Templates are the building blocks of Rules
What are Templates?
Templates are individual files (KTR files to be precise) which are uploaded into Alterian CX.
A list of available Templates can be found in the Templates screen. This includes pre-made Public Templates plus any Templates you have created and uploaded to your Client.
What do Templates do?
Templates each perform specific tasks. These tasks vary hugely depending on the underlying Template configuration (configured using PDI Spoon).
Some examples include bringing data into a Rule (e.g., the Real-Time Input Step), sending data to the Journey Analytics Engine (e.g. Event Queue Tracking) or editing a message triggered by the Rule (E.g., the Build Message Template). There are many other possibilities.
How to configure Templates
All Templates are configured using an application called PDI Spoon. You can download any Template (from the Templates screen or from a Rule) and open it in Spoon to be configured.
What is Spoon?
Spoon is the graphical interface of an ETL (Extract, Transform and Load) tool called PDI. KTR files are created using Spoon. These files use and manage data and are critical to how Rules function.
How do you know what a Template does?
To find out more about a Template open it from the Templates screen.
About (open template)
This will give a description of what the Template does, the version, the Client it's saved on, the last time it was modified, and for Public Templates there is usually a link to further Product Documentation.
Inputs - click to open
This shows the inputs available to connect into the Template
Outputs
This shows the outputs available to connect out of the Template. These can be deselected if not needed.
Parameters
Shows the Parameters associated with the Template. Once the Template is added to a Rule these will become editable if they have been set up this way.
Data Grids
Like Parameters, if there are Data Grids they will be editable once the Template is added to Rule.
Public Templates
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Real-Time CX has over 50 Public Templates available to give you a head start in Rule Building. Templates can be inserted into a Rule and the Parameters adjusted so you can tweak how it works.
More information
Where a Template has a Help button (?), this will open the Product Documentation for more information.
Filter Public Templates
Select Public Templates Only to display just Public Templates
Search for Templates
Search here using all or part of the template name.
Let's take a look at the most commonly used Public Templates.
Colour guide of Public Templates
Public Templates have different colours relating to the tasks that they perform:
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Real-Time Input Step
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The Real-Time Input Step pulls data into the Rule. This could be activity from any channel such as website, app or email, or third party system.
Once this template is configured outside the platform (using PDI/Spoon), it can be inserted at the start of any Rule that needs the data it receives.
Get CXID
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This Template should be pulled into any Rule where the identity of the person being "exposed" to the Rule could be identified.
Users being exposed to a Rule will have their activity tracked by the Rule or if it's an Influencer Rule, they will be experiencing Journey Orchestration driven by the Rule in response to their behavior.
What is a CXID?
This is a unique identifier assigned by the Alterian Real-Time CX Platform to recognise visitors and ensure that all their activity is assigned to them.
How does Get CXID work?
The Get CXID Template takes up to three elements of identifying information (known as Channelagentids e.g., email address), saves these values and compares them to any values recorded before.
This will allow the Template to either assign a CXID to a user that was previously assigned, or create a new one if they are new
Event Queue
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This Template is essential for passing data to Journey Analytics to enable accurate reporting.
There are three versions of this Template - Tracking, Conversion and Influencer. These relate to the type of Rule they're used in. If you have a Tracking Rule, include the Event Queue - Tracking Template and it will capture every Tracking event that take place and will pass that data to Journey Analytics.
The same goes for Event Queue Influencer and Event Queue Conversion. Include these Templates in these Rules and they will record the activity that's taking place.
Build Message
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Use this very simple Public Template to allow the editing of a message that can be passed into the Rule and controlled within the Rule itself through a simple Parameter. This could be a manually set SMS message, email subject line etc.
Uploading a New Template
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Templates are the building blocks of Rules. There are a number of Public Templates which you can configure or you can create your own (you need to have created the KTR file in PDI Spoon before you can upload it).
Open the Templates screen
If you're not already in the Templates screen click on the Templates button in the left-hand menu.
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Add Template
Click the orange + on the Templates screen to upload a new Template.
Browse for your Template
Click here to browse for the Template on your device. This will be a KTR file.
Template name
You can change your Template name here or by default it takes the name of the original file you uploaded.
Select a Client
Select the Client to load your Template into.
Select icon
Select an appropriate Icon and colour (suggest it represents the task the Template performs). Click Done when you have you made your selection.
Service cost (optional)
For Templates that provide an action or interact with a specific channel you can specify the Service Cost.
The Service Cost is the monetary cost that you as a brand bear when the Template runs. This can be used to identify exactly how much ROI Rules provide. A good example is emails where you have a set CPM rate. Add a Service Cost if you have one or click Next to move to the next step.
Service cost rate
If you set a Service Cost choose whether the Service Cost is a Flat Rate or CPM. We'll default to Flat Rate even if you have no value set.
Help
If you have created help documentation for the Template, link to it here. This will help future users to clearly understand what the Template does.
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The Templates screen shows the Templates available for you to build your Rules. The Templates available are governed by your user permissions and the Client selection at the top of the screen.
Public or Templates belonging to mixed clients can be distinguished by the Client column.
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