Marketing-Cloud-Developer Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Developer (SU24) Questions and Answers

To retrieve the status of an asynchronous SOAP API call to the TriggerSend object, you should use the ResultItem object along with the RequestID attribute.

ResultItem Object: This object provides detailed information about the status of each individual request made within the API call.

RequestID Attribute: This unique identifier is used to track and retrieve the status of the specific API request.

For pushing real-time updates to a data extension, the following API options are available:

Use the DataExtensionObject SOAP object (A) - This object allows you to perform various operations such as insert, update, and delete on data extensions through SOAP API calls.

Use the DataExtension SOAP object (C) - Similar to DataExtensionObject, this object provides capabilities to manage data extensions and their records via SOAP API.

These APIs allow for real-time interaction with data extensions, making them suitable for updating the product catalog.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API Developer Guide

Data Extension Objects in SOAP API

A developer should request a new token once an hour when making multiple API calls in v1. Salesforce Marketing Cloud access tokens are typically valid for one hour, and refreshing them every hour ensures that the API calls are authenticated.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud API Token Management

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Authentication

When configuring an API integration component in an Installed Package, it is best practice to select the minimum required scope for the integration. This approach ensures that the integration has only the necessary permissions, enhancing security by limiting access to only what is required.

Minimum Required Scope: Selecting only the scopes that are necessary for the integration helps maintain a secure and controlled environment.

To retrieve which subscribers were sent a particular email using the Marketing Cloud SOAP API, the developer should use the SentEvent (C) SOAP API object. This object records the event when an email is successfully sent to a subscriber.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API

SentEvent Object

To create a Call-To-Action (CTA) link in an email that will display personal information about the subscriber on a landing page, the developer should use the AMPscript CloudPagesURL function (A). This function generates a URL for a CloudPage and can include parameters such as SubscriberKey or EmailAddress, which will be passed to the landing page securely.

Example usage:

rectTo(@url)=%%">View Your Information

This ensures that the SubscriberKey is securely passed to the CloudPage without exposing it directly in the URL.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud AMPscript Guide: CloudPagesURL

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Documentation

Before importing zipped files into a Data Extension, a File Transfer activity is needed to unzip the files on the Marketing Cloud Enhanced FTP server. This activity moves and decompresses the files to make them available for import.

File Transfer Activity: This activity is used to move files from one location to another and to unzip compressed files.

To manage the data model programmatically and access the Attribute Group schema, the REST API should be used. The REST API provides endpoints to interact with and retrieve information about Attribute Groups and their schemas.

Data extension functions in AMPscript, such as LookupRows, LookupOrderedRows, and UpdateDE, can most negatively impact send processing because they involve querying and manipulating data extensions. These operations can be resource-intensive and time-consuming, especially when dealing with large data sets.

To aggregate monthly energy usage data stored in variables for each month, you should use the ADD function in AMPscript to sum up the values. The ADD function can be nested to handle multiple values.

AMPscript Example:

%%[ SET @total = ADD(@jan, ADD(@feb, ADD(@mar, @apr))) ]%%

To define a filename pattern that matches files starting with the current month and day, you can use the %%MMDD%% pattern and the "Begins With" operator.

%%MMDD%% Pattern: This pattern represents the month and day in a two-digit format.

Begins With Operator: This operator ensures that the automation matches filenames that start with the specified pattern.

In AMPscript, comments can be added within a code block using the /* comment */ syntax. This allows developers to include notes or explanations without affecting the execution of the script.

Example:

ampscript

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%%[ /* This is a comment */ SET @var = "value" ]%%

To reference SSJS (Server-Side JavaScript) variables for content personalization in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, you use the <ctrl:eval> tag. This tag evaluates the SSJS variable and inserts its value into the content. The correct usage is:

variableName

This syntax allows you to dynamically insert the value of variableName into the email content.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Documentation

AMPscript and SSJS Guide

To optimize the performance when retrieving a large number of rows from a data extension via the API, the following solutions can be used:

Use the REST API instead of the SOAP API (A) - The REST API generally offers better performance for data retrieval operations compared to the SOAP API.

