To prevent spam and verify sender identity, Google and Microsoft updated their email security policies in 2024. These policies require email authentication to ensure that messages are delivered to the correct recipients and avoid being flagged as spam. This verification process affects any email sent by CTI.
Audience: CTI and client internal IT teams Configured by: CTI and client internal IT teams
Overview
To prevent spam and verify sender identity, Google and Microsoft updated their email security policies in 2024. These policies require email authentication to ensure that messages are delivered to the correct recipients and avoid being flagged as spam. This verification process affects any email sent by CTI.
As part of this process, IT teams should verify the DKIM and DMARC configurations for each association URL (e.g., yourdomain.com) before each event setup.
When/How to Verify
This verification should be performed at the start of each meeting creation. Each organization only needs to check its own domain, such as yourdomain.com
Download Instructions: Please refer to the document below for detailed steps on verifying DKIM and DMARC configurations.
In the latest release, we’ve streamlined cAdmin’s Campaign Portal Configurations to enhance user-friendliness. Key features include customizing Campaign Portal navigation labels, meeting details, directions, links, images, and the visibility of activities tailored to specific user personas, allowing for quicker and more efficient administration aligned with your campaign needs.
In the latest release, we’ve streamlined cAdmin’s Campaign Portal Configurations to enhance user-friendliness. Key features include customizing Campaign Portal navigation labels, meeting details, directions, links, images, and the visibility of activities tailored to specific user personas, allowing for quicker and more efficient administration aligned with your campaign needs.
How to Configure Portal Campaigns and Tasks
1. In cAdmin, go to Configuration > Site Configuration, then click Campaigns. Only users with the roles of Association Administrator, Distributor Administrator, Association Team Leader, or Distributor Team Leader have access to the Configuration tab.
2. Scroll to DashBlockTemplate_Messages or DashBlockTemplate_Tasks and verify that at least one activity type is assigned. If these configurations are missing, click Add New Configuration, copy and paste one of the configurations mentioned above, and save it. This ensures that the Messages (Campaigns) or Tasks tabs are visible on the Portal for users with the assigned activity type. • Note: Qualifier 1 represents the Campaign’s “Internal name,” which is hidden by default on the Campaigns dashboard. To display it, click the gear icon and enable “Internal name.” Do not add extra qualifiers for Messages or Tasks, as Qualifier 1 alone is sufficient.
3. Navigate to Settings > Workflow Applications > cPortal, and choose either the Tasks or Messages (Campaigns) tab to modify. Here, you can update the tab’s Navigation label, Instructions text (with links and images), and Sidebar content.
4. To update the fields displayed on the Portal card, return to Configuration > Site Configuration > Campaigns and navigate back to DashBlockTemplate_Messages or DashBlockTemplate_Tasks, and select one of the assigned activity types. • Note: As mentioned, no additional qualifiers other than Qualifier 1 are necessary for Messages or Tasks.
5. Add the fields in the order in which you’d like them to appear on the portal. Use the following formatting in the Option Value field to display the desired information:
Example Fields with Formatting: The dollar signs ($$) represent cAdmin fields pulled into the Portal, and the text between <propertyTitle> tags are custom labels that will appear on the Portal.
6. Test the configuration by selecting the Campaigns tab within cAdmin, choosing the configured campaign, and entering a test control number. Preview the changes in the Messages or Tasks tabs within the Portal by shadowing a test user. Refresh the Portal page after each cAdmin config update and adjust the fields to achieve the desired layout.
This new feature allows users to perform bulk updates for Response Status, Response Action, and Session Role Status in the Campaign Recipients Dashboard. It streamlines managing multiple recipients by enabling multiple edits in just a few steps. This feature saves time by simplifying bulk updates and improves accuracy through its preview functionality.
This feature allows users to perform bulk updates for Response Status, Response Action, and Session Role Status in the Campaign Recipients Dashboard. It streamlines managing multiple recipients by enabling multiple edits in just a few steps. This feature saves time by simplifying bulk updates and improves accuracy through its preview functionality.
How to Use
1. Initiate Bulk Action: • Go to the Campaign Recipients Dashboard, select recipients, and click Bulk Action.
2. Select Updates: • Choose one or more from Response Status, Response Action, or Session Role Status. • Click Next after making a selection.
