Enable the shared email address feature in order to allow attendees who use a shared email address to be created as event users, to log-in to events, and to interact with the app.
This feature can only be enabled by SpotMe Support, and is recommended only if your audience includes users with shared email addresses.
What is the shared email addresses feature?
By default, SpotMe events are configured so that attendees are identified using a unique email address when they are created as a user in the workplace (whether they are added manually in Backstage, via API integration, or via a registration page) and when they interact with the event app.
In this case, we consider that: 1 email address = 1 individual attendee.
→ 1 attendee in the workspace will have an email address that is name.surname@company.com.
There are instances where some of your attendees may need to use shared email addresses instead of unique email addresses. This can for example be multiple users that belong to a business, and that use the same single email address for that business’s operations.
In this case, we may consider that 1 email address = 3 individual attendees.
→ 3 attendees will all use the same email address that is contact@company.com
In the case of multiple attendees using the same email address, Backstage can be configured to support this.
Once configured, when multiple attendees use the same shared email address, Backstage will use a combination of the user’s first name, last name, and the shared email address in order to identify a unique user, instead of just the shared email address.
In this article, we’ll explain how this can be done, how this works, and provide some best practices when using this approach.
How do I enable the use of shared email addresses on my workspaces?
By default, shared email addresses cannot be used for your events. Therefore, this will need to be specially enabled at the organization level and at the app container level. You will also need to ensure that your domain is using the appropriate email provider.
Enabling shared email addresses at the organization level
Contact your SpotMe Account Manager and request that they enable the use of shared email addresses for your organization’s workspaces.
Shared email addresses will be enabled on all workspaces that are created, after it has been enabled at the organization level.
Enabling shared email addresses at the app container level
Contact the SpotMe app publishing team and request that:
- Shared emails is enabled in the container app set-up.
- The organization’s invitation email template is adjusted. This is the email that is sent when attendees log into the app. The setting to be adjusted is available in your organization > your app > Emails > Invitation > Email texts > Salutation body text.
Here the text will need to be changed to “{{fname}} {{lname}}”. A space is present between both items.
Additional adjustments to the actual workspace email templates (at the workspace level) will also need to be made, as explained further in this article.
- The app has been updated, and that attendees are using the latest available version of the app. If this is not the case, attendees will not be able to access any of the events that were created before the shared emails functionality was enabled.
Check that your event domain is using the right email provider
To make sure that the sending of bulk emails is supported with shared email addresses, please contact SpotMe support and check that your event is using the SES email provider.
How can I see if my workspace has the shared emails functionality enabled?
You can see if the workspace has the shared emails feature enabled, via the workspace settings.
To do so, go to Workspace settings > General, and scroll down to the Users section.
Here, workspaces that have the shared email feature enabled will display the text saying: User creation with shared email addresses allowed:
This is displayed for information purposes only, and cannot be edited or switched on/off. Should you need to edit this, please contact SpotMe support.
How do I use the platform with shared emails enabled?
Adding users that share the same email address to the workspace user list
Once configured, when multiple attendees use the same shared email address, Backstage will use a combination of the user’s first name, last name, and the shared email address in order to identify a unique user, instead of just the shared email address.
Attendees that are added to a workspace and use a shared email address, are added as unique individual attendees, each with their own profile information, their own log-in access, and their own unique identifiers.
As such, once the shared emails functionality is enabled, you can simply add individual users who use the same email address manually, upload them via XLS, or import them via API, in the same way as you would for attendees using a unique email address.
The system will allow you to add multiple individual attendees to the user list that share the same address, because each user has their own unique first and last name.
Attendees registering to an event via a public registration page or by responding to RSVP invitation email
When registering to an event via public registration page, the attendee will be able to register using their shared email address, their first name, and their last name. When they receive the registration confirmation email that includes their personal log-in button, the link will take the user directly to the event, without needing to log-in again.
For RSVP registration, each attendees using the shared email address will receive their own tailored invitation email sent to the shared email address. They will access this tailored email via the shared email address in order to access or decline the invitation.