Use the ContinueRequest feature (C) - This feature allows for the pagination of results, enabling the retrieval of large datasets in manageable chunks.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud REST API

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API ContinueRequest

An Exclusion Script is used to exclude certain subscribers from an email send based on defined criteria. It can also log or capture details of those excluded addresses for reporting purposes.

Exclusion Script: This script runs before the send and can dynamically exclude recipients based on logic you define. It allows you to prevent competitors from receiving the email and to log their email addresses.

The Contact Delete process can be slow for a large number of contacts. To expedite this process, the best approach is to stop the current delete process and delete smaller groups of contacts. This allows the system to handle smaller chunks of data more efficiently.

Stop Current Process: Stopping the current large delete process helps avoid system overload and potential timeouts.

Delete in Smaller Groups: By segmenting the contacts into smaller groups and deleting them in batches, the process becomes more manageable and faster.

To retrieve a row of data from a data extension using the SOAP API, the developer should use the DataExtensionObject API Object. This object allows for operations such as retrieving, updating, and inserting rows within a data extension.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API DataExtensionObject

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API Reference

When receiving an "insufficient Privileges" error while attempting to upload a base64-encoded file to Content Builder using an API Installed Package, the developer should validate the Client Id and Client Secret are correct. These credentials are necessary for authentication and authorization when interacting with Salesforce Marketing Cloud APIs.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud API Authentication

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Content Builder API

To convert a string payload in JSON format to a JavaScript object on a CloudPage, the developer should use the ParseJSON (B) function in Marketing Cloud Server-Side JavaScript (SSJS). This function parses a JSON string and returns a corresponding JavaScript object.

Example:

var jsonString = '{"key1":"value1", "key2":"value2"}'; var jsonObject = Platform.Function.ParseJSON(jsonString);

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SSJS Guide

SSJS Platform.Function.ParseJSON

The Balance field is a text field and contains the value "S6.96", which is a string. The IF statement is comparing a string with a numeric value (6.00). Since the operands are not of the same data type, this can yield unintended results. To correctly compare the balance, the string should be converted to a numeric value.

Example:

%%[ SET @Balance = "6.96" /* Simulating text field value */ IF (Value(@Balance) > 6.00) THEN SET @Result = 'Balance is more than $6.00' ENDIF ]%%

The LookupRows function retrieves rows from a data extension where specified criteria are met. In an Enterprise 2.0 account, the data extension name in shared data extensions should be prefixed with 'Ent.' to indicate it is in the shared space.

Example:

SET @rows = LookupRows('Ent. Inventory', 'InStock', 'true')

In the provided AMPscript, the IF statement checks the length of the @point variable and sets @value accordingly. Since x = 'Tacos' has a length of 5, it meets the first condition Length(@point) > 1, which sets @value to 1. Subsequent conditions are not evaluated because the first condition is already true.

AMPscript IF-ELSEIF Example:

%%[ SET @point = RequestParameter('x') SET @value = 5 IF Length(@point) > 1 THEN SET @value = 1 ELSEIF Length(@point) > 2 THEN SET @value = 2 ELSEIF Length(@point) > 3 THEN SET @value = 3 ELSEIF Length(@point) > 4 THEN SET @value = 4 ENDIF ]%%

Regarding the Marketing Cloud SOAP API, the following statements are true:

Most SOAP calls can be synchronous or asynchronous (B) - This means that API calls can either wait for the operation to complete (synchronous) or proceed with other tasks while waiting for the response (asynchronous).

Uses XML in request and response body (C) - The SOAP API utilizes XML for both requests and responses, providing a standardized format for data interchange.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API Overview

Salesforce SOAP API Developer Guide

The "View Email As Web Page" (VAWP) link relies on the original email content being available. If the email used at the time of send was deleted, updated, or moved, the link will not be able to retrieve and display the content, resulting in the error message.

Transparent Data Encryption (TDE) is the appropriate method for ensuring that the underlying database files are encrypted at rest. TDE encrypts the database files themselves, protecting the data in case the physical media is stolen, while allowing the data to be viewed in clear text by authorized users within the system.

Transparent Data Encryption: Encrypts data at rest, ensuring that the database files are secure.