3. Preview Changes: • Review the updates on the preview screen.
4. Apply Changes: • Click VERIFY CHANGE to update all selected recipients, BACK, or CANCEL to start over.
Response Status & Response Action Definitions
The Response statuses are standard in cOASIS, and you can search in double quotes by: • Not Started – might have received the email, but haven’t taken any action (i.e., clicking the landing page link) • Viewed – the landing page URL link has been clicked within the email body • Notify Action Selected – the user clicked a button on the landing page (e.g., Continue, Confirm, Accept, Decline) • Completed – depends on the Campaign Type. If the Campaign has no steps, the Response status will read “Viewed”. If the Campaign has steps and they finished all the steps, the Response status will read “Completed”
The Response Action is a customizable button text. The value indicates what button the person clicked on the landing page. Examples include Confirm, Decline, and No Action. • No Action – if the Campaign is Informational Only, it will automatically read No Action. It will also read “No Action” if the user has not clicked any of the buttons within the landing page and the applicable steps.
Starting 7/16/24, direct links from notifications have been replaced to improve security and provide a centralized Portal view of your tasks and messages.
Starting 7/16/24, direct links from notifications have been replaced to improve security and provide a centralized Portal view of your tasks and messages.
Key Changes:
Removal of Direct Notification Links: – Old: Link to Landing Page {fld:NotificationLink} – New: Link to the specified tab within Portal (more information under “Ensuring Data Protection Regulation Compliance in CTI Campaign Tools”)
What This Means for You:
• Users will now need to log in to the Portal to access their Portal tasks and messages. • This change allows users to view multiple campaigns and activities in one Portal location, providing a more organized and efficient experience. • Existing landing page links in previously sent emails will automatically redirect to the meeting info page on the Portal, requiring login. • This update ensures a more secure and integrated approach to managing your notifications and tasks.
For more information about how to configure and GDPR compliance, check out the article “Ensuring Data Protection Regulation Compliance in CTI Campaign Tools.”
Data Protection Regulations are in effect across many countries around the globe. While the most well-known may be the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are similar laws and regulations in Thailand (PDPA), Brazil (LGPD), Canada (CPPA), India (DPDP) and several other countries. While there is no single regulation for the United States, many states have passed their own data privacy regulations.
Purpose of the Data Protection Regulations
Data Protection Regulations are in effect across many countries around the globe. While the most well-known may be the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), there are similar laws and regulations in Thailand (PDPA), Brazil (LGPD), Canada (CPPA), India (DPDP) and several other countries. While there is no single regulation for the United States, many states have passed their own data privacy regulations. In general, these regulations: • are designed to establish a framework for the protection of personal data, ensuring the rights of individuals are safeguarded during data processing activities. • uphold the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals, emphasizing the right to personal data protection. • facilitate the unrestricted movement of personal data across international borders, provided that the protection of personal data is not compromised.
Who Do These Regulations Apply To?
• Apply to companies with a presence in the regulated country who are processing personal data • Apply to companies anywhere in the world who are offering goods or services to data subjects in the regulated countries
How Do These Regulations Impact CTI Campaign Tools?
CTI ensures user privacy and compliance with existing data protection regulations by:
1. Requiring users to sign in to the portal to access notifications. 2. Refraining from adding a presenter’s email address to an email body. In the email template content merge fields, you’ll notice that inputting OTHER individuals’ email addresses to anyone else is not feasible.
Key Changes on 7/16/24:
Removal of Direct Notification Links: Old: Merge Field {fld:NotificationLink} -> Link to Landing Page New: Merge Field {fld:PortalLink param:submit|notifyTasks|notifyMessages|review|sessionOrganizer|sessionSubmission} -> Link to the specified tab within Portal
How can an admin configure the Portal tab login options?
cOASIS uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to send emails from cOASIS. AWS requires the registration of the domain or domain email address to verify your ownership of the domain. Major email providers (e.g., Gmail.com1 and Yahoo.com2) have recently updated their guidelines to require new DNS entries to authenticate the sender email, reduce spam, and to increase email deliverability.
cOASIS uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to send emails from cOASIS. AWS requires the registration of the domain or domain email address to verify your ownership of the domain. Major email providers (e.g., Gmail.com1 and Yahoo.com2) have recently updated their guidelines to require new DNS entries to authenticate the sender email, reduce spam, and to increase email deliverability.
