Multiple Events Dates and Field Timers

Max Classic
#1

After numerous searches online and endless conversations with Infusionsoft support, I’m hoping someone here might have a solution to my problem.

We sell course registrations on our website (using a custom-built system connected through API). Each course has a start and an end date and both of these parameters are passed to IS to be used with Email Sequence Field Timers. I have set up 2 Custom Fields for each course. One field for the Start date and one field for the End date. This works fine as long as the user doesn’t register in more than one course at a time. Because of course, those fields get overwritten every time that contact registers for a new course.

A possible solution might be to set up 2 custom fields for each course (for each contact). Given that we run a large number of courses we’ll burn through those 100 custom fields in no time. Plus it seems like a less than ideal solution.

Has anyone dealt with a similar issue? Am I missing something? There must be an easier way to get this working.

#2

@David_Yona,

As you’re finding out, IS doesn’t provide for dynamic lists of custom data super well (as is the case with your possible multiple start/end dates). One way that I’ve managed this in the past is by using notes on the contact. If a note is formatted specifically then you could hold any number of course registration start/end dates. This of course does not lend itself to the campaign merge fields as well and would also require api calls to manage using in a campaign but it would be a way around creating all those custom fields.

1 Like
#3

John, thank you so much for your response. I didn’t realize there was a way to use notes in a campaign. Do you know where I could find more information about the approach you suggested?

#4

@David_Yona,

To be clear, you can apply a note in a campaign based on a note template but you’ll need something custom to get the information in custom fields that you could use in campaigns. You mentioned that you already have api solutions in place so my suggestion involves storing and then using notes (the information in them) in combination with the api. In short, once a note is saved with date, name, email (whatever else like dates) you can use the api to string parse and populate just a few custom fields that are pre-determined. Then you wouldn’t need an unknown number of custom fields.

2 Likes
#5

Okay, got it. Once again, thank you very much for your help John!