To retrieve tracking data for all sends associated with a specific JobID, including Sends, Opens, Clicks, and Bounces, the developer can use the following activities:

Tracking Extract Activity (A) - This activity extracts tracking data such as sends, opens, clicks, and bounces into a file, which can then be used for reporting or further processing.

SQL Query Activity (D) - This activity can query the data views to gather tracking data directly from the Salesforce Marketing Cloud databases. The developer can write SQL queries to select specific tracking information based on the JobID.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Tracking Extract Activity

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views

The Event Notification Service (ENS) in Salesforce Marketing Cloud provides real-time event notifications, such as email opens and clicks. Using ENS, Northern Trail Outfitters can trigger follow-up messages based on real-time engagement data.

The error message "Cannot Perform 'Post' on objects of type 'SentEvent'" indicates that the SentEvent object is not updatable via the SOAP API. The SentEvent object is typically read-only and is used for tracking purposes.

Read-Only Object: The SentEvent object is used to log events and is not designed to be modified via API calls. This is why attempts to perform POST operations on it will result in an error.

In Salesforce Marketing Cloud, access tokens are valid for one hour (D). After one hour, a new access token must be obtained to continue making API calls. This ensures security and helps manage the lifespan of tokens effectively.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud API Authentication

Salesforce Marketing Cloud REST API Overview

When using the REST Authorization Service to obtain an OAuth access token, the standard method to include this token in subsequent API requests is by adding it to the Authorization header with the Bearer scheme.

Correct Method: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN

This format is a standard practice for OAuth 2.0 token usage.

To control the rendering of unique and default content based on the presence of subscriber data in a related data extension, the best practice is to use the RowCount function and an IF statement:

%%[ VAR @rowCount SET @rowCount = RowCount(LookupRows("RelatedDataExtension", "SubscriberKey", _subscriberKey)) IF @rowCount > 0 THEN /* Render unique content */ ELSE /* Render default content */ ENDIF ]%%

This approach checks if there are any rows in the related data extension for the subscriber and conditionally renders the appropriate content.

References:

AMPscript Guide

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Documentation

When importing an encrypted file from the Enhanced FTP server, you need to move the file to the Safehouse first, and then decrypt it within the Safehouse.

Move to Safehouse: Use a File Transfer activity to move the encrypted file from the Enhanced FTP server to the Safehouse.

Decrypt in Safehouse: Use another File Transfer activity to decrypt the file within the Safehouse.

Content Builder uses the REST API to manage content within Salesforce Marketing Cloud. The REST API allows developers to create, update, retrieve, and delete content assets, making it suitable for cross-channel campaign functions.

When an email is sent to a list where subscribers have no associated Subscriber Key, Marketing Cloud will use the Email Address as the Contact Key by default. This ensures that each subscriber can still be uniquely identified even if they do not have a predefined Subscriber Key.

The SQL statement in question does not return any records because it is joining on the EmailAddress field, which is not present in the _Bounce Data View. The correct approach is to join using the SubscriberKey (or SubscriberID). Here is the corrected SQL statement:

SELECT s.EmailAddress, s.SubscriberKey, b.JobID, b.EventDate, b.SMTPBounceReason FROM _Subscribers s JOIN _Bounce b ON s.SubscriberKey = b.SubscriberKey WHERE b.EventDate > DateAdd(DAY, -30, GETDATE())

This ensures that the join is based on the SubscriberKey, which is a common field in both data views.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views

Query Activity Best Practices

To track the performance of dynamically created content via AMPscript in an email, the following steps should be performed:

Request the Impression Tracking feature be enabled on the account: This feature must be enabled to track impressions of dynamic content.

Include the functions BeginImpressionRegion and EndImpressionRegion: These functions are used within the AMPscript code to mark the beginning and end of the content region that needs to be tracked.