Best practice
The current best practice is to register the domain you will use for sending emails from cOASIS (e.g., myassociationdomain.com). This domain will be registered with AWS. Registering the domain will have the following outcomes:
1. Allows sending emails from your domain through cOASIS 2. Does not require the registration of specific email addresses 3. Allows sending email with any domain-based email address as the MAIL FROM or REPLY-TO address 4. Maximizes deliverability based on current security and spam guidelines 5. Requires creating multiple new DNS entries for your domain with your domain registrar or DNS provider 6. The registration process can take several days to complete
1. Click a Campaign and select the Advanced search button ON 2. Ensure you use double quotes for searching. For example, typing “Viewed” will yield search results, whereas typing Viewed without quotes will not.
Watch the video below for a demonstration.
Response statuses: • Not Started – might have received the email, but haven’t taken any action (i.e., clicking the landing page link) • Viewed – the landing page URL link has been clicked within the email body • Notify Action Selected – the user clicked a button on the landing page (e.g., Continue, Confirm, Accept, Decline) • Completed – depends on the Campaign Type. If the Campaign has no steps, the Response status will read “Viewed”. If the Campaign has steps and they finished all the steps, the Response status will read “Completed”
Please note the system cannot report on email-only campaign actions without a landing page link or Response action button. You will still receive the Sent date and Recipient list.
The following are the defined Session Role Status options:
Undefined: This status is set by the client to remove controls from module inclusion or display. Invited: The client designates this status before sending campaigns to ‘invite’ a presenter. It is typically used prior to the presenter ‘confirming’ their role. Primary: This is the default status when a presentation is created. Confirmed: This status indicates that the presenter has confirmed their participation in the meeting for this presentation. Alternate: Clients or end users can assign this status to alternates as backups for primary presentations (chairs/presenters). Non-Responsive: This status is used when an end user is not responding to communications regarding the confirmation of their presentation. Unable to Attend: This status is used to indicate that someone is unable to physically attend the meeting. It can also be used to set a ‘cover slide’ in cAttendee for presentations that are not uploaded. Declined: This status is applied when a presenter declines to participate in the meeting.
These Session Role Statuses apply not only to Abstract Submissions but also to any slotted control in any session type. In Campaigns, Session Submission, and Session Builder (Organizer) users can edit these statuses. However, it’s important to note that a Session Role Status cannot be attributed to controls that are not slotted in sessions.
It’s also important to mention that Session Role Status can be automatically set based on the configuration of a campaign step (accept/decline response).
We have added a quick-link to the Support Files on the Edit campaign template pages and Landing pages allowing administrators to quickly input images for their email campaigns.
We have added a quick-link to the Support Files on the Edit campaign template pages and Landing pages allowing administrators to quickly input images for their email campaigns.
To use, click the link “Support Files” (above) located at the top right of the Edit campaign email template and Landing pages. You can also get to Support Files under Settings -> Meeting set-up -> Files. Follow the rest of the steps in the video below:
To use the Campaign Advanced Search, click and open a Campaign and select the Advanced search button ON:
The Response statuses are standard in cOASIS, and you can search in double quotes by: Not Started – might have received the email, but haven’t taken any action (i.e., clicking the landing page link) Viewed – the landing page URL link has been clicked within the email body Notify Action Selected – the user clicked a button on the landing page (e.g., Continue, Confirm, Accept, Decline) Completed – depends on the Campaign Type. If the Campaign has no steps, the Response status will read “Viewed”. If the Campaign has steps and they finished all the steps, the Response status will read “Completed”
The Response action is a customizable button text. The value indicates what button the person clicked on the landing page. Examples include Confirm, Decline, and No Action. No Action – if the Campaign is Informational Only, it will automatically read No Action. It will also read “No Action” if the user has not clicked any of the buttons within the landing page and the applicable steps.
Tips for searching: 1. You have to use double quotes to search. 2. If you type in Declined instead of “Decline”, no search results will show because the search box has to be an exact match with double quotes.
