Articles
Articles are used to include smaller portions of content within a main Template.
Articles extend the capability of templates by providing a template-neutral place in which to create and edit content. Articles allow you to maintain a single copy of information that can be reused in multiple templates. Though this information could be included in each template, any changes would require editing several templates. Using an Article in the template requires editing only a single Article. Articles are an easy way to include material in your outbound message without the need to alter your templates. Possible uses include:
Headers and footers
Company contact information and Unsubscribe link
Privacy agreement
Articles within a newsletter
Content that must be changed easily without altering templates and/or HTML
Articles include several elements that can each be added to a Template. Like Templates, Articles can include personalization elements. Articles can also include references to other articles, which is required for some RSS content.
The content from Articles is inserted into a template when a Template is previewed or when you test or deploy a campaign. While custom fields are useful for small amounts of information (names, phrases, etc.), Articles are preferred for inserting larger blocks of content.
Article Relationships
Articles are created with a Parent / Child like relationship, where the parent, or normal, Article contains default content and children, or Versions, are articles that can be used to schedule alternate content based on date and time a campaign is deployed.
The parent Article contains the default content to display in a Template when no other content is scheduled. From the parent Article, you can schedule and manage Versions. A Version is no different in content functionality from a parent Article, though it does not support further child articles.
The Article relationship allows you to create several different versions of reusable content for email messages, and use one Article call without the need to constantly edit a Template or Article. Instead, you can schedule a Date/Time to use each version of the content, with the parent Article's default content used at all other times.
Accessing Articles
Articles are accessed from the Content menu. To access the Articles, go to CONTENT > ARTICLES. This will open the Articles page.
The Articles page displays a list of existing parent Articles. From this page you can create a new Article and preview or edit existing Articles.
The Articles page lists the following details for each Article:
Name | Click the name of the Article to access the Article’s settings, schedule, and versions. |
Description | A short description of the Article. |
Title | A Title for the Article. |
Modified | The date the Article was last updated. |
Versions | Indicator to view associated Versions. The icon will appear gray if there are no versions, or green if one or more versions are associated to the Article. Click the icon to view a page listing the parent Article and all child versions. |
Preview | Click the magnifying glass icon to preview the Article. |
Actions | Options to Add Version, Copy or Delete the Article. |
Accessing Versions
Articles are accessed from the Content menu. To access the Articles, go to CONTENT > ARTICLES. This will open the Articles page. If an Article has associated children, the Version icon will appear green. Click the Version icon next to a parent Article to display the Versions page.
The Versions page displays a list of all Versions associated with an Article, as well as the parent Article. From this page you can create a new Version and preview or edit existing Versions.
The Articles page lists the following details for each Article:
Name | Click the name of the Version or parent Article to access the settings, schedule, and versions. |
Description | A short description of the Article or Version. |
Title | A Title for the Article or Version. |
Modified | The date the Article or Version was last updated. |
Preview | Click the magnifying glass icon to preview the content. |
Actions | Options to Copy or Delete the Article or Version. |
Filtering Views
You may sort the data in any of the columns by clicking the column header.
To quickly find an Article in the page, use the Filter. Search the list by Name, Description, or Title. As you type a string, the page contents will automatically change to display only the items that match the characters in the Filter field.
If you have assigned your Articles to Folders, you can view only those articles by selecting the folder from the Folder listbox.