Use link actions with your campaigns

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Use link actions with your campaigns

With ActiveCampaign, you can enhance your email marketing by utilizing link actions within your direct and automated campaigns. A link action is an automated action that is triggered when a contact clicks a link in a campaign. This powerful feature allows you to automate certain marketing processes, making your campaigns more dynamic and engaging.

Why link actions matter

Link actions enable you to engage your audience more effectively by allowing you to:

• Add tags to contacts
• Remove tags from contacts
• Subscribe contacts to a list
• Unsubscribe contacts from a list
• Add contacts to an automation
• End automation for particular contacts

These capabilities can significantly streamline your marketing efforts and enable personalized communication with your audience.

How to access this feature

Link actions can be accessed during the campaign creation process within both the new email designer launched in 2022 and the Classic designer. Ensure you have the right campaign type that supports this feature.

Supported email designers

The following email designers support link actions:

• The newly launched email designer (2022)
• The Classic email designer

It is important to note that link actions cannot be used with:

• 1:1 emails
• "Text only" or "Custom HTML" campaign types
• "Unsubscribe" links or subscription update links
• Templates; link actions must be created on the campaign design page

Additionally, you must have Link Tracking turned on to use link actions in your campaigns.

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1. 1. Creating a link action with the email designer (launched in 2022)

1. Open your direct or automated campaign. 2. Select the element that you would like to assign a link action to (e.g., an image, button, or hyperlinked text).

  * **Adding a link action to an image or button:**
    * Click on the image or button.
    * In the right pane under Link, select Site from the dropdown and type or paste the desired URL.
    * Click Add Link Action.
    * A modal window will appear. Click the action dropdown to select the link action you would like to use.
    * Define a value for that action. For example, if you want to tag contacts when they click the link, enter the tag here.
    * Click Save when you are finished.
    
  * **Adding a link action to hyperlinked text:**
    * Highlight the desired text.
    * Click the link icon at the top of the page.
    * A modal window will appear. Type or paste the desired URL and click the Save button.
    * Click the hyperlinked text.
    * In the right pane under Link, select Site from the dropdown and type or paste the desired URL.
    * Click Add Link Action.
    * A modal window will appear. Click the action dropdown and select the link action you want to use.
    * Define a value for the action, such as entering a tag for tagging contacts.
    * Click Save when you are done.

3. On the Campaign Summary page, ensure that link tracking is set to On. This setting should be enabled by default.

1. 1. 1. Creating a link action with the Classic designer

1. Open your direct or automated campaign. 2. Select the element to which you want to add a link action (e.g., image, button, or hyperlink text).

  * **Adding a link action to an image or button:**
    * Click the image or button.
    * In the right pane under the Options tab, type or paste the desired URL.
    * Click the gear icon next to the URL field.
    * A modal window will appear. Click the Add an Action button.
    * Select the desired link action from the dropdown.
    * Define a value for that action, such as entering a tag for tagging contacts.
    * Click OK when finished.

  * **Adding a link action to hyperlinked text:**
    * Highlight the text with your cursor.
    * A modal toolbar will appear. Click the link icon.
    * A modal window appears; type or paste the desired URL.
    * Click the Add an Action button.
    * Select the desired link action from the dropdown.
    * Define a value for the action, such as entering a tag for tagging contacts.
    * Click OK when finished.

3. On the Campaign Summary page, ensure that link tracking is set to On. This setting should be enabled by default.

Configuration options and settings

Using link actions comes with various configuration options that influence how contacts interact with your emails. Some of these options include:

• **Add tags:** Automatically tag contacts when they click a certain link.
• **Remove tags:** Automatically remove specific tags from contacts.
• **Subscribe:** Automatically add contacts to a specific list when they click a link.
• **Unsubscribe:** Automatically remove contacts from a list triggered by their click on the link.
• **Add to automation:** Trigger an automation process when a link is clicked.
• **End automation:** Cease an ongoing automation process for a contact.

These configuration options, when utilized correctly, can lead to more efficient and targeted marketing.

Best practices and tips

To maximize the effectiveness of link actions in your campaigns, consider the following best practices:

• Use descriptive tags: When tagging contacts, ensure that the tags are meaningful and descriptive for better audience segmentation.
• Test before sending: Always test your links and actions in a preview before sending the campaign to confirm that everything works as intended.
• Limit the number of actions on a single link: While you can add multiple actions to one link, keeping it simple and clear is advised for better user experience.
• Ensure clarity: Make sure that it is evident to the audience what actions they are taking when clicking links in your emails.

Common use cases with examples

The ability to use link actions makes it easier to create personalized experiences. Here are some common use cases:

• **Event registration:** Automatically tagging contacts who register for an event using a specific link in the email.
• **Surveys and feedback:** Adding contacts to an automation that sends follow-up emails after they complete a survey linked in your email.
• **Product promotions:** Subscribing contacts to a promotional list when they click on a product link in your email.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues while setting up or using link actions, consider the following tips:

• Ensure Link Tracking is enabled, as this is a requirement for link actions to work.
• Make sure you are not using unsupported email types; link actions cannot be used in 1:1 emails or "Text only" formats.
• Check that you are creating link actions directly on the campaign design page and not in templates.

FAQ

What types of campaigns support link actions?

Link actions can be used in both direct and automated campaigns within supported email designers.

Can I use link actions in my templates?

No, link actions must be created on the campaign design page and cannot be utilized within templates.

How do I know if link tracking is enabled?

You can check for link tracking status on the Campaign Summary page. It should be set to On by default.

Can I have different link actions for the same URL used multiple times?

No, if the same URL is used more than once, the same link actions will apply to every instance of that URL in your email.

How do I add multiple actions to a single link?

While creating a link action, you can select multiple actions within the action dropdown when prompted during the setup.

Are there any email types that do not support link actions?

Yes, link actions cannot be used with 1:1 emails, "Text only" emails, "Custom HTML" types, and certain campaign types like "Unsubscribe" links.

How can I troubleshoot if my link actions are not working?

Make sure that link tracking is turned on, and confirm you are not using unsupported email types or creating link actions in templates.

For more information, you may visit the ActiveCampaign help center. ```