This plugin (included in Mailster Business and Ultimate) enables synchronizing user managed through Community Builder (https://www.joomlapolis.com/community-builder) with Mailster’s mailing lists and groups. There are two approaches for that, which you can enable/disable for your needs:
- CB State synchronization
- CB field to Mailster group synchronization
Please be sure to read through the whole documentation to understand how the synchronization works.
Especially if you want to take into account existing user/subscription states.
Compatibility
Please check that you are using Mailster with a compatible version of Community Builder.
| Community Builder 1.7 – 1.9 | Community Builder 2.0+ | |
| Mailster 0.4 – 1.0 | Yes | No |
| Mailster 1.1+ | Yes | Yes |
Configuring the CB Bridge Plugin
In order to configure the CB Bridge Plugin simply use the link available in the Start Center.
Open the CB Bridge plugin and enable it if it is not already enabled.
CB State synchronization
This synchronization mode enables you to automate subscribe/unsubscribe actions based on one of the CB user states: approved, confirmed and blocked.
To use this synchronization mode, proceed as follows:
- Enable the synchronization mode in the plugin’s options
- Choose the CB user state to use for the subscribe/unsubscribe action (approved/confirmed/blocked/banned)
- Next, define the action that is done for a mailing list and/or a Mailster user group (subscribe/unsubscribe to/from list and/or group)
- If needed, you can also activate the opposite action (e.g., if a user is removed from a group when the state changes to “blocked”, then the opposite means to add the user to the group when the state changes to “not blocked”)
- Then save the plugin configuration
Please note that the CB state synchronization only works in Community Builder’s core GUI dialogs in the backend (list view and user details view) and frontend (user profile editing view).
There are many 3rd party plugins that change the user state for certain use cases. If you need them reflected for Mailster’s subscriber management, you can contact us, and we can discuss building an extension for you.
CB field to Mailster group synchronization
This synchronization mode enables you to use a Community Builder’s field to link the options to Mailster groups.
First of all, you need to create a Community Builder field of the type Checkbox (Multiple), Drop Down (Multi-Select), Single Dropdown or Radio Button fields as follows:
- Navigate to the Field Manager of Community Builder (Components > Community Builder > Field Management)
- Open the dialog New Field
- Choose Checkbox (Multiple) or Drop Down (Multi-Select) as the field type:
- Assign the field to a tab as you like (optional)
- Provide a name for the new field, we recommend cb_mailstergroup
- Provide a title, something like “Mailing list”
- Click Save to create the field
- Create field options (at the bottom of the dialog – “Add a value”) with the values being exactly as you have named your Mailster user groups
After setting up the CB field we are ready to enable the plugin synchronization:
- Enable the synchronization mode in the plugin’s options
- Then choose the CB field created earlier
- Then save the plugin configuration
Please note that the CB field to Mailster group synchronization only works in Community Builder’s core GUI dialogs in the backend (list view and user details view) and frontend (user profile editing view).
There are many 3rd party plugins that change the user state for certain use cases.
If you need them reflected for Mailster’s subscriber management, you can contact us, and we can discuss building an extension for you.
Initial synchronization / Setup synchronization
The synchronization works while the relevant state (e.g., user status, membership to group) changes. Then the above-described actions are executed. When you have setup the synchronization and want to take into account the current user state (e.g., remove all blocked users from a mailing list), then you need to use the initial synchronization.
Synchronization based on user state
- You have the following synchronization settings:
- The Use Double Opt-In subscribe setting enables you to deactivate the regular, individual double-opt in setting. That avoids that the request-for-confirmation-mails are sent out for users that are added/removed to/from the mailing list.
- Similar, the Send welcome and goodbye message setting enables you to deactivate the welcome/goodbye messages that normally would be sent out when users are added to / removed from the mailing list.
Synchronization based on user groups
- You have the following synchronization settings:
- With the synchronization direction, you decide which data will be looked at to pre-fill / copy it to the other system.
That means if you already organize your subscribers in Mailster user groups and you want to reflect this in a CB field, you would choose “From Mailster user group to CB field”. Vice versa, when you already have a CB field that is filled with information, you can use that to add users to multiple groups during the synchronization.