Email - ICS file attachments
Many clients use Dokio to send emails to communicate information about upcoming events to their customers. Considering this, we wanted to find a way to get that data into people’s calendars easily and effortlessly.
The good news is… Dokio now has a way to add ICS attachments to emails. So if you create emails to promote events, workshops or appointments, this feature is for you.
An ICS file is a calendar file saved in a universal calendar format used by several email and calendar programs, including Microsoft Outlook, Google Calendar, and Apple Calendar. It enables users to publish and share calendar information on the web and over email. ICS files are often used for sending meeting requests to other users, who can import the events into their own calendars.
How does the ICS functionality work?
Certain field data from within the template editor can be captured and mapped to the ICS file.
This data usually includes things like:
- Event name
- Description
- Location
- Start date
- End date
- Start time
- End time
- Timezone
- Event organiser
- Event organiser email
Because we are mapping field data to the ICS file, it means that email designs and any associated buttons or links can be styled however you like.
For sendable emails, the ICS file (if active) will automatically attach the ICS file to your sent email. For downloadable exports, you can have an additional button or text link added to your email to allow users to download the ICS file from Dokio.
How can I get ICS files added to my emails?
We can add the functionality to any email templates that house some kind of event data. Please discuss with your Dokio Account Manager if this functionality is something you’d like added to your emails. Currently, this functionality requires encoding by a Dokio template developer.
Flexibility to suit your needs.
There is flexibility in how this function can be applied to a template. You may wish to:
- have all the ICS fields placed inside a single module, or
- split fields across different modules
- have an optional checkbox to turn the function on/off within a module
- have separate event modules with and without ICS function
- style the download button to match your brand and requirements
Can I generate multiple ICS files?
No. This functionality is designed to generate a single ICS file only.