Example:

ampscript

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%%[BeginImpressionRegion('DynamicContent')]%%

%%=v(@DynamicContent)=%%

To ensure a blank email will not be sent when creating a complex dynamic email with multiple sections and content blocks, the developer should confirm every version has default content (D). This practice ensures that if any dynamic content fails to load or meet the conditions, the default content will be displayed, preventing a blank email from being sent.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud AMPscript Guide

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Dynamic Content Best Practices

In the SOAP API response, the element that provides detailed information about the error, including missing required data extension fields, is ErrorDescription (A). This element contains a description of the error, helping developers understand and resolve the issue.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud SOAP API

SOAP API Error Handling

To identify all subscribers who are unsubscribed from a specific Business Unit, the correct Data View to query is ListSubscribers (A). This Data View contains information about the subscription status of subscribers at the list level, including unsubscribe status for specific Business Units.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Views

ListSubscribers Data View

When configuring an automation to import files placed on the SFTP, and starting the automation based on a file matching a specific naming pattern, the substitution string that represents the name of the file is %%TRIGGER_FILENAME%%. This substitution string is used to reference the filename of the triggering file in the File Import Activity.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Documentation on Automation Studio

File Import Activity

When the subjectLine variable is declared in multiple locations throughout the email, the value used at the time of deployment will be the last value assigned to the variable. In the provided declarations, the last assignment is:

%%[ SET @subjectLine = 'Enjoy 20% off today' ]%% was declared within the Subject Line

Therefore, the subject line used at the time of deployment will be "Enjoy 20% off today" (C).

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud AMPscript Variable Scope

AMPscript Guide: Variable Declaration

Before importing a compressed file into Marketing Cloud, a File Transfer activity is required to move and decompress the file. The File Transfer activity allows you to specify the source and destination locations and to decompress the file, making it ready for the import process.

In AMPscript, the valid syntax for comments is /* comment */. This allows you to add comments within your AMPscript code for documentation or clarification purposes.

A File Drop Automation should be configured to handle files that arrive at varying times and have unique filenames. This type of automation triggers when a file is dropped into a specific folder on the Enhanced FTP site, allowing the system to handle imports as soon as the file arrives.

The Sent data view contains records of all emails that have been sent, including details such as JobID, EventDate, and other relevant information. To gather the required information about emails deployed in the last seven days, the Sent data view should be used.

Query Example:

SELECT JobID, EventDate, COUNT(*) as SentCount FROM _Sent WHERE EventDate >= DATEADD(day, -7, GETDATE()) GROUP BY JobID, EventDate

The RedirectTo AMPscript function prevents link href values from getting recorded in tracking (C). When RedirectTo is used, it bypasses the standard link wrapping and tracking process, causing the link click not to be captured in the tracking data.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud AMPscript Guide

Link Tracking in Marketing Cloud

To add and verify From Addresses in Marketing Cloud, you can use the following routes:

POST /messaging/v1/domainverification: This endpoint is used to verify a single domain.

POST /messaging/v1/domainverification/bulk/insert: This endpoint is used to verify multiple domains in bulk.

The Output function in AMPscript is used to include the result of interpreted code within a code block in the rendered content. This function ensures that the evaluated result of the code is included directly where the Output function is called.

Example:

ampscript

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%%[ SET @message = "Hello, World!" ]%% %%=Output(@message)=%%

The RaiseError AMPscript function can be configured to log the source of the error (C). This functionality is useful for error handling and debugging, allowing administrators to identify the cause of an issue and take appropriate action.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud AMPscript Guide: RaiseError

When a send is initiated directly to a Sendable Data Extension that includes records targeted for deletion, the following behaviors are expected:

Records still in the suppression phase will be excluded from sends (B) - These records are in the process of being deleted and will not be included in the send.

Records that have been deleted will be excluded from sends indefinitely (D) - Once records are deleted, they are permanently excluded from future sends.

References:

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Contact Delete Process

Contact Suppression and Deletion

To determine if a specific text string exists in a tab-delimited list of values, the BuildRowSetFromString AMPscript function is the most appropriate. This function splits the string into a rowset, making it easier to search for the specific text.

BuildRowSetFromString Function: This function converts a delimited string into a rowset, which can then be iterated over or searched using other AMPscript functions.

SET @values = "val1\tval2\tval3" SET @rowset = BuildRowSetFromString(@values, "\t") SET @rowCount = RowCount(@rowset) SET @found = "false" FOR @i = 1 TO @rowCount DO SET @row = Row(@rowset, @i) SET @value = Field(@row, 1) IF @value == "specificText" THEN SET @found = "true" /* exit the loop if found */ BREAK ENDIF NEXT @i