Mirror mode is a mode of TalkBox in which contacts are configured to reflect your member data from an external system based on the contact ID used in that system. This ensures your member records are consistent across both platforms and details such as points balances are correctly merged in communications.
Mirror Mode: external system
Mirror mode can be implemented when TalkBox has an integration with your member management system; it’s most commonly used with member loyalty and gaming systems.
If you’re using TalkBox in mirror mode, it is important that the IDs coming from your member management system are unique. If your system does not enforce uniqueness of member IDs or allows IDs to be reused you will not be able to use TalkBox in mirror mode.
Mirror Mode: external identifier
In standard mode, TalkBox uses email addresses and mobile numbers to determine whether contacts are unique.
In mirror mode, TalkBox uses an external member ID provided by your member management system to identify contacts. This can be beneficial if your system allows members to share contact details (e.g. Bob and Janice share the email address bobandjanice@noemail.com; in mirror mode Bob and Janice are recognised as two unique contacts).
Features of Mirror Mode
Mirror Mode has some key features to ensure your external membership data is handled correctly in TalkBox:
- Mirror fields are read-only fields which correlate directly to the same fields in your external system. These fields are view-able in TalkBox but are locked from editing. Only updates made in your external system will update these fields.
- Contact editing and creation are limited in Mirror Mode. Contacts can only be created via the integration with your external system and only non-mirror fields can be edited in TalkBox.
- Contact uploads are set to update contacts only. No new contacts will be made via an upload and updates will only apply to non-mirror fields and tags for existing contacts.
TalkBox forms are not available for use in Mirror Mode.
Mirror mode allows you to send communications uniquely to all of your members as per your external system. If contacts share an email address or mobile number they may receive the communications for both contacts to the same address.