About preference centers
A preference center is a page where users can manage their opt-in statuses for the subscription lists in your project. Preference centers are presented within your app or website, or as an Airship-hosted web page.
Preference centers can support either a single channel or multiple channels. For both, you select which Subscription ListsAn audience list of users who are opted in to messaging about a specific topic. Users can manage their opt-in status per list using a preference center. to display.
Single-channel — These preference centers support app, web, and email. Preferences are updated per channel. Available for non-AXP customers only.
Multi-channel
Preferences are updated at the Named UserA customer-provided identifier used for mapping multiple devices and channels to a specific individual. level per channel type. For instance, if a user has two app channels and they update a preference for an app subscription list, then Airship updates both app channels for their named user, not just the one for the device they are on.
You can organize the subscription lists automatically by channel or manually group the lists under headings you create.
Any change to subscription status is a Real-Time Data StreamingA service that delivers engagement events in real time via the Data Streaming API or an Airship partner integration. event. For single-channel preference centers, the event is per channel. For multi-channel, it includes the named user. Even if you do not use Airship for all your channels, you can still use our multi-channel preference centers for your other channels and keep your external providers in sync via named user subscription status.
Steps for making a preference center available to users depends on how it will be accessed:
Email — Design a web page in the Airship dashboard and select a preference center to appear on the page. After saving, copy the web page link and include it in your email to a subscription list. No development work is required.
App and Web — Give your developer the preference center ID so they can add it to your website or app. In addition to directing users to a preference center through app and website navigation, you can:
- Select an app preference center as an ActionA configurable behavior that occurs when a user interacts with your message, e.g., opening a web page. for push notifications and in-app messages.
- Select an app preference center as a button action when using the WYSIWYG editor to create content for Rich PagesA landing page or Message Center message in your app that can include HTML, video, etc. and In-App AutomationMessages that are cached on users’ devices and displayed when your users meet certain conditions within your app, such as viewing a particular screen or opening the app a certain number of times..
- Provide a direct link to a web preference center.
When you make changes to a preference center, the updates are published in real time.
Changes made in preference centers apply to the opt-in statuses for subscription lists only. They do not control the opt-in status for receiving messages. For example, if a user opts in to an SMS subscription list in a preference center, they will not receive messages sent to that list unless they are already opted in to SMS notifications. See opt-in information per channel:
Airship preference centers are widgets that can be embedded in a page in an app or website. Please verify with your legal team that your full preference center page, including any web page for email preference centers, is compliant with local privacy regulations.
Notification opt-in prompt
For App and Web, you can add a notification opt-in prompt that appears in the preference center on devices that have notifications disabled. Clicking the button opens the settings for your app. For a web preference center, your web developer must code an action for the button. Both the message and button text can be customized.
No icon is present by default, but you can enter an HTTPS URL for an icon image. If your Airship plan includes CDN support, you can also upload media or select from previously uploaded media.
In a multi-channel preference center grouped by category, there is a single opt-in prompt used for both app and web. If grouped by channel, you can configure an opt-in prompt for each channel.
Migrating to a user-level preference center
Single-channel preference centers created before October 10, 2022, update at the channel level. After migrating to a user-level preference center, preferences are updated at the Named UserA customer-provided identifier used for mapping multiple devices and channels to a specific individual. level per channel type. For instance, if a user has two app channels and they update a preference for an app subscription list, then Airship updates both app channels for their named user, not just the one for the device they are on.
User-level App preference centers require: iOS SDK 16.9+Android SDK 16.7+
Do not migrate until your SDK has been updated.
Migration is permanent. You cannot migrate a user-level preference center to channel-level.
- Go to Settings » Project configuration » Preference Centers and click Edit for a preference center.
- Click Start migration process. This option only appears if the preference center is currently channel-level.
- Check the terms box and click Migrate preference center. Migration takes seconds to complete.
- Click Save and publish to apply the changes.
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