# Table of Contents - [Action IQ | Lob Help Center](#action-iq-lob-help-center) - [Integrations | Lob Help Center](#integrations-lob-help-center) - [API integrations | Lob Help Center](#api-integrations-lob-help-center) - [Ready to get started? | Lob Help Center](#ready-to-get-started-lob-help-center) - [Blueshift | Lob Help Center](#blueshift-lob-help-center) - [Pricing details | Lob Help Center](#pricing-details-lob-help-center) - [Adobe Marketo Engage | Lob Help Center](#adobe-marketo-engage-lob-help-center) - [Hubspot | Lob Help Center](#hubspot-lob-help-center) - [Iterable | Lob Help Center](#iterable-lob-help-center) - [Fast Track Guide | Lob Help Center](#fast-track-guide-lob-help-center) - [Braze | Lob Help Center](#braze-lob-help-center) - [Customer.io | Lob Help Center](#customer-io-lob-help-center) - [Jotform | Lob Help Center](#jotform-lob-help-center) - [Listrak | Lob Help Center](#listrak-lob-help-center) - [Klaviyo | Lob Help Center](#klaviyo-lob-help-center) - [Optimove | Lob Help Center](#optimove-lob-help-center) - [Make | Lob Help Center](#make-lob-help-center) - [Salesforce | Lob Help Center](#salesforce-lob-help-center) - [Segment | Lob Help Center](#segment-lob-help-center) - [Salesforce Marketing Cloud | Lob Help Center](#salesforce-marketing-cloud-lob-help-center) - [Simon Data | Lob Help Center](#simon-data-lob-help-center) - [Creative conversion tools | Lob Help Center](#creative-conversion-tools-lob-help-center) - [Zapier | Lob Help Center](#zapier-lob-help-center) - [Figma plugin | Lob Help Center](#figma-plugin-lob-help-center) - [Reaching your audience | Lob Help Center](#reaching-your-audience-lob-help-center) - [Additional Lob NCOA functionality | Lob Help Center](#additional-lob-ncoa-functionality-lob-help-center) - [Custom Fonts | Lob Help Center](#custom-fonts-lob-help-center) - [Designing mail creatives | Lob Help Center](#designing-mail-creatives-lob-help-center) - [All about addresses | Lob Help Center](#all-about-addresses-lob-help-center) - [Creative formatting | Lob Help Center](#creative-formatting-lob-help-center) - [Campaign audience guide | Lob Help Center](#campaign-audience-guide-lob-help-center) - [Exporting PDFs from InDesign | Lob Help Center](#exporting-pdfs-from-indesign-lob-help-center) - [Send mail via Print & Mail API | Lob Help Center](#send-mail-via-print-mail-api-lob-help-center) - [Maximizing engagement | Lob Help Center](#maximizing-engagement-lob-help-center) - [Rendering errors | Lob Help Center](#rendering-errors-lob-help-center) - [Artboard layout | Lob Help Center](#artboard-layout-lob-help-center) - [Send mail! | Lob Help Center](#send-mail-lob-help-center) - [PDF preflight checklist | Lob Help Center](#pdf-preflight-checklist-lob-help-center) - [Custom mail | Lob Help Center](#custom-mail-lob-help-center) - [Building a mail strategy | Lob Help Center](#building-a-mail-strategy-lob-help-center) - [Mail piece design specs | Lob Help Center](#mail-piece-design-specs-lob-help-center) - [Choosing a delivery strategy | Lob Help Center](#choosing-a-delivery-strategy-lob-help-center) - [Snap packs | Lob Help Center](#snap-packs-lob-help-center) - [Certified Mail or Registered Mail | Lob Help Center](#certified-mail-or-registered-mail-lob-help-center) - [USPS Promotions Through Lob | Lob Help Center](#usps-promotions-through-lob-lob-help-center) - [Postcards | Lob Help Center](#postcards-lob-help-center) - [Using metadata | Lob Help Center](#using-metadata-lob-help-center) - [First Class Mail Advertising | Lob Help Center](#first-class-mail-advertising-lob-help-center) - [USPS Secure Destruction | Lob Help Center](#usps-secure-destruction-lob-help-center) - [Letters | Lob Help Center](#letters-lob-help-center) - [Self-Mailers | Lob Help Center](#self-mailers-lob-help-center) - [Informed Delivery | Lob Help Center](#informed-delivery-lob-help-center) - [International AV suite | Lob Help Center](#international-av-suite-lob-help-center) - [Declaring mail use type | Lob Help Center](#declaring-mail-use-type-lob-help-center) - [Managing mail settings | Lob Help Center](#managing-mail-settings-lob-help-center) - [Short URLs | Lob Help Center](#short-urls-lob-help-center) - [AV integrations & libraries | Lob Help Center](#av-integrations-libraries-lob-help-center) - [Getting data & results | Lob Help Center](#getting-data-results-lob-help-center) - [AV best practices | Lob Help Center](#av-best-practices-lob-help-center) - [Booklets | Lob Help Center](#booklets-lob-help-center) - [Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion | Lob Help Center](#tactile-sensory-interactive-promotion-lob-help-center) - [Send campaigns via the Campaigns API | Lob Help Center](#send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api-lob-help-center) - [One-time campaigns or triggered sends? | Lob Help Center](#one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends-lob-help-center) - [Mailing Classes & Postage | Lob Help Center](#mailing-classes-postage-lob-help-center) - [AV FAQs | Lob Help Center](#av-faqs-lob-help-center) - [Upgrading API version | Lob Help Center](#upgrading-api-version-lob-help-center) - [API keys | Lob Help Center](#api-keys-lob-help-center) - [Ready to start AV? | Lob Help Center](#ready-to-start-av-lob-help-center) - [Technical use case guides | Lob Help Center](#technical-use-case-guides-lob-help-center) - [Shopify App: Address Cleanser | Lob Help Center](#shopify-app-address-cleanser-lob-help-center) - [Integrated Technology Promotion | Lob Help Center](#integrated-technology-promotion-lob-help-center) - [US AV product suite | Lob Help Center](#us-av-product-suite-lob-help-center) - [International mail | Lob Help Center](#international-mail-lob-help-center) - [Signing into Lob | Lob Help Center](#signing-into-lob-lob-help-center) - [Exporting mail data | Lob Help Center](#exporting-mail-data-lob-help-center) - [Lob Payment Methods | Lob Help Center](#lob-payment-methods-lob-help-center) - [AV pricing | Lob Help Center](#av-pricing-lob-help-center) - [Add-Ons | Lob Help Center](#add-ons-lob-help-center) - [Measuring attribution | Lob Help Center](#measuring-attribution-lob-help-center) - [SDKs & libraries | Lob Help Center](#sdks-libraries-lob-help-center) - [User settings | Lob Help Center](#user-settings-lob-help-center) - [Checks | Lob Help Center](#checks-lob-help-center) - [Data retention | Lob Help Center](#data-retention-lob-help-center) - [USPS Mail Growth Incentive | Lob Help Center](#usps-mail-growth-incentive-lob-help-center) - [AV Elements | Lob Help Center](#av-elements-lob-help-center) - [Visibility of address changes | Lob Help Center](#visibility-of-address-changes-lob-help-center) - [Postman & similar tools | Lob Help Center](#postman-similar-tools-lob-help-center) - [Mail analytics | Lob Help Center](#mail-analytics-lob-help-center) - [Account-level data logs | Lob Help Center](#account-level-data-logs-lob-help-center) - [Getting support | Lob Help Center](#getting-support-lob-help-center) - [Sustainability | Lob Help Center](#sustainability-lob-help-center) - [Letter add-ons | Lob Help Center](#letter-add-ons-lob-help-center) - [Account settings | Lob Help Center](#account-settings-lob-help-center) - [Adding QR codes | Lob Help Center](#adding-qr-codes-lob-help-center) - [Letter envelopes | Lob Help Center](#letter-envelopes-lob-help-center) - [Ingesting tracking events with webhooks | Lob Help Center](#ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks-lob-help-center) - [Launch your first campaign | Lob Help Center](#launch-your-first-campaign-lob-help-center) - [Override cancellation window | Lob Help Center](#override-cancellation-window-lob-help-center) - [Error reference | Lob Help Center](#error-reference-lob-help-center) - [Professional Services | Lob Help Center](#professional-services-lob-help-center) - [Delivery Location for Operational Mail | Lob Help Center](#delivery-location-for-operational-mail-lob-help-center) - [Delivery Location for Marketing Mail | Lob Help Center](#delivery-location-for-marketing-mail-lob-help-center) - [​Subscriptions and Services | Lob Help Center](#-subscriptions-and-services-lob-help-center) - [Tax exemption guide | Lob Help Center](#tax-exemption-guide-lob-help-center) - [Postage Exemption | Lob Help Center](#postage-exemption-lob-help-center) - [Tracking your mail | Lob Help Center](#tracking-your-mail-lob-help-center) - [NCOA responses | Lob Help Center](#ncoa-responses-lob-help-center) --- # Action IQ | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grow faster with a new kind of Customer Data Platform (CDP). ActionIQ’s unique composable architecture gives marketers easy and secure ways to activate data anywhere in the customer experience. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#actioniq--lob-integrate-offline-and-online-customer-experience) ActionIQ + Lob = Integrate Offline and Online Customer Experience ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ActionIQ CX Hub empowers everyone to be a CX champion by giving business teams the freedom to explore and action on customer data while helping technical teams extend and enhance existing technology investments to manage data governance, costs and performance. AIQ CX Hub gives all teams direct but controlled self-service access to customer data to discover audiences and orchestrate experiences at scale. Direct mail from Lob enables you to fully realize the CX potential of the AIQ CX Hub at the mailbox, providing flexible, automated direct mail production, delivery, and analytics, fully integrated with your CX stack. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#eliminate-the-last-obstacle-to-omnichannel-automation) Eliminate the Last Obstacle to Omnichannel Automation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AIQ CX Hub orchestrates customer journeys across all channels and touchpoints, automated across hundreds of out-of-the-box integrations. However, due to limitations of legacy direct mail tools and lack of automation offline, omnichannel orchestration fails to reach its full potential, resulting in time-consuming execution, static content disallowing personalization seen in digital channels. Lob automates direct mail production, enabling AIQ users to send direct mail when they need it, without downstream hassles or delays. That means you can orchestrate campaigns across all channels, with precise timing, personalization, and visibility. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#trigger-direct-mail-customer-experience-in-real-time) Trigger Direct Mail Customer Experience in Real Time ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The ActionIQ CX Hub provides robust trigger creation and activation capabilities, enabling you to deliver real-time outbound experiences across any channel based on any signal you chose, from streaming data like abandoned carts, to historical customer profiles like total spend. Lob brings this capability to the mailbox, with unlimited customizability, quick processing and delivery, and tracking across the entire customer journey. Giving users the ability to trigger any message, design, or form factor based on any customer signal. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#orchestrate-and-optimize-your-campaigns) Orchestrate and optimize your campaigns --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AIQ CX Hub is a powerful tool for orchestration and optimization, enabling users to rapidly design, execute, test, and iterate on marketing and sales campaigns across multiple channels. However, legacy workflows and low visibility can cut direct mail out of the loop, forcing users to silo direct mail, and limit your ability to track results, improve campaign performance, and fully integrate mail into your multichannel or omnichannel workflow. Lob’s API solves this problem, integrating fully with the AIQ CX Hub, enabling users to treat direct mail just like your digital channels. That means you can structure the customer journey, track ROI, test new strategies, and iterate your campaigns across all channels, without the need for a siloed direct mail track. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#keep-branding-voice-and-personalization-consistent-online-and-offline) Keep Branding, Voice and Personalization Consistent, Online and Offline ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AIQ CX Hub provides powerful tools to shape and adapt your brand voice, while personalizing down to the microsegment. This gives you the ability to make the most of each touchpoint, while maintaining a single voice across all channels. Lob is able to then utilize all of the AIQ CX Hub intelligence to programmatically send personalized, timely, and quality mail pieces to your customers. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#is-actioniq--lob-right-for-you) Is ActionIQ + LOB Right for You? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The AIQ CX Hub is designed for B2B and B2C companies with large customer bases and complex data needs across a wide range of industries, including financial services, retail, consumer packaged goods, grocery, travel & hospitality, healthcare, and B2B tech. Lob caters to a wide range of both marketing and transactional use cases, from small businesses to multinational enterprises. For Lob users, whether or not you adopt a CX Hub depends on the factors above, as well as your use case. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#use-cases) Use Cases: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Marketing direct mail:** If you need the ability to conduct multivariate testing, featuring 1-1 personalization and quick iteration capabilities, you’re more likely to benefit from a CX Hub. Typically, acquisition-focused marketing campaigns in particular can benefit from these capabilities. **Transactional or operational mail:** Industries with heavily regulated customer communications will benefit from a CX Hub. For example, if you send financial statements, policy change notices, explanations of benefits, or bills through direct mail, a CX Hub can help ensure you’re meeting the legal requirements of each state, country, and region. Companies operating in multiple industries also tend to have complex regulatory obligations, which can benefit from the AIQ CX Hub. circle-check Want to learn more? Please reach out to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#61110013150f041312210d0e034f020e0c) [PreviousAPI integrationschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) [NextAdobe Marketo Engagechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#overview) * [ActionIQ + Lob = Integrate Offline and Online Customer Experience](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#actioniq--lob-integrate-offline-and-online-customer-experience) * [Eliminate the Last Obstacle to Omnichannel Automation](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#eliminate-the-last-obstacle-to-omnichannel-automation) * [Trigger Direct Mail Customer Experience in Real Time](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#trigger-direct-mail-customer-experience-in-real-time) * [Orchestrate and optimize your campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#orchestrate-and-optimize-your-campaigns) * [Keep Branding, Voice and Personalization Consistent, Online and Offline](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#keep-branding-voice-and-personalization-consistent-online-and-offline) * [Is ActionIQ + LOB Right for You?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#is-actioniq--lob-right-for-you) * [Use Cases:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq#use-cases) Was this helpful? --- # Integrations | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#crm-cdp-map-integrations) CRM/CDP/MAP integrations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customer data platforms (CDPs) serve as a source of truth for customer data, while customer relationship management systems (CRMs) manage customer relationships for sales. By using data piped from these systems, marketing automation tools can orchestrate multichannel campaigns based on the customer journey, or sequence business workflows, triggered by user actions, events, milestones, or other logic. Lob integrations enable automated trigger-based campaigns, so you can incorporate direct mail into your omnichannel marketing campaigns and make operational workflows more efficient. We offer customer data integrations optimized for your direct mail strategy, technology stack, and available resources. [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FUeQNvafIfcVfC2wH2Iyw%252Fexternal_integrations.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2596a320-258b-4e2e-80f9-f73048512633&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9cf89fdd&sv=2) [**API integrations**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#undefined) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#design-tool-integrations) Design tool integrations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We are continually enhancing our capability to convert creative from popular design tools into HTML, to empower more users to benefit from the personalization that HTML provides. ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FdRIeLfPVuZh5iqcC0vNg%252FDesign.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6d281949-1739-4b2e-bc7e-a27e4562f1ba&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=326da8e3&sv=2) [**Design integrations**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools) [PreviousFast Track Guidechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide) [NextAPI integrationschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [CRM/CDP/MAP integrations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#crm-cdp-map-integrations) * [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#undefined) * [Design tool integrations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations#design-tool-integrations) Was this helpful? --- # API integrations | Lob Help Center If your team already uses any CDP, CRM, or marketing automation tool, consider adding a direct mail touch to your customer outreach sequences by integrating Lob into the following platforms. Use any of our external API integrations to easily leverage one of the most performative channels in marketing as part of your digital campaigns. * [Adobe Marketo Engage](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage) * [ActionIQ](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq) * [Braze](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze) * [Blueshift](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/blueshift) * [Citrix Podioarrow-up-right](https://podio.com/market/packs/138857-postcards-and-letters-with-lobcom) * [Customer.io](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io) * [Formstackarrow-up-right](https://www.formstack.com/integrations/lob) * [Hubspot](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot) * [Iterable](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable) * [Jotform](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform) * [Klayvio](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo) * [Listrak](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/listrak) * [Make](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make) * [Optimove](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove) * [Ortto arrow-up-right](https://journeys.autopilotapp.com/integrations/lob) (formally Autopilot) * [Salesforce](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce) * [Salesforce Marketing Cloud](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce-marketing-cloud) * [Segment](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment) * [SimonDataarrow-up-right](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MFSTyJmM-cXfF2xOK8BaCpMtYgphxH0a/view) * [Tray.ioarrow-up-right](https://tray.io/connectors/lob-integrations) * [Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier) circle-info Looking to connect to other automation tools you already use? [Let us know here.arrow-up-right](https://forms.gle/YCF7zBbaUB5rT5U17) [PreviousIntegrationschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) [NextAction IQchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Ready to get started? | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#welcome-to-lob) Welcome to Lob! 👋 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob's mission is to help the world send intelligent mail, one mail piece at a time. By making direct mail sends as easy as email through the use of modern APIs, Lob strives to modernize this often overlooked channel of direct communication. Lob is a great fit for all users of direct mail from all walks of life: * Are you brand new to direct mail as a channel, and looking for ideas and best practices on getting started? * Are you looking to infuse direct mail automation into your existing business workflows and seeking for ways to modernize your enterprise solutions and tools? * Or are you building a highly sophisticated experimentation program using this rapidly iterative and performative channel? Start at a pace you're most comfortable with, and Lob can help meet your direct mail needs, one step at a time. