Attachments: Concepts

Attachments enable you to associate files with an object in the application. An attachment can be a file you upload to the application, a file stored on external computer or server, or a URL for a web page or a file. In an activity, you can also attach outbound messages.

Example:
You are gathering information about the city where an upcoming trade show will be held. To share the information with other members of your marketing department, you add a series of attachments to the activity for the trade show. The items you attach include the URL of a city map and a PDF file of a hotel directory.

You can add as many attachments as necessary to an object. You can sort attachments by the groups with which they are associated, or by the attachments' creators.

Tip:
An attachment is specific to the object in which it was created. If a file is relevant to multiple objects, consider uploading it as a digital asset.

Attachments Security

Your ability to view, add, edit, and delete attachments depends on these factors:

Note:
Users who do not have the Attachments, Delete right but have the System Administration, Access right can delete attachments.
  • Rights to the object
    If the Attachments Require Edit Security system parameter is set to Yes, you must be able to edit an object to add, edit, and delete its attachments.
  • Attachments are locked or unlocked
    A system administrator can lock attachments by setting the Enforce Attachment Security system parameter to Yes. When this parameter is set to Yes, you can edit and delete only the attachments you created, and add a new attachment version even if attachments are locked.
    Note:
    A user with the rights to edit an object can delete an attachment, even when several users have added new versions of the attachment.
  • You are on the access list
    If the object has an access list, you must be on the view access list to view, add, edit, and delete attachments for that object. You do not need to be on the edit access list to perform these actions, even if the Attachments Require Edit Security system parameter is set to Yes.
  • You have the Attachments, Delete right
    You must have the Attachments, Delete right to delete attachments and attachment versions.
  • Attachments in reviews
    A user assigned to a review can view and annotate any attachments associated with the review, regardless of the edit rights the user has.

Key Fields

Details

Field Description

Group

Select the group to which the attachment belongs. You can select an existing group or create a new group.

You can sort the attachments by group.
Type

This field determines which additional tabs, sections, and fields appear when you view or edit the attachment's details.

System types are configured by the system administrator.

Create Attachments from

This field appears only when you create an attachment.

Select how to associate the file with the attachment. These options and their associated fields are available:

Tip:
The Uploaded File option provides users with the best accessibility to an attached file.

In Saas, the attachment upload options are Upload File, Internet File and Website.

Send Notification

Select whether a notification is sent when you create or edit the attachment.

You can configure notifications for attachments associated with activities, activity proposals, programs, and program proposals.

Subject

This field appears if you set the Send Notification field to Yes.

Type the subject line of the email message.

Message

This field appears if you set the Send Notification field to Yes.

Type the body text of the email message.

Users

This field appears if you set the Send Notification field to Yes.

Select the users who receive the notification.

The list of Available Users includes users who are on the access list for the object with which the attachment is associated.

Groups

This field appears if the Send Notification field is set to Yes.

Select the groups that receive the notification.

The list of Available Groups includes groups on the access list for the object with which the attachment is associated.

Current Version

This field appears when you edit the details of an attachment.

Select the attachment version that appears in the Current Version section when you view the attachment's details.

Attachment URL

This field appears when viewing the details of an attachment.

Opens the current version of the attachment.

Use the Versions module to open other versions of the attachment.

Thumbnail

This field displays a small representation of the attachment to help you identify the file.

Clicking the thumbnail opens the attachment in an appropriate application. You might need additional software to open certain file formats.

When editing the details of an existing attachment, you can upload a custom thumbnail.

Version Comments

This field displays the comments recorded for the attachment's current version.

Internet Files

You can create a link to a file on the internet or an intranet external to Aprimo. Before choosing this method, ensure all users who need the attachment can access the file.

Any changes made to the file are immediately available. You do not need to create or edit an attachment version each time the file changes.

Tip:
If you do not control the content of the website where the file is located, you should check the site's content periodically to ensure it is still relevant and useful.
Note:
Users completing review tasks cannot annotate or check out documents on the internet or an intranet external to Aprimo.

