The Smart Content functionality is really awesome, but it would be great if users could immediately be able to test a page and see all of the Smart Content. For instance, I'm creating different copy based on the list the website visitor is part of, and I have four different copy versions. I can't test each copy option or preview each one. I can only preview the default. It's hard to move forward with Smart Content when I don't have 100% certainty that it will look right to those users.
You can test out each of your smart rules by using the "Preview as a specific contact" feature on the page!
To find it, click on the eye icon in the left sidebar. You'll see the option to "Preview as a specific contact," and you'll want to choose a contact who is a member of the list your smart rule is targeting. You can repeat this for each of your smart rules, picking contacts who fit the smart rule criteria.
Same issue as rbeckwith - I have no contacts in my lists yet which are based on future dates contacts will inbound (updating a block for an event that will pass while the campaign is running), so I have no way to preview the content to ensure it is displaying properly.
You can test out each of your smart rules by using the "Preview as a specific contact" feature on the page!
To find it, click on the eye icon in the left sidebar. You'll see the option to "Preview as a specific contact," and you'll want to choose a contact who is a member of the list your smart rule is targeting. You can repeat this for each of your smart rules, picking contacts who fit the smart rule criteria.
This either doesn't work or no longer works. I only get the default content in preview mode if I'm previewing as a specific contact that should get the smart content. I have to send a test email, receiving email as the contact, to see the smart content.
The instructions here are specifically for previewing Smart Content on website or landing pages! To preview Smart Content in your emails, you do have to send yourself a test email using the option to receive the email as a specific contact who meets the smart rule. This article goes over that in more detail, or check out the steps in the "Add smart text to your emails" section of this article.
I'm having the same problem as above, however, the email I'm setting up is a confirmation for event registration in multiple locations. The contact is added the event's registration page for the specific location and then sent a confirmation with smart content (based on list membership) as part of a workflow. I cannot preview the smart content as a specific contact because no one has registered yet, and I can't open registration until my confirmation email is approved, and I can't approve my confirmation email unless I can be 100% sure what it will look like to my contacts. it's a vicious cycle.
My workaround is to change my personal contact file to get on each of the registration lists and go back and test the email. I have MANY events to set up, so you can see how this process would get tedious.