Welcome to the BlueConic product release notes. Find the latest new features in the BlueConic platform, new connections, and updates to our APIs.
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Testing new features
Please note that any newly released features may impact existing configurations and require testing before deployment.
What's new in BlueConic
Snowflake Connection update
Our developers fixed errors in date-time exports to Snowflake. We resolved an issue with BlueConic exports containing multiple date-time values. We also resolved an error with incorrect datatypes that caused exports to fail. Now if you export a text field to a date-time field Snowflake, the export will continue, but that entry will not be updated. You can view the connection Run log to discover which profiles are skipped because of a datatype mismatch. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you need help updating the connection plugin.
Timeline event imports added to the Data Layer Connection and Google Tag Manager Connection
We've added support for Timeline event imports in the Data Layer Connection and Google Tag Manager Connection. You can import events from the data layer to enrich BlueConic Timeline events. For example, you can import page views, shopping cart, or transaction events from the data layer to BlueConic for retargeting.
New Prebid.js Connection
The new Prebid.js Connection in BlueConic enables you to export BlueConic profiles to Prebid.js to optimize your advertisement header bidding and to target tailored audiences. By connecting your BlueConic data to Prebid.js, you will be able to more efficiently bid on advertisements based on your segments. Contact your Customer Success Manager to learn more.
New version of the BlueConic Chrome extension released
With Chrome's announced deprecation of Manifest V2 extensions, BlueConic has successfully upgraded its Chrome extension to Manifest V3 to meet all necessary requirements.
April 2023 BlueConic product updates for Release 88
The latest BlueConic product updates (Release 88) will be delivered to servers from April 1 to 15, 2023.
New and enhanced features
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- Parameters added to tracking URLs for recommendations
- Updates to BlueConic Support team access to PII
- SSO messaging adapted to reflect changes to BlueConic Support team access
- Profile search using PII properties allowed for non-PII users
- Dutch-language UI removed from the platform
- Maximum timeframe established for reporting
- Functionality added to Interest Ranker 2.0 Listener
Connection updates
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- New Google Drive Connection
- New Google Analytics 4 Connection
- New The Trade Desk Connection
- New Email cleansing data processor
- New Convert value data processor
- Data processor support added to Facebook Leads Connection
- Lifecycle support added to Copernica and Twitter Ads connections
- Segment support added to Klaviyo Connection
Bug fixes and other updates
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- In addition to fixing minor bugs, BlueConic addressed the following issue in the platform: Previously, when a connection exceeded the maximum runtime, the run was stopped, yet the run log did not highlight that as an error. Now, whenever any connection exceeds the maximum runtime threshold of 24 hours, it will be marked as "failed," and you will be notified via email (if you have set up email notifications for errors).
- The Oracle Bronto Connection has been deprecated.
- Minor UI changes have been made to the Copernica Connection.
New and enhanced features
Parameters added to tracking URLs for recommendations
If the "utm_" or "bc_" parameter is included in the URL of a recommendation, that parameter will now also be included in its tracking URL. This allows you to better track visits to that landing page (and any subsequent pages) and to evaluate the effect of the recommendation.
For example, if you click a recommendation link that has “utm_campaign=mycampaign” appended to its URL, that same string will be appended to its tracking URL.
Update: This new feature works for recommendations managed via the BlueConic REST API, JavaScript API, or the ‘Export - Generate recommendations’ data processor. This feature will be available for Open-Time Email Recommendations on May 17, 2023. In the meantime, if you need access to this feature ahead of its planned release date, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager, who will be able to assist you.
Updates to BlueConic Support team access to PII
By default, the BlueConic Support user role will not have access to PII (personally identifiable information) in newly created customer tenants to ensure data privacy. If you want to allow BlueConic Support to access PII for more timely technical support and troubleshooting, you can provide this access at any time by navigating to BlueConic Settings > Roles, selecting “BlueConic Support,” and checking the box for "Access to PII (Personally Identifiable Information).”
For more information, review the article Allowing BlueConic Customer Success to access your environment.
SSO messaging adapted to reflect changes to BlueConic Support team access
If you have enabled single sign-on (SSO) and disabled BlueConic Support access to your tenant (via BlueConic Settings > General), the “BlueConic support login” link will now be hidden from the “Log in using your SSO provider” messaging that appears on your company’s BlueConic login page.
If you have enabled BlueConic Support access to your tenant, the “BlueConic support login” link will remain on your SSO login page. Our Support team will use this link to access your system and help you resolve any issues.
| With BlueConic Support access disabled, no "BlueConic support login" link appears on the page. | |
| With BlueConic Support access enabled, the "BlueConic support login" link displays. |
For more information, review the article Allowing BlueConic Customer Success to access your environment.
