is identical to String except that data can be up to 65,000 characters in length.
  • Monetary
    The monetary field type accepts data in the format DD.CC where D is dollars and C is cents. The dollars digits can be repeated up to nine times but there can only ever be two cents digits after the decimal point. The value cannot include characters aside from numbers and a single decimal point. This means that a dollar sign or other currency symbol is not allowed in the value.
  • Integer
    Integers are whole numbers (do not contain a decimal component). Integers can be any whole number between -2147483648 and 2147483647. Integer values cannot contain any characters aside from numbers and an optional leading negative sign. Therefore, integer values should not include any thousands-separators (commas in the United States, for instance).
  • Decimal
    Decimals are numbers which can optionally include a decimal component. Decimal values cannot include any characters aside from numbers, an optional negative sign and a single decimal point.
  • Datetime
    Stores dates and times. Values uploaded to columns having this field type must be formatted carefully. These values should match the format YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss or the format which was selected in Client settings.
  • The Field Type cannot be edited after a field is added to the database.
  • When in doubt about which Field Type to select for a new field, it is always safe to select String. This is the default Field Type selected in the wizard for that reason.

Special Email List Data Fields

Certain fields, when added to your iPost database, will enable special functionality.

email_frequency_limit

If a field with this iTL Macro exists it will enable the ability to limit the frequency of emails sent on a per-subscriber level. To include this setting on your email, select the Use recipient's preferred email frequency when known within the send configuration process.

The value must be a number which is equal to days (0= send everything, 1=1 day, 2=2 days, etc).

Timezone

If a field with this iTL Macro exists it will enable the ability to send an email based on the contact's time zone.  To send an email using this option, select Recipient Local Time in the time zone field of your automation.

The value must be in the following formats:

  • +/- HH:MM defined as how many hours from/to UTC to the local timezone
  • Symbolic time zones, such as PST8PDT, defined for time zones that change between standard and daylight savings time.
  • Blank values are defined as the default time zone for the account.

For example, if the contact was in Pacific Standard Time, the value in the timezone field would be -08:00 or  PST8PDT depending on the format.