Set up Iterable with Jacquard

Guides: New customer setup · Existing customers: moving to the new Jacquard · API connection (optional) · All guides

Set up Iterable so Jacquard can optimise your campaign language. Your Iterable admin or developer creates the data feeds and event tracking (Part 1), then your marketing team adds Jacquard to your email and push templates (Part 2). Want Jacquard to import your campaigns as touchpoints and check your wiring? See the API connection guide.

Set up Iterable (Part 1, technical). For your Iterable admin or developer.

• Create a data feed for each touchpoint

• Send engagement events to Jacquard with a System Webhook

Add Jacquard to your templates (Part 2, marketing). For the team that builds your email and push templates.

• Attach the Jacquard feed to each template

• Swap static copy for Jacquard variables

• Test, approve and launch

Part 1: Set up Iterable (technical)

For your Iterable admin or developer.

1.1 Create your data feeds

Iterable fetches Jacquard’s chosen content at send time through a data feed. You create one feed per touchpoint.

1. Create your Jacquard runtime key

   In Jacquard, go to Admin > API keys & webhooks and click + New API key. Set:

   • Name: Iterable data feed

   • Scopes: RUNTIME:SELECT

   • Integration type: Iterable

   Leave the other fields as they are and click Create key. Copy the key, which starts jq_live_, straight away: it’s only shown once.

2. Get the select URL from Jacquard

   For each touchpoint, open its Connect tab in Jacquard and copy the select URL.

3. Create a data feed

   In Iterable, go to Content > Data Feeds > New Data Feed and set:

   • Name: <touchpoint name> – Jacquard

   • URL: the select URL

   • Format: JSON

   • Custom header: name x-api-key, value your jq_live_ key

   Don’t use the Authorization token field. Jacquard only accepts the key as an x-api-key header. A key in the wrong field fails silently and every send falls back to your default copy.

4. Give Jacquard the Data Feed ID

   Copy each feed’s ID and enter it in the touchpoint’s delivery checklist in Jacquard.

1.2 Send events with a System Webhook

Iterable sends engagement events to Jacquard through a System Webhook.

1. Get your webhook details from Jacquard (Jacquard does this)

   Your Jacquard contact sends you an endpoint token and bearer token through a secure channel.

2. Create a System Webhook

   Go to Integrations > System Webhooks (labelled Webhooks in some projects) and create a new webhook.

3. Set the URL

   Set the endpoint to https://<jacquard-callback-url>/{endpointToken}, replacing {endpointToken} with the token from Jacquard.

4. Add the authentication token

   Paste the bearer token from Jacquard into the Authentication Token field.

5. Select the event types

   Tick all nine: sent, open, click, bounce, unsubscribe, push_open, push_click, sms_click, send_failure.

6. Save and enable

   Save, check the status is Enabled, and tell your Jacquard contact so they can confirm events are arriving.

1.3 Hand over to your marketing team

1. Confirm the setup (Jacquard does this)

   Your Jacquard contact confirms the feeds and your events.

2. Tell your marketing team Part 1 is done

   Give them the names of the feeds and point them to Part 2.

Part 2: Add Jacquard to your templates (marketing)

For the team that builds your templates. Start once your admin has finished Part 1.

2.1 Prepare

1. Set up your touchpoints in Jacquard

   With your Jacquard contact, create a touchpoint for each campaign you want to optimise, choose which parts Jacquard controls, and approve the content.

2. Find the field keys on the Connect tab

   Open each touchpoint in Jacquard and go to its Connect tab. It shows the field key for each part of the message, for example subject_line.

3. Check the feeds exist

   In Content > Data Feeds, check you can see the Jacquard feeds. If not, ask your admin whether Part 1 is finished.

2.2 Add Jacquard to your email templates

1. Attach the feed to the template

   Open the template’s data feed settings. Attach the Jacquard feed, turn on Use Data Feed Alias and set the alias to dataFeed. Only one Jacquard feed should be attached.

2. Swap static copy for Jacquard variables

   In each part of the email Jacquard controls, use this pattern, with your current copy as the fallback:

   {{#if dataFeed.content.fragments.field_key}}{{dataFeed.content.fragments.field_key}}{{else}}Your current copy{{/if}}

   Use the exact field key Jacquard shows: lowercase, underscores, no spaces. A key such as Subject Line won’t render. Every part selected on the touchpoint needs wiring; deselect any part you don’t want Jacquard to control.

3. Update the subject line and preheader

   Use the same pattern in the Subject and Preheader fields. Check both in preview.

4. Check personalisation

   If Jacquard’s content includes personalisation, such as a first name, make sure the matching user fields exist in Iterable.

5. Save and re-save triggered campaigns

   Save the template. Triggered campaigns keep a snapshot of the template, so open each one and save it again to pick up the change.

2.3 Add Jacquard to your push templates

Skip this if Jacquard only optimises your emails.

1. Open the push template

   Open the push template Jacquard optimises. Your Jacquard contact confirms which fields your touchpoint controls: title, message or both.

2. Attach the feed

   Attach the Jacquard feed with the alias dataFeed, as for email.

3. Swap static copy for Jacquard variables

   Use the same pattern in the title and message fields, with the push field keys from the Connect tab, for example push_title.

4. Save and send a test

   Save, re-save any triggered campaign that uses it, then send a test to a test device. Push has tight character limits, so check nothing is cut off on the lock screen.

2.4 Test and go live

1. Send a proof

   Send a proof to an internal seed list. Every Jacquard-controlled part should show Jacquard copy, not your fallback, including the subject line and preheader.

2. Approve and activate in Jacquard

   Approve the experiment plan on the touchpoint, then activate it.

3. Launch in Iterable

   Launch or activate the campaign as normal. Jacquard never sends anything itself; Iterable fetches the variant at send time.

Reference

Who sends what, and what to check when something doesn’t look right.

Handover checklist and troubleshooting

Troubleshooting for admins

Proofs show fallback copy even though the feed is attached

Check the feed’s header is named exactly x-api-key and holds a key that’s active under Admin > API keys & webhooks with the RUNTIME:SELECT scope.

Jacquard isn’t receiving events

Check the webhook is enabled, its URL ends in your endpoint token, and its authentication token is the one Jacquard sent.

Troubleshooting for marketers

A part renders blank or as raw Handlebars

The field key probably has a space or capital letters. Copy it exactly as Jacquard shows it, and check the alias is dataFeed.

Template edits aren’t showing in a triggered campaign

Open the campaign and save it again so its snapshot refreshes.

Handling secrets safely

Keys, tokens and secrets on this page give access to your account. Enter them directly into Jacquard’s Connections screen or share them through the secure channel your Jacquard contact sets up. Never paste them into email, chat, tickets or shared documents. If one is exposed, create a replacement, update it wherever it’s used, then revoke the old one. For Jacquard keys, you do this under Admin > API keys & webhooks.