Welcome to our new and improved functionality for this release. You will notice we are helping you create better content plays via email and content tracks, improved filtering and topic assignments, and further developed our integration with Aprimo. We also improved the interface for Forms and display of thumbnail images.

We have added the following new features:

• Apply Multiple Topics when Sharing Recommend Tracks – this lets you apply multiple filtering options for content tracks.
• Content Library Domain Filters – this provides the ability to restrict domains your organization uses for content tracks.
• Retain Filter Settings from Microsites – this lets you apply filters in microsites and have them persist for the associated Recommend track.
• Aprimo Integration using CDN Link and Record ID – We have added a CDN (Public) link to the Aprimo integration to support import of audio and video files.

We have improved the following features:

• Standard Form Interface Improvement – the form selection interface now lets you view full titles of content assets when adding to a track.
• Improved Display of Embedded Content Thumbnails – this enables you to maintain the aspect ratio of thumbnail images to avoid having those images stretched.

Read details below!

Standard Experiences 

Apply Multiple Topics When Sharing Recommend Tracks 

Previously, when you sent out a Recommend track via Sharing or Preview, the topic sidebar allowed you to select only one topic. Starting with this release, you may add as many topics to your Recommend track as you wish. Also, audiences can now select and deselect filters from the list you provided in the track. 

See the example in the screenshot below. 

As you can see, on the left side of the screen,  all the topics are listed for the content assets included in that Recommend track. Audiences can select and deselect as they wish to create a filtered view within the track.

These filters act as an OR condition. This means that when there is more than one filter applied, the assets that are displayed are associated with all of the topics selected. 

1. Create a Recommend Track. 

2. Ensure the Topic Sidebar toggle is turned on, as shown below. When you turn it on, the topics associated with the content assets are automatically listed below the toggle.

3. You can leave the topics list as is, or you can click Configure to deselect the topics you don’t want displayed, as shown below.

4. Select an asset from the track and then click the Share button or Preview button, shown below outlined with a red rectangle. 

If you click Share, a popup window appears for you to select the Query String and further distill the topic list for your intended reader. 

If you click Preview, you are taken directly to the Recommend track, with the topics displayed that you had chosen in the Topics List. In Preview mode, the readers can deselect and select filter values that are listed there. See example below. 

You will see on the left panel, each asset has a topic tag of 2 or more. Readers can click on any of the topic tags, as many as they like, to filter for only the content that contains those tags.

Customized Displays for Mobile Users

To accompany the new Topic Sidebar, we have also refreshed the mobile display settings for Recommend and Target tracks, and microsites. 

In mobile view, when your viewers open the content track you sent to them, there are now two tabs. 

• Related Content
  • This is the tab the user sees first when they expand the bottom bar.
  • This tab displays the contents based on the filtered criteria.
• Topics
  • These topics are displayed for Recommend with a Topic Sidebar.
  • For each topic, readers can see how many assets are associated with it.
  • Filter values applied at the microsite are selected by default. The user can deselect filters or select additional available filters.

Note: To use this new interface, you must ensure your track has the following appearance settings enabled: Bottom Bar and Topic Sidebar.

Both the sidebar and the topic sidebar appear at the bottom of the screen in mobile view. See below for two examples of the finished product.

Content Library Domain Filters

As an administrator, you can prevent content from specific web domains from being added to the Content Library. This improves compliance with organization policies and increases your governance over the content assets that are added to the Content Library. 

Note: The restricted domains affect content assets that are added from that point on, not retroactively.  

To use this new feature, follow these steps.

1. On the main menu, select your login name and then click on Organization Settings. 
2. Select the Settings tab.

1. Scroll down to see the Domain Filtering field.

2. To enter a domain to be excluded from your Content Library, click in the Domain Filtering field, and then type in the name of your domain. Press Enter when you are finished entering the domain name. You can repeat this process for as many domains as you wish. 
   

• If you add a domain to the Domain Filtering field, users will see that domain listed in the restricted domains list. 
• If you have not added any domains to the Domain Filtering field, users will NOT see any domains listed on the Website URL AND CSV Upload tabs in the Add Content popup menu.

Note: You may include the prefix www if you wish, but it’s not necessary.