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#getting-started-with-lob-0) Getting started with Lob ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sending mail in an accurate, reliable, and programmatic way involves the following four steps: Audience targeting Mail creation Mail production Mail delivery The first step to any successful direct mail program is to put together an audience list for effective targeting. Whether you are using your [own customer data](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) or augmenting with third-party lists, make sure that you create targeted mailing lists with select attributes to maximize your responses and channel ROI. Easily [upload your campaign audience list](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) in [Lob Campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) , or send a recipient address per mail piece in your API calls. You can also improve the deliverability of your mail pieces by passing your addresses through Lob's [National Change of Addressarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing-and-shipping-services/NCOALink) functionality to reduce bad addresses, or incorporate Lob's [Address Verification](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av) product to fully ensure your mail data is as accurate as possible to maximize your intended reach. Next, our [API-firstarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) solution provides incredible flexibility in determining [how you want to send your mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy) : send high-volume campaigns quickly and at scale, or build automated mail sends triggered through omnichannel business workflows. In order to use direct mail with Lob, there are three components that must be thought through to send mail via our platform: * **Design**: generate clear and concise instructions around what you're sending, including creative artwork and copy. Learn about [designing creatives](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives) in Lob. * **Data in**: pass data that determines how you want to send mail and get it delivered, including address data, merge variables for personalization, postage and delivery strategy. Learn about [building your mail strategy](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy) in Lob. * **Data out**: pass data that exports mail tracking information to enable downstream workflows or measure attribution for better performance. Learn more about how to [calibrate your mail data](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results) in Lob. Based on your API call submission and send settings, a printer from a strategically distributed network of printers managed by Lob will fulfill your orders. Once printed, your mail orders will be handed off to USPS for delivery. Track your mail order at each stage of production (and delivery) by utilizing our [mail tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) , and get near real-time updates via our [webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) . Once production is fulfilled by our printers, your mail will be on its merry way to be delivered to its final destination! Lob uses USPS for delivery in the US; as such, Lob does not have physical control over your mail once USPS has taken possession. However, working hand-in-hand with USPS as our partner, Lob is able to provide [granular digital tracking details](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) of each individual mail piece as it moves towards its destination. As the mail makes its way through every distribution or sorting facility, or arrives at the area post office, USPS will send mail tracking details to Lob. Lob will then [surface this information](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) in near real-time, ensuring your mail pieces were delivered in a timely manner and received by the intended recipient. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#craft-the-best-path-forward-5) Craft the best path forward ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depending on where you are in your quest for intelligent mail, or given your available budget or resources, there are multiple ways to leverage Lob's platform and accelerate your growth. Read on! ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#learn-about-our-platform) Learn about our platform We're not your average direct mail experience. Explore Lob and see how we can meet your immediate needs for direct mail automation. * Dive right in: Send your [first campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) via [our easy-to-follow dashboard UIarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) to get a feel for intelligent direct mail. * Explore our APIs! Check out our [API quickstart quide](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) to explore our [APIs arrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) in your preferred programming language, explore our our [Postman collectionarrow-up-right](https://www.postman.com/lobteam/workspace/lob-public-workspace/documentation/16169677-975ecb9f-ea22-4d8f-a4f9-53a42f2aee03) , and go to [GitHubarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob) to access our supported SDK libraries. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#experiment-with-your-inputs-and-outputs) Experiment with your inputs and outputs Understand other ways in which you can up-level your direct mail program. * Explore how to operationalize [dynamic personalizations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) to create mail pieces that can truly resonate with your audience * Experiment with different [methods of mail sends](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends) and [mail delivery strategy](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy) to see how to best increase relevance and conversion * Ingest [mail tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) data, set up notification alerts via [webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) , or add [QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) to improve attribution and reporting * [Access](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details) advanced features and more mail formats to improve audience responses as needed * Generate a campaign hypothesis, and build split-test or multivariate test cohorts to see which creative or campaign resonates with your segment ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/#enrich-your-data-connections-and-processes) Enrich your data, connections, and processes [Explore our integrations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) so you can learn how to tap into your existing tech stacks and augment your datasets to expand the possibilities of creating seamless and timely omnichannel experiences with a touch of direct mail. circle-info If you are a world-class technology company interested in partnering with us, [learn more herearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/become-a-partner) . [NextPricing detailschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [Welcome to Lob! 👋](https://help.lob.com/#welcome-to-lob) * [Getting started with Lob](https://help.lob.com/#getting-started-with-lob-0) * [Craft the best path forward](https://help.lob.com/#craft-the-best-path-forward-5) * [Learn about our platform](https://help.lob.com/#learn-about-our-platform) * [Experiment with your inputs and outputs](https://help.lob.com/#experiment-with-your-inputs-and-outputs) * [Enrich your data, connections, and processes](https://help.lob.com/#enrich-your-data-connections-and-processes) Was this helpful? --- # Blueshift | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/blueshift#ispasted) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blueshift has built a direct integration to Lob from within their platform. This empowers marketers to automatically send personalized behavior-triggered mail to every user, on demand. * Read more about the integration in the [Lob + Blueshift integration factsheetarrow-up-right](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hp_Jq5wLrXU91uT5zOmn8JkHFY6_MIDn/view) . * Instructions on how to connect Blueshift and Lob can be found in [Blueshift's documentation herearrow-up-right](https://help.blueshift.com/hc/en-us/articles/360057582873-Lob-Direct-Mails) . [PreviousAdobe Marketo Engagechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage) [NextBrazechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Pricing details | Lob Help Center Get started with a platform subscription, paired with unit cost for mail pieces. Features vary depending on the pricing Edition. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#monthly-subscription) Monthly subscription ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Developer Startup Growth Enterprise Monthly – $260 $550 [Talk to Salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) Annual – $225 $480 [Talk to Salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) Monthly supported mailings Up to 500 Up to 3,000 Up to 6,000 [Talk to Salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#mail-piece-unit-pricing-3) Mail piece unit pricing ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Recent USPS postage rate changes have taken effect as of **July 13, 2025**. These adjustments are part of USPS’s regularly scheduled pricing updates, designed to account for inflation and rising operational costs. Lob doesn’t add fees when USPS rates go up – only the postage rate increases apply. You can find more details outlined in the [USPS Press Releasearrow-up-right](https://faq.usps.com/s/article/2025-Postage-Price-Change) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#postcards) Postcards circle-check Prices are inclusive of print, postage and envelopes (where applicable). Mail format Developer Startup Growth Enterprise 4x6, First Class $0.872 $0.612 $0.582 Talk to sales 6x9, First Class $0.993 $0.673 $0.623 Talk to sales 6x11, First Class $1.259 $0.919 $0.879 Talk to sales 6x9, Standard Class $0.966 $0.646 $0.596 Talk to sales 6x11, Standard Class $1.026 $0.696 $0.646 Talk to sales 5x7, First Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 5x7, Standard Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales International 4x6 Postcard Fee $1.440 $1.379 $1.379 Talk to sales ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#self-mailers-5) Self-Mailers circle-check Prices are inclusive of print, postage, and envelopes (where applicable). 12x9 Bifold, First Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 12x9 Bifold, Standard Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 6x18 Bifold, First Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 6x18 Bifold, Standard Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 11x9 Bifold, First Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 11x9 Bifold, Standard Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 17.75x9 Trifold, First Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales 17.75x9 Trifold, Standard Class \_ \_ \_ Talk to sales ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#letters-6) Letters circle-check Prices are inclusive of print, postage and envelopes (where applicable). Mail format Developer Startup Growth Enterprise Black & White Letter, First Class $1.029 $0.859 $0.829 Talk to sales Color Letter, First Class $1.189 $0.899 $0.859 Talk to sales Black & White Letter, Standard Class $0.806 $0.636 $0.606 Talk to sales Color Letter, Standard Class $0.966 $0.686 $0.636 Talk to sales Black & White Additional Page (pdf page) $0.10 $0.09 $0.08 Talk to sales Color Additional Page (pdf page) $0.20 $0.19 $0.16 Talk to sales Letter over 6 sheet fee $2.435 $2.435 $2.435 Talk to sales Perforation $0.06 $0.02 $0.02 Talk to sales Return Envelope $0.04 $0.04 $0.04 Talk to sales Custom Return Envelope $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 Talk to sales Int'l Letter Postage (1st Class Only) $1.18 $1.18 $1.18 Talk to sales Certified Mail (1st class only) \- $6.7 $6.7 Talk to sales Electronic Return Receipt \- $2.82 $2.82 Talk to sales Certified Mail With Electronic Return Receipt \- $9.52 $9.52 Talk to sales Registered Mail (1st class only) \- $23.30 $23.30 Talk to sales Legal Letters (B/W), First Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Legal Letters (B/W), Standard Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Legal Letters (Color), First Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Legal Letters (Color), Standard Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Paper card affix \- \- \- Talk to sales Buckslips \- \- \- Talk to sales \* _Extra postage fees for 8.5x11 letters over 6 sheets (6 pages single-sided, or 12 pages double-sided) and 8X14 letters over 3 sheets (3 pages single-sided, or 6 pages double-sided)_ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#checks-7) Snap Packs circle-check Prices are inclusive of print, postage, and envelopes (where applicable). Snappack (B/W), First Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Snappack (B/W), Standard Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Snappack (Color), First Class \- \- \- Talk to sales Snappack (Color), Standard Class \- \- \- Talk to sales ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#checks-7-1) Checks circle-check Prices are inclusive of print, postage, and envelopes (where applicable). Mail format Developer Startup Growth Enterprise Checks $1.159 $1.009 $1.009 Talk to sales Check Attachment Page \- $0.220 $0.220 Talk to sales Check over 6 Sheet Fee \- $2.435 $2.435 Talk to sales circle-info Questions about pricing? Reach out to your Account Manager or our [Sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) . [PreviousReady to get started?chevron-left](https://help.lob.com/) [NextFast Track Guidechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [Monthly subscription](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#monthly-subscription) * [Mail piece unit pricing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#mail-piece-unit-pricing-3) * [Postcards](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#postcards) * [Self-Mailers](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#self-mailers-5) * [Letters](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#letters-6) * [Snap Packs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#checks-7) * [Checks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#checks-7-1) Was this helpful? --- # Adobe Marketo Engage | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Marketoarrow-up-right](https://business.adobe.com/products/marketo/adobe-marketo.html) is a marketing automation platform that enables businesses to streamline and optimize their marketing processes, including lead management, email marketing, and campaign analytics. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#trigger-lob-mailpieces-from-marketo-with-webhooks) Trigger Lob mailpieces from Marketo with webhooks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#create-a-lob-webhook-within-your-marketo-instance) Create a Lob webhook within your Marketo instance. * See [Marketo documentation on how to create a webhookarrow-up-right](https://experienceleague.adobe.com/docs/marketo/using/product-docs/administration/additional-integrations/create-a-webhook.html?lang=en) . * Keep in mind: 1) The URL you enter for this webhook is going to be Lob's API endpoint for the resource that you're trying to create (e.g., postcard). 2) Choose JSON as the response type for passing Lob parameters and creative data. * You can copy and paste the JSON from Lob’s API documentation. * In the JSON, pass Lob parameters for the recipient name and address, mapped from Marketo. * Include creative data for the content you want to send. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#incorporate-webhhook-into-a-campaign) Incorporate Webhhook into a Campaign: * Add the webhook to a campaign in Marketo. * Define trigger conditions for when the webhook should be activated. * Example Campaign: Create a campaign to send a Lob postcard when a specific attribute (e.g., person score) changes. For instance, if a person's score changes to zero, trigger the Lob postcard webhook. circle-info For more detailed assistance, reach out to your Lob connection for personalized guidance on connecting Marketo and Lob. [PreviousAction IQchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/action-iq) [NextBlueshiftchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/blueshift) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#overview) * [Trigger Lob mailpieces from Marketo with webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#trigger-lob-mailpieces-from-marketo-with-webhooks) * [Create a Lob webhook within your Marketo instance.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#create-a-lob-webhook-within-your-marketo-instance) * [Incorporate Webhhook into a Campaign:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/adobe-marketo-engage#incorporate-webhhook-into-a-campaign) Was this helpful? --- # Hubspot | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#overview-1) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hubspot is a popular marketing automation software tool. In early 2022, Hubspot added Custom Code functionality to their Workflows, enabling a direct connection to Lob. Hubspot’s Workflows can be used to automatically trigger a mailpiece to be sent, via Lob. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#video-walkthrough-2) Video walkthrough ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#step-by-step-walkthrough-3) Step-by-step walkthrough --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-accounts) Create accounts A developer plan for testing with Lob is free, but you will need to [create a Lob accountarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/login) to get your API Keys. If you do not already have one, [create a Hubspot account herearrow-up-right](https://app.hubspot.com/signup-hubspot/crm?uuid=ff52f537-4146-48e8-8cd2-8545c26b767d&step=landing_page) . You’ll want to enable Operations Hub / Marketing Hub Professional trial (note this lasts 14 days): **Automation > Workflows > Start 14 Day Trial** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-contacts) Create contacts You can create manually, or import from a CSV by clicking **Contacts > Import**. From there, walk through the flow to import a file from your computer: **Start an Import > File From Computer > One File > One Object > Contacts**. Ensure your contacts have address parameters; you can [use this CSVarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/Hubspot_demo/Hubspot_demo_Contacts_10.csv) as an example. circle-exclamation We will be creating a list in the next step, so for this walkthrough, do not select “Create a List from this Import”. In the Map File screen, for ‘**Address2**’, select ‘**Create A New Property**’, and name it ‘**Address2**’. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657214906676-1657214906676.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f1afde79&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-list-5) Create a List **Contacts** > **Lists** > **Create List** > Select ‘**Static**’ List > **Contact-based** > **Name your List** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657214968352-1657214968352.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9efb82d1&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-workflow-6) Create a Workflow Select **Automation** \> **Workflows** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657214993021-1657214993020.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f7ae5e2e&sv=2) Click **Create Workflow** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215003416-1657215003416.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a2224505&sv=2) Click **Contact Based** \> **Blank Workflow** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215023526-1657215023526.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d4e478a5&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#set-up-trigger) Set Up Trigger For example, **List Memberships** \> **Select List you previously created** \> **Is Member of List** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215077013-1657215077013.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fe327009&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215087744-1657215087744.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=39fa78a5&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215095521-1657215095521.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=40459d65&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-resulting-action-7) Create a resulting Action Click **+** button on Workflow, beneath the Trigger ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215184064-1657215184064.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=df536a11&sv=2) Select **Custom Code** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215201868-1657215201868.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=33c40cd5&sv=2) Here you can select Python or NodeJS. For this example, we will select **Language: Python**. Then we will map Lob’s API fields to Hubspot properties, and enter our custom code. For this example, **Map Properties To Include in Code** as follows: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657215276206-1657215276206.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=35bac1fd&sv=2) Finally, enter your Python code, with properties defined as per the prior step. See example code below to test with. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#example-python-code-8) Example Python code circle-exclamation If copying and pasting the Python code above, it is advised to run it through a Python code validator to ensure that no formatting issues occur as a result. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#add-your-api-keys-11) Add your API Keys Next we need API credentials from our Lob account. Retrieve these credentials from your Lob dashboard by clicking on the **Settings** menu on the sidebar, then clicking on the API Keys tab. In the example Python code, replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your **Test API Key**. triangle-exclamation **ENSURE YOU ARE USING YOUR TEST API KEY** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#update-creative) **Update Creative** You should also replace the front and back "`HUBSPOT_CREATIVE`" with your own HTML, template IDs, or links to hosted static creatives. For example: ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#testing-9) Testing Make sure to hit **‘Save’.** Then you can open your custom code back up, scroll to the bottom of the panel, and click **Test Action.** Select a contact, and click **Test** to fire off a test request. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1657216126527-1657216126527.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f14f8acd&sv=2) You can then log into your Lob account to verify that a mailpiece was generated. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#utilizing-workflow-10) Utilizing workflow Once you’ve tested, you can **Publish** your workflow. From there, it will run whenever the trigger you set is fired. For example, if you followed the above example, you can now add some contacts to your list. This should automatically create mailpieces for each person on the list. Now you can replace the Test API key in your Python code with your Base64 Encoded Live API Key, and your Automation is live. If you are using other test resources like address IDs or template IDs, those will also need to be transferred to your live environment. [PreviousCustomer.iochevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io) [NextIterablechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#overview-1) * [Video walkthrough](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#video-walkthrough-2) * [Step-by-step walkthrough](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#step-by-step-walkthrough-3) * [Create accounts](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-accounts) * [Create contacts](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-contacts) * [Create a List](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-list-5) * [Create a Workflow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-workflow-6) * [Set Up Trigger](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#set-up-trigger) * [Create a resulting Action](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#create-a-resulting-action-7) * [Add your API Keys](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#add-your-api-keys-11) * [Update Creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#update-creative) * [Testing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#testing-9) * [Utilizing workflow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot#utilizing-workflow-10) Was this helpful? Copy import requests import json import base64 import os from hubspot import HubSpot from hubspot.crm.contacts import ApiException from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter from urllib3.util.retry import Retry def retry_session(retries, session=None, backoff_factor=1): session = session or requests.Session() retry = Retry( total=retries, read=retries, connect=retries, backoff_factor=backoff_factor, status_forcelist=[500, 502, 503, 504, 429], allowed_methods=['POST'] ) adapter = HTTPAdapter(max_retries=retry) session.mount('http://', adapter) session.mount('https://', adapter) return session def main(event): address = event.get('inputFields').get('address') address2 = event.get('inputFields').get('address2') city = event.get('inputFields').get('city') state = event.get('inputFields').get('state') zip_code = event.get('inputFields').get('zip_code') email = event.get('inputFields').get('email') hs_object_id = event.get('inputFields').get('hs_object_id') phone = event.get('inputFields').get('phone') firstname = event.get('inputFields').get('firstname') lastname = event.get('inputFields').get('lastname') url = "https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards" payload = { "description": "HUBSPOT DEMO POSTCARD", "to[name]": firstname + ' ' + lastname, "to[address_line1]": address, "to[address_line2]": address2, "to[address_city]": city, "to[address_state]": state, "to[address_zip]": zip_code, "front": "https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/retail_pdfs/4x6+Retail+front.pdf", "back": "https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/retail_pdfs/4x6+Retail+back.pdf", "size": "4x6", "metadata[customer_id]": hs_object_id, "metadata[campaign]": "HUBSPOT_TEST", "metadata[phone]": phone, "metadata[email]": email, "metadata[front_creative_name]": "demo_hubspot_front_creative", "metadata[back_creative_name]": "demo_hubspot_back_creative", "metadata[address_city]": city, "metadata[address_state]": state, "metadata[address_zip]": zip_code } session = retry_session(retries=5) r = session.post(url, auth=requests.auth.HTTPBasicAuth(YOUR_API_KEY, ''), data=payload) j = r.json() print(j) Copy "front": "https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/retail_pdfs/4x6+Retail+front.pdf", Copy "back": "https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/retail_pdfs/4x6+Retail+back.pdf", --- # Iterable | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#integration-overview-0) Overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Iterablearrow-up-right](https://iterable.com/) is a cross-channel marketing platform that powers unified customer experiences and empowers you to create, optimize and measure every interaction across the entire customer journey. Automated connections in Iterable, called (Journey) Webhooks, can be set up in minutes with no coding. Webhooks can automate your day-to-day tasks and enable workflows with Lob that otherwise wouldn't be possible. Each Webhook you create will connect to an HTML template that you have stored in your Lob account. You will map your Iterable data fields to the dynamic Lob merge variables in the HTML template, and trigger mail sends via either an individual user action (such as email unsubscribe, for example) or to a group of users via a batch send. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#getting-started-with-iterable-1) Getting started with Iterable To get started with Iterable, you will need to sign up directly with Iterable (see [Request Demoarrow-up-right](https://iterable.com/) ) or have your Iterable account enabled by your company. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#getting-started-with-lob-2) Getting started with Lob [Sign uparrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/register) for a free Lob account; from there you can jump right in with sending requests for free with your secret [Test API keyarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/keys) . Instantly begin sending real mail by simply adding a payment method to your account and switching to your Live API key. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#connecting-iterable-to-lob-3) Connecting Iterable to Lob 1. [Loginarrow-up-right](https://app.iterable.com/login) to your Iterable Account. 2. Navigate to "Integrations" -> “Journey Webhooks” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F9Xufl9UapYzM2lA3Luol%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D85070053-266d-4813-b1a2-cc2900dab7a0&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=df5d4c29&sv=2) 3. Now click on "New Webhook" near the top of the page. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2FLcI_NdedMr_0hFnLkEt98yy_BTamRuIsPvs4bJ6XtfbPdbVxyJDFZGHzep61__X41FdJElEaVRhLe9qShFjm-acBm9bEiDjxX2ulrhAGD6Y3qCD21PJh5mOnhJZdfc50mdUF8FEXeJk4p5TDOBd7IawvYW7irzQ_Brf8htdOQ_6XLipkczft8I6PMGOf&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=96ecd246&sv=2) 4\. Configure as follows: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FMQmWt3ZXYX15IWIxzce1%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd7ae6757-156c-4f51-87e2-487374b8eb50&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bb5bd39e&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FMQmWt3ZXYX15IWIxzce1%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd7ae6757-156c-4f51-87e2-487374b8eb50&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bb5bd39e&sv=2) a. Endpoint: Make sure the URL matches the resource you want to create (i.e., that you are sending postcard requests to the postcard endpoint). See URLs [herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#letters_create) . b. Authentication: None c. Custom headers: Use the Authorization Header and your Base64 Encoded [API keyarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/keys) to connect your Lob account * We recommend using your Test Lob API Key in order to test and validate your integration. Then switch to your Live API key when you are ready to send mail. * You can use a [Base64 Encoder toolarrow-up-right](https://www.base64encode.org/) to encode your (test) API Key. * Use the encoded key as the value for the `Authorization` header and that you are **base64-encoding your secret API key with a colon after the key.** For example, the API key `test_abc123` should be encoded as `test_abc123:`, which becomes `dGVzdF9hYmMxMjM6`. d. Body: select ‘URL-encoded Form’, then add form fields below to map the [required Lob parameters arrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/postcard_create) to the associated attributes within Iterable. Example: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2FT8P-GtTWbl7mkRBZfRtQgrvmaIeQ75Eoo0PE5xccll7Aov8cm7DorsP2X9K5C7cXOm3W7D72TO3SBSg8DAAuApmkHFltizTtrYzRkcdLIY5v7Glpk8TW5mgVjodVRVJ_9lrQT3_oJZkLNJcyOaK9_dq7vcsHR69h-iO5ciHb01T2JmS7Z-YaIAADjIN3&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5d92be40&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2FT8P-GtTWbl7mkRBZfRtQgrvmaIeQ75Eoo0PE5xccll7Aov8cm7DorsP2X9K5C7cXOm3W7D72TO3SBSg8DAAuApmkHFltizTtrYzRkcdLIY5v7Glpk8TW5mgVjodVRVJ_9lrQT3_oJZkLNJcyOaK9_dq7vcsHR69h-iO5ciHb01T2JmS7Z-YaIAADjIN3&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5d92be40&sv=2) * The fields on the left are the required Lob request parameters, and your corresponding data fields are on the right. * The right column is where you can dynamically map to Iterable attributes, by using the corresponding Iterable variable for a given attribute. * Iterable variables will need to be enclosed like so: {{your\_variable}}. For example, if you have a field that maps to “to{name}” in your data and you want the variable first\_name to be used as that mapping, you would put {{first\_name}} next to the “to{name}” field on this page. * Be sure to map to all of the necessary merge variables. For example, if you have a merge variable “name” in your template you need to add a form field of “merge\_variables\[name\]” and set the desired value on the right. 5\. Click 'Create Webhook.' 6\. Ensure you are mapping all the required templates. * Postcards and Self-Mailers will utilize two templates, one each for the front and back of the postcards. * Letters have just one template, mapped to the parameter ‘file’ on the left side. 7\. Click 'Save' on the right when you are finished. 8\. Navigate "Messenging" -> "Journeys" (previously called “Workflows”) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2FRU0vDsRebcY0vTM3gl_bZfiDzdPrSUf0_XdCGk-juHyL17j7m7g3OAUF2VXErEZySG8tFqpxM6xq2iQsylzn9q97rCRnhsWqQACGqb0T1rbsKNaKW9EQoli71GMxHGFCYGHypl0McqP0c8vkSrlMMZWOdIzoX9sKU-oYdCbh7OlNRHA_eOrMP0YvG1vY&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=66c296e4&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2FRU0vDsRebcY0vTM3gl_bZfiDzdPrSUf0_XdCGk-juHyL17j7m7g3OAUF2VXErEZySG8tFqpxM6xq2iQsylzn9q97rCRnhsWqQACGqb0T1rbsKNaKW9EQoli71GMxHGFCYGHypl0McqP0c8vkSrlMMZWOdIzoX9sKU-oYdCbh7OlNRHA_eOrMP0YvG1vY&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=66c296e4&sv=2) 9\. Click on the Journey you want to incorporate this webhook into, or create a new Journey. 10\. Find the event that will trigger your Lob webhook (for example, a customer is Added to a List, or opened an email), then drag in the “Call Webhook” tile and place it after that event in the Journey. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2FYAs0qJykGJqInxWwvTN73-Eg3TMCLsmdDbjSUolBYzYYdFN_6vmBG_-ZKm-fhhRVV2_N2LNeATFaQSQ4I8CjLDZwr88WNpN7D1Wmjb4faK_npJfLWto460KWENn4nvmTQh_4JNKFIYiK0wWiDLhjJ9rkIk-glol9xj70cQ54CVnEW85j9E6Mt2NNDiHB&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=808b1014&sv=2) 11\. Open up that Webhook, and toggle on ‘Use Preset Journey Webhook’, then select the webhook you have created. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2F-YRyf3QVO2EJhWKgtnxmr6t_A5JBArsaEwgDvYpsdoUQkpwvHeGRDQAJYSQKrP3NzY3brysGdoYErTX3B3eQABAOqZZgbjYnJM5yMeXmSe_V3XLEw6-5Bk_-aLwFsd_i4oYPs6VIxpxnPcIohe1WYcz1YRtIcn4BKDTwcChhL4nwpzXhetfa0QrueKRV&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=770ef815&sv=2) 12\. After you have successfully set up your Journey, send a test trigger by clicking on ‘Test Journey’. Check to see whether Iterable notes any errors. 13\. Assuming no errors were caught, head over to your Lob [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/) and verify the results of the test. (Reach out to your CSM if you need assistance navigating the Lob dashboard.) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#best-practices-4) Best practices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#api-keys) API Keys We strongly recommend testing any planned mail sends and webhooks by **first using your Test Lob API Keys, and ensuring that the resulting records created in Lob match your expectations**. Only then should you proceed to use your Live Lob API Key to actually generate mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#html-creatives) HTML creatives To leverage HTML creatives in Lob, you will want to save your HTML as a template within Lob, or host your HTML and generate a corresponding hosting URL. These can be passed to Lob from Iterable, but you are not able to pass a full HTML string directly to Lob from Iterable. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#iterable-journeys) Iterable Journeys There are 3 common scenarios in which Iterable Journeys trigger Lob mail sends: 1. Single, triggered mailpieces from individual user actions. For example, someone unsubscribes to an email list, then a message is sent to Lob to trigger a single mailpiece. 2. A regular job is run, resulting in mail being sent to all users who meet specific criteria. 3. An audience list is exported from Iterable and uploaded to Lob, and mail is generated for each user in the list. These scenarios all result in different volumes of mail requests being sent to Lob in a single batch, and there are some best practices for ensuring your integration is seamless for each batch size. For any send types that will trigger fewer than 500 mailpieces in a single batch, as is typically the case with the first scenario above, you won’t need to take any additional steps to those listed above in this doc. However, for the second and third scenarios, in which single sends will contain more than 500 mailpieces, it is recommended that you connect with your Lob representative to discuss leveraging a Lob solution to manage non-rate-limited requests from Iterable. Additionally, for the second and third scenarios above, you can take some additional steps to ensure that all requests reach Lob within the rate limit. For example, one possible workflow enhancement for batches typically between 500-3000 mailpieces is to include audience splits in the customer journey, with delays included to stagger the sends to Lob, thus reducing rate limiting errors. For large batches, it is also an option to export the audience list from Iterable and send it via Lob’s Campaign Dashboard, as it is purpose-built to handle batch sizes into the millions, and will ensure that all expected mail is generated. **Either way, if you expect to send batches above 500 mailpieces at a time, it’s beneficial to connect with your Lob representative so that we can walk through the best solution for sending at scale while preserving the automation benefits of connecting through Iterable.** [PreviousHubspotchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot) [NextJotformchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform) Last updated 9 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#integration-overview-0) * [Getting started with Iterable](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#getting-started-with-iterable-1) * [Getting started with Lob](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#getting-started-with-lob-2) * [Connecting Iterable to Lob](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#connecting-iterable-to-lob-3) * [Best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#best-practices-4) * [API Keys](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#api-keys) * [HTML creatives](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#html-creatives) * [Iterable Journeys](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable#iterable-journeys) Was this helpful? --- # Fast Track Guide | Lob Help Center Even though the USPS loves working with us, they still have to charge for sending mail. Even if you are on the Developer edition of Lob, before you get started we'll ask you to input your payment information, then add [Lob Credits](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/lob-credits) , so you are prepared to send mail! [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-1-how-do-you-plan-to-execute-your-mail) Step 1: How do you plan to execute your mail? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-rightIn the Lob dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#in-the-lob-dashboard) * Send mail via [Campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) , our user-friendly interface built atop our APIs. We support one-time (1:many, targeted outreach), or automated (1:1, based on a trigger) campaigns. chevron-rightProgrammatically[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#programmatically) * [API Documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) - Every developer knows that the path to getting a successful integration up and running starts here. You’ll be provided an example of each type of Lob API request and response, so you can build an integration that works for you/your team. * [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/campaign-or-triggered-sends/send-campaigns-via-the-api) - What if you want to send large-scale direct mail campaigns but don’t want to execute them manually via the campaign tool? Well, you’re in luck! Learn how you can achieve the same efficiency but via the Campaigns API so you can automate your sends. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-2-who-are-you-sending-to) Step 2: Who are you sending to? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-rightAudience [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#audience) * For a one-time campaign, you'll need your audience data (.csv); see here for how to [format your addresses](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses) . * To set up and send automated or triggered campaigns, you'll want to connect directly to you customer data. Learn more about our Integrations here. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-3-what-creative-type-are-you-going-to-be-using) Step 3: What creative type are you going to be using? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-right**HTML**[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#html) * [Dynamic Personalizationarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/dynamic-personalization) - One of the most powerful tools you have available to you when sending direct mail with Lob is the ability to make every piece unique to each recipient. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of Lob’s HTML capabilities. * [Design Specificationsarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) - Whether you are sending a single postcard or millions of letters, our design guidelines will ensure your direct mail designs are created in the correct layouts and dimensions, so they’ll render exactly as expected when produced. * [Best Direct Mail Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/best-direct-mail-campaigns) - Get inspired by campaign examples from some of the best of the best. * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery) - Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Hit the ground running with several pre-made examples and even use them as a foundation to build your creatives. chevron-rightPDF[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#pdf) * [Artboard Layout arrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#pdf-guidelines-14) \- Here are some design layout and dimension guides you’ll want to keep in mind. * [Creative Formatting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) - Learn more about formatting and ensuring your [artwork is print-ready](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) . * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery) - Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered. Here you can take inspiration from several pre-made examples and even use them as a foundation to build your own unique creative [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-4-how-do-you-plan-to-measure-the-success-of-your-mail) Step 4: How do you plan to measure the success of your mail? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-rightLob dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#lob-dashboard) * [Tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) - One of the most powerful advantages of using Lob is that you can have visibility of any individual mail piece as it moves across the entire print production and delivery process. * [Mail Analyticsarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) - Every team measures unique insights to ensure you hit your targets. Discover a few views that cover some of the most important metrics you should care about. * [Metadataarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) - Gain a deeper understanding of your mail data at a mail piece, recipient, batch, or campaign level by adding your own data labels. chevron-rightCustom analytics[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#custom-analytics) * [Webhooksarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) - Leverage webhook functionality to take asynchronous action and enhance your line of sight for the mail that is requested. * [Metadataarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) - Gain a deeper understanding of your mail data at a mail piece, recipient, batch, or campaign level by adding your own data labels. [PreviousPricing detailschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details) [NextIntegrationschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Step 1: How do you plan to execute your mail?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-1-how-do-you-plan-to-execute-your-mail) * [Step 2: Who are you sending to?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-2-who-are-you-sending-to) * [Step 3: What creative type are you going to be using?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-3-what-creative-type-are-you-going-to-be-using) * [Step 4: How do you plan to measure the success of your mail?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/fast-track-guide#step-4-how-do-you-plan-to-measure-the-success-of-your-mail) Was this helpful? --- # Braze | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#braze-integration-0) Overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Use the following as an addendum to the [Braze integration documentationarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/partners/additional_channels/direct_mail/lob/) for using Lob with Braze. This integration will allow customers to send data from Braze to Lob. A pre-designed webhook can then be used within a campaign to trigger mail to customers. After sending through Braze, the mail data can be accessed from within the Lob dashboard. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-1-add-custom-attributes-1) Step 1 - Add Custom Attributes Add Custom Attributes for user mailing address information: * `address_line1` * `address_line2` * `address_city` * `address_state` * `address_zip` * `address_country` ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629290211764-1629290211764.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2cae5169&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-2-update-user-profiles-2) Step 2 - Update user profiles Update user profiles with mailing addresses. [Import CSVarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/data_and_analytics/user_data_collection/user_import/#importing-custom-data-via-csv) : ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629290256122-1629290256122.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=74eaa045&sv=2) [API callarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/api/endpoints/user_data/) : Anything highlighted is a custom variable that will need to be updated for each customer or use case. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629290340267-1629290340267.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1d2064b5&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-3-create-a-webhook-template-3) Step 3 - Create a webhook template Create a webhook template ([Braze Documentationarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/message_building_by_channel/webhooks/webhook_template/) ). Once this template is made it can be used for your future campaigns as well. In the case that you have different variations of sends, meaning you are going to perform one send with postcards and one with letters it is recommended that you create 2 separate webhook templates in Braze for this. Additionally, if you are going to be doing small variations such as sending first-class vs standard class depending on the recipient, then you can leverage Braze's [conditional logicarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/personalization_and_dynamic_content/liquid/conditional_logic/) . You can build this logic into the template and have one webhook template support multiple variations. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#example-postcard-4) Example postcard **Compose tab:** Webhook URL: `https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards` Request body: Raw Text circle-exclamation Braze's default webhook template does not include the opening and closing `{}` brackets, so ensure those have been added before saving. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#example-letter-5) Example letter **Compose tab:** Webhook URL: `https://api.lob.com/v1/letters` Request body: Raw Text #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#example-self-mailer-6) Example self-mailer **Compose tab:** Webhook URL: `https://api.lob.com/v1/self_mailers` Request body: Raw Text #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#settings-tab-7) **Settings tab** _**Be sure to leave the**_ `**:**` _**after the Lob API key you paste in between the apostrophes.**_ REQUEST HEADERS: * Authorization: Basic `{{ 'YOUR_LOB_API_KEY:' | base64_encode }}` * Content-Type: `application/json` * Idempotency-Key: `{{${user_id}}}` * It is recommended that you leverage idempotency keys to prevent duplication of mail being sent. It can be any value you seem fit but often it is userID or a combination of userID and campaign name. * HTTP METHOD: `POST` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-4-test-your-new-webhook-8) Step 4 - Test your new webhook Test your new webhook template and check your Lob dashboard to ensure desired results. It is recommended to run a one-off test in Braze to see if the request format is set up appropriately and then run a full end-to-end test where you send an entire campaign through your test environment. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#running-a-one-off-test-9) Running a one-off test When running a one-off test it is useful to have test users in your system who have the correct data needed to send mail and validate your creatives. Here is an example of a test we would perform. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#common-errors-10) Common errors 1. **401 Unauthorized** * If you receive this error message, your API key is incorrect. * Make sure you have the header `Authorization` and that you are encoding your secret API key with a colon after the key like this `Basic {{ 'YOUR_LOB_API_KEY:' | base64_encode }}` ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1655832228030-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-06-21%2520at%252010.23.43%2520AM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=85c913b4&sv=2) 2. **422 Unprocessable Entity** (Invalid request payload JSON format) * If you receive this error, it is likely that your payload is not formatted correctly. It needs to match JSON formatting. * Generally speaking, the rules that are often broken are: 1. All keys and values are enclosed in double quotes (`"`). 2. Commas after every key-value pair except for the last one. 3. No newline characters in any values and no extra spaces between fields. 3. **422 Unprocessable Entity** (Other) * Other than JSON errors, you can receive `422` errors in the payload sent to Lob does not match our requirements. * For example, if you are missing `address_line1` in the payload you will get an error saying that is needed. For these errors, you can make the appropriate adjustments and retry your requests. circle-exclamation The "testing" functionality in Braze is sending a one-off request to Lob, this means if you have your **LIVE API key** in the template it **will create mail** and if you have your **test key** it will **not.** Make sure when you are testing that your cancellation windows are set to an ample time (2 hours is recommended) to make sure you can always cancel mail if you make a mistake. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#faqs-11) FAQs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#how-do-i-use-merge-variables-from-braze) **How do I use merge variables from Braze?** To leverage merge variables, in Braze you will reference the merge variable in your HTML file as the Key and the user attribute as the value. For example, if you had a merge variable called `f_name` in your HTML, then in the section of your payload called `merge_variables` you would have a key of `f_name` and a value of the user attribute in Braze. Here is an example of what that would look like in Braze #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#what-do-i-use-for-the-file-parameter-for-letters-what-do-i-use-for-the-front-and-back-parameters-for) **What do I use for the file parameter for letters? What do I use for the front and back parameters for postcards?** See more information on file format types [here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) Essentially you can either host your HTML in the Lob platform where you can then reference the template ID that is created for you, or you can leverage Braze’s [Media Libraryarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/engagement_tools/templates_and_media/media_library/) where you will be provided with a URL that can be used as the value for these parameters. Here is an example of what you could see in Braze: [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#capturing-lob-webhook-data-in-braze) Capturing Lob webhook data in Braze --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Braze’s Data Transformation tool enables you to capture webhook events from Lob, and use them to either update Attributes or create Events within Braze. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2Foc5jyWfK1KFZnJbeIqAZ8MfPwObJ7B5kF6ajV4I0yZDAvCJ3PaESJyGmzltxw8CVAhC-z_v6ChWnbDotwwyuQ6ABcQUPz8XKh3or37r-e0KnWFcKUyjitxc_EkH_OJy5He-JhrZjPxCWvpUOAnZcRPY&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=844fa6e5&sv=2) **Steps:** 1. Set up a Data Transformation in Braze. This will generate a Webhook URL you can use to pass events into Braze. * See [Braze’s documentation on utilizing Data Transformationsarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/data/data_transformation/overview) 2. Create [Lob Webhook](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) for the events you want to track, using the Braze-provided URL 3. Set up the Transformation Code in Braze to listen for the event. You can use this to either update an Attribute or generate an Event. * See Example 1 below for a 'Letter Viewed' example, in which it both updates an attribute within Braze and creates an Event. 4. Send a Test webhook and check the resulting Output to ensure the data is successfully being captured, and the subsequent attribute/event updates are occurring within Braze **Example 1:** Braze Transformation Code for Letter Viewed, which updates the attribute 'external\_id' and generates an Event named 'Letter Viewed' when the webhook from Lob is received: **Example 2:** Braze transformation output after webhook received, showing the updated attribute 'external\_id' and creating the Event 'Letter Viewed'. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#notes-and-external-links-15) Other Resources ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#advanced-logic) **Advanced logic** * String manipulation, date formatting, etc. See Braze’s [Liquid documentationarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/personalization_and_dynamic_content/liquid) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#idempotent-requests) **Idempotent requests** * See Managing mail settings > [Idempotent requests](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#idempotent-requests-12) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#rate-limiting) **Rate limiting** * By default, all accounts and their corresponding Test and Live API Keys have a rate limit of 150 requests per 5 seconds per endpoint * [Lob API docs: Rate Limitingarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#rate-limits) * [Braze user guide: Rate limitingarrow-up-right](https://www.braze.com/docs/user_guide/engagement_tools/campaigns/testing_and_more/rate-limiting/#delivery-speed-rate-limiting) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#undefined) [PreviousBlueshiftchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/blueshift) [NextCustomer.iochevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io) Last updated 8 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#braze-integration-0) * [Step 1 - Add Custom Attributes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-1-add-custom-attributes-1) * [Step 2 - Update user profiles](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-2-update-user-profiles-2) * [Step 3 - Create a webhook template](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-3-create-a-webhook-template-3) * [Step 4 - Test your new webhook](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#step-4-test-your-new-webhook-8) * [FAQs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#faqs-11) * [Capturing Lob webhook data in Braze](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#capturing-lob-webhook-data-in-braze) * [Other Resources](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#notes-and-external-links-15) * [Advanced logic](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#advanced-logic) * [Idempotent requests](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#idempotent-requests) * [Rate limiting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#rate-limiting) * [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze#undefined) Was this helpful? Copy curl -X POST \ https://rest.iad-01.braze.com/users/track \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ -d '{ "api_key": "Braze_API_Key", "attributes": [\ {\ "external_id" : "10142019",\ "address_line1" : "185 BERRY ST STE 6100",\ "address_line2" : null,\ "address_city" : "SAN FRANCISCO",\ "address_state" : "CA",\ "address_zip" : "94107-1741",\ "address_country" : "UNITED STATES"\ }\ ] }' Copy { "description" : "{{campaign.${name}}}", "metadata" : { "campaign" : "{{campaign.${name}}}" }, "to" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}} {{${last_name}}}", "address_line1" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line1}}}", "address_line2" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line2}}}", "address_city" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_city}}}", "address_state" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_state}}}", "address_zip" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_zip}}}" }, "from" : "adr_2066448bdef840f1", "front" : "tmpl_8b3b1249ede0406", "back" : "tmpl_d69077c7be7bd09", "merge_variables" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}}" } } Copy { "description" : "{{campaign.${name}}}", "to" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}} {{${last_name}}}", "address_line1" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line1}}}", "address_line2" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line2}}}", "address_city" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_city}}}", "address_state" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_state}}}", "address_zip" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_zip}}}" }, "from" : "adr_2066448bdef840f1", "file" : "tmpl_d69077c7be7bd09", "color" : "true", "merge_variables" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}}" }, "metadata" : "campaign" : "{{campaign.${name}}}", "zip" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_zip}}}" }, "mail_type" : "usps_first_class", "double_sided": false, "address_placement": "top_first_page", "mail_type": "usps_first_class", "return_envelope": true, "perforated_page": 1, "extra_service": "registered", "custom_envelope": null, "billing_group_id" : "" } Copy { "description" : "{{campaign.${name}}}", "size" : "6x18_bifold", "to" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}} {{${last_name}}}", "address_line1" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line1}}}", "address_line2" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_line2}}}", "address_city" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_city}}}", "address_state" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_state}}}", "address_zip" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_zip}}}" }, "from" : "adr_2066448bdef840f1", "inside" : "tmpl_8b3b1249ede0406", "outside" : "tmpl_d69077c7be7bd09", "merge_variables" : { "name" : "{{${first_name}}}" }, "metadata" : "campaign" : "{{campaign.${name}}}", "zip" : "{{custom_attribute.${address_zip}}}" }, "mail_type" : "usps_first_class", "billing_group_id" : "" } Copy "merge_variables" : { "f_name" : "{{${first_name}}}" } Copy "file" : "tmpl_3v234vl23hj5v" Copy "file" : "https://braze-images.com/appboy/communication/assets/image_assets/images/25660da30cdc28a314/original.jpg?1637006884" Copy let brazecall = { "attributes": [\ {\ "external_id": payload.body.metadata.external_id,\ "_update_existing_only": true\ }\ ], "events": [\ {\ "external_id": payload.body.metadata.external_id,\ "_update_existing_only": true,\ "name": "Letter Viewed",\ "campaign": payload.body.description,\ "time": new Date().toISOString(),\ "properties": {\ "property_1": payload.event_type\ }\ }\ ] }; Copy { "attributes": [\ {\ "external_id": "123456789",\ "_update_existing_only": true\ }\ ], "events": [\ {\ "external_id": "123456789",\ "_update_existing_only": true,\ "name": "Letter Viewed",\ "campaign": "Lob Braze Webhook Demo",\ "time": "2023-10-05T23:14:58.073Z",\ "properties": {\ "property_1": {\ "enabled_for_test": true,\ "id": "letter.viewed",\ "object": "event_type",\ "resource": "letters"\ }\ }\ }\ ] } Success. Output is a valid /users/track request. Details: { "attributes_validated": 1, "events_validated": 1, "message": "success" } --- # Customer.io | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#overview) Overview --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Customer.ioarrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://customer.io/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263209479&usg=AOvVaw3FdohfMkzq387BZvQWEAAT) is a popular messaging automation platform that empowers its customers to create personalized message flows to engage their audience. Traditionally these have been channels like email and SMS. However, with Lob, you can bring Intelligent Mail into your omnichannel customer journey and manage it just as easily as your digital channels. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.k6tfst9gjk6j) Getting Started ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Log into your [Lob accountarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/login) . To start you’ll need your [API keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) . It is highly recommended that you use your (secret) test API key first for testing. 2. Have a [creative file](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) (HTML template) ready to use. 3. Sign in to your [arrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://app.segment.com/login&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263210798&usg=AOvVaw3t109-cXDS8Hc-6tc5UvUU) [Customer.io account. arrow-up-right](https://fly.customer.io/login) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.ixxbnk6m8af7) Create a Campaign in Customer.io --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We will be bringing Lob into Customer.io within the Workflow step of a Campaign. In order to set up a Workflow, you will need to first create the Campaign within Customer.io and configure your Trigger, Settings, and Goal & Exit steps. Complete instructions on this can be found in [Customer.io’s documentation here. arrow-up-right](https://customer.io/docs/journeys/campaigns-in-customerio/) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FnruMeSj2yZkhcP40f8SH%252Fimage1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ba532dc1&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.15uaa7ii4d4p) Setting up your Workflow ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Once you reach the workflow screen, you can begin crafting your customer journey by creating the event path your users will follow. Below is a standard example of an event trigger (User Purchase) followed by a standard Welcome Email. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FovZvECrusZXOadq7xCW3%252Fimage8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=56786dc8&sv=2) 1. We can incorporate Intelligent Mail into this Workflow in a similar manner to email by adding a Webhook node. We can do this by dragging in a Send And Receive Data tile from the left-side menu. