Creating a Target Expression

You create target expressions to specify the users to which you want to target ads and discounts. Target expressions can also target request context. For example, target expressions can target the Web site from which the user is visiting, the current page group, the time of day, or an HTTP cookie. Expressions are a combination of properties, operators, and values that yield a result upon evaluation. You create an expression by selecting from a list of pre-defined targets, operators, and if required, entering the value to be evaluated by the expression, such as a number. For example, a target expression might be "Account Class is equal to 10" or "Female User is True". You use the Expression Builder in the Target Expressions screen to build your target expressions.

You can build target expressions to target ads and discounts to specific languages and currencies. You use the Expression Builder to select the language to which you want to target your ad or discount.

To create a new target expression

To target a specific language

To create a new target expression

  1. In Campaigns, click Campaign Expressions.

  2. In the Campaign Expressions: Target Expressions screen, click View on the toolbar, and then select Target Expressions from the drop-down list.

  3. In the Campaign Expressions:Target Expressions screen, click Add on the toolbar.

  4. In the Target Expression dialog box, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Name Type a name for the new target expression.
    Description Type a description for the new target expression, and then click New.

    The first of three edit boxes in the Target based on the following conditions box is activated, so you can select or type the expression clauses.

    Target based on the following conditions:
    • First box. Select the option that pertains to this expression from the drop-down list. Values for this box are User Object, Targeting Context, Evaluator Intrinsics, and Expressions (if any exist).

      Ee799637.note(en-US,CS.20).gifNote

      • If an object or function is not listed, it is not valid in the context where you started the Expression Builder. For example, a different set of operators will appear if the target is based on an expression rather than on a user object.

      If you select User Object, a drop-down list containing user object property groups appears. Select the user object property group, and then select the user object type that you want to use in this expression.

      If you select Targeting Context, the Page Group property appears and any additional properties that have been created for the Targeting Context profile. Select the property that you want to use in this expression. For information about adding profile properties, see Adding Properties to a Profile Definition.

      If you select Evaluator Instrinsics, select the timeframe you want to use in this expression.

      If you select Expressions, the Choose an Expression dialog box appears. Select the expression from the list of expressions that you want to use, and then click OK.

      Expressions appear only if they were created before you opened the Target Expressions dialog box.

    • Second box. Select an operator type for the expression from the available types in the drop-down list.
    • Third box. Type the property or value to be evaluated by the expression.

    Ee799637.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

    • In campaign expressions, if the value to be entered is multi-valued, such as a list, use a semi-colon (;) to separate multiple values. Do not use a comma, because the comma is not recognized as a separator. For example, a list of numbers would be input as 2,534; 3,485; 6,982. The escape character for a literal semi-colon is a backslash (\). For example, a value such as ABC;12 would be input as ABC\;12.

      For example, the expression State (product property) is equal to (operator) CA (string), will apply a discount to Customers that only live in the state of California.

    Ee799637.th_bd_campaigns_targetexpression(en-US,CS.20).gif

  5. Click Apply.

    The new target expression is added to the Target based on the following conditions box.

    Ee799637.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

    • To add additional conditions to the catalog expression you just created, repeat steps 3 through 5, and then select either And or Or from the drop-down list.
  6. To save the target expression and return to the Campaign Expressions: Target Expressions screen, click Save.

The expression is added to the Campaign Expressions:Target Expressions screen. You can now group several target expressions together to create a target group that you use to target your ads or discounts.

To target a specific language

  1. In Campaigns, click Campaign Expressions.

  2. In the Campaign Expressions: Target Expressions screen, click View on the toolbar, and then select Target Expressions from the drop-down list.

  3. In the Campaign Expressions:Target Expressions screen, click Add on the toolbar.

  4. In the Target Expression dialog box, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Name Type a name for the new target expression.
    Description Type a description for the new target expression, and then click New.

    The first of three edit boxes in the Target based on the following conditions box is activated, so you can select or type the expression clauses.

    Target based on the following conditions:
    • First box. Select User Object, select General Information, and then scroll down and select Default Language.
    • Second box. Select equal to from the available operator types in the drop-down list.
    • Third box. Click the ellipse button []. In the Choose a Site Term dialog box, select the language you want to target from the list of site terms, and then click OK.
  5. Click Apply.

    The new target expression is added to the Target based on the following conditions box.

    Ee799637.note(en-US,CS.20).gif Note

    • To add additional conditions to the catalog expression you just created, repeat steps 3 through 5, and then select either And or Or from the drop-down list.
  6. To save the target expression and return to the Campaign Expressions: Target Expressions screen, click Save.

The expression is added to the Target Expressions box. You can now group several target expressions together to create a target group that you use to target your ads or discounts.

See Also

Creating an Ad

Creating a Target Group

Expression-based Targeting

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