Recipient attributes is where you store the unique data for each of your recipients. When updating a contact, the defined attributes in your file (or your API call) will be updated.
All your recipient attributes are available for all recipients on your account, but the attributes don't necessary need to contain data for each recipient.
When looking at a contact card, you'll see all your attributes and what data that specific contact has stored in each attribute.
Your attributes can be managed on Account settings > (Audience) Recipient Attributes.
Default and custom attributes
A couple of recipient attributes are predefined in Symplify, and some of them are crucial for your business. These are:
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Original Id
This attribute is mandatory and must contain your unique recipient identifier. You can not create a new attribute holding this data. Learn more about Original ID. -
Email address
This attribute stores the email address of each recipient and is mandatory if you're using the Email channel. You can not create a new custom attribute holding this data. -
Mobile number
This attribute stores the mobile number of each recipient and is mandatory if you're using the SMS channel. You can not create a new custom attribute holding this data.
Make sure the mobile number includes country code!
There are also other predefined attributes, e.g. First name, Last name and City but these attributes are only recommended for use. They can however not be removed from your account if you're not using them.
You can easily spot the default attributes since they have no attribute ID, like your custom attributes.
By setting a data type on your attributes you can define the nature of your data (and this will help you when you're creating segments).
Attribute mapping when manually updating the database
When you manually import a file to your list, you map each column (header) in your file to an attribute in Symplify, e.g. mapping the file column CustomerID to the attribute OriginalID.
Attribute mapping when automatically updating the database
If you have an automatic database update, you must probably predefine what column data should be stored on what attribute. The exception is if your column headers have the exact same name as the attributes in Symplify.
To set this, the attributes in Symplify must know the name of the file column header. To map a file column header to an attribute, you click on the cog-icon and select Edit.
Under File headers, you can type multiple header alternatives, separating them with a new line.
Use only ASCII alphanumeric characters (A-Z a-z 0-9).
Do not include any of the characters space, &, <, >, " or ' in your fileheaders since these are not supported.
Column headers in your file that can not be matched with either an attribute name or an added file header name will be interpreted as new data and will create an attribute with the column header name. Learn more about this on Magic mapping.