Conditional Content Commands

The Conditional Content Commands allow you to insert blocks of text or graphics into your message depending on whether certain conditions are true for a particular recipient. Using conditional content commands, you can easily create unique, one-to-one emails tailored to the exact needs and interests of your recipients, without having to write (or send) more than one message.

 

All the commands work using a simple if-then-else logic: if a particular condition is true, then insert a particular block of text; else (that is, if the condition is not true), insert a different text block. Note that by text, we mean both plain text or HTML -- you may include either.

 

These commands only work if you are using ListManager Pro or Enterprise, and if you have not disabled Scripting Level.

 

The easiest way to insert conditional content is to create content and insert a condition.

Basic information on the commands


Like the mail merge tags, all conditional content commands must begin and end with a double percent (%%) sign. Returns and spaces contained within the %% delimiters are not read, unless they are contained in the text blocks (that is, between the <<European quotes>>).

 

With the exception of the members table, fields are always referenced in the form tablename.fieldname, as in members_.FullName_ or address.zip. If you are referencing a field in the members table, you may use just the field name. You may use short tags if they are members fields. Text values (listed as value in the examples to follow) are not case-sensitive.

 

ListManager uses a special delimiter for text which we call <<European quotes>>. The open quote is formed by typing two less-than signs (<<); the close quote is formed by two greater-than signs (>>). <<European quotes>> preserve spacing, paragraph breaks, and "double quotes". Moreover, text within <<European quotes>> may contain mail merge tags, other conditional content commands, and scripts, permitting complex personalization.

 

Commands may be nested (that is, you can have one command inside another) by enclosing the command in [square brackets]. If you do NOT want merge tags and conditional content commands to be interpreted, place them inside {curly brackets}.

Supported Commands

 

ListManager supports the following commands:

 

iffield - for single-condition if criteria (no AND or OR)

 

ifcondition - for simple multiple-condition if criteria (all AND or OR)

 

ifboolean - for complex multiple-condition if criteria (mixing AND and OR)

 

ifrange - for numerical if criteria

 

ifdate - for date-related if criteria

 

showpercents - to rotate blocks of text

 

While these commands cover the majority of conditional content needs, you may find you need more complex functions. If so, we recommend you visit our section on Advanced Scripting.



Clickthrough Tracking, Opens and HTML Detection iffield