For an index of Engage articles, return to the Engage Table of Contents. This article discusses the following topics related to the Message Builder:
Message Builder
Craft templates to use in future campaigns using the Message Builder! Create message formats that meet your institution's design standards, and streamline the process of creating future campaigns.
Menu
When opening the Message Builder, a modal opens offering three options:
- Create New - Create a new template
- Duplicate - Duplicate an existing template
- Edit - Edit a saved template
Clicking on "Create New" opens a modal with the required "Template Name" field and optional "Template Description" field. Clicking "Create" complete creating the template and opens the builder.
Clicking on either "Duplicate" or "Edit" opens an interface to find and either duplicate or edit an existing template.
Builder Interface
The Message Builder shows a preview of the current email in the central panel, together with editing options above and to the right.
Top Toolbar
| Location | Icon | Button Function |
| Left |
devices |
Screen Size - Switch between previews of the message sized for a desktop browser, tablet, and phone |
| Center |
forward/back arrows and magnifying glasses |
Manage View - Undo/Redo and to adjust the zoom |
| Center Right |
square |
View Borders - Toggle invisible layout elements on and off |
|
arrows point out |
Fullscreen - Toggle a fullscreen view on and off | |
|
HTML brackets |
Export Code - See the HTML code for the current message, which can be copied to be used again | |
|
arrow points to drive |
Import Code - A window shows to paste HTML code to be used in this message | |
|
yellow caution sign |
Toggle Images - Toggle images on and off to see what the email would look like if images are not downloaded by an email client | |
|
pencil to paper |
Message Settings - Edit the name, description, and preview icon for this message. | |
|
disc |
Save - Available when editing from Engage > Campaign Management. Manually save the message. | |
|
folder |
Open Templates - Available from Engage > Message Builder. Open the menu interface to manage messages and templates | |
| Right |
brush |
Style Manager - Dimensions (such as padding and margin), typography, and decorations |
|
gear |
Trait Manager - Id and Title for the selected element | |
|
three lines |
Layer Manager - A list of all elements on the page | |
|
4 panels |
Blocks - Elements that can be dragged to the message to create the layout
|
Mail Merge
When creating a message, customize your messages using mail merge fields! These fields make it possible to send personalized emails referencing information about your contacts and simplifying the process of sending to a wide variety of contacts with a single message campaign.
-
Contact Fields -
- First Name, Last Name, and Email Address are required profile fields when creating a contact, whether by file upload, through an analytics report, or by signing up for an event or registering for a contact list.
- Middle Name and Preferred Name are optional fields. If no information is entered in the middle name field for a contact, then no information will be included in the resulting email. If no preferred name is available, then the merge field will use the contents of the "First Name" field instead when sending.
- Settings - For contacts created from an analytics report that includes users with profiles in the system, additional merge fields are possible. Which applicant parameters are used for each merge field is set in Engage > Settings > General. For each field, a generic term can be set to use if this parameter is blank for a particular contact. (See Engage: Settings for more information.)
- SEVIS - In ISSS sites, additional fields are available that draw on SEVIS fields for existing users.
This chart outlines the merge fields available in the Engage Message Builder, including fields that are available only for ISSS sites.
| Study Abroad | ISSS | |
| First Name | Contact Field (required) | Contact Field (required) |
| Middle Name | Contact Field | Contact Field |
| Last Name | Contact Field (required) | Contact Field (required) |
| Email Address | Contact Field (required) | Contact Field (required) |
| Preferred Name | Contact Field, also Mapped in Settings > General |
Contact Field, also Mapped in Settings > General |
| Class | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| College | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| Department | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| Financial Aid | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| Major | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| Minor | Mapped in Settings > General | Mapped in Settings > General |
| SEVIS Campus Site | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Country of Citizenship | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Country of Permanent Residence | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Education Level | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Id | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Program Start | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SSEVIS Program End | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Status | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Stage Status | N/A | Automatic for existing users |
| SEVIS Visa Type | N/A | Automatic for existing users |