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FKTg23JaY1BMxTIdlDWKF%252Fimage9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e54c362d&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2WKiVQ78nySLbwbcCog9%252Fimage6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4622117f&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.jt4g0d29xhxs) Configuring Your Webhook ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Now you will have an empty webhook, which you can configure by clicking to open it. This will open an edit screen in the left panel. You can find [Customer.io documentation on webhook setup here.arrow-up-right](https://customer.io/docs/journeys/webhooks-action/) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FRwniYw3Ypepj9afBB3HE%252Fimage3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7f3d8618&sv=2) 1. You can configure it as follows: * Webhook Name: The Description of your Mail Event * Add Request: This is where we will add the Lob Endpoint URL and the JSON code that will format the information being passed from Customer.io to Lob. More details on this below in [Configuring Your Webhook Request.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.2vtxb6k92x1z) * Sending Behavior: Send automatically [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.2vtxb6k92x1z) Configuring Your Webhook Request --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Click on Add Request to begin the setup process. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FkCZhw589850RWo47iyGl%252Fimage5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d6db2aed&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F4q5kjW82JaFXk2xZhvLh%252Fimage12.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c42a1117&sv=2) 1. Next to POST, you will construct the Lob endpoint URL for the type of resource you are trying to create. * The format is as follows: **https://+\[YOUR LOB API KEY\][\[email protected\]](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) /v1/\[RESOURCE TYPE\]** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fnoj0TyXWMjF72WnkCFDQ%252Fimage4.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=dd5053a9&sv=2) example * Your **API key** will be either your Test or Live [API keyarrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263214592&usg=AOvVaw0shdhxaY1_3asC-H73vQmW) , which you can find in your Lob dashboard under Settings. It is strongly recommended that you begin with your Test API Key to ensure it is working, before switching to your Live API Key. * The **Resource Type** will depend on the mail format you are trying to send. For example, postcards, letters, or self\_mailers. You can find all of the available resource types in [Lob’s API documentationarrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.lob.com&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263215199&usg=AOvVaw0OI0ZzeQ85tP6ATVKUPJNG) . 1. In the black box, you will construct your JSON to pass the required information to Lob’s API to generate a mailpiece. For example, see [Postcard > Create in Lob’s API documentation.arrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://docs.lob.com/%23tag/Postcards/operation/postcard_create&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263215580&usg=AOvVaw1JutzE3BRQxZzMPgPKgDye) 2. You will pass in the Customer attributes to populate this by using [Liquid Statementsarrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://customer.io/docs/journeys/using-liquid/&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263215931&usg=AOvVaw1yFnIew6EL7WiLXIcRY27W) . This will enable to you not only pass in the recipient’s name and address, but also personalize your mailpiece by using Liquid to populate dynamic merge variables. ([More information on creating personalized HTML templatesarrow-up-right](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/dynamic-personalization&sa=D&source=editors&ust=1691079263216302&usg=AOvVaw2Vv-N8aBYtMdV8fYa5Gmc5) .) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#sample-json) Sample JSON Below is sample JSON you can test within your Customer.io webhook. circle-check Before testing this, replace the front and back with template IDs from your own Lob account. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.errpzi4m56ck) Testing -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once your webhook has been configured, you will want to test it. circle-exclamation Remember that you should be using your Test API Key for this, as you will otherwise generate live mail. 1. You can send a test by opening up the Request and clicking on Send Test in the top right corner. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjVDFcnp2gzmduYyNFln0%252Fimage13.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=116ddf50&sv=2) 1. Once you confirm and send, you will want to see a 200 OK response in your Test Results. This will indicate that the request has successfully reached Lob. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2mlWsp9sDh4m1QNiO6ah%252Fimage2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=feda5145&sv=2) 1. You can also check the Test Results to ensure the request fields were correctly populated by the Liquid Statements. 2. You can then log into your Lob account to verify that the mailipiece was successfully generated. Preview it to make sure all of the details are correct. If so, then you have successfully set up your Customer.io to Lob integration, and are ready to send Live Intelligent Mail. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.y8nb572n00pp) Ingesting Mail Tracking Events from Lob into Customer.io --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info [See here for more info on using Webhooks with Lob.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) You can set up Webhooks within Lob to pass mail events (for example, Postcard Delivered) from Lob into Customer.io by using [Customer.io’s Webhook Triggered Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://customer.io/docs/journeys/webhook-triggered-campaigns/) . 1. Start by creating a new Campaign within Customer.io and select: Create Your Own Trigger From A Webhook as the trigger. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FahhM7M6uvCE3X0tdw7ms%252Fimage7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4eaf2ba5&sv=2) 1. This will generate a URL to catch the webhook. Copy that to use within Lob in the next step. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2DNw2wXhAAmm4mNRHcRG%252Fimage11.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=334ace3d&sv=2) 1. Navigate to [Webhooks within the Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/webhooks/create) to set up the webhook event you want to capture. 2. Under Create A New Webhook, enter a webhook description and paste in the URL generated by Customer.io. 3. Finally, select the event you want to capture in Customer.io. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FKqQ9ESYTnUoxjacGYliw%252Fimage10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1e689bfa&sv=2) 1. From here you can use the data on the incoming webhook to track as events or update attributes for users within Customer.io. This also enables you to trigger subsequent events—for example, you can imagine an omnichannel customer journey in which a customer receives a Lob postcard, and that automatically triggers an email to that same customer telling them to check their mailbox for a great offer. Once you have incorporated both sending Lob mail and capturing Lob events within Customer.io, you will have truly automated direct mail, and integrated within your broader digital customer journeys. [PreviousBrazechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/braze) [NextHubspotchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/hubspot) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#overview) * [Getting Started](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.k6tfst9gjk6j) * [Create a Campaign in Customer.io](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.ixxbnk6m8af7) * [Setting up your Workflow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.15uaa7ii4d4p) * [Configuring Your Webhook](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.jt4g0d29xhxs) * [Configuring Your Webhook Request](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.2vtxb6k92x1z) * [Sample JSON](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#sample-json) * [Testing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.errpzi4m56ck) * [Ingesting Mail Tracking Events from Lob into Customer.io](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/customer.io#h.y8nb572n00pp) Was this helpful? Copy { "description": "Customer.IO to Lob Postcard Creation", "to": { "name": "{{ customer.name}}", "address_line1": "{{ customer.address_line1 }}", "address_line2": " ", "address_city": "{{ customer.address_city }}", "address_state": "{{ customer.address_state }}", "address_zip": "{{ customer.address_zip }}", "address_country": "US" }, "from": { "name": "Lob Solutions", "address_line1": "210 King St", "address_line2": "3rd Floor", "address_city": "San Francisco", "address_state": "CA", "address_zip": "94107", "address_country": "US" }, "front": "tmpl_xxxxxxxxxxxx", "back": "tmpl_xxxxxxxxxxxx", "size": "6x9", "merge_variables": { "name": "{{ customer.first_name }}" }, "metadata": { "source": "Customer.IO" } } --- # Jotform | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform#overview) Overview ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [JotFormarrow-up-right](https://www.jotform.com/) is an easy-to-use online tool for creating forms, surveys, and questionnaires without needing any coding skills. With its drag-and-drop interface, you can quickly design forms that look great and fit your needs. It comes with a ton of templates and integrates smoothly with other apps, making it handy for everything from gathering data to handling payments. Whether you’re an individual or part of a business, JotForm offers flexibility and features that make form-building easy. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform#getting-started) Getting Started ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Lob Blog: [How Jotform and Lob Can Help You Collect Better Dataarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/blog/how-jotform-and-lob-can-help-you-collect-better-data) * Jotform’s Lob Address Verification widget allows your form respondents to check if they’re entering a correct address in your form’s address field. [Check out the widget herearrow-up-right](https://www.jotform.com/widgets/lob-address-verification) . * Alternatively, [using Zapier, set up the Jotform triggerarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/jotform/integrations/lob) , and make magic happen automatically in Lob. [PreviousIterablechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/iterable) [NextKlaviyochevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform#overview) * [Getting Started](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform#getting-started) Was this helpful? --- # Listrak | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/listrak#overview) Overview ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Listrak provides best-in-class email, SMS, behavioral marketing, cross-channel orchestration, predictive analytics, and customer insight solutions. Leverage all your channels – Email, SMS/MMS, social – including direct mail with Lob. file-pdf 339KB [Lob + Listrak Overview.pdf](https://1775164782-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%2Fuploads%2FCj9VjodW49z2RsuQWUQ7%2FLob%20%2B%20Listrak%20Overview.pdf?alt=media&token=ba43e117-bed9-476e-8cad-585e36535d12) PDF downloadDownload[arrow-up-right-from-squareOpen](https://1775164782-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%2Fuploads%2FCj9VjodW49z2RsuQWUQ7%2FLob%20%2B%20Listrak%20Overview.pdf?alt=media&token=ba43e117-bed9-476e-8cad-585e36535d12) [PreviousKlaviyochevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo) [NextMakechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Klaviyo | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#overview-1) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Klaviyo is a popular marketing automation software tool. It frequently uses integrations like Shopify to external systems like Lob. In early 2022, Klaviyo added webhook functionality, enabling a direct connection to Lob (prior to this, data had to be extracted from Klaviyo and passed to Lob via a separate system). Klaviyo’s webhooks can be used to automatically trigger a mailpiece to be sent, via Lob, within a user Flow. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#getting-started-2) Getting started --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#getting-your-data-ready-3) Getting your data ready Klaviyo’s webhook functionality within their flows interface provides an easy connection point to trigger automated, personalized Direct Mail. We’ll assume you have a [Klaviyoarrow-up-right](https://www.klaviyo.com/) account and you have already registered with [Lobarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/) (for your API Keys and the like) to follow along. In order to send mail from Klaviyo, Lob requires a mailing address to be stored for each profile. Klaviyo does not require mailing addresses by default, so before attempting to send mail, ensure that your recipient profiles contain properties for: * Address * City * State * Zip Code ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1655938492620-1655938492620.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=71df279&sv=2) If you are importing new profiles to Klaviyo, simply ensure that you have CSV columns for each of those properties. An example CSV to import Profiles is [linked herearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/solutions/Klaviyo_demo/Klaviyo_demo_Contacts_10.csv) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#creating-a-flow-4) Creating a Flow In the Klaviyo dashboard’s left-hand panel, click on **Flows**. Then click to **Create Flow**, then select a predefined goal, or click **Create From Scratch** and give your flow a name. Then choose a **Trigger Setup** option in the left panel. For this example, we will be selecting List, and choosing a list from the resulting drop-down to trigger the flow. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#creating-a-webhook-5) Creating a Webhook Once you have configured your trigger, an actions menu will appear on the left panel. Select **Webhook**, and drag it into your flow beneath the trigger. Select the **Webhook** in your Flow, and the configuration panel will appear on the left side. You can configure it as follows: #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#destination-url) **Destination URL** This is where you will enter the Lob API URL for the mail format you would like to trigger. Example: `https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards`. Note that Lob has separate endpoints for various mail formats. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#headers) **Headers** This is where you will enter the headers Lob requires in order to correctly process and authenticate the incoming requests. You will be required to enter at least two headers: **Content-Type** and **Authorization**. Click **Add Header.** For the **Content-Type** header, enter the following: * Key: `Content-Type` * Value: `application/json` For the **Authorization** header, you will need your API keys. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#add-your-api-keys-4) Add Your API Keys For the **Authorization** header, you will need to have your Base64-encoded Lob API key ready to enter, so Lob can associate the request with your account. You can find your [API key](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#where-to-find-api-keys-0) in your Lob account settings, and you can use a [Base64 Encoder tool arrow-up-right](https://www.base64encode.org/) to encode it. triangle-exclamation Ensure you are using your Test API key, not Live API key. For example, if your API key was `test_0dc8d51e0acffcb1880e0f19c79b2f5b0cc`, you would enter `test_0dc8d51e0acffcb1880e0f19c79b2f5b0cc:` into a Base64 Encoder tool, the result of which would be something like `dGVzdF8wZGM4ZDUxZTBhY2ZmY2IxODgwZTBmMTljNzliMmY1YjBjYzo=`. Note that we added a colon (`:`) to the end of the API key before encoding it, you are recommended to do the same. Once you’ve encoded your API key, add the **Authorization Header** and use the encoded key as the value. For example: * Key: `Authorization` * Value: `Basic dGVzdF8wZGM4ZDUxZTBhY2ZmY2IxODgwZTBmMTljNzliMmY1YjBjYzo=` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#json-body-6) JSON body This is where you will pass Lob the information that informs the mailpiece. The field names (`name`, `address_line1`, etc) represent the information that Lob’s API will require. The values on the right represent what you will pass to Lob to populate the given field. The values can be mapped to attributes from Klaviyo profiles by using Klaviyo’s Profile Variables. You can find the Profile variables for each attribute by taking the following steps: An example of a populated JSON body could look something like the following. You can find more information on each of these fields in our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) . circle-exclamation **Note** that if you are copying the below example, you will want to replace the values being passed for ‘front’ and ‘back’ with your own Lob template IDs or linked creative. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#update-creative-7) Update Creative You will want to replace the values being passed for ‘front’ and ‘back’ with your own Lob template IDs or linked creative. For example: "front": “[https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/lobcom/template\_gallery/gtmpl\_524eb6ff6c6998\_Increase\_Customer\_Loyalty\_Postcard\_4x6\_front.htmlarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/lobcom/template_gallery/gtmpl_524eb6ff6c6998_Increase_Customer_Loyalty_Postcard_4x6_front.html) " "back": "[https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/lobcom/template\_gallery/gtmpl\_524eb6ff6c6998\_Increase\_Customer\_Loyalty\_Postcard\_4x6\_back.htmlarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/lobcom/template_gallery/gtmpl_524eb6ff6c6998_Increase_Customer_Loyalty_Postcard_4x6_back.html) " For more about designing/formatting creative for Lob, [go here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#testing-7) Testing You can test that your webhook is configured correctly by clicking on ‘Preview Webhook’. The resulting panel will show an example of the data being passed to Lob for a specific Profile. You can look at the JSON to verify that the Klaviyo Profile Variables are being correctly replaced. For example, instead of `{{ person|lookup:'$address1'|default:'' }}` you will see an address, such as ‘185 Berry St.’ If this all looks correct, double-check that you used your Test API Key (rather than your Live API Key), then click on **Send Test Request**. If it was configured correctly, you will see the message: "Successfully sent webhook." You can then log into your Lob account to verify that your postcard was generated. (The below is the result of the example creative.) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1658424886425-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-07-21%2520at%252012.33.13%2520PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1f2c8a80&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1658424907205-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-07-21%2520at%252012.34.01%2520PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ee3bc260&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#go-time-9) Go time! You will need to add payment information to your Lob account should you actually wish to print and send mailpieces. When you are ready, you can replace your Test API key with your Live API key. If you are using other test resources like address IDs or template IDs, those will also need to be transferred to your live environment. circle-info **Note:** the "testing" functionality in Klayvio is sending a one-off request to Lob, this means **if you have your** **LIVE API key in the template, it will create mail** and if you have your **TEST key** it will **not.** Make sure when you are testing that your [cancellation windows](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) are set to an ample time (2 hours is recommended) to make sure you can always cancel mail if you make a mistake. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#common-errors-8) Common errors ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. **401 Unauthorized** * If you receive this error message, your API key is incorrect. * Make sure you have the header Authorization and that you are encoding your secret API key as explained above 2. **422 Unprocessable Entity** (Invalid request payload JSON format) * If you receive this error, it is likely that your payload is not formatted correctly. It needs to match JSON formatting. * Generally speaking, the rules that are often broken are: 1. All keys and values are enclosed in double quotes ("). 2. Commas after every key-value pair except for the last one. 3. No newline characters in any values and no extra spaces between fields. 