Mapping fields to contact attributes

When a new visitor arrives on a website for the first time, the system creates an anonymous contact to represent them (depending on the Default cookie level). If the visitor submits information on a site, for example during registration or by filling out a form, the system automatically transfers the entered values into the data of the matching contact. You can also use the same approach to update the data of existing contacts when the users provide new information.

The purpose of field mapping is to precisely determine from where the values of individual contact attributes should be loaded. You can configure field mappings for various types of input forms and system objects representing users.

Mapping on-line form fields

In the case of on-line forms, you can configure field mappings in the Forms application. Edit a given form and switch to the Contact mapping tab. Here you can assign specific form fields to contact attributes.

The available mapping options match the attributes that are offered when editing a contact on the Profile tab. For example, if the form has a field where users enter their email address, you can choose this field for the Email attribute. When a user submits the form, the system automatically saves the value of the field as the email address of the contact representing the given user.

Contact email restrictions

If you have the Overwrite existing contact information option enabled for a form, it is possible for visitors to change their contact information by submitting data into mapped fields. However, because a contact’s email address is its main identifier in Xperience, the system does not allow the email to be changed based on data submitted through forms.

If you have a form field mapped to the Email address contact attribute, and a visitor submits a different value than the associated contact’s current email address, all related field updates are performed for a different contact. Either an existing contact that matches the submitted email value is used, or a new contact is created.

In these cases, the given visitor’s associated contact remains unchanged, but all subsequent actions, such as logging of the Form submission activity and triggering of automation processes, are done for the “other” contact that matches the submitted email address.

Mapping user, customer and subscriber fields

You can configure contact field mappings for the system objects that store user data. The default mappings for these objects should be suitable for most websites, but you can change them if you are using custom system fields or have other requirements.

To edit the field mappings:

1. Open the Modules application.

2. Edit () one of the following:

   • Membership -> Classes -> User
   • E-commerce -> Classes -> Customer
   • Email marketing -> Classes -> Newsletter - Subscriber

3. Open the On-line marketing tab.

4. Click Customize.

5. Map the contact attributes to the fields of the given class.

6. Click Save.

For example, when a user registers on a live site or edits their profile settings, the system automatically updates the data of the corresponding contact according to the mappings set for the User class. By default, the First name contact attribute is filled by the value of the FirstName field and so on. The same also applies to the Customer class, which is used instead when a contact registers as a customer.