109_bulletproof_builder.png

Those bulletproof buttons are also *tracking*-proof, though (here's the fix)

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Some time back, the folks at Campaign Monitor contributed the go-to fancy button builder for cross-device emails, Bulletproof email buttons. If you haven't seen it, it looks like this:

109_bulletproof_builder.png

Their compatibility testing was an awesome donation to the MA community, but there's a problem with the generated code when you use it in a Marketo email: the Outlook desktop version (the v:* VML tags) doesn't have tracked links!

Read the full post on TEKNKL :: Blog →​

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8 Comments
Hobie_Thompson1
Level 4

Sanford Whiteman​, Marketo seems to have changed something - they probably improved their  (X)HTML parser and unintentionally broke this workaround.

Now, any buttons attempting to use this workaround simply dont display, upon delivery.

Is there an alternative solution?

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

What is the rendered HTML now?  Truly improving the XHTML parser (not just breaking it a different way) would still output the button, just with untracked links. (<a:something> is not an <a>, but it is a legitimate tag.)

You can send me a direct email (you have my addy) and I'll look at it.

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

Hobie, I tested the code from the post and still works for me -- <a:roundrect> is still successfully treated as an <a> and its href is tracked.

Hobie_Thompson1
Level 4

Weird, it's working for me now - it must've been a temporary issue of some sort. Thanks!

Anonymous
Not applicable

I'd kind of moved away from using these, but this is definitely going into my everyday file of VML hacks. Fabulous discovery, thanks for sharing.

Tim_Marcacci
Level 2

Marketo Nation should just be called Sanford Nation.

Thanks, Sanford for yet another solution for the EXACT problem I was looking to solve. Now if only I knew/discovered this a few months earlier, I wouldn't have a few campaigns with completely thrown off click results.

Tom_Kerlin2
Level 8

Thanks for sharing this! It somewhat relates to the question I just recently posted (VML-Based Email Button Changes Color when Clicked)

SanfordWhiteman
Level 10 - Community Moderator

I was actually going to point you here -- glad you found it.