Overview
Magic Links allow students to log in to your application site or microsite quickly. Each Magic Link is unique and specific to each student, allowing them to bypass the email and password login to the application site and microsite. This can significantly reduce friction when navigating between their inbox and your site.
How Do Magic Links Work?
Magic Links are automatically generated by Element when using the tokens below in a campaign email or SMS. Learn more about tokens.
Each of the following Tokens contains a Magic Link for each type of site:
Token Title | Shortcode/Token | Description |
Application Login Token | [application:login_token] | Magic Link for Application Sites |
Form Login Token | [form:login_token] | Magic Link for Forms |
Site451 Login Token | [microsite:login_token] | Magic Link for Microsites |
When you insert a Magic Link Token, you'll be prompted to configure its properties. For example, if you choose the Application Login Token, the form below will appear. You will then need to select an application and configure other settings.
The configuration screen also allows you to add UTM parameters to the URL.
Token Expiration
Tokens are defaulted to expire 48 hours after creation. However, when configuring your token properties, you can override that by using the TTL Unit and TTL Value fields. TTL stands for Time to Live, the duration a token remains valid.
The Magic Link URL
More technically, a Magic Link is a random, unique code that looks something like this: gcYk8nQvgQWEP8a11w.
That code is added to the login URL of your site, creating what we refer to as a Magic Link. Here is an example:
apply.element.edu/login/gcYk8nQvgQWEP8a11w
This URL is automatically generated and will be populated by the token.
The Magic Links Profile Card
Current, non-expired Magic Link codes are visible on the student profile in the Magic Links Profile Card (if your Element451 admin has it enabled for your profile template).
Select the eye icon to reveal the code
Select the square/paper icon to copy the code
You can use this feature if you need to manually send a link to a student to log into their application portal or a microsite and they have a non-expired magic link code.
To do this, add /login/{{magic_link}} to the end of the URL you are sending, using the code copied from the card where it says {{magic_link}}.
When to use Magic Links
A Magic Link allows you to log students into their applications and Microsites seamlessly. Use them any time you prompt your student to access those sites.
Example: Sending Admits to the Microsite
After your students are admitted, they'll be ready to log into your Microsite. To get them started, you can communicate with the Microsite Login Token. This will allow them to log into their environment immediately and give you the ability to provide personalized content.
Magic Links can benefit this situation since the students have not visited the microsite. Sending them a Magic Link can get them up and running quickly.