Field Sets - Concatenation

Concatenation allows you to combine the values from two or more fields into a single field. Concatenated fields can use all field types: text, lists, constant, autofill, concatenation, and date. You can specify the separator character/delimiter or to not use a separator between fields.

Understand Concatenation

Concatenated fields use the same separator/delimiter between each field and can combine any text, lists, constant, autofill, concatenation, and date field within the Field Set.

All fields that will be used in the concatenation must already exist in the field set. Ensure all columns of lists have a field within the Field Set. If you add a new field which will be used in the concatenation, save the Field Set first, then add the new field to the concatenation.

Examples of a Concatenated Field

• Final Creative Name = {Brand}_{Line of Business}_{Deployment Date}_{Campaign Name}_{Language}_{Format}
   
• Campaign Name = {Campaign Name}:{Campaign Code}-{Deployment Date}_{Geo}{Language Abbreviation}_{Additional Campaign Details}
   
• Click Through URL = {Domain Link}/{Geo Abbreviation}-{Language Abbreviation}
   
• Google Creative Name = {Geo}|{Year}-{Retail Season}|{Format}|{Size}|{Audio/Visual Details}|{Creative ID}

Concatenate Fields in a Field Set

1. Open the appropriate Field Set.
    
2. Create or edit the concatenation field.
   
   If the field does not exist in the Field Set, click the plus (+) icon to create a new field and enter the Name (required). If the field already exists in the Field Set, click the field Name to edit.
    
3. Description (optional). The Description shows as a tool tip in the Submission Table. It can be helpful to add the concatenation taxonomy as the description.
    
4. Select Required Field (optional).
    
5. Select the Type as 'Concatenation'.
    
6. Select the Fields from the list or begin typing in the Search line. Click multiple fields to select in bulk.
   
7. Reorder fields if needed. Drag them up or down using the grippers (dots). Click the X to remove a Field if needed.
   
    
8. Enter the Separator value (optional).
   
    
9. Click Done.
   
    
10. Click Save to save the Field Set.

Helpful Tips for Using Concatenation

• Add fields to the concatenation in bulk
• Use the Search field to enter part of the field name to select
• Drag and drop to reorder fields
• If you add a new field to include in the concatenation, you must save the Field Set first.
• All fields that will be used in the concatenation must already exist in the field set. Every column of the list must be included in the Field Set.
• You can leave the separator blank or enter a character.
• Identify a field as the Concatenation to easily identify the fields. "Year-Retail Season Concatenation".
• In the Description of concatenation fields note the taxonomy, including delimiters, transformation (YR-campaign name(lower)-devicetype).
• When the user creates a submission, if an optional field is left blank, then it is simply removed from the concatenation. You won't have a double-delimiter as you would in a pattern to indicate the missing field.
  Example Concatenation: Format | Size | Audio Details | Creative ID
  In this example, the Audio Details field is an optional and it is left blank.
  Here's how it would appear:
  • in a Pattern: Format | Size | | Creative ID
  • in a Concatenation: Format | Size | Creative ID

Advanced Use Case

Combine Two Concatenation Fields

Occasionally concatenated fields use different delimiters such as:

Google Creative Name = {Geo}|{Year}-{Retail Season}|{Format}|{Size}|{Audio Details}|{Creative ID}

You will need to create two (2) concatenation fields:

1. Concatenate for Year-Retail Season because it has a dash delimiter
2. Concatenate the Geo | Year-Retail Season Concatenation | Format | Size | Audio Details | Creative ID because they have the pipe delimiter

It is helpful to identify which fields are in the concatenation as part of the name or description.

Create the Year-Retail Season Concatenated Field

1. Open the appropriate Field Set.
    
2. Click the plus (+) icon to create the first concatenation field for Year-Retail Season.
    
3. Enter the Name (required). It can be helpful to add "Concatenation" in the Name to easily identify this is the field creating the concatenation.
   
    
4. Description (optional). The Description shows as a tool tip in the Submission Table. It can be helpful to add the concatenation taxonomy as the description.
    
5. Select Required Field (optional).
    
6. Select the Type as Concatenation.
    
7. Select the Field Names from the drop down menu or begin typing in the Fields line.
   
    
8. Enter the Separator value.
   
    
9. Click Done.
   
    
10. Click Save to save the Field Set.
    You must save the field set in order to reference it in the final Google Creative Name concatenated field.

Create the Geo | Year-Retail Season Concatenation | Format | Size | Audio Details | Creative ID Concatenated Field

Create or edit the field for Google Creative Name.

1. If the field does not exist in the field set: Click the plus (+) icon to create a new field and enter the Name (required). 
   
   If the field does not exist in the Field Set, click the plus (+) icon to create a new field and enter the Name (required). If the field already exists in the Field Set, click the field Name to edit.
    
2. Description (optional). The Description shows as a tool tip in the Submission Table. It can be helpful to add the concatenation taxonomy as the description ({Geo}|{Year}-{Retail Season}|{Format}|{Size}|{Audio Details}|{Creative ID}).
    
3. Select Required Field (optional).
    
4. Select the Type as 'Concatenation'.
    
5. Select the field Names from the drop down menu or begin typing in the Field line.
   
    
6. Enter the Separator value.
   
    
7. Click Done.
   
    
8. Click Save to save the Field Set.

User Experience

Below is an example of the user experience selecting values to populate the Google Creative Name {Geo}|{Year}-{Retail Season}|{Format}|{Size}|{Audio Details}|{Creative ID} concatenation example.

The user selects the Year and Retail Season and the template concatenates 2020-Fall.

The user selects Format, Size, Audio Details, and Creative Name and the template concatenates EMEA|2020-Fall|LINK AD W/ PHOTO|120x200|NA|12477958.

Note that the Year-Retail Season Concatenation and Google Creative Name fields are locked and cannot be changed because they are concatenating from other field values.