Append an identity profile variable to an activity link

Generate member-specific links that identify a member by their unique ID. Perform this task if you want to map a member's responses by a unique ID from an external system.

Prerequisites:
You can append identity variables to:
  • Test links
  • Live links
  • Custom links
Example

You want to use a loyalty card account number to map responses back to members who clicked on a survey link posted on your loyalty card's website.

  1. Create an identity profile variable and name it after the account number field in your external system.
  2. Create new survey link, and post it on your loyalty card's website.
  3. Have your web team append the member's account identity variable to the link for each unique user of the system
Tip: Use memberid if you want to identify members without exposing unique identifying information in the links.
  1. In the Links tab, click a link in the Name column.
  2. Select the Identity Variable check box.
    Result: The Identity Variable list is activated.
  3. From the Identity Variable list, select the name of the Identity profile variable.
    Note: You can only append one identity variable to the link at a time.
  4. Publish the link:
    Option Description
    Live Link Click Generate Live Link.
    Note:
    • Only Power Users and Author users that have the Can schedule distributions permission enabled for their user account, and Admins, can generate live links. Otherwise, the Generate Live Link button is disabled.
    • By clicking Generate Live Link, you change the status of the link from Pending to Open.
    Custom Link
    1. Type the URL extension.
    2. Click Confirm URL.

    For more information, see Get a custom activity link.

    Result: The identity variable (?_i=[%insert value%]) is appended to the link.
  5. Replace the variable place holder text with the identity variable value.
    Example
    https://example.alidalabs.com/c/a/UniqueSurveyId?_i=IdentityVariableValue
    Note: The ?_i=IdentityVariableValue portion should not be removed from the link. If removed, the link will not track member details and cannot prevent a single respondent from responding multiple times.
    Result:
    • If the identity profile variable matches that of a current member, the application will map participation information back to that member.
    • If the identity profile variable is not found, the application will map participation to a new nonmember.
    • If an error page appears when participants click the link, the identity profile variable is blank or the default value ([%insert value%]).
  6. Optional: Append a survey answer value to the activity link.
    1. Type an ampersand after the identity variable (&).
    2. Type the question name.
    3. Type an equals sign (=).
    4. Type the answer value.
    Example
    https://example.alidalabs.com/c/a/UniqueSurveyId?_i=IdentityVariableValue&QuestionName=AnswerValue
    For more information, see Append answer values to an activity link.