3. **422 Unprocessable Entity** (Other) * Other than JSON errors, you can receive `422` errors in the payload sent to Lob does not match our requirements. * For example, if you are missing `address_line1` in the payload you will get an error saying that is needed. For these errors, you can make the appropriate adjustments and retry your requests. [PreviousJotformchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/jotform) [NextListrakchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/listrak) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#overview-1) * [Getting started](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#getting-started-2) * [Getting your data ready](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#getting-your-data-ready-3) * [Creating a Flow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#creating-a-flow-4) * [Creating a Webhook](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#creating-a-webhook-5) * [Add Your API Keys](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#add-your-api-keys-4) * [JSON body](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#json-body-6) * [Update Creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#update-creative-7) * [Testing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#testing-7) * [Go time!](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#go-time-9) * [Common errors](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/klaviyo#common-errors-8) Was this helpful? Copy { "description":"Demo Postcard job", "to":{ "name":"{{ person.first_name|default:'' }} {{ person.last_name|default:'' }}", "address_line1":"{{ person|lookup:'$address1'|default:'' }}", "address_line2":"{{ person|lookup:'$address2'|default:'' }}", "address_city":"{{ person|lookup:'$city'|default:'' }}", "address_state":"{{ person|lookup:'$region'|default:'' }}", "address_zip":"{{ person|lookup:'$zip'|default:'' }}" }, "from":"adr_51c8197241ae440c", "front":"tmpl_7597eab53f11931", "back":"tmpl_2d83381e5658852", "size": "6x9", "mail_type": "usps_first_class", "metadata":{ "source": "Klaviyo" } } --- # Optimove | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In heavily data-driven industries, the customer journey is the destination. It’s not enough to be able to nurture leads, win conversions, and retain customers — you need to continuously engineer and optimize your customer relationships to keep customers engaged over many, many touchpoints. It’s these industries where Optimove really shines. Optimove is more than just a CRM — it’s a Cross-Channel Campaign Management platform built to drive your entire marketing process. Combined with Lob, Optimove can drive strong customer relationships online and offline, integrating direct mail and digital marketing into a seamless whole. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#drive-sustained-engagement-across-every-channel) Drive sustained engagement across every channel ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sustaining high customer engagement depends on centralized orchestration, backed by data-driven insights. Optimove provides a hub for all of your relationship marketing channels, orchestrating campaigns across all owned channels. Powerful analytics and a cutting edge decisioning engine enable you to react to customer signals in real time, making the most of every interaction. Lob adds next generation direct mail automation, with the power, convenience, and speed of a digital channel. You can dynamically personalize and trigger mailpieces to drive conversions, nurture relationships, and capitalize on every customer action and interaction. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#optimize-effortlessly) Optimize effortlessly -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Customer demand is always changing. To keep up, high-frequency businesses need to treat each interaction as a chance to collect data, test strategies, and analyze outcomes. Optimove uses test and control groups to turn every interaction into a learning opportunity. Built-in AI and machine learning constantly crunch the data, providing an endless flow of data-driven optimization insights. Lob completes the picture, bringing total visibility to your direct mail campaigns. You can track receipts, conversions, and delivery times for every mailpiece just like with digital channels. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#empower-non-technical-marketers-with-data-driven-insights) Empower non-technical marketers with data-driven insights -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You don’t need to be a mechanic to drive a high-performance car, and you shouldn’t need to be a technical savant to use a high-performance CCCM. Optimove consolidates customer data into a custom data model, built for your business, industry, and priorities, driving deep insights for even non-technical users. Lob replaces complex legacy direct mail workflows with an automated system, using our nationwide network of print partners. That means you don’t need to build your direct mail strategy around the limits of your print partner, or the peculiarities and cadence of your internal workflow. Together, Lob and Optimove enable non-technical users to see, interact with, and serve customers like never before — without having to dive under the hood or work around archaic workflows. That means less time working around the limits of your tools (and your help desk), and more time growing your business. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#are-optimove--lob-right-for-you) Are Optimove + Lob right for you? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Optimove is ideal for data-driven companies, including: * **High-bandwidth communication:** Organizations that need to be able to automate and orchestrate simultaneous messages across many channels, or scale up their communication strategy * **High Frequency interactions:** Companies that have many interactions with customers, such as frequent purchases, media streaming, and gaming * **Promotion-heavy brands:** Organizations that need help gauging the impact of promotions, and optimizing their promotion strategy * **Replenishable products:** Pet food, gaming deposits, subscriptions, and telecommunication services where customers need to frequently replenish the product Lob is designed for any organization looking to automate direct mail, improve personalization capabilities, or better integrate direct mail with their technology stack. Lob provides unlimited scalability, so you can send as many or as few mailpieces as you need to without having to plan and purchase printing capacity ahead of time. This makes Lob a perfect fit for small startups and nonprofits, massive multinationals, and anything in between. circle-check Want to learn more? Please reach out to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#35455447415b50474675595a571b565a58) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#additional-resources) Additional resources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Lob & Optimove: [Precision and Profit: How Predictive Analytics Supercharges Direct Mail Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/blog/how-predictive-analytics-supercharges-direct-mail-campaigns) blog post * Lob & Optimove: [In episode 21 of the Lob Podcastarrow-up-right](https://fast.wistia.com/embed/channel/nlnebsgttc?wchannelid=nlnebsgttc&wmediaid=jkfu8b05sz) , we sat down with Pini Yakuel, Founder and CEO of Optimove, to discuss how marketers can embrace AI to create successful marketing campaigns. [PreviousMakechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make) [NextSalesforcechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#overview) * [Drive sustained engagement across every channel](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#drive-sustained-engagement-across-every-channel) * [Optimize effortlessly](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#optimize-effortlessly) * [Empower non-technical marketers with data-driven insights](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#empower-non-technical-marketers-with-data-driven-insights) * [Are Optimove + Lob right for you?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#are-optimove--lob-right-for-you) * [Additional resources](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove#additional-resources) Was this helpful? --- # Make | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#integration-overview-0) Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Makearrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/) (formerly known as Integromat) is a free online automation tool that connects apps and automates manual workflows by using an easy to use, no-code, visual builder. With Make, you can quickly connect your favorite apps, services, and devices with each other to automate your custom workflows and save time - without needing to know how to code or hire a developer. * Create Scenarios (no-code workflows) that connect Lob with hundreds of popular [apps & servicesarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/integrations) * Allows you to create your own custom app through the Developer Platform * Supports functions in the same manner as Excel * Choose whether to retrieve data from the past or dynamically after activation to inform your Scenarios * Best fit for teams that are sending small - medium sized mail campaigns (<1,500 per run) * Sign up for a [free Make accountarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/) to create custom workflows or use prebuilt Scenarios [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#integration-directions-1) Integration directions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Make's platform allows users to build Scenarios by connecting Modules. By linking together multiples Modules of your favorite apps/services, you can easily create a Scenario that will automate data transfers between apps and subsequent workflows. Integration occurs in three easy steps: 1. Sign up for [Lobarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/register) and [Makearrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/) 2. Connect Lob to Make 3. Create custom workflows, or use [prebuiltarrow-up-right](https://www.integromat.com/en/integrations/lob?utm_source=lob&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=lob-partner-program) ones ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#sign-up-for-make-2) Sign up for Make 1. Navigate to Make's website at [https://www.make.com/en/arrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/) 2. Create an account by clicking on the Sign Up button on the top right of the screen 3. Start with a free developer’s account, or sign up for a [subscription levelarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/pricing) that suits your needs ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#connecting-lob-to-make-3) Connecting Lob to Make 1. Log in to your [Lobarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/login) and [Makearrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/login) accounts 2. In the Make dashboard, click on "+ Create a new Scenario" button at the top right corner of the home screen 3. Search for "Lob" in the app directory and hit "Continue" 4. In the visual Scenario builder, click on the Lob icon and select the action you’d like to take from the drop down menu * Example actions: Send a letter or postcard, verify an address, make an API call 5. In the dropdown, click on “Add” to name your connection, add your Lob [API keysarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) , and click “Continue” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1642301016843-1642301016843.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=804d6b05&sv=2)![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F7tw51KEPw3h97CYFAUOR%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3cc8b385-c19c-480c-9c3f-e40ebbcfd8e6&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9e69c408&sv=2) * Use your Test Lob API Key initially to ensure that everything is working as expected, then switch to your Live API Key later to send live mail 6. Once the connection is completed, finish building your Scenario or browse pre-built Scenarios to leverage ![Screen_Shot_2020-11-04_at_9.41.04_PM.png](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1642301442401-1642301442400.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1257c74e&sv=2) 7. Once you've tested your first Scenario, switch the API key to the Live key and begin sending physical mail! ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#use-pre-built-lob-modules) **Use pre-built Lob modules** Here are [six popular Modulesarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/integrations/lob?fromImt=1&utm_source=lob&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=lob-partner-program) (functionality clusters) to automate your Lob Print & Mail and Address Verification workflows: * **Create a Letter**: Takes your API key, to/from address data, creative data (HTML or PDF), and Mail Class * **Create a Postcard**: Takes your API key, to/from address data, creative data (HTML or PDF), and Mail Class * **Create a Self-mailer**: Takes your API key, to/from address data, creative data (HTML or PDF), and Mail Class * **Verify a US Address**: Takes your API key and address data * **Verify an International Address**: Takes your API key and address data * **Send a Generic API Request to Lob**: Takes your API request payload ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#connecting-lob-with-other-services-5) Connecting Lob with other services If you are using online apps like Google Drive or other app/services to store your customer data and would like to import them into Lob to automate your mail sends, Make can [connectarrow-up-right](https://support.integromat.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013972700-Connecting-Integromat-To-Google-Services-Using-a-Custom-OAuth-Client?mobile_site=true) your online apps to Lob. For example, to connect Google Drive to Make: 1. Create a [Make accountarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/) 2. Using the [Google Developers Consolearrow-up-right](https://console.developers.google.com/) , create a new project. 3. Create credentials for the new project, adding Make to the project’s Scope and allowing external users 4. Create the application 5. Retrieve Client ID and Secret 6. Use ID and Secret to establish Make connection You can find more information about connecting Make to Google Services in this [Make tutorialarrow-up-right](https://support.integromat.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013972700) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#creating-scenarios-6) Creating Scenarios ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#building-scenarios-7) Building Scenarios Watch how you can easily connect addresses stored in Google Sheets to Lob with Make to send a simple postcard in three steps: For more information on how to build custom Scenarios or create Connections, visit [Make's Help Centerarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/help/home) . Using pre-built [**Lob Scenarios**arrow-up-right](https://www.integromat.com/en/integrations/lob?utm_source=lob&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=lob-partner-program) is typically an easier place to start than building one from scratch:‍ * [Send postcards from Google Sheetsarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/templates/4311-send-postcards-with-lob-from-airtable-records) * [‍Send postcards from Airtablearrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/integration/4311-send-postcards-with-lob-from-airtable-records) * [Clean up Invalid Addressesarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/integration/4310-cleanup-invalid-addresses-from-google-sheets-using-lob) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#sharing-scenarios-8) Sharing Scenarios Blueprints are detailed plans for how a Scenario (low-code workflow) is set up and how it will work. This allows other stakeholders to understand the composition of your automation in detail, share it with other teammates, and troubleshoot when necessary. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#export-a-make-blueprint) **Export a Make blueprint** 1. From your scenario builder screen in Make, navigate and click on the “More” button (see below box with an ellipsis). Click “**Export Blueprint**.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1642302231689-1642302231689.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b4f5543d&sv=2) 2. The ‘blueprint.json’ file will then be downloaded to your device’s folder. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#download-import-a-make-blueprint) **Download/Import a Make blueprint** 1. In the scenario builder screen, click on the “More” button (same box as above). Click “**Import Blueprint**.” 2. When the Import Blueprint menu is launched, click on “Choose Files” and select **blueprint.json** from your files. ![Screen_Shot_2020-11-02_at_6.13.18_PM.png](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1642302203202-1642302203202.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=25929ef5&sv=2) →![Screen_Shot_2020-11-02_at_6.13.28_PM.png](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1642302400423-1642302400422.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f075c7be&sv=2) 3. Once the file has been submitted to your Import Blueprint builder click on the “Save” button. 4. Once complete, you will receive a confirmation banner along the bottom right side of your scenario builder screen. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#support-information-11) Troubleshooting ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-rightI don't see how to input the merge fields for my template[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#i-dont-see-how-to-input-the-merge-fields-for-my-template) To integrate merge variables on Integromat, you need to paste the full HTML string directly into the text box, then use the built-in merge functionality from Integromat to insert variable content. This is an example of how that might look: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.lob.com%2Fhc%2Farticle_attachments%2F5109691258131%2FScreen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_2.10.20_PM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6e030a23&sv=2) Note: PDFs do not support merge variables. HTML in Integromat is limited to 10,000 characters. chevron-rightHow do I connect a Google Sheets account to Make?[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#how-do-i-connect-a-google-sheets-account-to-make) If you are using Google Sheets or any other app/service to store your customer data and would like to import them into Lob to automate your mail sends, [Make (fka Integromat)arrow-up-right](https://bit.ly/3dXbzUf) can help connect your online apps to Lob with zero coding. In order to use Make, connect Google Sheets (or any other app that holds your data) to Make, then connect Lob to Make using the instructions above. Here are instructions for connecting Google Sheets: 1. Sign up for a Make account. On Make’s dashboard landing page, click on the “+Create a new scenario” button on the top right-hand corner of the screen. 2. Search for the app/service you’d like to connect that stores your customer data, “Google Sheets” and select the resulting icon at the bottom of the page 3. Click on the continue button on the top right side of the page. 4. When you enter your scenario builder screen, you will see a blank module. Click on the module and select the “Google Sheets” option. 5. In the Connection menu that follows, click on the “Add” button. In the new window, enter a name for the connection (eg. a personal Google Sheets). Once you have your name, select the “Continue” button. ![Screen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_2.57.49_PM.png](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.lob.com%2Fhc%2Farticle_attachments%2F5110849692179%2FScreen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_2.57.49_PM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9689080c&sv=2) 6. Make should now integrated with Google Sheets. You can continue to build out your module by completing the scenario with your new Sheets connection. 7. You will then be prompted to select your Google account to grant access to Make. ![Screen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_3.00.36_PM.png](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.lob.com%2Fhc%2Farticle_attachments%2F5110936435219%2FScreen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_3.00.36_PM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1ea3429c&sv=2) You can find more general information about creating Connections in Make [herearrow-up-right](https://support.integromat.