Email communications with attendees that use a shared email address
Adjusting the email templates in the workspace
Email communications sent to individual attendees that are using shared email addresses, including invitations to register or log-in to the event, must be adjusted to ensure that they are easily recognizable to the intended recipient.
Important: The below adjustments need to be made all on all the email templates that are present in the workspace and that will be used for the event.
We highly recommend that you modify your workspace email templates so that:
- Their subject line includes {{{fname}} and {{{lname}}} placeholders. This will display the first name and last name of the intended recipient in the subject line of the email, and ensure that the emails are separated in the inbox (and are not stacked):
- The start of the body text includes “First name” and “Last name” participant detail merge tags. These merge tags will ensure that the intended recipient’s first name and last name are displayed in the body of the email:
Important considerations regarding the use of shared email addresses for event communications destined to individual attendees
When enabling and using shared email addresses for your organization's workspaces, it is important that you remember that any person who has access to the email account associated with the shared email address will receive and be able to access the content of any emails that are sent to the shared email address. This includes clicking on unique links that are destined to a unique individual.
With this in mind, below you will find examples of sensitive communications in the context of SpotMe events, that will require the users of a shared email address to take special care.
Event access / Live session access / Meetings invitation and updates:
All emails that are sent by the event organizers or by other attendees, to individual attendees, as part of the following:
- Log-in/access the event app.
- Manage/update/confirm event and session registration information.
- Join a live session.
- Respond to and join meeting requests.
GDPR (right to access, edit, delete, or receive a copy of my data)
Individual attendees that use a shared email address, and who request to access or delete their personal information via the app, will receive a personal email confirmation that is sent to that individual attendee (in order to receive a copy of their data or confirm the “forget me” request) via the shared email address. This means that this tailored email is also accessible to any person who has access to the shared email address.
Unsubscribing from emails sent from the event
Individual attendees that use a shared email address can request to unsubscribe from all emails that are sent from the event. To do so they simply need to unsubscribe from an email that is specifically sent to them via the shared email address. If, via the shared email address, they unsubscribe from a personal email that is destined to another attendee, then this other attendee will be unsubscribed from the event's emails.
When shared email addresses are used on your event, we recommend that you do not enable the “Send a copy of a form to the attendee” function in the forms module.
If this functionality is enabled, attendees using a shared email address will receive a copy of their submitted form responses via the shared email address. Therefore, all individuals that have access to the shared email address could potentially access the form responses of other attendees:
What access to events will attendees have if they are using the same shared email address?
Attendees using a shared email address will be able to access the event in the same way as attendees that use unique email addresses.
The only difference is that, when attendee log-in to the mobile app or to the container app via the web browser, they will use a combination of their first name and last name along with their shared email address:
Note: When using shared email addresses, the retrieve existing registration functionality is not supported.
Logging into an event using a shared email address
When an individual "attendee A", using a shared email address, is invited to log-in to an event, they will receive their own tailored invitation email (with their fist name and last name clearly visible) that contains a personal and unique link (magic link) allowing them to directly log-in to the event as "attendee A".
When multiple attendees are using the same shared email address, it is therefore crucial that the each attendee accesses their own tailored email and uses their own unique magic link in order to log-in to the event. If an "attendee A" uses the magic link for "attendee B", then "attendee A" will be directly logged in as "attendee B".
Important: Each individual using the shared email address is responsible for clicking on their own personal invitation link located within the unique email that is addressed to them.
Shared emails in dashboard reports
All reports that include attendee information or actions will track the activity of attendees that use a shared email address, in the same way as it would track the activity of an attendee that used a unique email address.
Each attendee using a shared email address will be listed in the reports individually, using separate rows, based on the combination of their first name, last name, and shared email address.
The only difference is that you will see that multiple attendees will have the same email address.
Supported integrations
The Salesforce integration fully supports the use of shared email addresses within the workspace.
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