Configuring eesii for print messages

6 min

Overview

eesii is a third party solution for print messages. In eesii, you define processes, called campaigns, for sending print messages. These eesii campaigns can be controlled from a Marketing Automation campaign in Optimizely Campaign through an app connection node. For more information about eesii, see eesii.com/en/product.

eesii has a REST API that allows triggering print messages with recipient data from Optimizely Campaign. For this, you need an eesii API key and an eesii campaign ID.

Finding your eesii API key

Context: For triggering any eesii campaign through an app connection, your eesii account's API key is required. Prerequisites: You have an eesii account and you have access to an eesii campaign.

In the eesii main menu, click Campaign.

If required: Navigate to another tab to see your campaigns.

In the list of campaigns, click on any campaign. → The campaign details are displayed.

Click generate Webhook. → The webhook details are displayed, they include your eesii API key.

Finding an eesii campaign ID

Context: For triggering an eesii campaign through an app connection, the campaign's campaign ID is required. Prerequisites: You have an eesii account and you have access to an eesii campaign.

In the eesii main menu, click Campaign.

If required: Navigate to another tab to see the desired type of campaigns.

In the list of campaigns, click on the entry for the desired campaign. → The campaign details are displayed.

Click Generate Webhook. → The webhook details are displayed, they include the campaign ID.

JSON data in API requests

The eesii API processes POST requests with information in JSON format. When using Optimizely Campaign for sending such API requests, you can define the JSON code in the message body of an app connection. This JSON code can contain placeholders for dynamic values from a recipient list, which are enclosed in curly braces.

Below is an example for JSON data in an eesii API request. Dynamic values in curly braces {} are used to get the data for individual recipients from the recipient list in Optimizely Campaign. The layout ID and the campaign ID for the eesii campaign are included as fixed values.

{
  "record": {
    "First Name": "{firstname}",
    "Last Name": "{lastname}",
    "Straße": "{street}",
    "Nr": "{streetnumber}"
    "Zip Code": "{zipcode}"
    "Place": "{place}"
    "layoutId": "abc",
    "campaignId": "xyz"
  }
}

Creating an app connection for eesii

Prerequisites: You know the API key for your eesii account and the* campaign ID* of the eesii campaign you want to use.

In Optimizely Campaign, go to Administration > App Connections.

Below the list of app connections, click on Create...

Enter a meaningful name (e.g. "Trigger eesii campaign ABC").

Configure the API request: HTTP Method: POST URL: https://eesii.com/api/v1/campaigns/singlerecord Authentication method: Key Authentication Content Type: application/json Message Body: Recipient information as JSON code, see JSON structure for recipient information above. Authentication Key: Enter the text "eesii-apikey" here. Authentication Value: Your eesii API key

Click Save. → The new app connection is now ready to be used in a Marketing Automation campaign.

Triggering print messages from an MA campaign

Context: A simple use case is triggering a print message when a new recipient is added to a specific recipient list. Of course, you can configure different and more complex campaigns with Marketing Automation. Prerequisites: You have prepared an app connection for triggering print messages through eesii, see Creating an app connection for eesii above.

Create a Marketing Automation campaign.

Add a Connect App node.

In the Connect App node, select your app connection for eesii.

Finish the MA campaign and make sure that the app connection node receives the the recipient data it requires.

Save the MA campaign. → The new MA Campaign will trigger print message sending through eesii.

Testing an eesii campaign (softproof)

Context: Test if your combination of Marketing Automation and eesii works as expected, before sending out any print messages. Prerequisites: You have prepared a Marketing Automation campaign for triggering print messages through eesii. Your eesii campaign is fully configured and in draft status.

In Optimizely Campaign, perform an action that will trigger the app connection node for eesii in your Marketing Automation campaign.

On eesii.com, open your draft print campaign.

Check if there is a test run corresponding with the action you performed in Optimizely Campaign. Note: You may need to wait a few minutes until the API request from Optimizely Campaign is processed by eesii.

In the line of the test rung, click Download PDF and open the file.

Check if the layout and the recipient data are rendered as expected.

If everything looks good, activate the checkmark to confirm that you reviewed the PDF from eesii (also called softproof).

Click Activate Campaign. → The eesii campaign is now ready for sending.