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013972700-Connecting-Integromat-To-Google-Services-Using-a-Custom-OAuth-Client?mobile_site=true) . If you want to create a connection with Lob and Integromat, see [herearrow-up-right](https://www.integromat.com/en/integrations/lob) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#support-information-11-1) Support information ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feel free to contact Make’s support team via their [support formarrow-up-right](https://www.make.com/en/ticket) for issues on the Make side, or email [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#c9babcb9b9a6bbbd89a5a6abe7aaa6a4) for Lob-specific debugging! [PreviousListrakchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/listrak) [NextOptimovechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#integration-overview-0) * [Integration directions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#integration-directions-1) * [Sign up for Make](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#sign-up-for-make-2) * [Connecting Lob to Make](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#connecting-lob-to-make-3) * [Use pre-built Lob modules](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#use-pre-built-lob-modules) * [Connecting Lob with other services](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#connecting-lob-with-other-services-5) * [Creating Scenarios](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#creating-scenarios-6) * [Building Scenarios](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#building-scenarios-7) * [Sharing Scenarios](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#sharing-scenarios-8) * [Troubleshooting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#support-information-11) * [Support information](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/make#support-information-11-1) Was this helpful? --- # Salesforce | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#integration-overview-0) Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob is pleased to offer an API integration within [Salesforcearrow-up-right](https://www.salesforce.com/) , the world’s #1 CRM. Integrating Lob with Salesforce streamlines your direct mail campaigns by automating personalized outreach, enhancing customer engagement, and driving measurable results directly within your CRM. With an integration via External Services, any Salesforce user can send automated direct mail, easily and at scale. External Services in Salesforce allow you to connect your Salesforce org to an external API. Using declarative tools and OpenAPI specifications to describe the external API functionality, External Services automatically creates invocable actions within Salesforce. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#integration-details-1) Set up the integration ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#first-things-first) First things first! 1. Download this JSON file (Lob OpenAPI specs) to use in Step 2. file-download 266KB [Lob Openapi.json](https://1775164782-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%2Fuploads%2FonjvUcTCzzF7et4NG39o%2FLob%20Openapi.json?alt=media&token=b946c7fe-35e6-487c-8b84-a706c615e90c) downloadDownload[arrow-up-right-from-squareOpen](https://1775164782-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%2Fuploads%2FonjvUcTCzzF7et4NG39o%2FLob%20Openapi.json?alt=media&token=b946c7fe-35e6-487c-8b84-a706c615e90c) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#a500692a-9192-4cd9-9b54-b50f2c92d0dd) Step 1: Set up a Named Credential 1. First, create a new legacy credential for Lob.com in Salesforce. 2. Give it a label, a name, and set the URL field to [**https://api.lob.com/**arrow-up-right](https://api.lob.com/) 3. Under Authentication, set the identity type to Named Principle, and set the authentication protocol to Password Authentication. In the username field, enter your test or live [Lob API key.](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#api-keys) For the password field, copy and paste an empty character from a website like [**https://emptycharacter.com/**arrow-up-right](https://emptycharacter.com/) . 4. Under Callout Options, there are no changes needed to the default selections. 5. Save the Named Credential. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjMi8sJo0Mad1orDabKDM%252F1-named-credential.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0d6e0c5b-4df3-461a-bd83-13c9c6e24760&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ec0f2c25&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#f09f5945-3cc3-4b43-8b89-c16bc111867e) Step 2: Create an External Service 1. Next, go to the External Services page and create a new External Service from API specification. 2. Fill in an External Service Name, an optional Description, then select "Complete JSON" for Service Schema, and select the Named Credential you just created. 3. In the JSON field, paste the entirety of the Lob OpenAPI specs you downloaded. 4. Click Save and Next. This will bring up a list of operations that you can do that were imported from those Lob OpenAPI specs. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjZreSyddbC4QbQ7UQh7H%252F2-create-external-service.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D32a334d7-631a-44e3-b238-29ede4777f81&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=136f9ffe&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#id-4a5b4486-71ea-4e1e-97ea-a0a1b5c8d0e6) Step 3: Use External Services in a Flow In this step, we will set up the trigger and corresponding flow; in this example, when a lead is updated in SF, send a postcard from Lob. Although this documentation uses a postcard flow as an example, you can still follow along for letter and self-mailer creation. (Swap in "letter" or "self-mailer" where you see "postcard" if using those form factors.) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FtjE4qtWQ6M19MUjFqKih%252F3-external-service-in-flow.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6998fc7f-7666-4bd6-a91d-36869bee1c83&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=caa9c6a8&sv=2) An example SF flow. Note the names and order of the nodes. 1. Create a new Flow Trigger explorer and set it as an Actions and Related Records type. 2. Choose the object field and configure it for when the record is created or updated. (Ensure that Actions and Related Records is selected.) 3. Add a Scheduled Path called "zero hour delay" and set it to 0 hours after the record is created. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FFiedwOTO0Gj7huv89G7Z%252F4-configure-scheduled-path.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3cea3d44-c4c6-481a-83f8-a2a7d7e04fa8&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f6f7328f&sv=2) 1. Next, create a new resource called "postcard\_payload" with the data type as Apex defined and set it to postcard editable. 2. Use the Assignment node to map the required fields for creating a mail piece in Lob. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F5C33lDEA2kb5R3ZE3KOY%252F5-edit-assignment.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df2facbd7-8318-4f35-962f-4e5d2cb1e8d8&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cdf42d66&sv=2) 1. Map merge variables _(optional)_ If you plan to send creatives as [HTML templates](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) , you'll need to map out merge variables. One of the limitations of this integration within Salesforce is in how merge\_variables are named. You'll notice that within the `_payload.merge_variables` field that there are parameters `variable1` - `variable10` listed. This is because there is no way to name merge variables dynamically within External Services for Salesforce. So to work around it, any HTML templates used with Salesforce can only have merge variables named the same way, `variable`1 - `variable10`. The values of these can then be set accordingly within the Assignment action. 1. Back in the Flow, add an Action node to send a mailpiece creation request to Lob's API using the External Service you created earlier. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FH1zzqfqz0QUrzlR9VNYH%252F6-new-action.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6faf8da9-e5fc-4df4-bbe3-5bfad9a67e5a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b64bff9c&sv=2) 1. Map the "postcard\_payload" resource to the "body" field in the Action. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FGWaFC6LTgg3kHAPbbiZt%252F7-edit-action.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D1bc9cc1f-5691-40f1-a141-77a285f8559e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1691031d&sv=2) 1. Save and activate the flow. (You can debug it by selecting a test record and pressing the Debug button.) circle-info **Pro tip:** Add a Fault Path for the action in case the SalesForce flow (not Lob API) fails at this step. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fq5Te3jsU0fX4TcMbtZor%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D1580057c-defe-4019-bdb5-faebfadedda0&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=197df2ce&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#id-993c3001-0913-4052-8f62-9caf64dec385) Retrieving data back from Lob ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From the mail execution action, there was a resource created called `Outputs from send_`. There are three subfields; this data can be used within the flow to map information back into records. * **200**: the body of the successful request - this includes all data returned in the Lob API response, including "id," recipient information, "URL," "send\_date" and so forth * **default Exception**: if the mailpiece was unsuccessful, including the error message and code * **responseCode**: the [status codearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Errors) of the API request made to Lob, which is useful for making decision trees ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQvo10gEDLiCCfkcIWtam%252F8-action-output.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dfddf8373-5f49-45f0-a5bb-67ed8cc8faff&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e1b18dd&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F0WcqhmRi1JkDumo4b0nW%252F9-action-output-detail.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De157ce25-d48f-43f4-b81b-9177f91f6252&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6988a670&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#evaluating-the-response) Evaluating the response Although you have successfully integrated and know where to retrieve output data, it's important to evaluate your responses. It's the difference between knowing whether your request to create a mailpiece was successful or not! We can see this detail above in the image of a sample Salesforce flow, where we use the "Decision" action to evaluate if the mailpiece was sent. 1. You can edit the Decision: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FIrXleDNmVeTZFJk5HPsZ%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De62c81ca-ed55-470a-a84f-05fa6f919c8d&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=27f6c4fe&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F25Z2Ojgyo2SYkmCud7Yf%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D81a2a5dd-8c43-40bb-973b-f9a4faf7dc3a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=310d65db&sv=2) 1. Now, you have two forked paths: * **success** - your mailpiece request was successfully processed * **Default Outcome** - your mailpiece request failed (for example, because the address passed was undeliverable) 1. Now, you can add actions to the **success** path to act on the data you received back from the successful send (**Outputs from send\_postcard -> 200**), or you can add actions to the **Default Outcome** path and perhaps notify an admin of the reason why the mailpiece request was denied (**Outputs from send\_postcard -> defaultExc -> error -> message** ) **Congratulations! You've successfully integrated Lob.com's API with Salesforce using External Services.** [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#monitoring-computing-resources) Monitoring computing resources ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-exclamation There are a number of computing resources that need to be monitored for SalesForce activities in order to ensure uninterrupted operations, Flows included! These computing resources include: 1. **CPU Time**: There is a limit on how much CPU time can be consumed during a single transaction (e.g., 10 seconds). When your flow or other processes exceed this limit, you'll get a CPU time limit exceeded error. 2. **SOQL Queries**: Salesforce imposes a limit on the number of SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) queries that can be executed per transaction. 3. **DML Operations**: There's also a limit on the number of DML (Data Manipulation Language) operations like `INSERT`, `UPDATE`, `DELETE` etc. that can be performed per transaction. 4. **Heap Size**: This is essentially the limit on the memory storage space used by variables, objects, etc., during a single transaction. 5. **Callouts**: These are HTTP requests to external services. There are limits on the number of callouts that can be made. 6. **Elements**: For flows specifically, there are limits on how many elements (like assignments, decisions, loops, etc.) you can have in a single flow. If a flow exceeds a hard limit ([like CPU timearrow-up-right](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=000383156&type=1) ), it will be terminated immediately, and an error will be thrown. This can disrupt the business process that the flow was designed to manage. **To manage these limitations, Salesforce administrators and developers have to keep a close eye on resource consumption and optimize flows and other customizations accordingly.** Using tools like [Salesforce Health Checkarrow-up-right](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.security_health_check.htm&type=5) can help you monitor your organization’s performance and stay within limits. circle-check Need support? You can reach us at [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7d0e080d0d120f093d11121f531e1210) or [submit a requestarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/contact#contact) . [PreviousOptimovechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/optimove) [NextSalesforce Marketing Cloudchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce-marketing-cloud) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#integration-overview-0) * [Set up the integration](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#integration-details-1) * [First things first!](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#first-things-first) * [Step 1: Set up a Named Credential](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#a500692a-9192-4cd9-9b54-b50f2c92d0dd) * [Step 2: Create an External Service](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#f09f5945-3cc3-4b43-8b89-c16bc111867e) * [Step 3: Use External Services in a Flow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#id-4a5b4486-71ea-4e1e-97ea-a0a1b5c8d0e6) * [Retrieving data back from Lob](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#id-993c3001-0913-4052-8f62-9caf64dec385) * [Evaluating the response](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#evaluating-the-response) * [Monitoring computing resources](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce#monitoring-computing-resources) Was this helpful? --- # Segment | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#braze-integration-0) Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Segmentarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/) is a platform that captures and stores all first-party customer data regarding your product or service in a centralized place. More specifically, Segment collects events from your interfaces (websites, web apps, etc.), and from that information, helps you create more personalized customer experiences across various channels. We will plug Lob into our Segment flow by making a custom destination function. Destinations are business tools or apps to which you can send the data you collect in Segment. Depending on which mailpiece form factor you want to send (postcard, letter, etc.), building a destination function that sends it merely involves reading the data and calling Lob’s API. These steps are outlined below. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#step-1-add-custom-attributes-1) Getting Started ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Make sure you have a [Lob accountarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/login) and your [API keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) . **It is highly recommended that you use your (secret) test API key first** * Have a [creative file](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) ready to use (hosted PDF file or HTML template) * Have your [Segment accountarrow-up-right](https://app.segment.com/login) ready [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#connect-segment-to-lob-using-destination-functions) Connect Segment to Lob using Destination Functions: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ circle-check Learn more about destination functions API at [https://segment.com/docs/connections/destinations/destination-functionsarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/destinations/destination-functions) 1. In the sidebar, navigate to “Connections” -> “Catalog,” and then click the Functions tab: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2Fu4dkWGi3cXPVy2EwYfnorsws2CE1vlr6Hjr-QqPSVl0uvq_3Jt8pEhDda1l8beICIYGAY7IfS8Rnh21_ARoZ1PBhhNDKMHJpHPi1sDJmbXcpJx7uNQm7M9ymvdVTENIw4rEY9_p9M1XsyY_N9tQRSkA&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=424de4cc&sv=2) 1. Click the “New Function” button: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2Fh-tn8kpaUQeXWFa-U8RmN9q7MWVhAXLz-DYk9vsg-KBKKMXJGJWifGS1CqFFCmZnF7Crnf6uCI4IHtg1BrRSHibtxkRBu-2QLcDUzw8wwubpmGikj258CUfnYEmLXFEssZdDDuY5OFmGPDtKNXFLASk&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=11e9bed&sv=2) 1. Under “Select Function Type,” click “Destination,” and then click “Build”: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2F5B3fTcqlZDxMS-EuewutqRxt1-sv2MF9xQB1gOsvQAUWgCtZuQBtpRJtD8Ho627NXGwtygSB9CwTQ0O_jIes_blIMlCw9zEn2k1KGpG6bdgzYLm2aRv8lIi3Yt5lFTkjNm-rXLQLJ9AdIGxq71HmzrI&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f83936a2&sv=2) 1. Enter your Javascript code in the editor on the left, and test your function on the right; refer to [the following section](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#segment-events-by-mail-form-factor) on form factors for details. Click “Configure” when done: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2FAomPmN1QA1Te1ti8TV03TQZHrrEpLuww5lZztdlHkzaEw-l7G6oyrzhihBohkUQpkc55rrRai6YfKKGv_hgYF3xKZaaKPNdU7kGCqDKFR5W0eOSXSEdK45X4Ua3W20UP5fUc4bx7Pz6haoedy-R41oQ&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=573af40f&sv=2) 1. Give the function a name (required), description, and logo, and click “Create Function” to save: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2FUnC-9YqHd-LyGJBlcuCTplKNk6nGOKtgu0uvAEGr_weOeBFRwM50Yzj1xOpeL4-73w8ZbeEel9O7HB1tnqVElWbr4gYVRM98EbyfXXO-57TE_H2uI8V6iPqma3gm-JgYms3ywTjFS7q0hGNoFlPbEiI&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=57cb2ecc&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#segment-events-by-mail-form-factor) Segment Events by Mail Form Factor --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following are sample functions to send a Lob mailpiece from a given Segment event, organized by mailpiece. Segment provides six different event types that destination functions can operate on: * [Identifyarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/identify/) : who is the customer? * [Trackarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/track/) : what are they doing? * [Pagearrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/page/) : what web page are they on? * [Screenarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/screen/) : what app screen are they on? * [Grouparrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/group/) : what account or organization are they part of? * [Aliasarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/spec/alias/) : what was their past identity? **The following sample code translates Track events into Lob mailpieces by defining an onTrack function. (For other functionalities, just define a similarly named function, e.g., onPage for Page events.)** chevron-rightPostcards[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#postcards) Copy /** * @param {SpecTrack} event The track event * @param {Object.