Please note the system cannot report on email-only campaign actions without a landing page link or Response action button. You will still receive the Sent date and Recipient list.
Merge Fields allow an admin to reference different meeting fields to personalize the emails for each recipient. For example, Person – first name will personalize this message for each recipient to their actual first name.
Watch the video below to learn how to use and test merge fields to personalize your email campaigns.
If you want to add a link to a specific tab in Portal, use the “Link via Portal” option and choose the tab you want the person directed to in Portal, e.g., {fld:PortalLink param:submit}.
Not all meeting fields are available. Please let us know if there are other fields you would like to be added.
• Meeting Name • Meeting Dates • Location • Year • Contact Information • Support Information • Deadlines • Client Website
Using custom merge terms for your meetings is highly beneficial. It allows you to update recurring details, like the Meeting Name, in one place. This means you only need to update the Meeting Name once for all future meetings, saving administrators time.
Watch the short video to learn how to set up and add merge terms in an email.
Standard templates called “Starter Campaigns” are templates that have been made available for all meetings to help give clients a “starting point” for traditional meeting email campaigns. Any new meeting created will have these Starter Campaigns available. These templates will provide clients with a head start managing presenters, abstracts, and the review process within the cAdmin system.
Standard templates called “Starter Campaigns” are templates that have been made available for all meetings to help give clients a “starting point” for traditional meeting email campaigns. Any new meeting created will have these Starter Campaigns available. These templates will provide clients with a head start managing presenters, abstracts, and the review process within the cAdmin system.
To use the Starter Campaigns: 1. Under the Campaigns tab, click “Add Campaign” 2. Select “Campaign templates -> Campaign Type”
3. We’ll use the example “Abstract Accept: Poster”
4. Campaign Name is an internal name only admins see in cAdmin 5. Display Name will be seen by the participants in the Portal. These names can be the same or you can make them different for internal naming convention 6. Default Expiration Date is when the campaign will expire, meaning after the expiration date the recipient (or presenter) will no longer have access. For example, an admin does not want to make the review site available to abstract reviewers if the review site has already closed. 7. Choose a Content Display Type – Email Only: Contains only the subject line, the from email, and the email body (Ex., a personal email one sends to another) – Informational: Same as Email Only, but includes a randomly generated URL link for each participant which goes to a web-based component of the campaign for the participant to view more extensive details like the exact session titles or dates. Links are important to utilize because the longer the email is, the more likely it will go to a person’s spam folder. Links help break up the more detailed information in the original email. – Email Only& Informational emails land in the participant’s Messages tab in Portal – Action with Steps: Same as Informational, but after a link is clicked within the email taking the participant to another page, the participant follows a step-by-step process. – Action Only – No Steps: Same as Informational, but one action needs to be performed by the participant. For example, a participant clicks on a link and is taken to a page where they need to either Accept or Decline to confirm their participation. The Accept or Decline would be the one action taken (with no steps involved). This action is customizable by the administrator. – Both Action emails land in the participant’s Tasks tab in Portal 8. Default Campaign: Provides the opportunity to clone an existing template to save admin time. For example, many campaigns may have similar verbiage or structure 9. Hide campaign from Contributor Portal: Check this box so the campaign does not appear in the user’s Portal and is only sent to their Inbox 10. Applies to: Check the box that the campaign is in regards to. For example, if we’re asking for a reviewer to review something, we’d check Reviewer 11. Description: Optional to fill in. Only admins will see this field. This is useful for organizational purposes for client staff and the CTI Client Services team. We’d recommend one or two sentences describing the campaign. 12. Click “Add.”
Administrators can also create a new campaign from another campaign in the meeting by choosing the second option below:
For more information on Campaigns, check out the Campaigns Trainual unit.
CTI has its own email campaign management system to help organize, manage, and track email campaigns to keep program planning on course. With this update, customers have the option to assign co-authors (i.e., non-primary authors) to email campaign notifications.
CTI has its own email campaign management system to help organize, manage, and track email campaigns to keep program planning on course. With this update, customers have the option to assign co-authors (i.e., non-primary authors) to email campaign notifications. For example,
1) An administrator could assign a campaign to submission primary authors and co-authors 2) Or designate the campaign to only primary authors or only co-authors with the checkboxes shown below (step 6).
