NOTE: This article is for customers with the "classic" Admin interface (horizontal top-navigation bar).



If your interface is different, view the New Admin Experience version of this article.

Custom Date Fields are personalized keywords that allow you to insert of keywords for each contact to personalize an email or fax message. this functionality may be used for a personalized message, but more importantly it allows the system to search on a range of dates, such as the past 30 days. Since these values are inserted at the time of send, it is important that you are mindful of your Custom Date Field usage, in particular that the originating data source contains correct information.

• Custom Date Fields are visible to everyone in the account, regardless of your Enterprise Asset rules.
• All accounts have Custom Date Fields enabled and are limited to 30.

Permissions

NOTE: Initially, all users have access to the feature. However, administrative users can limit access to it with the Custom Fields.

Configuration

This is an as-needed set-up process from the Contacts page in Higher Logic Thrive Marketing Enterprise (Thrive Marketing Enterprise). While Thrive Marketing Enterprise includes 12 default personalization fields, you can use your own set in segmentation with Marketing Automation, or even for personalization.

Custom Date Fields cannot begin with a number or be left blank. These fields should be reserved in the event you want to use date-specific segmentation, there is only a limit of 30 fields available.

To configure additional Custom Date Fields:

1. Select Contacts.
2. Select Custom Fields.
3. Enter a name for the Custom Date Field.
4. Check the date checkbox.
5. Select Submit.

Once the configuration is completed, you can upload values to use in Marketing Automation or Message Personalization.

Using Custom Date Fields

Uploading Custom Date Fields

Uploading CSV files with or without date fields is virtually the same process. Date fields, however, must conform to either of the following formats: MM/DD/YYYY or M/D/YYYY.

If a single value in a CSV file's date column does not conform, the record will fail upon upload. It will be available in the Reject File.

Here’s a quick process for properly reformatting the values in the date column in Microsoft Excel. Other spreadsheet applications (such as Apache OpenOffice Calc and LibreOffice Calc) have similar processes.

1. Highlight the entire date field column in the CSV file. (If you have more than one date column repeat the process for each individually).
2. Click on the Format option on the top menu bar.
3. Click on Cells option from the drop down list.
4. Click on the Number tab.
5. Select the Date option from the category list.
6. Highlight the second to last option, 03/14/2001, from the type list and click OK.

The values in the CSV file's date column now are properly formatted and ready to be uploaded.

Searching on a Custom Date Field

Custom Date Fields can be searched on like any other custom field, from the Contacts tab.

1. Click Advanced Search.

The third to last row on the Advanced Search menu is Custom Date Fields.

1. Select the box next to the desired Custom Date Field.
2. Choose your field name in the Advanced Search page.

Next, the following search options are made available.

1. By common time period (today, yesterday, this week, last week).
2. Last X number of days (add to the group all individuals whose birthday occurred in the past 10 days).
3. Less than or equal to X number of days/Greater than or equal X number of days (add to the group all individuals whose birth date is 30 days before or after MM/DD/YYYY).
4. From date X To date X (add to the group all individuals whose birthday occurs between MM/DD/YYYY and MM/DD/YYYY).

Troubleshooting

Below are some common problems encountered when working with Custom Date Fields.

• Why can't I delete my field? - Custom Date Fields once created will always require a value in that field, you can remove the details for your contacts by uploading a CSV file with NULL values, or rename the Custom Date Field but you cannot delete it once created.
• I can't see my Custom Date Field choice when I am uploading. - At times, especially if you are uploading via an integration, your session will just need to be refreshed. Log out and log back in and you should be able to view this field.
• Why did some of my uploaded records return an invalid date field in my Reject File? - Date fields must be formatted properly in your CSV file. While Thrive Marketing Enterprise will convert many date field formats, it is recommended that your field follow the format, MM/DD/YYYY.