3. Click Save when you are finished. You see a confirmation message that your settings have been saved. 
4. If you have added a domain to this field, users cannot add it to the Content Library. Here is a preview of what your users will see if they try to upload content from an excluded domain. 

5. On the popup menu, there is a tool tip on the bottom right. Click on that tip to reveal a list of excluded domains, as shown below.

Retain Filter Settings from Microsites to Content Tracks

We have upgraded the functionality of the microsite filters, so that any filter values you apply in  the microsite carry over to the corresponding Recommend and Target tracks. As you know, microsites are built from Recommend and/or Target tracks. 

Note: These values are applied in the backend such that you see filtered out content in the Target or Recommend track.

For example, if you had the following filters in the microsite: 

• Topics: Content Intelligence and AI
• Language: German. 

Previously when these filters were applied to a microsite, and you navigated to Target or Recommend track that the content is associated with, the reader would see all the content assets including the content that is not German. This was confusing as a reader would expect to see only the assets related to the filter values applied. Now with this enhancement, if you navigate to the associated Target or Recommend track you will see the same content assets as in the microsite. 

When you create a microsite, you can set up filtering by Topic, Content Type, Industry, Persona, Business Unit, Product, Solution, and Language. When the same content is opened as a Target or Recommend track, those filters persist. You may add more filters to the content tracks as well. Below is an example of a Target Track with Filters displayed.

Aprimo Integration Using CDN Link and Record ID

We have added CDN (Content Delivery Network), otherwise known as a Public link, to the Aprimo connection functionality. Previously, the Aprimo import process supported image files and PDF files only. By allowing public links, we are now able to support the importation of video and audio files.

Note: If your organization doesn’t have Public link enabled, your content will continue to use the Record ID method where PathFactory will download and host the content in our CDN. However, this method does not support video or audio files. 

The details of this addition are as follows:

• Reduce PathFactory CDN capacity requirements as you no longer need to download the content and then host it in PathFactory CDN.
• Each content asset is tagged with a content ID and source URL to prevent duplication.

Navigate to DAM Authentication Tab

1. Click your login name and then select Organization Settings.
2. On the screen that opens, select the DAM Authentication tab. 

3. Select Edit Connection. There is also an option to Remove Connection if you wish. The next screen appears. 

4. Select the Public link checkbox. 
5. After you activate the public link, PathFactory maps the public link to the PathFactory source URL.

Note: If you activate the Public link but it’s not available for your setup, then our code will not be able to identify its duplicate content, and so you may encounter asset duplication. 

Standard Forms Interface Improvements 

For our users to have a better experience creating form strategy for their Recommend and Target Tracks, we have improved the interface. 

Previously, the dropdown lists were very narrow, which cut off the title of the assets. This made selecting the correct content asset very difficult, especially in an organization with a lot of content assets in their Content Library. 

To see the new interface, follow these steps. 

1. On the main menu, select Content Activation. Then select from the Standard Experiences menu, either Target or Recommend. In this example, I am showing the interface for Target. Its appearance is the same as for Recommend tracks. 

2. On the list of Recommend Tracks, select one to open and edit. 
3. On the track that opens, click View Form Strategy.

4. The Forms Strategy menu opens. 

5. Click +Add Rule or +Add Exclusions.
6. You will notice the Select Form and Show On dropdown lists are now much wider than before, so you can see the whole title of the asset. 

Improved Display of Embedded Content Thumbnails

This improvement enables you to maintain the aspect ratio of your thumbnail images when you are embedding content assets into your email messages. To find out more about email marketing and how to embed content tracks in your email messages, read here. 

The default thumbnail ratio when adding images to an email message is 4:3. This means some images get stretched to fit that ratio, as shown below.

For this release, we have set up an addition of black space on the sides of the thumbnail images when needed, to comply with the ratio while retaining the proportions of the image being displayed.  This new feature improves the look of your thumbnail images in your content tracks and microsites as well. See the example below. 

If your organization is regularly using images that need a particular ratio applied, the administrator can change this default setting. 

1. On the main menu, click your login name and then select Organization Settings. 
2. Select the Sales Tools Configuration tab.

3. You can see on the right side panel there are options to adjust the ratio as you see fit. You’ll also notice on the left panel is where you check folders (and their assets) to be available on the Chrome Extension when you create a content play email.