Creating seeds

Overview

Seeds are manufactured records that you can use for testing. Seeds live outside of the database, and you can use these seed records to run tests or add them to live campaigns to see exactly what customers are receiving. This topic walks you through how to create and use seeds.

The video below walks through configuring the desired attributes for your seeds and creating the seeds themselves, along with some examples of where you can use seeds.

Step 1: Configure attributes

Before you can create a seed, you’ll need to decide which attributes you want to assign to the seeds. You can add as many as you want in order to make your seeds as realistic to real records as you want.

To configure the attributes:

From the Quick Access menu, choose Configuration.
From the left side menu, under Fulfillment, select Seeds.
On the Attributes tab, drag the attributes you want from the File Search on the bottom left side.
For each attribute, add a default value. The default value will appear if you don’t fill in that attribute on any given seed.
(Optional) Add a category for each attribute. You can use categories to filter and organize your attributes.
Select Save from the toolbar.

Step 2: Create seeds

Each seed equates to an individual test record. For example, if you want to be included in campaigns in order to review what your customers see, you can create a seed that represents yourself, with your name, email address, SMS number, etc.

To create a seed:

From the Quick Access menu, choose Configuration.
From the left side menu, under Fulfillment, select Seeds.
On the Seeds tab, select the green plus icon to create a new seed.
Fill in values for all of the columns for the seed.
Repeat steps 3-4 for as many seeds as you’d like to create.
(Optional) Add a category for each seed. You can use categories to filter your seeds.
Select Save from the toolbar.

Add your email/phone contact to multiple seeds to receive different versions of your offer based on the attributes, such as age, gender, city, etc.

Step 3: Create seed groups

Use seed groups to organize your seeds. You’ll need to add your seeds to groups in order to add seeds to tests and campaigns.

To create a new seed group:

From the Quick Access menu, choose Configuration.
From the left side menu, under Fulfillment, select Seeds.
On the Groups tab, select the green plus icon next to Seed Groups to create a new group.
Fill in a name and optional description for the group.
Select Save from the toolbar.

To add a seed to a group:

Choose the group you want to use from the left column.
Select the green plus icon over the right column to add a seed to the group.
Choose an unassigned seed from the left column of the popup.
Select the green arrow to move it over to the Seeds in Group column on the right.
Choose OK.
Select Save from the toolbar.

Step 4: Using seeds

Now that you’ve created seeds and seed groups, you can use the seeds to run tests in the Offer Designer and add seeds to live campaigns in the Interaction Designer.

Offer Designer

When creating an offer, you can send test offers using seed groups. This action sends a test offer to each seed in the chosen group.

Open an existing offer in the Offer Designer or create a new offer.
When your offer is valid and saved, go to the Actions menu in the toolbar and choose Send Test.
Under Choose the recipient of the messages, choose selected seed groups.
Add one or more seed groups that you’d like to send the test offer to.
Choose the channel(s) to send the message.
Select OK.

Interaction Designer

You can send offers to seeds in live campaigns from the Interaction Designer. You can use the batch audience/interactive activity, or an offer. Both of these options work to send the offer to the seeds, you can also use both at the same time as needed.

From the batch audience/interactive activity:

Open an existing interaction in the Interaction Designer, or create a new interaction.
Choose your batch audience or interactive activity and select Show Configuration Panel.
On the Seeds tab, configure the seed groups to your preference.
Select Done.

From the offer:

Open an existing interaction in the Interaction Designer, or create a new interaction.
Choose your offer and select Show Configuration Panel.
On the General tab, under Channels, choose Configure.
For each channel, add the seed groups you wish to target.
Select Done.