Contact Data fields in Dotdigital represent information about your customers that is synced from Spektrix to Dotdigital. Using Contact Data Fields, you can deliver powerful marketing results through advanced segmentation, automation and personalisation.
Before starting, you should be familiar with:
In this article, we’ll explain:
- Where to find Data Fields
- Default Data Fields
- Custom Data Fields
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How to sync Customer Attributes to Data Fields
Why sync Contact Data Fields?
In Dotdigital, Data Fields allow you to store different pieces of information about your customers.
When you sync Contact Data Fields from Spektrix to Dotdigital, you can combine the insights from your CRM data in Spektrix with the powerful marketing tools in Dotdigital.
Synced Data Fields are needed for:
- Programs: automatic marketing workflows that send a series of email campaigns to your customers.
- Personalisation: personalised Customer data from Spektrix, which can be displayed in your Dotdigital Email Campaigns.
- Dynamic Content: different versions of parts of the same email which dynamically display to different customers based on their data and behaviour.
- Liquid Script: logic for advanced email personalisation.
Data Fields in Dotdigital
Follow these steps to find Data Fields in Dotdigital:
- Log in to your Dotdigital account
- Click on your name in the bottom left corner
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Choose Settings from the menu:
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Click Contacts:
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Choose Contact Data Fields:
Here you can see the Default and Custom Data Fields:
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Default Data Fields: The standard Dotdigital Data Fields which are automatically included with every account. Some of the Default data fields sync data from Spektrix, while others do not contain any data because they do not match to fields in Spektrix.
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Custom Data Fields: Custom Data Fields need to be set up by you. You can set up Custom Data Fields, which automatically sync with existing fields from Spektrix or custom fields from Spektrix (Tags or Attributes).
How often do Data Fields sync with Spektrix?
Whenever an Integrated Mailing is scheduled or sent, Spektrix automatically syncs customer data for all customers included in that mailing.
Additionally, if you have a synced address book set up, Spektrix will automatically sync data for all customers in that address book every day at 7am.
Default data fields
Dotdigital automatically populates some Default Data Fields with information from your Spektrix system.
The Default data fields in Dotdigital which sync data from Spektrix are:
| Data Field | Description |
| FIRSTNAME | Synced from the first name field in Spektrix |
| LASTNAME | Synced from the last name field in Spektrix |
| FULLNAME | Synced from the first and last name fields in Spektrix combined |
| Synced from the email address field in your Spektrix system |
TIP: Sometimes customers may register their first initial rather than their first name. Instead of using the default FIRSTNAME and LASTNAME Data Fields, you can set up INFORMALSALUTATION and FORMALSALUTATION which can display data more reliably.
Default data fields in Dotdigital which do not sync information from Spektrix are:
| Data Field | Description |
| GENDER | Empty - not synced from Spektrix |
| POSTCODE / ZIPCODE | Empty - not synced from Spektrix |
| MOBILENUMBERID | Empty - not synced from Spektrix |
WARNING: Do not use Default data fields which are not synced from Spektrix, as this can result in blank Personalisation fields.
Default data fields which contain information populated from Dotdigital are:
| Data Field | Description |
| LASTSUBSCRIBED |
The date the contact was synced with Dotdigital. For example, to receive an Integrated Email Campaign or Pre-Event Email. This is not when the customer subscribed or created their account in Spektrix. This date also changes if the contact unsubscribes and then resubscribes. |
| DATEMODIFIED | The date the account was last updated in Dotdigital (not in Spektrix). |
How to set up a new Custom Data Field
In Dotdigital, you can set up Custom Data Fields that will sync automatically with data from Spektrix.
You can check if you already have these set up by going to Custom Data Fields and viewing the list of Data Fields in your account.
To set up a new Custom Data Field in Dotdigital, click the New Data Field button:
Then, complete the details:
- Name: Enter the name of the Data Field. You can choose from any of the existing Data Fields listed in the section below.
WARNING: If you do not enter the name of the Data Field exactly as listed below, it will not sync with your Spektrix system.
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Data type: Choose the Data type as listed against each Data Field below.
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Default Value: If there’s no data for a field then the Default Value will display instead. For example, if there’s no data to populate the FORMALSALUTATION field, you can add a default value such as ‘Patron’ or ‘friend’. You can also choose to leave this field blank.
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Access: Always set this to Private.
- Folder: You can choose to store your Data Field in a folder.
Once you have completed the information, click CREATE.
