Overview

OPTIZMO now allows you to attach your own reference to an Opt-Out Link, such as an order number, send ID, or creative code. When an Opt-Out is collected through an OPTIZMO-generated Opt-Out Link, the reference is captured and can be included as a Metadata column on your Opt-Out List download.

You can also filter a download using the Metadata value to identify Opt-Outs associated with a specific campaign, order, or other reference.

Attaching a Reference to an Opt-Out Link

To attach a reference, you will direct your Affiliate to add the extRef parameter to the end of the Opt-Out Link.

For example:

https://www.opt-out-crlc.net/o-crlc-e81-8c0e6a7d10a8e1d84e8ea050de3a93f9?extRef=ORDER-12345

If the Opt-Out Link already contains a query parameter, use & to add the reference:

https://www.opt-out-crlc.net/o-crlc-e81-8c0e6a7d10a8e1d84e8ea050de3a93f9?email=test@test.com&extRef=ORDER-12345

*Please note - you must be using an OPTIZMO-generated Opt-Out Link for the external reference to be captured.

The parameter name is case-sensitive and must be spelled  extRef.

Encoding the Reference

The reference is included in a URL, so URL encoding rules apply. We recommend using short, machine-generated references containing letters, numbers, and hyphens, such as ORDER-12345.

The maximum reference length is 64 UTF-8 bytes. This is a byte limit rather than a character limit, so accented and non-Latin characters may use more than one byte.

If your reference contains characters such as +, ?, or &, they should be URL encoded before being added to the link.

*Please note - if the reference is unusable, the Opt-Out itself will still be collected. Only the reference is discarded, and the Metadata field will be empty.

For example, a reference that is more than 64 bytes, is empty, or contains unusable characters will not be stored.

The Metadata Column

When downloading an Opt-Out List, you can include the captured reference by selecting the Metadata option under the Output fields.

1. Select Opt-Outs and open the Opt-Out List you want to download.
2. Select Download List.
3. Under Output fields, select Metadata.
4. Prepare and download your Opt-Out List.

Filtering a Download

You can use the Metadata filter on the Download List page to narrow a download to Opt-Outs containing a specific reference.

1. Select Opt-Outs and open the Opt-Out List you want to download.
2. Select Download List.
3. Under Filters, enter your reference in the Metadata field.
4. Prepare and download your Opt-Out List

The Metadata filter matches one exact value. It is case-sensitive and does not support wildcards, partial matches, comma-separated lists, or trimming of leading or trailing spaces.

For example, ORDER-12345 will match ORDER-12345, but will not match order-12345 or ORDER-123.

*Please note - you do not need to select the Metadata output field to use the Metadata filter. You can filter a download by Metadata without including the Metadata column in the resulting file.

You can also combine the Metadata filter with other download filters. The filters are applied together, so the resulting file must satisfy all applicable filter criteria.

Using Metadata with the SUPPRESS API

You can also include Metadata when preparing an Opt-Out List download through the SUPPRESS API. For more information you can view the API documentation here.

Important Information

Metadata is captured only when the reference is present on the Opt-Out Link at the time the Opt-Out is collected. There is no historical data or backfill for Opt-Outs collected before this feature was introduced.

Scheduled transfers do not currently support the Metadata column.

*Please note - references are returned exactly as captured. If you use references beginning with =, +, -, or @, spreadsheet applications may interpret them as formulas. We recommend starting references with a letter, such as ORDER-12345.

If you have further questions or need assistance, please contact us at support@optizmo.com.