How to create dynamic content for emails to send up to salesforce API?

Question

We use PHP for implementing our integration of the ExactTarget API.

Our goal is to be able to:

1. Create dynamic content from our end and send that JSON object up to salesforce: new account sign up, password resets, purchases, etc.

2. Once that dynamic content is created I then want to choose the appropriate template (through a parameter in the api call?) and have salesforce use ampscript to integrate my dynamic content with the appropriate template and send the email.

Does exacttarget have the ability: to 1. Send a template through a parameter in the api call and interpret the content and inject it into that template? If so, could someone guide me to some documentation or explain to me how to do so?

Answer 1

You can't send a "template" via ET SOAP API, you can however create a template object or email object via SOAP API but it is only limited to "Free Form" type, you can't create a template or email with dynamic content rules or blocks via SOAP API.

From what you described, you can use TriggerSend , for example for signup welcome email:

1. in Marketing Cloud, create Data Extension by selecting "Create from template" -> "Trigger Send Data Extension", for each dynamic variable, define it as a field.
2. Create Creative Email, use ampscript syntax, %%Field%% for dynamic content display.
3. Create a TriggeredSend in Interactions, and select Triggered Send Data Extension and Email you just created. In TriggerSend list page, select the checkbox and start the TriggerSendDefinition
4. You should get a ExternalKey for TriggeredSendDefinition. use that ExternalKey for TriggerSend API call, each dynamic variable is an attribute for the subscriber object.
5. You should receive a httpstatus 202 for your API call,which means the message is queued, you can check the status in Marketing Cloud Triggersend page.

Answer 2

Have you considered using Guide Template Language in your emails? It is a Moustache/Handlebars style templating language that lets you render templates dynamically at send time. Then all you need to do is pass your JSON data as an attribute of the triggered send.