The Data Field will then be synced at 7am each day (if you have a synced address book) or when you send or schedule an Integrated Mailing to an included Customer.
Custom Data Fields
You can have up to 600 Custom Data Fields in Dotdigital. You'll need to set up the following Custom Data Fields for use in any of our Program Templates.
REMINDER: You’ll need to make sure that the name and type of the Data Fields below match exactly.
| Name | Type | Description |
| FORMALSALUTATION | Text | This will combine the Title and Last name of the Customer if there is one present. Otherwise, the Default Value will display. |
| INFORMALSALUTATION | Text | This will display the First name of the Customer if there is one present that is more than one character long. Otherwise, the Default Value will display. |
| CUSTOMERID | Text | This is the Customer ID field in Spektrix. |
| DATEOFBIRTH | Date | This is the Date of Birth field in Spektrix. |
| BOOKEDONCE | Yes/No | If the customer has only ever purchased tickets for one Event. |
| NEVERBOOKED | Yes/No | If the customer has never purchased tickets. |
| BALANCE | Number | The total unexpired account credit balance on a customer's account. |
| AVGDAYSBOOKEDINADV | Number | The average number of days before the Instance Date the customer purchased tickets. This metric is calculated overnight. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
| AVGSPENDPERORDER | Number | The mean average Ticket spend per Order for the customer. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
| AVGSPENDPERTICKET | Number | The mean average Ticket spend for the customer. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
| WEEKSSINCELASTORDER | Number | The number of weeks since a customer's last purchase of unreturned Tickets. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
| WEEKSTILLNEXTVISIT | Number | The number of weeks until the date of the next future Instance. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
| WEEKSSINCELASTVISIT | Number | The number of weeks since the date of the most recent Instance. Does not include instances not in metrics. |
TIP: FORMALSALUTATION and INFORMALSALUTATION will only populate names with more than one character. When names with only one character are present, you can select a default value such as "Patron”. This is useful if a customer only includes their first initial rather than their whole first name, as it ensures that a value will always be included.
Subsite Subdomain Data Field
You can set up a Custom Data Field to connect your Subsite Subdomain to your Dotdigital account.
To do this, create a new data field named SUBSITEDOMAIN.
Set the default value to your Subsite domain without https://
| Name | Type | Description | Default Value | Access |
| SUBSITEDOMAIN | Yes/No | This Data Field connects your Subsite to your Dotdigital account. |
Your subsite subdomain address without https:// For example, purchase.mywebsite.com |
Private |
How to sync Customer Attributes
You can sync Customer Attributes from Spektrix to Data Fields Dotdigital.
If you want to sync a new Customer Attribute or an existing one, there are two different processes to follow:
How to sync a new Customer Attribute
To sync a new Attribute to Dotdigital, create a new Customer Attribute Definition.
- Check the box marked Send this Attribute Definition to Dotdigital.
WARNING: If the Attribute is more than sixteen characters in length, then it will not sync with Dotdigital. Attributes with more than sixteen characters will stop any data from being synced to and from your Dotdigital account.
The Attribute field is synced automatically and will be available in your Dotdigital straight away as a Data Field.
Customer Attributes you choose to sync will appear as Contact Data FIelds in Dotdigital with the prefix ATT_
Attribute values will not be registered against any Customer in Dotdigital until that Customer is included in an email which is sent or scheduled, or when information is synced at 7am each day.
How to sync an existing Customer Attribute
To sync an existing Customer Attribute Definition, edit the Customer Attribute you want to send to Dotdigital.
- Check the box marked Send this Attribute Definition to Dotdigital.
WARNING: If the Attribute is more than sixteen characters in length, then it will not sync with Dotdigital. Furthermore, Attributes with more than sixteen characters will stop any data from being synced to and from your Dotdigital account.
The Customer Attribute will then be synced at 7am each day (if you have a synced address book) or when you schedule or send an Integrated Mailing to an included Customer.
Attribute values will not be registered against any Customer in Dotdigital until that Customer is included in an email which is sent or scheduled, or when information is synced at 7am each day.
TIP: You can use Customer Attributes to power Dynamic Content and Personalisation.
If you delete a previously synced Attribute, or if the Attribute doesn't automatically generate, you can manually set up a new custom Contact Data Field in Dotdigital using the name of the Attribute and the ATT_ prefix.
Further Reading
To continue learning about Data Fields and Dotdigital, take a look at the following articles: