Pass Data via URL Parameters in Email Links

Overview

Mapp Engage lets you personalize URLs within messages using parameters. These link parameters insert static values, personalization placeholders, or system variables into the URL, enabling dynamic content and detailed tracking for each recipient.

Use Cases

• Personalized Website Experience: Use contact data to tailor landing pages linked from an email.

• Pre-filled Forms: Auto-fill form fields in downloadable content like whitepapers or brochures.

• Message Attribution: Track which message contained a clicked link, enhancing web analytics.

Key Characteristics

• Parameters are added as name=value pairs in the query part of a URL (after the ? symbol).

• Both static values and dynamic placeholders (e.g. <%${user['lastname']}%>) can be used.

• Parameters can be added:

  • Manually to individual links in the message

  • Automatically to all links via group settings

• You can exclude specific links from receiving parameters (see: Exclude Links From Link Parameters).

• Placeholders must not appear in the hostname portion of the URL, as this breaks link tracking.

Link Tracking and Email Format Differences

Link Tracking and Redirection

• If link tracking is enabled, Mapp Engage redirects all links through its tracking system before forwarding to the final destination.

• Unsafe characters (e.g. spaces) are automatically URL-encoded (e.g. space = %20).

• Redirection is invisible to the recipient and enables tracking of click events.

HTML vs. Text Email Parameters

HTML Emails

• Use these parameters:

  • l – Encoded final destination URL

  • req – Personalized request data

• Example of personalized placeholder in the URL:

  http://www.website.com/?FNM=<%${user['lastname']}%>

  During sendout, resolves to something like:

  http://secure.dmcsystem.com/re?l=6m7...&req=FNM=von%20Sch%F6nburg

Text Emails

• Use slightly different tracking parameters:

  • l – Encoded destination

  • u – Full destination URL with parameters

  • s – Security signature (e.g. s=PKPJFBHPPLJGMKHM)

Warning

Do not use parentheses () in message names when used in tracking links. They are not URL-encoded and will break the link.