Questions that arise when configuring attributes of  personalized offers in the Loyalty Program: favorite products, favorite categories and personal offers

• Is it possible to set the validity period of each product/category in the attribute? 

  If the mechanics of Favorite products are configured through the MMP section Personal products, then the period of validity of preferences will be common for all selected products.
  If the mechanics of Favorite Products are implemented through a common attribute and import of its value for customers, then the validity period can be set separately for each product.
  Similarly for favorite categories, because they are also imported into the general attribute of the client.

• Will the period specified in the attribute affect the period specified in the offer?

  No, it won't. For example, you can set up an offer that will provide a Participant with preferences for their favorite products/categories. But if, as part of the purchase, the Participant was not given preferences for any of one's favorite products / categories (because the Participant has not selected his/her favorite products or the validity period for the selected products has ended), then a message will be printed to him/her on the receipt stating that the products have not been selected.
  In such an offer, the period of validity of the preference for a specific product will be determined by the value from the attribute, and the period of printing messages on the receipt will be the period of validity of the offer.

• What are the rules for the favorite categories attribute?

  ​Favorite categories work based on attributes. First, the attribute itself is created in the MMP in the Customer attributes section with the JSON type. The attribute parameters specify a JSON schema - rules that define the acceptable format of the attribute value and possible actions with individual value parameters.
  For example:

  {"type":"object","properties":{"StartDate":{"type":"string","format":"date-time"},
  "EndDate":{"type":"string","format":"date-time"},"GoodsId":{"type":"string","readOnly":true},
  "PreferenceValue":{"type":"number","readOnly":true}}}

  You can specify the type and size of the preference or not specify them at all. If you specify the type and size of the preference, then each category will have its own preferences. If omitted, the values from the offer itself will be used.
  The attribute value contains an array of category identifiers and optionally the parameters of the preferences provided (type, size, period, etc.). Categories can be formed as groups of products, or as nodes of the product catalog (one node = one category). In the attribute value, respectively, either the UID of the product group or the ItemID of the catalog node is specified.

• Is it possible to accept favorite categories?

  To implement the mechanics of the Favorite category with acceptance, a new parameter is introduced into the JSON schema (and, accordingly, the imported attribute value) - the acceptance attribute. The parameter is passed separately for each category and by default its value is false (the category is not selected). When the customer selects a category, the value of this parameter for the corresponding category changes to true (the category is selected). The offer filters products directly based on acceptance (false — the filter does not work and the preference is not granted, true — the filter is triggered and the preference can be granted).

• Do the attribute structures of your favorite products and categories are the same?

  The attribute structure and the rules for changing them are identical for the mechanics:

  • Favorite products imported into the customer's general attribute;
  • Favorite categories imported into the customer's general attribute.
    The structure of their attributes is identical, but the name of the parameter storing the identifier of the product/category for selection is different. The attribute structure differs only for the mechanics of favorite products, configurable through the MMP section Personal products. Parameter values change, but not their set.

• Is it possible to supplement an existing attribute or is it necessary to completely reload the attribute?

  No, you cannot supplement the attribute.
  If there are free cells of favorite products, then when selecting the remaining favorite products, the record is kept in the same attribute. When the date of cell clearing occurs, the attribute will be rewritten.
  The attribute for favorite categories needs to be completely updated.

• How does the storage of favorite products and favorite categories in the Database work?

  Favorite products created in the section Personal products:
  The parameters of the personal products themselves are stored in the tables [dbo].[User_Attribute] and [dbo].[User_Attribute_PersonalOffer]. 
  A separate record is created for each Participant in the [dbo].[User_AttributeValue] table, which includes an array with information about the cells of favorite products and general parameters (the cell cleaning period and the default number of cells). An entry in this table is created only when a Participant accesses a specific attribute of personal products (when the client decided to view the products available for selection).
  Favorite categories and favorite products imported into a common attribute:
  The attribute is created manually in the MMP. The created attribute is stored in the [User_Attribute] table as a JSON schema, and the [User_AttributeValue] table stores JSON with categories.