Integrating with WebMerge

About Webmerge

Applies to: ONTRAPORT Plus and above.

WebMerge is an online platform that allows you to populate a document and send it to any contact automatically via postal service, email or another integrated application. Use cases include sending a PDF document to your customer for electronic signatures, storing a document in DropBox, sending letters via postal mail, etc. It also allows you to insert ONTRAPORT merge fields such as first name and email into those documents for more personalized lead and customer experiences.

This article discusses how to populate a document in your WebMerge account. Check with WebMerge Support for information on how to integrate it with e-signature services and other applications. For a specific example using DocuSign, see Send Contracts and Agreements to Contacts in ONTRAPORT.

Gathering Information from WebMerge

Create your document in WebMerge first. Your document will contain WebMerge merge fields. Make a list of all the merge fields the document uses. WebMerge fields use curly brackets and the dollar sign as shown here.
On the Merge tab for the document copy the Merge URL for use in ONTRAPORT. Use the Test URL for no-cost testing (all other steps remain the same).

Sending ONTRAPORT data to WebMerge

In this example we will use a Rule in a Step Sequence to send Contact Record information to WebMerge.

In ONTRAPORT create a new Step Sequence in Contacts > Sequences.
Add a Rule Step to the Step Sequence. Name the Rule Step and under Then Do This select Ping a URL.
Paste the Merge URL (or Test URL) into the URL field.
Now build the Post Data. This may seem difficult but if done carefully, merge field by merge field, it can be done fairly quickly.
1. Type the first WebMerge merge field without the curly brackets and dollar sign, then add an equals sign. The merge field {$First_Name} would be First_Name before adding the equals sign. Select the corresponding ONTRAPORT merge field from the drop down.
2. Add an ampersand, &, character at the end. The Post Data box will look like this.
3. Continue to add the WebMerge merge fields without the curly brackets or dollar sign, add an equal sign, and then insert the ONTRAPORT merge field from the drop down box.
4. Combining ONTRAPORT Merge Fields: In the finished Post Data box below, we have two merge fields for the {$Name} merge field, [First Name] [Last Name], with a space between them in this format: Name=[First Name] [Last Name]&. Spaces can be used in this way whenever you are combining ONTRAPORT merge fields.
5. The last merge field ends without the ampersand "&" character as shown.
Save the Step Sequence and test it by subscribing a test contact to it. The Rule Step will send the data to WebMerge, and WebMerge will create the document and process it according to your settings in WebMerge.
To view the completed document in WebMerge, click on the name of the document and then the Overview tab to see the Recent Merges information. Click on View Data to confirm the merge fields have populated the document correctly.

FAQs

Q. This "Ping URL" thingy looks a lot like a webhook. Why do you call it a Ping URL?

A. ONTRAPORT pioneered the use of sending post data from an online business application to a URL over a decade ago. At that time the name of the feature was not set. In practice, a Ping URL and a webhook are the same thing.

Q. I'm sending signature documents using WebMerge. Can you help me set WebMerge up with SignatureFlow and DropBox?

A. We're always happy to help with the ONTRAPORT side of the integration, but we cannot support other applications. Check with WebMerge Support for instructions on integrating those and other services.

Q. Are there other ways to send a Ping URL to WebMerge? I don't want to use a Step Sequence.

A. Any place you can use a Rule you can use a Ping URL. That includes global Rules that wait for a trigger event, Rule Steps in both Step and Date Sequences, Rules set up in the Collections / Recharge Settings, Rules configured during step 5 of the contact import process, Rules on opt in and order forms, etc.

Q. Can I use a new custom field to store information, and then send that to WebMerge?

A. Yes, any custom field you add will appear as an ONTRAPORT merge field in the drop down box.

Q. What happens if an ONTRAPORT field does not have data in it? Is it just blank in the data sent to WebMerge? I don't want to send a letter with the salutation "Dear ,"

A. Yes, it will be blank unless you set up default merge field values. For instance, setting the default merge field value for the First Name field to "Valued Client" would result in the salutation being "Dear Valued Client," if the First Name field is blank.

Frank Hagan

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