Response Tracking

Response tracking can be used to define response ids to be used in the invitation URL.  To make use of response ids, the merge field EmailResponseID must be used within the email.   Response tracking only applies to sample mailings.

There are several ways of specifying response ids:

  1. The user can upload a list of response ids from a file (or files).
  2. The user can upload a list of URLs containing response ids from a file (or files).
  3. The response ids can be generated automatically by Q_Panel.

Q_Panel will automatically generate the response ids if the user does not upload response ids before sending an email.  The generated response id will be a random 32-character GUID e.g. 7c74587220b949aca13045bb30ddd6f4 .  The randomness of the number makes it secure and unique. 

If response ids are uploaded by the user, each response id can also be associated with a specific panellist by including the external customer id in the file along with the associated response id.

When a response id has been assigned to a panellist, it will be re-used for every mailing based on the sample.

Once an email has been sent for a sample the response ids can no longer be loaded as they will have already been assigned by Q_Panel.

Response Tracking file format and content

The file can be a simple .txt file, or if it also contains associated external customer ids can be in a comma-separated (.csv) or tab-separated (.tab) format.

An optional column header row may be included.

Example 1

A simple example containing only response ids and no column headers might look like this:

AAA12345678901
AAA12345678902
AAA12345678903
[etc..]

Q_Panel will assign one of these response ids to each panellist in the sample.

Example 2

A file that contains a URL and associated external customer id along with column headers might look like this:

URL,Customer
http://www.surveysystemabc.co.uk?ID=HY01JE16&projid=xyz,234
http://www.surveysystemabc.co.uk?ID=HY01JE27&projid=xyz,310
http://www.surveysystemabc.co.uk?ID=HY01JE38&projid=xyz,519
[etc..]

 Q_Panel will assign these URLs and response ids to the panellist in the sample identified by the external customer id.

Upload Response IDs

To upload response ids, select Sample Action/Mailing to display the sample mailing screen:

If the New Sample Mailing dialog pops up first you can just cancel it (you can use the New Mailing button when you are ready to create mailings).

Click on the Response Tracking button:

Click Select. This brings up a Windows dialog Choose File to Upload:

Navigate to the file you wish to use and click Open.

Here you see a preview of how the file will be interpreted.

In this example:

  • First Row Has Column Headers is checked
  • Customer Identifier (external customer ID) is changed to use the Customer column
  • Response is changed to use the URL column and
  • Response contains Urls with a unique identifier parameter is checked and the ID parameter selected

Click Upload to confirm.

The summary tells you how many response ids are required, and how many have been supplied so far.  Multiple files can be uploaded one at a time - you will not be able to save the response ids loaded unless enough have been supplied for all panellists in the sample. 

Click on Save to save the response ids loaded and exit the dialog.

Validation Errors

If there are any validation errors these will be reported.  For example:

In this example five records failed to load.  The user can either:

  •   Cancel the upload, correct the errors and try again, or
  •   Load another file containing an additional five valid records by clicking on Hide and selecting another file to upload

View Response IDs

You can view the response ids assigned to each panellist using Sample Action/View History and adding the column Response Id if it is not already being displayed.

Using Response IDs

The response id and external survey URL, if uploaded, can be used in the sample email by using the merge fields available in the Email Merge Fields folder:

Response IDs are only relevant to sample mailing and are not available for mailings based on Imports or Filters.

Deleting Response IDs

In v7.04 it is possible to delete response ids that have been uploaded for a sample mailing as long as no emails have been sent.

Response Ids cannot be changed once an email has been sent.

The delete button will appear when:

  • response ids have been uploaded and saved, AND
  • there are no sent emails for the sample

When the Delete button is pressed the response ids will immediately be removed.

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