Channels

Overview

Take an in-depth look at creating, organizing, and managing channels in Veracross. Learn how intentional channel management can help constituents manage subscription preferences and more.

Channels Overview

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. What is a Channel?

2. Are recipients set from a Channel? 

3. How are Channels useful in Veracross?

4. What tool is used in conjunction with Channels?

Channel Organization

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. Navigate to the Communications homepage, find the Channels List embedded query on the homepage. List at least three examples of Channel Categories and three examples of Channels in this query. 

2. List three reasons why setting up Channel Categories is important.

3. What are the two ways which Channel Categories can be updated from the Channels List query?

4. What does the “obsolete” flag on the Channel record do? 

5. If removing Channel Categories, what step(s) must happen first before you can remove the Category from the system?

Form Visibility

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. What does “Form” refer to on a Channel record?

2. What are two ways you can not allow recipients to “unsubscribe” from the Channel communication preferences.

3. Run a Find Person Query, and find the link to that person’s “Channel Update Form.” Open the Form. How can you tell which channels the person has the ability to update their communication preferences? 

4. How is the “Form Visibility by Role” tab used?

Blocked Users

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. What does the “Block” tab show on a Channel record?

2. What are the ways a person could be added to the Blocked tab on a Channel record?

Email, SMS, and News tabs

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. Find a draft email from a Channel record in Axiom. Once the draft is located, open the draft URL.

2. What does it mean when an email or news article is on the “Scheduled” tab?

3. What does the “Create New Draft” and “Create New Template” fields from the Sent tab do? 

4. What additional information on the SMS Sent tab is provided that is specific to this communication method? Are there other places you can see this information?

5. What must be true in order for News articles on the Published tab to actually appear on the Portals? 

Channel Security

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. How are people granted access to “view content” sent from a Channel?

2. How are people granted access to “create content” for a Channel? Describe the four “publish permissions” options that can be granted to individuals allowed to create content.

3. Name the two Communications security roles that determine security levels of people when creating/viewing Channel information. What does each do?

End User Experience of Channels

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. What page are users brought to when they click on the email preferences link commonly found at the bottom of an email message? 

2. What configuration options allow parents to see news articles published on a portal? 

Review Workflows

After watching this video answer or complete the following:

1. Describe the process behind the “Receive Review Notification” flag. What does checking this flag on the Create Content tab do? 

2. What are the two Communication System Email Templates that are used in the review workflow? Describe when each are used.

3. How does communication (email or news article) ultimately get published using the review workflow? (list two ways).