Field Codes explained

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What is a field code? (also called custom fields)

Field Codes are data fields that can hold information about your guide, or the people you are inviting to view your guide, your guests! These codes can be inserted into your guide content or message templates by using a short code and are automatically replaced with the actual data when the guide is viewed, or the message is sent.

Using Field Codes in Memo Templates

As an example, {{guest_first_name}} is a field code, when used in a message template this field code will be replaced by the actual first name of the guest on the invitation. Using field codes means you don’t have to change the message for each guest or guide, because the field code automatically inserts the data into the message (the guest’s name in the example above). To add field codes into your Memo message templates, use the “Insert Field Code” button for email from name and email subject, or the “Field Code” option found in the text entry box toolbar for email body or SMS content.

Field codes can also be used when setting criteria for determining which templates are used for which guide, or person being invited. For more details on setting message template criteria, see this article.

Using Field Codes in Guide content

Another example field code is {{guide_name}}, this could be added to the guide content in the “About the Accommodation” category title to instead read “About {{guide_name}}”. If you have multiple guides in your account, this then allows you to customise the section name to match the guide.

Note that if you use the Quick Share link, as well as invitation links, you will potentially have no data available to replace some short codes (the Quick Share link is the same for all viewers and independent of invitations).

This may not be a problem, but you do have the option to add a substitute value for standard field codes to be used in the absence of real values. For example, if you use the field code {{guest_first_name}} to add the guest name to a topic then you could set a substitute value of “Friend” and then any use of {{guest_first_name}} in the topic content would be replaced by “Friend” in your generic Quick Share link (see below for more details on setting substitute values).

To add field codes into your guide content use the “Insert Field Code” button for section titles or the “Field Code” option found in the text entry box toolbar for topic content.

Standard Field Codes

There are a series of standard field codes that come with your account automatically and are based on fixed fields in Touch Stay. These standard field codes are:

  • guide_name : the name of the guide as set on the Guide Details tab.
  • invitation_link 1 : the unique link for the invitation.
  • host_name : the first name set in the Profile settings on the Account page.
  • guide_address 1 : the street address of the guide.
  • guide_city : the city of the guide.
  • guide_region_state : the region or state of the guide.
  • guide_zipcode : the zip/post code of the guide.
  • guide_country : the country of the guide.
  • guide_contact_name : the name set as the “Your contact name” on the Guide Details tab or Profile settings on the Account page.
  • guide_contact_email : the email set as the “Your contact email address” on the Guide Details tab or Profile settings on the Account page.
  • guide_contact_phone : a clickable phone link to the phone number set as the “Your contact phone number” on the Guide Details tab or Profile settings on the Account page.
  • guide_contact_sms : a clickable SMS link to the phone number set as the “Your contact phone number” on the Guide Details tab or Profile settings on the Account page.
  • guest_first_name : the first name of the person set on the invitation.
  • guest_last_name : the last name of the person set on the invitation.
  • guest_email : the email address of the person set on the invitation.
  • guest_phone : the phone number of the person set on the invitation.
  • arrival_date : the arrival/start date set on the invitation.
  • departure_date : the departure/end date set on the invitation.
  • invitation_view_count 1 : the number of views the invitation has had.
  • tag 2 : any active tags on the guide.

Notes:

1 – these codes are not available when setting message criteria. 2 – these codes are not available in message template or guide content.

Standard field codes which come from invitation data can have a substitute value set to replace the short code when used in guide content for the Quick Share link. These substitute values can be added by using the “View/Edit” option in the 3 dots menu for each standard field code found in the table on the Field Codes tab of the Account page.

Custom Field Codes

You can create your own custom field codes for use in guide content, message templates or message criteria. Field codes can be for anything that you think will be useful for personalising the information that you want to provide to your guests. When creating custom field codes you can choose where the data will be set and what type that data will be, depending on what you need the code for. You can also set a substitute value to be used if the data is missing. You create custom field codes from the Field Codes tab of the Account page, more details on each option can be found below.

Remember: In custom fields, up to 65000 characters are allowed, but it's worth noting that it can't format the elements and there are no line breaks or paragraphs

Field Code Name

The code name also forms the short code that is used to enter the code into message content. The code must consist of letters, numbers, underscores and hyphens only. You cannot include spaces or any special characters. We will surround your code with double curly brackets to make it easy to identify when in use. You do not need to add the curly brackets yourself and in fact won’t be able to, since they’re a special character and not permitted for the name.

Field Type

The field type determines where this data will be set. The options are:

  • User/Guest – for data that will be set when creating invitations; or
  • Guide – if it will be set on the Guide Details tab.
  • An example of User/Guest data is the lock code. This is specific to each guest and set on the invitation.
  • An example of Guide data could be the review link. This is specific to the property the guide is for.

Data Type

The data type determines the type of data your custom field code can hold. Once set, this may limit the entries that can be made and it also affects the criteria options, see this article for more details on setting message criteria. The different data types and some examples are given below:

  • Text – free plain text, for example a reservation or booking ID.
  • List – a list of data. This means when the field data is set, the options can only be from this list. Enter each value separated by a comma. You could use lists to classify your guests (couple, family, celebration etc) or create special messaging around certain events in your local area.
  • Link – a weblink. Use to add fixed links related to each guide such as your website reviews page. The short code will be converted into a clickable link when replaced with the data.
  • Date – a fixed date. This type allows you to create time related criteria such as after or before.
  • Number – an integer, field data can be whole numbers only. This type allows you to create value related criteria such as greater than or less than.
  • Yes or No – a simple choice of Yes or No. You could use this for messaging about ancillary services such as airport transfers or welcome hampers.

Substitute Value

The substitute value is optional and only used in the case of missing field data. Substitute values have no effect on criteria, they are only used in message content if the field data is left blank. For example, you create a custom field code called {{lock_code}}. The substitute value could be “Call us if code is missing” – this means if you ever forget to add the lock code but a message using the short code gets sent out, then the short code would be replaced with “Call us if code is missing”.

Substitute values are also used in your Quick Share link for any standard field codes where the data is set on the invitation. The Quick Share link is the same for everyone viewing it and therefore can’t have data that changes based on an invitation (that’s precisely what unique invitation links are for!). Substitute values for standard field codes can be added by using the “View/Edit” option in the 3 dots menu for each standard field code found in the table on the Field Codes tab of the Account page.

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