Custom autoresponder email based on answers to web form questions

[rossc007]

Hey Guys,

I am looking to send an autoresponder email to users who fill out a web form. The content of the mail will depend on the answers given in the web form i.e.

Q. Do you like cats

A. Yes

Autoresponder. Great, we'll post you a cat!

Any pointers much appreciated.

Cheers

Ross

[Adam Cook]

While I believe anything is possible in BC with enough time and money to develop a solution, the straight answer to this is no. BC doesn't do that. Its autoresponders are pretty simple. Someone fills out a form>they get the autoresponder with the few available tags it comes with.

[rossc007]

Hey Adam,

Thanks for your response.

Not sure I want to invest a lot of time in this! I was thinking about adding some hidden fields with the autoresponder suggestions and submitting those depending on the answers the user has chosen. I'm not sure whether to put the code into the web form or on the autoresponder mail, so looking for advice on that. Any articles on accessing specific web form parameters from the autoresponder template?

Cheer

Ross

[Adam Cook]

There are only 5 tags available for the autoresponder. You can't insert modules, or do much of anything else in them. If you really need this functionality, you are probably best looking at a 3rd party sales automation solution. And those are pretty expensive.

[rossc007]

Thanks again Adam,

What about manipulating the web form submit so that the auto-responder suggestions are posted, do you think thats viable?

[Adam Cook]

Not for what you seem to be trying to do. The fields that are outputted in the autoresponder are an exact match to what is added in the web form module. So, while you can add and take away fields from the form, and those values will be recorded in the system, the fields specified in the admin will be what shows up in the email. Nothing less, nothing more.

[TheBCMan]

It sort of stupid there are only 5 fields but if you don't use the CRM (in my case the client did not) or care too much I once used the last name field as a hidden form field then used it in the auto response to trigger custom download URLs. The hidden field was the filename or URL.

[rossc007]

Hey TheBCMan,

Could you elaborate a little, not sure I understand!

While I am asking, is it possible to parse the autoresponder fields with some JS and spit out something that way?

[Adam Cook]

I know you weren't asking me, but I think what TheBCMan is saying is he simply repurposed one of the fields. There are different ways that people do this, but here are a couple techniques partners use:

1. Simply putting different data in the field than what was originally intended by BC. For instance, in this case, he could have used the last name field as a carrier for a link that was created/chosen during the web form's submission. Then, when the autoresponder is sent, he can access that link through the last name tag.
2. Creating unique links by combining field data with static HTML. An example of something I've used many times is creating a blog image. BC doesn't currently have an image field for blog posts, but if you attach the url of the post to something like this: <img src="/images{tag_itemurl_nolink}">, and then make sure there is a picture in that directory, you can accomplish the job.

[TheBCMan]

Sorry I couldn't login for some reason to reply, but Adam is correct, but the killer is that autoresponder only has 5 tags so I used the lastname to hold custom data. In my case my client didn't want use for the CRM so I put the URL of the download into the last name so that the autoresponder would automatically place a download link to the file to be downloaded in the email. Basically enter in your email address in order to download something. I also know this could be done with a secure area but the customer didn't want this.

[Liam Dilley]

I would disable the auto responder and trigger an email to email along with the submission of the other form into the CRM.

That email's content can be composed based on the questions and what responses are needed to reply back to them with.

[Adam Cook]

Well. I feel ashamed for not thinking outside the box. Usually I say something like that.

[rossc007]

Thanks for the responses guys.

I'm a little confused about how I trigger and compose an email from the CRM side?

[rossc007]

OK guys, under advisement Ive moved the form to a CRM form, but I can't figure out how to manipulate the email before it get sent. Any pointers much appreciated!

Cheers

Ross

[Liam Dilley]

You can not, you have to do an ajax submit of the form to go into the CRM and on success submit another form that is auto populated with the answers and info you want to send to that person. Then turn the forms auto responder off.

[rossc007]

Thank Liam,

Tried a couple of things to no avail, I wonder could someone file in some gaps!

1. Where am I making the initial Ajax submit to?

2. Where is the subsequent submit sent?

3. How do I turn off the CRM automailer?

Cheers

Ross