How to personalize navigation items, URLs, and session links

This article explains what personalized URLs are, how to create them, and how to enable custom fields for this functionality.

In this article we will cover:

• What are personalised URLs?
  • Example use case
• How to create a personalized URL
• Enabling custom fields for personalized URLs
• FAQ

What are personalised URLs?

Personalized URLs allow participants to access unique links based on their profile data. These links dynamically adapt to the event participant, ensuring they are taken to destinations specific to their needs. For example:

• Personalized Registration Management: Direct event participants to their own registration or ticket editing pages.
• Custom Itineraries: Provide participants with a link to their personalized event schedule on an external platform.
• Session Interaction Links: Automatically log event participants into third-party Q&A or polling platforms by embedding credentials within the URL.

By using personalized URLs, you can efficiently create variations of the same base link, tailored to each participant's profile.

How to create a personalized URL

If a URL supports personalization, Grip provides options to insert custom fields or profile data directly into the link. Follow these steps to create a personalized URL:

1. Open the URL input field: Whether you’re creating a Navigation Item, Session URL, or another personalized link, start by entering the base URL into the provided field.
2. Insert custom fields:
   • Below the input field, you’ll see a list of available custom fields or profile data fields.
   • Click on any field (e.g., Thing ID) to insert it into the URL at your cursor position.
3. Customize and save: Once the URL is complete, review it for accuracy and click Save.

Enabling custom fields for personalized URLs

To use a custom field in personalized URLs, you’ll need to enable it in the custom field settings. Only freeform custom fields are supported for this purpose.

Steps to enable a custom field for URLs:

1. Go to the custom fields section: Navigate to the Custom Fields area in your Grip dashboard.
2. Edit or create a freeform custom field: Open the settings for an existing field or create a new freeform field.
3. Enable personalization: Toggle the option for “Profile field can be used in personalized URLs.”
4. Restrict visibility: To avoid confusing participants, disable the visibility and editing options for this field.
5. Save changes: Click Save to finalize your settings.

FAQ

Q: How can I test personalized URLs?

The best way to test is to create a test registration. Use your registration platform to populate the relevant custom fields with realistic data. This ensures the integration with Grip works as expected. Once the test registration appears in Grip, click on the personalized URL to confirm it redirects to the correct destination.

Q: My personalized URL isn’t working. What should I check?

1. Review the URL Setup: Verify the link construction in the URL input field.
2. Check Profile Data: Open a participant’s profile and confirm the custom field or profile data used in the URL is correct.
3. Test the URL: Combine the base URL with the participant’s field value manually to test if it loads correctly.
4. Correct Data Format: Ensure custom field data does not contain spaces or unsupported characters (e.g., #, %). If issues persist, update the data in your registration platform.

Q: Can I use multiple custom fields in a single URL?

Yes! You can include multiple custom fields in one URL. Simply insert additional fields into the appropriate sections of the link during setup.