Profile search using PII properties allowed for non-PII users
BlueConic users without PII access can now search for profiles using PII properties on the Profiles page (More… > Profiles & Groups > Profiles). All matching results will be visible, yet individual PII values will be hidden.
For instance, if a non-PII user searches by a segment that uses a PII property, they will still be able to access the profiles in that segment without being exposed to any PII.
For more information, review the article Overview: BlueConic Profiles.
Dutch-language UI removed from the platform
In order to provide a more consistent user experience in the platform, BlueConic will now only provide an English-language user interface (UI). As a result:
- BlueConic will no longer include Dutch-language labels in the UI.
- The BlueConic login page will no longer include a Language selection dropdown.
- Emails you receive from BlueConic will now only be in English.
- Names and descriptions for profile properties and plugins are only viewable and editable in English.
Certain components related to the Dutch language will not change:
- You can still search for Dutch names and descriptions for profile properties and plugins that were created before this change.
- Connections created with a Dutch name will keep that Dutch name.
- Saved filters created in Dutch will remain in Dutch.
- BlueConic emails will still support date and number formatting for the Netherlands locale.
- You can still set Dutch as the default language and/or a front-end language for dialogues under “Language settings” on the General page (BlueConic Settings > General).
Maximum timeframe established for Lifecycles reporting
When you run a Lifecycles report and select “All time” as the time period, the system will now return data for the last 365 x 20 days (i.e., 7,300 days, or approximately the last 20 years), to ensure the most accurate reporting.
Similarly, if you manually enter a start date and end date for your report that is longer than 365 x 20 days, the system will only return results for that maximum timeframe.
For more information, review the article Assessing Lifecycle performance and reporting.
Functionality added to Interest Ranker 2.0 Listener
The Interest Ranker 2.0 Listener can now detect customer interests by looking for the following items within text on a page:
- Complete phrases (strings)—for example, a product name on a page such as "Model ABC 11.0 S"
- Text separated by a space—for example, two related terms on a page such as "Politics" and "Europe"
- Text separated by a comma—for example, categories on a page such as "Comedy, Drama, Action"
An additional Web selector option was added to Step 3 for creating rules to pick up interests. You can use this to create rules for collecting and scoring interests based on the area on the page, and how customers interact with this content (e.g. page load, page scroll, click, form submit, or event).
The listener will also continue to use natural language processing (NLP), an AI technique for analyzing text and ranking interests.
Connection updates
New Google Drive Connection
The BlueConic Google Drive Connection enables you to enrich BlueConic profiles or groups with data from CSV files stored on your Google Drive server, and to export CSV files containing profile data to your Google Drive server. The connection supports scheduled batch import and export to retrieve data from and store data at your Google Drive server.
New Google Analytics 4 Connection
The BlueConic Google Analytics 4 Connection allows you to export BlueConic data to Google Analytics 4 using the technique of custom event tagging. This connection supports real-time and batch export. With this connection, you can enrich groups of users in Google Analytics 4 with BlueConic Timeline events in batch, and also enrich single online visitors with BlueConic data in real time.
Note: Google is replacing Universal Analytics (UA) with Google Analytics 4 (GA4) by July 2023. All customers currently using Universal Analytics will need to migrate to GA4. Review our FAQ guide with details about using BlueConic to sync data with Google Analytics 4.
New Connection to The Trade Desk
The new BlueConic connection to The Trade Desk enables you to export segment data to better target your audiences with advertising. This connection supports Unified ID 2.0, which enables you to bid on digital ads using first-party data. This connection supports batch export.
New Email cleansing data processor
In select BlueConic connections, when setting up a data import or export, you can now use the Email cleansing data processor to correct common typing mistakes found in email addresses, such as misspellings, flipped letters, and extra spaces. When this data processor is activated, it automatically spots and removes those mistakes, ensuring that all included email addresses are in the right format.
New Convert value data processor
In select BlueConic connections, you can use the Convert value data processor to replace values in your data import or export with ones that are clearer for segmentation. For instance, if you use single letters like "M" and "F" to indicate gender in your data set, you can convert those values to the full words "Male" and "Female."
Data processor support added to Facebook Leads Connection
You can choose to add one or more data processors to the import goal of the Facebook Leads Connection. This lets you filter or transform the data being imported. For example, you can create a processor to normalize email addresses, filter data fields, or transform data during the import, before it is matched and mapped to BlueConic properties.
To add data processors to your BlueConic environment, contact your Customer Success Manager. Learn more about using data processors to filter or transform data imports.
Lifecycle support added to Copernica and Twitter Ads connections
You can now export Lifecycle information for profiles being exported via the Copernica Connection. You can also now add connection goals from the Twitter Ads Connection as touchpoints in Lifecycle stages.
Segment support added to Klaviyo Connection
When you configure data imports in the Klaviyo Connection, you will see a list of all available Klaviyo subscriber lists and segments in your account.