Springbaud Frequently Asked Questions

We've recently released a major update to Springbaud, offering a faster, simpler way to manage your email campaigns:

• Upload data from any type of Raiser's Edge query with as little as an email address field*.
• Update or add to existing lists.
• Raiser's Edge 7.94+ now supported.
• Pre-creation of Constituent Actions no longer required to create lists.
• Campaign results Actions automatically created.
• More information on results Actions such as campaign sent time, campaign name and last update timestamp.
• Retrieve campaign results for your previous campaigns, whether their lists were created with Springbaud or not.
• Optional 'Uploaded to List' Constituent Attributes added to uploaded records.
• Mailchimp support available (separate version but included with your license).

* Campaign Monitor lists require a name field as well but other providers such as Mailchimp don't.

Some of these changes will affect how you work with Springbaud as well as how your campaign results are saved. However, none of these changes will adversely affect your data and will only make using Springbaud to manage your email campaigns easier.

If you still have questions after reading through the following FAQ, don't hesitate to contact us.

1. What's new in Springbaud version 3?
2. What impact will upgrading to version 3 have?
3. What if I'm upgrading from an earlier version 3?
4. Why were these workflow changes made?
5. How will these changes affect how I manage my campaigns?
6. Can I get help updating to version 3?
7. Why can't I retrieve campaign results from more than 30 days ago?
8. My trial has expired – can I get an extension?
9. We've changed email service providers. How can I still use Springbaud to manage our campaigns?

What's new in Springbaud version 3? 

A lot. One of the biggest changes is that we've done away with the need to create Constituent Actions prior to uploading lists. Springbaud now associates list recipients with Raiser's Edge Constituents by email address rather than by Action ID.

This leads to a simpler upload process where any Raiser's Edge query can be used to upload data to a list with as little as an email address field. (Campaign Monitor lists require a name field as well but other providers such as Mailchimp don't.)

Springbaud now automatically creates Constituent Actions to hold campaign results when results are first retrieved. And these Actions now contain much more information about how your campaigns are performing.

We've also added support for Mailchimp. This is a separately-installed version of Springbaud but should you move from Campaign Monitor to Mailchimp – or any other provider supported in future – your Springbaud license will cover you. Workflows between Springbaud versions are virtually identical.

What impact will upgrading to version 3 have on my Raiser's Edge data? 

The main difference between Version 3 and previous versions is that the Constituent Actions holding campaign results are automatically created by Springbaud when campaign results are first retrieved.

This means that Actions created manually for previous Springbaud versions will be redundant if you setup Springbaud to retrieve results for these earlier campaigns. In other words, you could end up having some campaign result Actions duplicated.

However, the (very) good news is that Springbaud can be set up to retrieve campaign results for your whole campaign history, including results for campaigns based on lists not uploaded with Springbaud. (Please refer below for information about trial version restrictions on this functionality.)

Once you have retrieved all the campaign history you are interested in, you can simply delete the manually created Actions if you wish.

What if I'm upgrading from an earlier version 3? 

If you're upgrading from version 3.0.1, for example, then there are no functional differences in this latest version; all of the changes explained on this page were incorporated in Springbaud version 3.0.0.

Why were these workflow changes made? 

The main reason for these changes is that our customers wanted them.

The new workflow is far simpler and cleaner, and more flexible and robust. The only slight downside is that the initial retrieval of campaign results can be slightly slower as campaign result Actions are added to Constituent records. Of course, this is offset by the fact that Actions no longer need to be added manually prior to list upload.

The changes also reflect our intention to make Springbaud a universal campaign management tool, able to be used with all of the leading email service providers. For example, we expect to be releasing Springbaud For Constant Contact in the next month or two, followed by versions for VerticalResponse, Marketo, Campaigner and Doppler.

How will these changes affect how I manage my campaigns? 

Every change we've made will make your workflow simpler, faster and more flexible. You can now upload data to new or existing lists from any type of Raiser's Edge query. You can retrieve campaign results for years' of previously-sent campaigns if you wish.

Prior to version 3, Constituent Actions had to be created manually prior to uploading query data to lists. Now, you simply create a query, select it in Springbaud, choose whether the data should be uploaded to a new list or added or updated to an existing list and click 'Upload'.

Retrieving campaign results is even easier; select one of three retrieval options and click 'Retrieve'. That's all there is to it.

Can I get help updating to version 3? 

Of course. Just ask us and we'll walk you through the update, help you with your settings and ensure that your transition is as smooth as possible. We highly recommend first delving into Springbaud's help (F1 from anywhere in Springbaud) and documentation and reading the rest of the information on this page.

Why can't I retrieve campaign results from more than 30 days ago? 

Mostly likely, it's because you are in your trial period or have been given an extended trial license key.

During Springbaud trial, there is one – and only one – restriction to Springbaud's functionality: the results retrieval range, which has been limited to 30 days.

However, every other Springbaud feature works identically in trial as it does when licensed. So what you see is 99% of what you'll get.

My trial has expired – can I get an extension? 

Generally, yes. We can provide you with an extended trial license key valid for up to two more weeks.

As mentioned above, extended trial licenses have the same retrieval range limitation as the initial trial period.

We've changed email service providers. How can I still use Springbaud to manage our campaigns? 

Provided your new email service provider is supported by Springbaud, you can simply download the appropriate installer and continue to manage you campaigns with Springbaud as before. Workflows between Springbaud versions are intentionally virtually identical to make it easy to change providers with as little disruption as possible.

We currently have Springbaud versions for Campaign Monitor and Mailchimp and expect to be releasing Springbaud for Constant Contact in the next month or two. Thereafter we will be adding support for VerticalResponse, Marketo, Campaigner, Doppler, etc.

I still have questions

If you still have questions or need help with any aspect of Springbaud, ask us and we'll do our best to sort you out.