If the file's URL changes, users cannot access the file from the attachment until you perform 1 of these actions:

  • Edit the file's URL in an existing attachment version.
  • Create an attachment version containing the correct URL.

Network Files

You can attach a file stored on a computer external to Aprimo. Before choosing this method, ensure all users who need the attachment can access the computer where the file is stored.

Note:
  • Security tools, such as firewalls, used on your network can prevent portal users from accessing files attached in this way. To provide accessibility to users who access the attachment through a portal, select Internet Address or Uploaded File.
  • The maximum file size of a file attached in this way is 2GB.

Any changes made to the file are immediately available. You do not need to edit or create an attachment version each time the file changes. However, if you want to maintain a history of the revisions, change the file name each time you edit it, and create another version.

Tip:
If you do not control the content of the attached network file, you should check the file's content periodically to ensure it is still relevant and useful.

If the file is moved, or if the file name changes, users cannot access the file from the attachment until you perform 1 of these actions:

  • Edit the directory location or the file name in an existing attachment version.
  • Create an attachment version containing the correct directory location and file name.

Uploaded Files

Uploading a file saves it in the Aprimo file store, which is managed by the application.

Uploading an attachment enables you to make the most use of attachment versions to maintain a history of revisions. When you edit a file, you create a new attachment version to make the changes available to other users.

Outbound Messages

Attaching an outbound message creates a PDF sample of the outbound message, enabling you to annotate and promote the outbound message to a digital asset.

When you attach an outbound message from an interaction, you can select a target audience member, participant, or lead. The sample PDF's attributes are populated with the information from the selected target to better visualize the completed outbound message.

When you attach an outbound message from a segmentation, you can click the Assign Values button to configure the information in the sample PDF to better visualize the completed outbound message.

Note:
If the outbound message's Lock Email Content Options in Segmentations field is set to Yes, the header of the PDF sample reflects the outbound message's header information, not the selected send email segment's header information.

To attach an outbound message, complete these fields:

Field Description

Outbound Message

This field appears if you select Outbound Messages in the Create Attachments from field.

Select the outbound message to attach to the activity for review.

You can filter the list of outbound messages.

Target Audience Member

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets an audience member.

Select the audience member whose information populates the outbound message's dynamic content.

You can filter the list of audience members.

Target Lead

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets a lead.

Select the lead whose information populates the outbound message's dynamic content.

You can filter the list of leads.

Target Participant

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets a participant.

Select the participant whose information populates the outbound message's dynamic content.

You can filter the list of participants.

Communicate Step

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets an audience member, lead, or participant.

Select the communicate step from which the sample outbound message populates its attributes.

Send Email Segment

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets a universe context.

Select the Send Email segment from which the sample outbound message populates its attributes.

Universe Context Attributes

This field appears if the outbound message selected in the Outbound Message field targets a universe context.

Click the Assign Values button to configure the values given to the attributes of the outbound message.

Once the values have been defined for an attachment version, they cannot be edited.

Project Visibility

For an attachment associated with an activity, the Project Visibility section determines the attachment's availability through the activity's projects.

Click Activity to make the attachment accessible to all projects in the activity. Click Selected Projects to make the attachment accessible only to the projects you select.

Digital Asset to Version

The Digital Asset to Version section appears for attachments associated with an activity.

Field Description

Digital Asset to Version

If you select a digital asset in this field, when the attachment is promoted to be a digital asset, the application makes it a new version of the selected digital asset.

If you do not select a digital asset in this field, when the attachment is promoted, the application makes it a new digital asset.

Additional Fields, Sections, and Tabs

Your system administrator can create additional fields for some objects and make them available for certain system types. Additional fields appear on the Details tab in the Additional Details section or in other sections or on other tabs that the system administrator creates.

For more information about an additional field, section, or tab, contact your system administrator. For more information about additional fields in general, see Additional Fields.