Programmatic Languages35% of the exam
Send context, NOW and View as Web Page
When AMPscript values are fixed at send time and when they are rendered again: Now() versus GetSendTime() across sends, journeys, CloudPages and web views, system date strings, the _messagecontext values, send-log content for View as a Web Page, the channels that run AMPscript and ENT. lookups.
Describe how Marketing Cloud handles AMPscript processing.
~7 min read · 15 practice questions ·
What the exam expects
- Predict which time
Now(),Now(true),GetSendTime()andGetSendTime(true)return after list, data extension, manual, triggered and journey sends, on CloudPages and in View as a Web Page, and in which time zone. - Explain why system date strings and looked-up values stay fixed in a delivered email but change on CloudPages and web page views.
- Pick the
_messagecontextvalue that shows, hides or guards content such as an UpsertDE() write. - Keep View as a Web Page faithful with send logging, and name the channels that process AMPscript.
- Reach a parent business unit's data extension from a child business unit with the
ENT.prefix. - Key terms: send time (when Marketing Cloud Engagement renders AMPscript for each subscriber); job publish time (the triggered or journey send's start or republish moment);
_messagecontext(the built-in variable naming the current rendering context); VAWP (View as a Web Page); Enterprise awareness (lookups that accept theENT.prefix).
Key facts
AMPscript channels
- Detail
- HTML and text email, landing pages, SMS, MobilePush
Now() default- Detail
false: current time and date
Now() on CloudPages- Detail
- Current time whatever the parameter
GetSendTime() time zone
- Detail
- CST without daylight saving time
GetSendTime() in web contexts
- Detail
- Job publish or start time regardless of parameter
Date strings
- Detail
- Fixed to send date in email and SMS; render date on CloudPages
Built-in variable names
- Detail
- Case-insensitive
SEND- Detail
- Not the value for a web page view
Repeated sends with VAWP
- Detail
- Use send logging, or removed recipients lose the link
ENT. prefix- Detail
- Lookup, LookupRows, LookupOrderedRows
Sources for this section (8)
- Programmatic Languagesdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Now()developer.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- GetSendTime()developer.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- System Time and Date Stringsdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Built-In Variablesdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Message Context Variabledeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Send-Time Contentdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- Enterprise Awarenessdeveloper.salesforce.com (opens in a new tab)
- What does
GetSendTime()return during a send? - When does
_messagecontextholdLINKRESOLUTION? - Why must an account contact Salesforce before using the send-time content example?
- What does
xtshortdateoutput for 5 August 2023? - When does
xtlongdateshow a date other than the send date?
The questions are free to read. Answers with their sources and self-grading are included with the pack.
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