Objective:
In this How-To, we will learn about the new Additional Criteria builder for audiences, which was launched in v2.1 of Core iQ. We will explore the following topics:
- What changes have been made to the builder and how it integrates with previous custom audience SQL
- How to use the new builder to create SQL criteria for your audiences
What if I have criteria on an older audience?
First things first, if you had any previous criteria for your audiences, it is still 100% intact and will not be changed for any previously existing communication plans. If you had any custom SQL criteria for an audience, you can find it by looking for the Onovative Custom SQL box at the bottom of the page in the Existing Criteria area. This box will contain all of the previously created code for your audience, and you can view that criteria by clicking the box to expand it.
Please note that if you need to make changes to these criteria or if you would like custom SQL that is not possible in the new builder, you can still reach out to us and we can assist you in creating these custom queries.
What has been added/changed within the Additional Criteria builder?
The first thing that you will notice about the new custom SQL builder is the addition of pre-created 'macros' which can be added to any Non-Opportunity focused audience. These are sets of SQL criteria that our customers regularly use, and can be added with a single click. Adding these items to your audiences will allow you to create some common filters that will make your marketing efforts simpler in Core iQ. We will be continuing to expand this list of macros as time progresses, so be on the lookout for new 'macros' over the coming months.
You will also notice that individual Additional Criteria are now editable, meaning that you can now more easily make changes to your criteria. To edit a SQL statement that you have created (not a 'macro'), all you need to do is click on the box containing the statement in the Existing Criteria area. Any changes that you make to these statements will be reflected in your audience criteria immediately after you save your Target Audience & Schedule.
You can now also filter your entire list of SQL queries by typing the keywords that you are looking for. Similar to other dropdown menus in the platform, this field is 'typeahead', meaning that it will filter down to only the relevant options if you begin typing. This will make finding the correct query much easier to do.
How do I create and edit a SQL statement?
To start adding Additional Criteria to your audience, find the Add Criteria section of the builder. Clicking on the first box will give you a list of every criteria choice that is possible for you to add in Core iQ. For this example, we will be putting a lower limit on our Account Balance for the qualifying accounts in this audience. To do this, I will want to find the Account Current Balance field. In the second box, I will choose Greater Than or Equal To and in the last field, I will input my amount, 5000. Clicking on the blue plus icon adds this criteria to my audience.
As you can see in the above gif, Core iQ will add that criteria to my audience and there is now a box in my Existing Criteria area labelled "Account Current Balance Greater Than or Equal To 5000". If I were to need to edit this at a later time, I could easily click this box to bring back up the fields to edit. Core iQ will not allow you to edit the first field (the query) but you can change the operand (Greater Than or Equal To), as well as the value (5000). After I have made my edits, I can click the blue checkmark icon to update my new criteria. I should see the title of this box change to reflect the new values I have input for the statement.
If you are using the Any Of or Not Any Of operands, you will see that the input changes slightly. This new input field will allow you to create multiple entries using a comma to separate each. Every time you are finished with a parameter for this field, pressing the comma key will create a removable entry and will allow you to create a new entry. This is great for creating lists of items that you want to match or exclude within your audience.
Once you save your audience, these new criteria will take effect. Any Additional Criteria that you add to this audience will be checked the next time an item is queued. This means that if you put an age or balance restriction on your New Customer Onboarding audience and schedule, Core iQ will begin to honor that new criteria once a new customer qualifies for the audience.
If you add Additional Criteria to an audience and begin to see a drastic decrease in the number of items queued, please be sure to check your new criteria to ensure that you have not made your audience too small. It is possible to create Additional Criteria that causes an audience size to change to 0. If you need any assistance, please reach out to our support team through this platform.