Overview
Pre-populating forms on your landing pages is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance the efficiency and personalization of your data collection and campaigns. This feature, which works similarly to logging students in with a magic link to a microsite or application site, can automatically fill in known data about your audience, streamlining their experience and improving engagement. By directing students to specially configured landing pages, you can make their journey smoother and more engaging.
After loading purchased names into Element451, use a pre-populated page to allow them to update or complete their information or automatically fill in fields to request a viewbook or additional details.
How to Set Up Pre-Populated Forms on Page
Follow these steps to implement pre-populated Forms on one of your Pages:
Step 1: Add "Pre-Populated Data" Content Block
Step 1: Add "Pre-Populated Data" Content Block
Add a "Pre-Populated Data" content block to the Element451 Page of your choosing. For assistance with adding content blocks, check out this article.
Once the block has been added, you can customize the settings by selecting the form and specifying which fields should be pre-filled.
Step 2: Activate Locker
Step 2: Activate Locker
Enable the locker feature on your page. This permits tokens to be used to pre-populate data on this page.
Show Locker ID Dialog: After activating the locker, this setting will appear. You can enable this feature if you send students the magic link alphanumeric code (not a URL), such as in a direct mail campaign or printed materials. Users who visit the page will manually enter the code to unlock their pre-populated form.
If you wish to use this feature, you will want to Export your magic links. This process is outlined below in Step 3.
Step 3: Generate + Send a Magic Link
Step 3: Generate + Send a Magic Link
The last step is to generate and distribute a personalized login token (Magic Link) to your recipients. This unique identifier informs Element451 about the user, allowing the system to autofill the form with details such as first name, last name, and email address.
There are two ways to pre-populate to generate and share magic links. Your chosen method depends on your use case and how you wish to send the magic link.
Option 1: Send a Campaign (Email or SMS)
Option 1: Send a Campaign (Email or SMS)
When composing either a one-time or ongoing campaign, you will need to manually configure the URL that will direct the student to the pre-populated form. To do this, follow these steps:
Decide where and how you want the URL in the Campaign. Since the URL will be quite lengthy when the magic link is added, we recommend using a button for visual purposes.
After you add the button, navigate to the button settings and add your link.
You will need to manually add your page URL followed by
/i/and then use the Add Token button to insert the[landingpage:login_token]token. When you select the token, you'll be prompted to configure the token properties. These properties include UTM tracking and token expiration settings. Read more about token properties here.
So, for example, if your Page URL wasinfo.fire.edu, your URL should look similar to the screenshot below:
Send your Campaign. Whether it's a one-time or ongoing campaign, when the email or SMS is delivered, the token in the URL will be replaced with the newly generated magic link.
Option 2: Export
Option 2: Export
This option is used with the “Show Locker ID Dialog” feature mentioned in Step 2 above. The process outlined below allows you to generate magic link codes (shortened for manual entry) for a designated segment using a rule and then export them for various uses, such as direct mail campaigns or printed materials.
For this option, you should be familiar with the basics of creating a rule and creating an export task.
Create a Scheduled Rule with the "Create Login Token" action.
Campaign: Select a campaign tag. We recommend creating a new tag for this. To create a new campaign tag, navigate to Engagement > Campaigns and one-time or ongoing campaigns. In the left-hand menu, click Add Tag.
Token Type: Select General
Token Key Type: Select one of the short key options
Segment: Select the Segment of students for whom you wish to generate magic links.
Use the Run Now feature to trigger the rule to initiate manually.
Export Magic Links: Once the rule runs successfully, you can create an Export Task to download the magic links.
To get the magic link on your export, you'll need to add the
User Campaign Specific Login Keywhen mapping. It is found under standard columns. You'll also want to add any other data fields that you need.
Once you receive your export, you can use the magic links as needed.
Video Guide
FAQ + Troubleshooting
I have both the Locker and "Show Locker ID Dialog" enabled, but the dialog window does not appear when I access the page URL.
If you've enabled both the locker and dialog, but the dialog is not appearing, here's what you need to do: First, confirm that you have added a 'Pre-Populated Data' content block to your page. Next, ensure that you have correctly configured the settings for that content block, including selecting a Form. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and get your pre-populated forms up and running.
What happens if a student loses or no longer has access to their magic link code to type in the dialog?
The dialog can be bypassed using the "I do not have an ID" button. The form will not pre-populate since Element451 won't know who the user is, but they can still complete it. Alternatively, if the student still has an active magic link, you can find it on the magic links profile card and share it with them.