4 SFMC.Essentials AmpScript functions to know

AmpScript should enable even those without programming and development experience to handle straightforward use cases.

#1 WrapLongURL

This function shortens URLs longer than 975 characters to mitigate broken email hyperlinks in Microsoft Outlook, where lengths of URL hyperlinks are restricted to the following number of characters:

• Outlook 2007: 975 characters

• Outlook 2007: 1033 characters

• Outlook 2007: 2048 characters

Example

%%[

var @icon
set @icon = "https://limedash.com/images/rRprc5xG8vP0crpSqWLScVu6yKLTm...lKJK91napRdf6b+DAy/ixM.jpg" /* abbreviated for display purposes */

]%%
<img src="%%=WrapLongURL(@icon)=%%" width="50" height="50" alt="icon" />

Output

The value of the src attribute will be shortened to a URL which redirects to the original URL.

http://cl.exct.net/ResolveURL.aspxqs=faebf571997acc80ec99646da21ae0ab

#2 Propercase

This AmpScript function capitalizes the first letter in the specified string and any other letters in the string that follow any character other than a letter. It converts all other letters into lowercase.

Example:

%%[

var @fullName, @fullNameProperCase

set @fullName = AttributeValue("fullName") /* value from attribute or DE column in send context */
set @fullName = "SFMC ESSENTIALS" /* or a literal value */

set @fullNameProperCase = ProperCase(@fullName)

]%%
fullName: %%=v(@fullName)=%%
<br>fullNameProperCase: %%=v(@fullNameProperCase)=%%

Output

fullName: SFMC ESSENTIALS
fullNameProperCase: Sfmc Essentials

#3 Random

Finding yourself needing to display a random number? We see you, creative marketer! This function returns a random number between two numbers. Both upper and lower bound parameters are inclusive.

Example

%%[

var @random, @num1, @num2

set @num1 = 1
set @num2 = 100

set @random  = random(@num1, @num2)

]%%
Lower bound: %%=v(@num1)=%%
<br>Upper bound: %%=v(@num2)=%%
<br>Random: %%=v(@random)=%%

Output

Lower bound: 1
Upper bound: 100
Random: 42

#4 Concat

This function concatenates one or more strings.

Example

%%[

var @firstName
var @lastName
var @fullName

set @firstName = AttributeValue("firstName") /* value from attribute or DE column in send context */
set @firstName = "Suzy" /* or a literal value */

set @lastName = AttributeValue("lastName") /* value from attribute or DE column in send context */
set @lastName = "Jackson" /* or a literal value */

set @fullName  = Concat(@firstName, " ", @lastName)

]%%
firstName: %%=v(@firstName)=%%
<br>lastName: %%=v(@lastName)=%%
<br>fullName: %%=v(@fullName)=%%

Output

firstName: Suzy
lastName: Jackson
fullName: Suzy Jackson