Custom fields in Tatango allow you to store additional information associated with a subscriber's mobile phone number. These fields are versatile; you can collect data during the opt-in process, utilize the information as merge tags in your mass messages, or segment messages to target specific groups of subscribers.
Creating a Custom Field:
Navigate to List Settings:
Go to the List you want to modify and select 'Settings', then choose 'Custom Fields'.
Add a New Custom Field:
Click on the 'New Custom Field' button to start creating a new field.
Configure Your Custom Field:
Label: Enter a name for the custom field. This label will identify the field in your database.
Type: Select the type of custom field you require (e.g., text, date, number).
Merge Tag: Define a unique merge tag for use in your messages. This tag will pull data from the custom field into the message content.
Regular Expression: Use this to set a pattern that the field value must match. For example, ensure a field contains a valid email address or birthdate.
Fallback: Specify what should appear in place of the merge tag if the custom field is empty when sending a message.
Max Characters: Set the maximum number of characters allowed in this field when it is used as a merge tag in messages. This helps maintain message length within limits.
For detailed instructions and visual guidance on creating and managing custom fields, watch the tutorial video linked below.
Video Walkthrough:
Understanding and Using Regular Expressions in Tatango
Regular expressions (regex) are crucial for validating input in custom fields within Tatango, ensuring that data conforms to specific formats or criteria.
Example of Regular Expressions:
While this specific example wasn't demonstrated in our tutorial video, it illustrates how you can use regular expressions effectively in Tatango. Consider the regular expression \A(happy|sad)\z. This pattern is designed to accept only the words "happy" or "sad", in any case format such as "happy", "Happy", "HAPPY", etc., and reject all other inputs. It is case-insensitive, making it versatile for user input variations.
Testing Regular Expressions:
Before implementing a regular expression in Tatango, it's important to test its functionality:
Use Rubular for Testing: Visit Rubular, a Ruby-based regular expression editor, which is ideal for this purpose.
Configure Your Test: Input the regular expression
/happy|sad/iinto Rubular to test it. Adding "i" after the pattern makes the test case-insensitive, aligning with how Tatango processes regular expressions.
Testing your regular expressions ensures they perform as expected, enhancing data integrity and interaction quality in your subscriber management efforts.
