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Create Short Method URL
Solution No. 71
Provides you with an Action Result that contains the URL of a unique link you can provide to customers, vendors, partners or other Method users.
 
So Where Would We Use It?
Typically when you send out emails, and your emails contain links to sign into Method, into a portal, or need to give the ability to your customers to opt-out of future emails.
 
Properties
  1. Select Create Short Method URL from the Action dropdown list.
  2. Domain Name - select how your want your link to appear.  The format will look either like http://MIurl.cc/abcde or http://link.methodintegration.com/abcde.  The advantage of of the MIurl.cc link is that it is shorter.  The advantage of the link.methodintegration.com link is that the name is more recognizable.  Otherwise, they are the same.
  3. Expiry Date - set when this link will become inactive.  This is optional, and you can leave it blank.  If the link is clicked on after the expiry date, they'll be redirected to a page telling them the link has expired.
  4. Link Type - choose what the purpose of the link will be.  See the descriptions below for when each one should be used.
  5. Tab link to open - when the user signs in, they'll go immediately to this tab and tab link.
  6. Screen Record ID - when they sign in, a "Set Active Record ID" action will run for you automatically.  For example, if you want a user to click on the link and see Bob Crenshaw's record, and Bob Crenshaw is Record ID 5, you would set your Tab link to Customers >> Edit Customer, and the Screen Record ID to a value of 5.
  7. Tab Group - if the specified tab and tab link are visible in more than one tab group, then Method will have to decide which tab group to show.  If no tab group is specified, and the tab and tab link appear in multiple tab groups, Method will attempt to apply the user's default tab group.  If the tab and tab link do not appear in the user's default tab group, and no tab group is specified, Method will randomly select one.
  8. Activity Record ID - do you want to track when a customer clicks on your link?  If so, before sending an email, insert an activity into the user's account, specifying that you sent them an email, and make sure you keep track of that activity's Record ID.  If you then apply that Record ID here, and the link is clicked on, Method will add to the activity's comments noting the day, time and IP address of when the link was click on.  In addition, if you have a LastClickedDate field in the Activity table, Method will update that field for the specified record every time the link is clicked.
  9. Action Result Name - this action will return the short URL as an action result, so that you can put it into your email template, or use it elsewhere on your screen.
Method Link
A link you typically provide staff to log them into Method, to a specific screen and specific record.
 
Mobile Link
A link you typically provide to staff to log them into the mobile version of Method, to a specific screen and specific record.
 
Portal Link
A link you typically provide to a customer to log them into a customer portal to view invoices, pay bills, or adjust their profile.
  • Portal - the name of the portal you want your customer or vendor to sign into.
  • Customer/Vendor RecordID - select a specific customer or vendor that this link will be given to.  Each contact of that customer or vendor can then use a combination of the URL and their contact email address to authenticate themselves to log into the portal, rather than having to set up their own user name/password. 
Email opt-out
A link you typically provide to a contact of a customer, lead or vendor that allows them to opt-out of future marketing or billing emails.  When a contact clicks on this link, they are taken to a generic "change email preferences" page on Method's site.  When they save their preference, the specified user at your company will receive a notification, and an activity will be inserted, relating to the specified marketing campaign. 
  • Contact RecordID (required) - The Record ID of the customer or vendor contact that you are giving this link to.  Careful - this is not the same as the Customer/Vendor Record ID, since one customer or vendor may have many contacts at their company and each contact has different email opt-out preferences.
  • Sent by User RecordID - The User who sent the email.  This will be the user at your company who will also receive email notifications each time a customer or vendor contact updates their email preferences.
  • Campaign RecordID - If you are emailing as part of a marketing campaign, a new activity will be created in the contact's account when they update their email preferences.  The activity will be assigned to the Sent by User, and to the specified Campaign.  This allows you to view the campaign in Method and see how many opt-outs have occurred as a result of the email.
Created byJohn C. on Nov-19-2012
Last modified byJohn C. on Nov-19-2012