TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Introduction
- What is Feefo SmartLink?
- Security and Information Collection
- Monitoring and Reporting
- Generating Unique Links
- Technical Structure of Feefo SmartLink
- SmartLink API Endpoint and Parameters
- Conclusion
Introduction
Feefo's standard feedback collection involves uploading sales data to the Feefo Hub, which then sends email feedback requests to customers. However, there's an alternative method called SmartLink, which is used in specific cases and must be approved by a director before implementation. In this article, we'll explore the features and functionality of Feefo SmartLinks and how they allow customers to leave feedback without the need for businesses to share their sales order information in advance.
Smartlink must be approved for use by a director. To enquire about the use of SmartLink, please get in touch.
What is Feefo SmartLink?
Feefo SmartLink is an alternative feedback collection method that enables customers to provide feedback without receiving a traditional feedback request email from Feefo. Instead, customers encounter the SmartLink integrated into a form or email provided by the merchant. When customers click on the SmartLink, they are directly taken to the Feefo feedback form, where they can follow the same process as any other customer leaving feedback on Feefo.
Security and Information Collection
Feefo SmartLinks embed all the necessary information to collect feedback directly into the link itself. The link also includes a security hash to prevent any unauthorized alteration or corruption of the embedded data between the merchant constructing the link and the customer clicking on it.
Monitoring and Reporting
Unlike the standard feedback collection method, SmartLink is not sent to customers via a trackable campaign. Therefore, monitoring the response rate within the Feefo Hub using the reporting suite is not possible for SmartLink-generated feedback.
Generating Unique Links
Due to the link's nature, it must be uniquely generated for each order. The script used to create the link is straightforward and can be implemented in all major scripting languages. Feefo provides sample code in various languages, including JavaScript. When a customer purchases multiple items, the SmartLink generates multiple order lines to accommodate each item.
Technical Structure of Feefo SmartLink
The Feefo SmartLink URL consists of three parts:
- The first part points to Feefo's servers.
- The second part is an argument string that includes the required fields separated by delimiters, converted into machine-readable code.
- The third part is a password-protected hash of the argument string used to verify the integrity of the parameters and ensure they haven't been altered.
SmartLink API Endpoint and Parameters
The API Endpoint for Feefo SmartLink is as follows:
https://api.feefo.com/api/smartlink/lfn
However, the endpoint will not function without the additional parameters. Below is a table listing all the parameters used as part of a Feefo SmartLink, extending the API endpoint, which remains static.
The table below lists all parameters for a SmartLink.
Field name for a TXT or CSV file | Brief description | Key points |
merchant identifier | Your unique Feefo identifier | This column tells the system which account to upload the data to. This will be the same for each line of data. To find your Merchant ID, click on your name in the top right corner of the hub where you'll find this information. |
Parameter Name | Description | Required/Optional |
| merchantidentifier | The unique identifier for a merchant on Feefo which can be found in 'Settings > Business Details' within the Feefo Hub. | Required |
| The customer's email address for sending the feedback request email. | Required | |
| date | The sale date when the purchase was made. We recommend that this parameter is present with a valid value but if not:. When date is supplied incorrectly or without a value, the function will return an error message with a list of supported date formats. When date is not present, Feefo will use the current date as the sale date and the feedback request will be sent immediately (assuming that feedbackdate is not specified). | Required |
| name | The customer's name that will be used in the feedback request. We recommend that this parameter is present with a valid value. When name is present with no value, the customer's name will be assigned the value 'Customer'. | Required |
| orderref | A unique identification for the order made by the customer. We recommend that this parameter is present with a valid value. When orderref is present with no value, it will be assigned a value that is the concatenation of date and email. | Required |
| description | The description of the product purchased by the customer. | Required |
| vendorref | Similar to an SKU, used in identifying a product. We recommend that this parameter is present with a valid value. When vendorref is not present or present without a value, it will be assigned the value of description. vendorref does not support values that include the hash (#) character or the URL ASCII code %23. | Optional |
| tag | Tagging data provides a method of filtering sale data when reporting. Tags are assigned to the sale and any associated feedback. The tag format is a list of comma-separated key-value pairs in the format key=value (where the '=' is replaced with the HTML encoding %3D and any spaces between the words of the value are replaced with the HTML encoding %20) located within square brackets. For example: tag=[saleschannel%3Dweb,productline%3DCar%20Insurance] | Optional |
| customerref | The merchant’s unique identifier for the customer. | Optional |
| currency | The 3 letter ISO code for the sale value amount. For example: GBP. | Optional |
| feedbackdate | The date when a feedback request email should be sent to the customer who made a purchase. When feedbackdate is not present, this will default to 7 days from the sale date (date) or the number of days specified by the Feedback Request Delay parameter in the campaign trigger's Feedback Preferences within the Feefo Hub. | Optional |
| productlink | The link to the product on the merchant’s website. When productlink is present but is an invalid value, it will be rejected with an error message displayed. | Optional |
| amount | The cost of the product purchased. It must not include any currency symbols or labels as this is provided by currency. When amount is present but is an invalid numeric value, it will be rejected with an error message displayed. | Optional |
Conclusion
Please note that SmartLink is only applicable in specific use cases and requires approval from a director before implementation. If you are interested in utilizing Feefo SmartLinks for your feedback collection process, please get in touch with our team to inquire about its usage and obtain further guidance on the integration process.