File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Ditch the Manual Work & Embrace Automation
Last updated
Ditch the Manual Work & Embrace Automation
Last updated
Netmera FTP integration is a secure and automated solution for managing data transfers between your systems and the Netmera platform. Designed to simplify data import and export processes, this feature enables tasks such as sending personalized push notifications, updating user profile attributes, and exporting campaign or transactional reports with ease.
By leveraging FTP, you can connect your data workflows to Netmera, ensuring timely, accurate, and reliable operations. Whether importing customer data for targeted engagement or exporting detailed insights for analysis, Netmera FTP provides the tools to enhance your application’s performance and customer engagement strategy.
Netmera FTP integration provides a flexible and efficient way to manage data, offering two key functionalities:
Importing Data: Upload data to the Netmera platform for tasks such as sending push notifications or updating user profiles.
Exporting Data: Automatically transfer reports, including campaign and transactional data, from Netmera to your FTP server for analysis and record-keeping.
This guide is designed to help you with both use cases. You can follow the relevant sections depending on whether you want to set up FTP for importing or exporting data. Each section provides detailed, step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth and secure setup process tailored to your needs.
To begin, contact your assigned Customer Success Manager (CSM). They will assist in enabling the FTP offer on your Netmera account, specifically for your application. The CSM will help with the necessary configurations and ensure that FTP functionality is activated, setting up automated data imports.
There are two methods for creating an FTP user:
Option 1: Customer-Created FTP User
If you choose to create the FTP user on your own server, please provide Netmera with the necessary server information so we can connect and upload files. Ensure your server configuration aligns with this setup.
Option 2: Netmera-Created FTP User
If you prefer, Netmera can create the FTP user for you. In this case, you will connect to Netmera’s server using the provided details. For secure access, please provide the IP address you will use to connect, as Netmera restricts connections to pre-approved IPs.
Your DevOps team will handle creating the FTP user account specifically for your application. Once set up, they will receive secure login credentials, facilitating encrypted, reliable data transfers between Netmera and your server.
Once your CSV file is prepared, follow these steps to upload it to the designated FTP server:
Establish a Secure FTP Connection: Use the FTP credentials provided by your DevOps team to connect securely to the designated server.
Initiate File Transfer: Upload the CSV file to the specified FTP directory. Ensure it follows the required format for seamless processing.
Automatic Data Processing: After the file is successfully uploaded, Netmera will automatically process the data and send push notifications based on the instructions within the CSV file.
This streamlined process enables the automated delivery of notifications, ensuring timely engagement based on the uploaded data.
In the application panel, the FTP Push offer is provided by the Customer Success Manager (CSM).
An FTP user is created specifically for the application and shared with the customer by the DevOps team.
Prepare a CSV file with the following fields: External ID, Push Text, and Deeplink.
Upload the CSV file to the designated FTP using the provided FTP credentials. Once uploaded, the push notifications will be sent out accordingly.
Warning: FTP Push Notifications with Inbox Inclusion
All push notifications sent via FTP includes the Inbox option by default. If your application does not have an Inbox feature, this will not affect you. However, if your application does have the Inbox feature, notifications sent via FTP will also appear in the Inbox.
CSV File Format: Ensure the CSV file follows this format:
Each entry must include a unique External ID, a personalized Text message, and an appropriate Deeplink as ExternalID;Text;Deeplink
Example Push Entries:
12345;Welcome to our platform! Enjoy exploring our latest features.;https://example.com/welcome
67890;Check out exclusive offers available just for you!;https://example.com/offers
54321;Get started by updating your profile to enhance your experience.;https://example.com/update-profile
98765;New articles are available in your feed. Click to read more.;https://example.com/articles
13579;Your account setup is complete! Discover what's next.;https://example.com/next-steps
Using Line Breaks in Push Notifications:
To include line breaks within a push notification, you can use \n, which creates a new line in the text. For instance:
When displayed, it will appear as:
This formatting makes your notifications more readable and visually appealing for users.
Create a 'Profile' Folder in FTP (with DevOps Assistance):
Work with DevOps to set up a dedicated “Profile” folder in the FTP directory.
Prepare a .txt File with Required Format:
Use a text (.txt) file formatted as shown below, where the first line defines the pattern:
Pattern Line: Begin with three ~ symbols, followed by the profile attributes to be updated. Each profile attribute should be separated by a single ~.
Order: The first three fields must always be in this order:
extID (required)
email (optional)
device token (optional)
Subsequent lines should include the values for these attributes, formatted according to the data type of each attribute (e.g., wrap strings in " " if necessary).
Example:
Upload the .txt File to the 'Profile' Folder in FTP:
Place the file in the "Profile" folder. Ensure that each file has a unique filename by adding the current date and time to avoid errors. Verify that all attribute values adhere to the required data types to avoid processing issues.
To confirm that the file has been processed successfully:
When the file is processed successfully, it will disappear from the folder, indicating completion.
Additional Recommendations:
For large data uploads (e.g., updating attributes for over 300,000 profiles), split the data into smaller files and upload them individually.
Ensure unique filenames for each file.
We recommend uploading files during business hours as nighttime processing jobs may interfere.
When setting up an FTP connection for data export, you have two options for creating an FTP user:
Option 1: Customer-Created FTP User
If you prefer to create the FTP user on your own server, Netmera will need the provided connection information to upload files. Please ensure your server’s configuration supports the connection.
Option 2: Netmera-Created FTP User
If you request Netmera to create the FTP user, you will connect to Netmera’s server using the details provided. Ensure you supply the IP address from which you will connect to Netmera's server, as connections are restricted to predefined IPs for security.
Once the FTP user is created, either by you or by Netmera, your DevOps team will receive secure login credentials, enabling encrypted data transfers between Netmera and the server of choice.
The Customer Success Manager (CSM) will assign specific offers to your account on the Netmera Panel. To configure FTP export settings:
Go to the Reports > Export page on the Netmera Panel.
Set up the export settings for FTP, ensuring all required paths and server credentials are accurately entered. Please visit our page Export for further information.
After setup, Netmera will automatically transfer your reports to the configured FTP server.
FTP Report Sending Schedule
Reports are sent nightly between 3:00 AM and 6:00 AM to ensure timely data availability.
In Case of FTP Transfer Failures
If the report fails to reach your FTP server, please contact Netmera at support@netmera.com for manual assistance and troubleshooting.
To export files via FTP from the Netmera Panel, follow these steps:
Navigate to the Export screen on the Netmera Panel. You may visit Export for further information on the report options.
Select the desired report or data set to export.
Trigger the FTP transfer by clicking the 'Send' button.
Once initiated, the report will be automatically transferred to your designated server.
Upon completion, the files will be named as follows:
appkey_PUSH_REPORTS_date
appkey_msgID_PUSH_REPORTS_date (with external ID)
These files will be automatically transferred to your designated server.
