Set up Salesforce Marketing Cloud with Jacquard

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

Set up Salesforce Marketing Cloud so Jacquard can optimise your email and push language. Your Marketing Cloud admin or developer creates the Jacquard code snippets and event tracking (Part 1), then your marketing team adds them to your emails and push messages (Part 2). Want to import your journeys into Jacquard as touchpoints? See the API connection guide.

Part 1: Set up Marketing Cloud (technical)

For your Marketing Cloud admin or developer.

1.1 Create your code snippets

A Jacquard code snippet in each email or push message calls Jacquard as the message is built and sets a variable for each part Jacquard controls. You create one snippet per touchpoint.

1. Create your Jacquard runtime key

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

   • Name: Marketing Cloud snippets

   • Scopes: RUNTIME:SELECT

   • Integration type: Salesforce Marketing Cloud

   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 snippet code from Jacquard

   For each touchpoint, open its Connect tab in Jacquard and copy the snippet code.

3. Create the code snippet

   In Content Builder, click Create > Content Blocks > Code Snippet. Name it Jacquard – touchpoint, paste the code, put your jq_live_ key where the code asks for it, and save it in a folder your marketing team can see. Note its customer key.

4. Share the snippet keys

   Give your marketing team the customer key for each snippet, or check they match what the touchpoint’s Connect tab shows.

1.2 Set up Event Notification Service

Jacquard receives your email opens and clicks through Salesforce’s Event Notification Service (ENS). You set it up once: a callback that says where to send events, and a subscription that says which ones.

1. Get your endpoint token from Jacquard (Jacquard does this)

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

2. Open Event Notification Service

   In Setup, go to Platform Tools > Feature Settings > Event Notification Service. If you can’t see it, ask your Salesforce account team to enable ENS for your account.

3. Create the callback

   Go to Callbacks > New. Name it Jacquard and set the URL to https://<jacquard-callback-url>/{endpointToken}, replacing {endpointToken} with your token. Leave Max batch size at its default of 1000.

4. Save and verify the callback

   Click Save, then Verify. Marketing Cloud sends a verification key to Jacquard. Your Jacquard contact sends that key back to you; enter it in Marketing Cloud to complete verification.

5. Send Jacquard the Signature Key

   Copy the callback’s Signature Key and send it to your Jacquard contact through the secure channel. Jacquard uses it to check events really come from your account.

6. Create the subscription

   Go to Subscriptions > New. Name it Jacquard signals and select the Jacquard callback.

7. Choose the event types

   Enable exactly these five: EmailSent, EmailOpen, EmailClick, EmailBounced, EmailUnsubscribe.

8. Filter to your Business Unit and activate

   Filter the subscription to the Business Unit that sends your Jacquard campaigns, then click Activate.

1.3 Hand over to your marketing team

1. Confirm the setup (Jacquard does this)

   Your Jacquard contact confirms the snippets and that ENS events are arriving.

2. Tell your marketing team Part 1 is done

   Point them to Part 2.

Part 2: Add Jacquard to emails and push messages (marketing)

For your email and push team. 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 email or push message you want to optimise, choose which parts Jacquard controls, and approve the content.

2. Find the details on the Connect tab

   Open each touchpoint in Jacquard and go to its Connect tab. It shows the snippet key and the variable name for each part of the message.

3. Check you can see the Jacquard snippets

   In Content Builder, open the Jacquard folder. If it’s missing or empty, ask your admin whether Part 1 is finished.

2.2 Add Jacquard to your emails

1. Add the Jacquard snippet to the top of the email

   Open the email in Content Builder. At the very top of the email body, before any content, add a code block containing the snippet reference from the Connect tab:

   %%=ContentBlockByKey("snippet-key")=%%

   The snippet fetches Jacquard’s chosen content once per send and stores each part in its own variable.

2. Swap static copy for Jacquard variables

   In each part of the email Jacquard controls, replace your static copy with the matching variable from the Connect tab. For example:

   %%=v(@jq_subject_line)=%%

   Use the exact variable names Jacquard shows. Every part selected on the touchpoint needs its variable; deselect any part you don’t want Jacquard to control.

3. Update the subject line and preheader

   In the email’s properties, put the subject line and preheader variables in the Subject and Preheader fields. Because the snippet sits at the top of the body, the variables are ready when Marketing Cloud builds these fields. Check them in preview.

4. Check personalisation

   If Jacquard’s content includes personalisation, such as a first name, make sure the matching attributes are in the data extension or audience you send to.

5. Save the email

   Save it in Content Builder. Journeys won’t pick up the change until you publish a new version (see Test and go live).

2.3 Add Jacquard to your push messages

Skip this if Jacquard only optimises your emails.

1. Open the push message

   Open the MobilePush message Jacquard optimises. Your Jacquard contact confirms which fields your touchpoint controls: title, subtitle, message or a combination.

2. Add the Jacquard snippet at the start of the message

   At the very start of the message field, add the snippet reference from the Connect tab:

   %%=ContentBlockByKey("snippet-key")=%%

   It sets the variables without adding any visible text.

3. Swap static copy for Jacquard variables

   Replace the static title, subtitle and message copy with the matching variables, for example %%=v(@jq_push_title)=%%.

4. Save and send a test

   Save, 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. Preview and test emails

   Use Preview and Test with a test subscriber, then send a test to an internal inbox. Every Jacquard-controlled part should show Jacquard copy, including the subject line and preheader.

2. Add the messages to your journeys

   Use the updated emails and push messages in your journeys or sends as normal. If a journey is already running, create a new version so it picks up the change.

3. Approve and activate in Jacquard

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

4. Send as normal

   Activate the journey or schedule the send. Jacquard never sends anything itself; Marketing Cloud fetches the variant as each message is built.

Reference

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

Handover checklist and troubleshooting

Troubleshooting for admins

ENS verification won’t complete

Click Verify again so Marketing Cloud sends a fresh key, and ask your Jacquard contact for it.

No events are reaching Jacquard

Check the subscription is active, filtered to the right Business Unit, and has all five event types enabled.

Troubleshooting for marketers

A part of the message is blank or shows old copy

Check the snippet holds a runtime key that’s active in Jacquard, the snippet reference is at the very top and uses the exact key, and each variable name matches the Connect tab exactly.

The subject line is blank

The snippet must be in the email body, above everything else, so the variables exist when the subject is built.

Journey sends don’t show Jacquard copy

The running journey version still uses the old message. Publish a new version.

I can’t find the Jacquard snippets

Ask your admin to check the Jacquard folder is shared with your Business Unit.

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.