Overview
Transactional messages contain information that a contact expects because of something they did, such as an order confirmation, a receipt, or a shipping notice. In Mapp Engage, they are typically emails that an external system or a Whiteboard triggers for one contact.
What makes a message transactional in Mapp Engage is the Transactional Message ID (TMID). The TMID is unique for each message, so you can track every message individually, for example whether a specific order confirmation was opened.
Key Characteristics
Usually single messages: Transactional messages are usually sent to one contact at a time. In a group with transactional message mode On, group sendouts also get a TMID. See Group Messages and Single Messages in Mapp Engage.
Triggered by API or Whiteboard: An external system, such as a web shop, triggers the message through the API, or a Whiteboard triggers it based on contact activity.
Same features as other messages: Personalization, branded templates, and all deliverability features apply.
List-unsubscribe header: The group setting Include Transactional Messages controls whether transactional messages get a list-unsubscribe header. If the setting is not visible in your system, the header is always included. See List-Unsubscribe Headers.
Where the TMID Comes From
The Transactional Message Mode in the sendout options of a group decides whether Mapp Engage creates the TMID or your external system sends it.
Mode | What happens | Use when |
|---|---|---|
Off | Mapp Engage does not create a TMID. | Your external system creates the TMID and sends it with the API call, or the group does not send transactional messages. |
On | Mapp Engage creates a TMID for every sendout in the group, based on your pattern. A TMID sent with an API call is replaced. | Mapp Engage always creates the TMID, for example for Whiteboard sendouts. |
Optional | Mapp Engage creates a TMID only for sendouts that do not have one. A TMID sent with an API call is kept. | Some sendouts come with their own TMID and others do not. |
For the modes On and Optional, you define a TMID pattern in the group. See Set Up a TMID for Transactional Messages.
Sending Transactional Messages
To send transactional messages, you first create the message as a prepared message. You then trigger it in one of two ways:
API: An external system triggers the message. See Sending Transactional Messages (API).
Whiteboard: Contact activity triggers the message, without an external system. See Sending Transactional Messages (Whiteboards).
Note
If you send a transactional message to a contact who is not a member of the group, Mapp Engage adds the contact to the group. For details, see Contact unexpectedly added to the group after being sent a prepared or transactional message.
Consent
A TMID classifies a message as transactional in Mapp Engage. It does not replace the consent of the recipient.
Depending on your local legal requirements, you may send informational messages, such as order confirmations, without marketing consent.
Do not use TMIDs to send promotional content to contacts without consent.
Recipients of transactional messages often have not opted in to marketing messages. Keep them in a separate group from your marketing and newsletter subscribers.
Tracking and Export
You can track transactional messages in the following ways:
Message history: See which messages a contact received, including the TMID. See All Contacts: Message History.
Statistics: Analyze the performance of single messages. See Single Message Statistics Overview.
Raw data export: Export the data for a CRM or BI tool. See Raw Data Exports.
Response Queue Service: Retrieve response events, such as opens, clicks, and bounces, through the API. See Response Queue Service.