Send to Slate Query

Overview

Messages can be sent from Cadence to contacts that are in queries that exist within Slate. This can be helpful if you have a Query in Slate that encompasses a set of contacts you are looking to text without having to create a segment in Cadence.  For this feature, a Cadence administrator must set up which queries are available for Cadence users to send to. 

Note: The Slate integration must be configured before you can set up sending to Slate queries.

Connecting Cadence to your Slate Queries

Cadence utilizes the Slate web services to be able to connect to your Slate queries. This process is slightly different than how the Slate integration is connected for bringing contact data in from Slate as that utilizes the Slate SFTP. Authentication is required for web services so for that reason, you'll see a separate configuration area called "Slate Queries" within your team drop down specific to setting up this feature. This area will need to be configured before your Slate queries show up within the "Compose" modal.

On the left side navigation, click on "Team Name"> Slate Queries

The overview section will provide a link to Slate documentation providing information on how to make sure your Slate Query is accessible via web services.  Part of this process will require you to "Add Grantee" to the query for Cadence to access it. A username and password will be created during this process and this is the username and password required for us to authenticate. 

Please note that this username and password is different than the service account being used for importing contact data.

To set up your Queries to have web services access and to "Add Grantee", please reference this Slate documentation for more detailed information. 

1. Select Queries / Reports on the navigation bar.
2. Select New Query and configure your query appropriately.
3. Select Edit Web Service in the right-side pane. 
4. 1. We do not require custom parameters
   2. Select JSON as the service type.
   3. Parameter Settings: this will just be the information in the query url. You do not have to do anything here.
5. Authentication: Slate provides two ways to set up authentication-User Token and Username. Please follow the steps for username.
   1. Select Edit Permissions in the right-side pane and Add Grantee to set it up.
   2. Ensure the Web Service checkbox is checked.
   3. The username and password for the Grantee will be the username and password needed in Cadence.
   4. A few things to note about the Grantee: 
      1. You will need to add this grantee to each Query you'd like to send to. 
      2. The Grantee is not tied to a specific user. It is not the same as the service account.

Enter the username and password here and click "Save"

After saving the username and password, you will see a "Queries" section to add the queries you would like to send text messages to. There is not a limit to how many queries you can add however, please note you will need to add each query you would like to have available for sending. 

When selecting which Queries you would like to add, ensure at minimum the query contains the 4 standard/required Cadence fields that you have mapped to contactID, first name, last name, and mobile number for the Slate integration (on the import configuration page). By default, Cadence will look for the fields you have mapped on the query. If we do not find those fields on your query, the message won't send.

Be aware that you should not use a query that retrieves only new records since query was last run. Cadence pulls the query multiple times - once when setting up the message and again when sending. This feature will cause the query to be empty or have fewer recipients than expected because the query is pulled more than once. 

To add a query, enter a name (it will be a display name within Cadence and should be clear for your users to identify the correct query-it does not have to match the name in Slate) and the service endpoint url. 

To locate the Service endpoint, navigate to the Edit Query page>Identify the Web Services link (where it says JSON). Click the JSON to view the appropriate service endpoint. 

Select the service account to see the URL for your Query. Copy and paste this URL into Cadence.

Note that Slate will require you follow this process to add the grantee to each query you'd like to use with Cadence.

Sending to a Slate Query

If you are in a team within Cadence that is integrated with Slate, you will find a tab for " Send to Slate Query" when composing a message:

Sending Messages

When sending messages to a Query, the process is slightly different than sending to a regular list of recipients or segments.  

The exact contacts that will receive the message is not known until Cadence begins the sending process. We do, however, know the total number of contacts on the Query, which is the largest possible group that the message could be sent to. Cadence runs the query twice - once when setting up the message and again when sending the message. For this reason, you should not use queries set up with "Retrieve only the new records since query was last run."

The confirmation step will show the total number of contacts in the Query along with an estimation for that number. Please make sure the number of contacts in your queries makes sense with the amount of time to send.  Cadence will provide a delivery duration so you know how long it will take to send to all contacts in the query. 

Who will receive messages?

• Only contacts that already exist within Cadence and are opted in will receive the message. 
• If a contact exists in the Query, but not in Cadence, they will be skipped and not receive the message.
• If a contact exists in both the Query and in Cadence, but is opted out within Cadence, they will be skipped and not receive the message.
• If scheduling a message for a future date with the “Send to Slate Query” feature, please be aware that the message will send to contacts in the Query based at the time the message goes to send. 
• If you are using a query that will only retrieve records since the query was last pulled, be advised that Cadence pulls the query multiple times. Once while setting up the query and again when it is time to send the message. We do not recommend using this type of query.
• If you are sending with Send as assigned user enabled, the text will come from each contact's assigned user in Cadence (assigned user settings are based on what field you have mapped to Staff Identification in your current Contact Import configuration). Contacts without an assigned user will receive the text from you/your texting number.

An email will be sent to the message sender indicating that sending is in progress for the Query and it will contain an attachment for any skipped contacts showing the reason they were skipped.