Merge Content Syntax

Throughout most of Online Marketing you can personalize your email and web documents for each recipient or respondent by adding merge content to include their name, email address or any other information from the profiles.

Merge content syntax appears in Online Marketing when you use the Merge button to embed content into a document, email subject line, or other similar location. You can also use it when manually typing in merged content placeholders in Online Marketing or in an exported web document.

This topic describes the merge content syntax used in Online Marketing

The basic format for merge content syntax is as follows:

<pstag:contentType 
[name=contentName] 
value=value 
[format=value] 
[default=value] 
[id=value] 
[attribX=valueX] />

where

Term

Definition

contentType

A valid predefined content type, in the following format:

  • profile

  • document

  • webLink

  • dynamicContent

  • trackingNumber

  • recipientID

  • currentDate

  • currentTime

  • extension

  • javascript

  • url

name

The name of the merge content object. For Dynamic Content, Web Link and Extension types, the user usually specifies this name at the time of merge. For other predefined types, the system generates a unique name based on the type name and a number.

value

A pointer to the merged content (a text string or a value stored in the database).

format

The format used to display the content.

default

The default value to display if the data has not been populated.

id

A unique system identifier.

The following restrictions apply to merge content syntax:

  • Spaces are not allowed between the equal sign and an attribute value.

  • All tags are case sensitive.

The following table shows examples of the syntax used in merge content objects.

Merge Content Object

Syntax Example

Profile field

 
<pstag:profile 
value="Individuals.Subscriber.Favorite Sport" 
default="Football" />

Document field

 
<pstag:document 
value="RegistrationPage.First Name" 
id="123"
default="Registrant" />

Web link (external)

 
<pstag:url  
name="My Yahoo Link" 
value="http://www.yahoo.com"  
format="HTML" 
id="55" />

Web link (internal)

 
<pstag:webLink 
name="Link To Load Basics" 
value="load basics.Landing Page1" 
dialog_id="20" 
format="Text"  
id="123" />

Dynamic content

 
<pstag:dynamicContent 
name="Favorite Food" 
id="234" />

Note: You cannot type this syntax into a web document; you must use the Merge functionality to enter it.

Recipient ID

 
<pstag:recipientID />

Tracking number

 
<pstag:trackingNumber />

Current date

 
<pstag:currentDate format="MM/DD/YYYY" />

Format values include:

  • DD/MM/YYYY

  • DD-MM-YYYY

  • MM/DD/YYYY

  • MM-DD-YYYY

  • YYYY/MM/DD

  • YYYY-MM-DD

Current time

 
<pstag:currentTime format="HH:MM" />

Format values include:

  • HH:MM (24-hour format)

  • HH:MM AM

  • HH:MM PM

Embed JavaScript

 
<pstag: javascript />

This tag is used only in exported web documents, to replace the JavaScript that is written out as part of the exported contents. This tag is optionally included in the web document during the export process. You have the option of deleting the tag and replacing it with custom JavaScript.

Extension

 
<pstag:extension name="extensionName" id="" 
[default="someValue"] />