Generally, when syndicating an experience, all of the information that is distributed across accounts is identical across the board. So normally, unique differences - such as logos and brand names - need to be edited individually. With shortcodes, those unique differences can be built into the experience from the beginning.
What is a Shortcode?
A shortcode, or token, is a small piece of code that pulls in a specific corresponding piece of data. Where a shortcode is used on the setup page, the published view will replace that shortcode with the related data. This comes in handy when multiple versions of an experience each need to display unique information.
For our example, let's pretend that we are syndicating a sweepstakes to multiple radio stations. Most of our sweepstakes will be identical, but we would like each station to display their own unique name and logo in the thank you message (Step 4) of the entry form.
List of Available Shortcodes
In the text box options you will see the shortcode icon, represented by {x}.
Clicking the {x} icon will display a full list of the multiple shortcode options, all of which may be used in any text field within the experience setup page. Each shortcode pulls in a different piece of information - either from a experience's unique setup info or from each account's profile info.
The full list of shortcode options is displayed below:
Adding the Shortcode
For our example, we need to display each station's unique name and logo. So let's start with Account Company which displays the name of the account (in our case, the station's name). Clicking on Account Company displays what the shortcode is for that particular token, as well as what would be displayed for the account you are currently in (different for each account), and an Insert button for easily adding to your text box.
After clicking Insert, the shortcode will be highlighted in green to show that it is active.
After repeating the process with the Account Logo Image shortcode, we can compare the setup page with the various displays that visitors will see depending on the station they visit!
*Note: Logos and/or other info may need to be added to your account's profile, which can be done on the Account Manager page. For assistance, please contact our Client Success team.
Shortcodes go beyond name and logo placement. They may also be used when creating a template of rules and regulations, using tokens written into your rules to specify both account-specific (as we've seen) and experience-specific information such as titles, dates, prizes, and more. Be sure to look through the list of shortcodes and take note of what may save you time and effort as you build future experiences.
Custom Shortcodes
If you need to create custom shortcodes, that can be done within the Account Manager under the Advanced tab in the Custom Fields section here:
When you click Add Custom Field, you will need to input this info:
The slug is what will be referenced where the X's are in {{ account.xxxxxx }} when adding the shortcode to your experience.
The value is what info should be shown where the shortcode is placed.
For example, if you want to create a custom shortcode for your Instagram page, you could set the slug as instagram_username and set the value as the username of the Instagram page to be followed.
If you have any other questions or issues, you can chat within the platform, email us at support@audience.io, or give us a call at 801-901-2011.