To assign an email campaign to primary authors and/or co-authors of submissions: 1. Click the Submissions tab 2. Select all or specific submissions with checkmarks 3. Click the Communicate button 4. Select Campaign 5. Select the email campaign you would like to assign 6. Check whether the campaign goes to the primary author, co-author, or both 7. Click Assign
The same email campaign option for co-authors is available under the Reviewers, Sessioners, and Presentations tab dashboards and details pages.
A single change within Settings->Blocks & Terms can translate to hours of time saved editing virtual meeting pages. Administrative users can gain efficiencies by using Terms in campaign text, incorporating system terms like Meeting Name and custom Terms such as the name of the Annual Program Chair and key dates such as submission deadlines, conflict of interest disclosure deadlines and presentation upload deadlines.
A single change within Settings->Blocks & Terms can translate to hours of time saved editing virtual meeting pages. This functionality has also been used to allow administrators to create language support for a German-language meeting.
Administrative users can gain efficiencies by using Terms in campaign text, incorporating system terms like Meeting Name and custom Terms such as the name of the Annual Program Chair and key dates such as submission deadlines, conflict of interest disclosure deadlines and presentation upload deadlines. During the set-up of the next event, rather than changing everything on a common campaign such as Abstract Acceptance or Presentation Upload, an administrator would simply need to change the Terms. On Production, you will see the Blocks & Terms settings menu segments the terms into “System Terms” and “Custom Terms”. Both sets of terms will be available in the Campaigns emails and landing pages. Custom Terms gives administrator users the capability to add Terms that are not already covered in the System Terms section.
All portions of Campaigns – steps, emails, landing pages, response pages allow the use of Terms (Landing page shown below):
We offer support for comma-separated values in advanced search for integer fields to efficiently filter records. Only Advanced search fields marked with the “target” icon accept such comma-separated lists – either typed in or pasted in.
Admins now have more built-in options to describe their items. These new description options are on many details pages where an admin can freely create source HTML/CSS text or use the built-in text options.
If Campaign Type requires a response, it will default to Task; if Campaign is only a communication (i.e. Email Only, Information), it defaults to Message
To expire or un-expire a campaign, click on a campaign and then click the date in the “Link Expires on (date)” column. Changing the date here eliminates the need to “expire” or “un-expire” a campaign. Use “Change Expiration” in bulk action ribbon to do this for multiple individuals at once.
1. Click ADD CAMPAIGN 2. Campaign Name is an internal name only admins see in cAdmin. 3. Display Name will be seen by the participants in the Portal. These names can be the same, or you can make them different for internal naming convention. 4. Default Expiration Date is when the campaign will expire, meaning after the expiration date, the recipient (or presenter) will no longer have access. For example, an admin does not want to make the review site available to abstract reviewers if the review site has already closed. 5. Campaign Type: Email Only: This category includes just the email (nothing else). Informational: This category includes the email and a link within the email body. Clicking the link directs the recipient to a landing page via a unique URL generated within the email body. There are no specific actions or steps involved. Action Only (No Steps): This category is the same as the Informational category, but it includes action buttons such as Accept, Decline, or Continue, without any additional steps. Action with Steps: This category is similar to Action Only (No Steps), but it also includes steps such as editing the author block, changing the presentation title, uploading files, and more. 6. Default Campaign: Provides the opportunity to clone an existing template to save admin time. For example, many campaigns may have similar verbiage or structure.
Find campaign to edit and click pencil icon under the “Actions” column to “Edit campaign.” On the next screen, click “Email Template” icon to make changes to the template. Changes to the text, merge fields, etc. can be made here. Click “Save” after editing to save any changes made.
Click on Actions gear to see list of column options. To hide/show a column, click on column name to remove/add highlight. To move a column, click on column name and drag and drop in preferred position.
Click on the gear icon to “Show/Hide Charts.” The available charts will appear in a drop down. The highlighted charts are the ones currently displayed in dashboard. Click on a highlighted chart(s) to “hide” and close drop down box. Dashboard will automatically update to reflect changes made.