} settings Custom settings * @return any */ async function onTrack(event, settings) { const body = { description: 'Description of the card,' to: { name: event.properties.name, address_line1: event.properties.address.line1, address_line2: event.properties.address.line2, address_city: event.properties.address.city, address_state: event.properties.address.state, address_zip: event.properties.address.zip }, front: "Front side for {{name}}", back: "Back side for {{name}}", merge_variables: { name: event.properties.name } }; const response = await fetch('https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(settings.apiKey + ':')}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(body) }); return response.json(); } chevron-rightLetters[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#letters) Copy /** * Handle track event * @param {SegmentTrackEvent} event * @param {FunctionSettings} settings */ async function onTrack(event, settings) { const body = { description: 'Description of the letter', to: { name: event.properties.name, address_line1: event.properties.address.line1, address_line2: event.properties.address.line2, address_city: event.properties.address.city, address_state: event.properties.address.state, address_zip: event.properties.address.zip }, from: { name: event.properties.return_addr.name, address_line1: event.properties.return_addr.line1, address_line2: event.properties.return_addr.line2, address_city: event.properties.return_addr.city, address_state: event.properties.return_addr.state, address_zip: event.properties.return_addr.zip }, file: "Front side for {{name}}", color: 'false', use_type: 'marketing', merge_variables: { name: event.properties.name } }; const response = await fetch('https://api.lob.com/v1/letters', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(settings.apiKey + ':')}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(body) }); return response.json(); } chevron-rightSelf Mailers[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#self-mailers) Copy /** * Handle track event * @param {SegmentTrackEvent} event * @param {FunctionSettings} settings */ async function onTrack(event, settings) { const body = { description: 'Description of the self-mailer', to: { name: event.properties.name, address_line1: event.properties.address.line1, address_line2: event.properties.address.line2, address_city: event.properties.address.city, address_state: event.properties.address.state, address_zip: event.properties.address.zip }, inside: "Inside side for {{name}}", outside: "Outside side for {{name}}", use_type: 'marketing', merge_variables: { name: event.properties.name } }; const response = await fetch('https://api.lob.com/v1/self_mailers', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(settings.apiKey + ':')}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(body) }); return response.json(); } chevron-rightChecks[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#checks) Copy /** * Handle track event * @param {SegmentTrackEvent} event * @param {FunctionSettings} settings */ async function onTrack(event, settings) { const body = { description: 'Description of the check', to: { name: event.properties.name, address_line1: event.properties.address.line1, address_line2: event.properties.address.line2, address_city: event.properties.address.city, address_state: event.properties.address.state, address_zip: event.properties.address.zip }, from: { name: event.properties.return_addr.name, address_line1: event.properties.return_addr.line1, address_line2: event.properties.return_addr.line2, address_city: event.properties.return_addr.city, address_state: event.properties.return_addr.state, address_zip: event.properties.return_addr.zip }, bank_account: 'bank_a4fc08e61e12c6c', message: 'INSERT MESSAGE HERE', amount: 0, //Insert an amount here use_type: 'marketing', merge_variables: { name: event.properties.name } }; const response = await fetch('https://api.lob.com/v1/checks', { method: 'POST', headers: { Authorization: `Basic ${btoa(settings.apiKey + ':')}`, 'Content-Type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify(body) }); return response.json(); } circle-check **Remember to test your mail sent through Segment by using your test API key first.** Once you do, plug in your live key, and enjoy sending intelligent, automated mail pieces with Lob and Segment! [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#conclusion) Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Given how useful Segment is for integrating multiple different interfaces for collecting and operating on customer data, this tutorial gives us the ability to add Lob as one of many possible powerful tools for accomplishing data-driven, instantaneous operations on that data. Luckily, plugging Lob into Segment is as easy as making a destination function and using it in your workflows. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment#resources) Resources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are two other resources that might help with crafting your workflow: * [Segment's docs on connections, the meat and potatoes of making workflowsarrow-up-right](https://segment.com/docs/connections/) [PreviousSalesforce Marketing Cloudchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce-marketing-cloud) [NextSimon Datachevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? --- # Salesforce Marketing Cloud | Lob Help Center For more support related to our SFMC API integration, please contact your Account Manager or [support@lob.comenvelope](mailto:support@lob.com) to discuss your requirements and use case. [PreviousSalesforcechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/salesforce) [NextSegmentchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? --- # Simon Data | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#overview) Overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon Data is a customer data platform (CDP) that enables businesses to leverage their data to create personalized marketing campaigns and drive customer engagement. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#lob--simon-data-drive-growth-everywhere) Lob + Simon Data: Drive growth everywhere ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Simon Data brings a simple, highly effective workflow to multi-channel marketing. Through its powerful CDP, Simon allows marketers to integrate data from any source, unify customer profiles, segment in real time, and orchestrate customer journeys across all marketing touchpoints. Lob empowers Simon users to coordinate direct mail with their online channels, using consistent and personalized messaging to drive customer loyalty and engagement across email, SMS, push, and other digital channels. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#turn-first-time-customers-into-life-long-brand-advocates) Turn first-time customers into life-long brand advocates -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Simon Data’s powerful B2C marketing orchestration capabilities empower your marketing team to provide consistent, relevant messaging throughout the customer lifecycle. Simon combines powerful, predictive modeling with sophisticated testing and experimentation. The result is a system that enables you to maximize engagement, fine-tuning each customer journey with the right messaging, touchpoints, and product recommendations. Lob enables you to fully harness Simon’s capabilities offline, bringing automated direct mail production, personalization, and analytics to your multi-channel stack. That means you can truly engage with customers, build loyalty, and drive CLTV across all channels, all from a single hub. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#do-away-with-silos-disconnects-and-workarounds) Do away with silos, disconnects, and workarounds -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40% of marketers rate their “inability to link different technologies” as a top technological challenge. Siloed data, disconnected channels, incompatible schemas, and the sheer complexity of your marketing stack can hamstring your marketing team. You can’t engage customers in real-time if you’re forced to wait on manual data pulls, or slog through elaborate workarounds. Legacy direct mail in particular is a major pain point, because it is almost completely siloed. The slow cadence and separate, manual workflow of legacy DM prevent marketers from fully integrating it with digital channels into a coherent customer journey. Simon’s CDP provides a unified customer view to your marketing workflows, coordinating all your tools and data sources into a seamless whole. Targeted communications are infused with historical and real-time data, supported by robust segmentation and personalization capabilities. Lob integrates fully automated direct mail into Simon, enabling you to plan, execute, and track your omnichannel campaigns with a single workflow. That means you can focus on getting the right content to the right audience across the right touchpoints. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#turn-marketing-optimization-into-a-science) Turn marketing optimization into a science ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Traditionally, direct mail optimization is limited compared to digital channels. Most companies using legacy direct mail have little ability to personalize letters or track results, forcing them to rely on less effective techniques like mass mailers. Lob provides 100% personalization for every mailpiece, and enables you to track deliveries and conversions just like you would with email. Combining Lob’s direct mail automation with Simon’s powerful optimization and orchestration capabilities lets you truly optimize your multi-channel campaign. Simon’s native integration with Lob supports triggered campaigns for a variety of loyalty and retention use cases. and streamlines workflow for both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Marketers can get hands-on with customer data, experiment and execute campaigns, and analyze results all within the same UI. And your team can conduct the same experiments, tests, and analyses on DM campaigns as they would for any digital channel. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#identify-and-engage-customers-on-their-own-terms) Identify and engage customers on their own terms ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Consumers are harder to track than ever before. They research products and engage with brands across multiple channels, devices, and accounts, making it difficult to identify individuals and tie together interactions. At the same time, they expect a highly personalized experience from the brands they interact with. Simon Data solves your identity resolution challenges with Simon Identity. This enables you to merge multiple customer interactions into a single profile, without depending on a single identifier like email address. Lob augments this capability with automated address verification, so you can engage with your customers online and offline. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#are-simon-data--lob-right-for-you) Are Simon Data + Lob right for you? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Simon Data is a powerful CDP designed around the unique needs of B2C marketing. With powerful native tools and extensive integration, it can serve a range of use cases, including: * A centralized hub to unify and consolidate your customer data sources * A self-service automation and segmentation tool, enabling marketers to fully utilize their data without depending on the help desk * A rapid testing and optimization toolset to fine-tune and personalize customer experience * A sophisticated data integration and governance platform, managing your entire customer data ecosystem Because Simon Data serves so many roles, Lob users in B2C industries should weigh Simon Data’s capabilities against their current pain points and tech stack functionality to identify use cases. [PreviousSegmentchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/segment) [NextZapierchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#overview) * [Lob + Simon Data: Drive growth everywhere](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#lob--simon-data-drive-growth-everywhere) * [Turn first-time customers into life-long brand advocates](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#turn-first-time-customers-into-life-long-brand-advocates) * [Do away with silos, disconnects, and workarounds](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#do-away-with-silos-disconnects-and-workarounds) * [Turn marketing optimization into a science](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#turn-marketing-optimization-into-a-science) * [Identify and engage customers on their own terms](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#identify-and-engage-customers-on-their-own-terms) * [Are Simon Data + Lob right for you?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data#are-simon-data--lob-right-for-you) Was this helpful? --- # Creative conversion tools | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools#import-creatives-for-easy-html-templating) Import creatives for easy HTML templating Struggling with HTML templates to leverage Lob's personalization feature? Can't find dedicated designers and engineers to convert your designs to HTML with each iteration? Fear no more! You can now easily import your creative designs from popular design programs and quickly spin up merge variables. Take advantage of our full breadth of capabilities for hyper-personalization and leverage intelligent mail. circle-info Our creative conversion tools are in **beta** and subject to change we ask that you reach out to your Account Manager or [contact usenvelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#86f5f3f6f6e9f4f2c6eae9e4a8e5e9eb) for access and support. [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FiS8DCGSaV9TMTwBO6I70%252Ffigma%2520to%2520lob.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D17f1b776-1fe5-4c78-98be-25cdba8489e2&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=75342530&sv=2) **Figma-to-Lob** [Learn more here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FIBm7i4YFhfUmmINMzobx%252Findesign%2520to%2520lob.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D94ac2f60-e249-4896-a5ab-dffc5ac56e76&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3d0c46bd&sv=2) **Indesign-to-Lob** [Contact usenvelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#93e0e6e3e3fce1e7d3fffcf1bdf0fcfe) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Ff0FIbglZ7zduhiywxorX%252Fpdf%2520to%2520html%2520lob.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D1a52d406-21c4-4fe3-bcfa-7fc96fd44dbe&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9f40780e&sv=2) **Templify (PDF-to-HTML)** [Contact usenvelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#6d1e181d1d021f192d01020f430e0200) [PreviousZapierchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier) [NextFigma pluginchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Zapier | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#integration-overview-0) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Zapierarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/lob/integrations) gives you the ability to connect Lob to thousands of other business tools - like Slack, MailChimp, Gmail, and Trello - to automate your tedious workflows. In just minutes, you can set up automated Zaps to correct, standardize, and enrich addresses, as well as send automated letters or postcards using Triggers from pre-built integrations. * Zapier integrates Lob with thousands of other business applications * Set up automations, called 'Zaps', to automate repetitive tasks * No coding required * Sign up for a free Zapier account to create automated workflows * Zapier integrations are great for sending mail at small scale, instead of manually, but are not a replacement for a proper integration when sending mail in large batches (hundreds/thousands). * If you are passing in links to image files for your content, use a high availability service like S3 to avoid issues with timeouts. If we are unable to access your content it will not render properly. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#integrate-with-zapier-in-4-simple-steps) Integrate with Zapier in 4 simple steps: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Sign up for Lob and Zapier accounts 2. Connect Lob to Zapier, within the Zapier interface 3. Connect any other apps/services (for example, where you store customer data) to Zapier, in order to then connect them with Lob 4. Create custom workflows or leverage popular automations with pre-existing Zaps Every Zap requires one connected app to be used as the _Trigger_, which is where your information comes from, and this causes one or more _Action_ steps to occur in other apps, which is where your data gets sent to. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#getting-started-with-lob-zapier-2) **Getting started with Lob & Zapier** [Sign uparrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/register) for a free Lob account. You can send Test API requests for free to start, or instantly begin sending real mail by simply adding a payment method to your account. Sign up for a free [Zapierarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/lob/integrations) account, where you will begin building the automation. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#connecting-lob-to-zapier-3) **Connecting Lob to Zapier** * [Log inarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/login) to your Lob Account * Log in to your [Zapier accountarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/sign-up) * Navigate to "Connected Accounts" from the top menu bar in Zapier * Now click on "Connect new account" and search for "Lob" * Use your [Test Lob API Keyarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) to connect your Lob account to Zapier * Start with your Test API Key so that you can set up and test your Zap without sending live mail initially. * Once connected, you can start creating an Automation! Use a pre-made Zap, or create your own with the Zap Editor. * Need inspiration? See everything that's possible with [Lob and Zapierarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/lob/integrations) * Once you've tested your first Zap, all that is needed is switch your Lob API key to the Live Key to begin sending actual mail! ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#getting-started-with-zapier-4) **Getting started with Zapier** To help you hit the ground running, you can choose from [one of many popular pre-made Zapsarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/lob/integrations) : ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629291695828-1629291695828.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5570c5c9&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#other-popular-workflows-5) Other popular workflows ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#sending-postcards-with-google-sheets-zapier-6) Sending postcards with Google Sheets & Zapier Use Lob’s Zapier integration to automatically send postcards whenever new users are added to your mailing list. Before starting, make sure to open accounts with Lob + Google + Zapier before starting to create this automation. Here, we will be using a Google Sheets file as our existing mailing list. This kind of setup significantly reduces the amount of manual work needed to send out mail and can be generalized for a number of different situations. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#stage-1-setting-up-google-sheets-as-your-trigger-event-in-zapier) **Stage 1: Setting up Google Sheets as your Trigger event in Zapier** 1. From the Zapier home screen, click on a “Make a Zap!” button to get started 2. Select Google Sheets in the dropdown of available Trigger Apps, then Choose Trigger: “New Spreadsheet Row” * This means whenever a new row is created in our Google Sheet, Zapier will take an action on your behalf 3. Connect your Google account to Zapier and give Zapier access to the account 4. Once your account is connected, test out the connection using the “Test” option. If the connection works you will see the grey “Test” box turn into a green “Success!” box. 5. Pick a spreadsheet + worksheet to pull information from * As this is the starting point for your automation, make sure that the correct information is being pulled 6. Once a spreadsheet and a worksheet are selected, Zapier will pick a sample row. If the information accurately reflects what is found on the sheet, select the “Continue” option. 7. In the next stage, you will configure the action you want Zapier to take after your trigger is initiated. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#stage-2-setting-up-your-action) **Stage 2: Setting up your Action** 1. Continue to build your Zap by clicking on the blue “Your Zap currently lacks an Action step. Add one now!” text. Alternatively, you can also click on the “+ Add a Step” button on the left side of your screen. 2. Select Lob to be your Action App. 3. Select “Send Postcard” as the action Lob will take after the Zap is initiated by the Trigger. 4. Connect your Lob account to Zapier and give Zapier access to the account, so it can take action on your behalf. 5. Once connected, you may receive a pop-up instructing you to verify this request by entering your [Lob API key](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) . * Use your Lob Test API Key; any requests sent with your Test API key will not cause mail to be sent or charges to be incurred. Once the integration is working, you can return to this step and swap in your Live API Key. 6. Once the API key is passed, you will have the option to test the connection. If you click the “Test” button on the right and everything is valid, then you will see a green “Success!” button. 7. Fill in the appropriate information needed to complete your mail. Note that some fields are optional and others are required. 1. The green “Setup Preview” icon allows you to see an example of what your named variable would look like in your Zap. If you do not enable it you will not see an example. 2. Be sure to you prepare your content images correctly. For this example, we are inserting HTML of the artwork directly into Zapier for both front and back sides of the postcard. * For more information on how to properly set your mail content for Zapier/Lob, [see herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/Image-Prepping) . Example HTML templates can be found in our [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery) . * Alternatively, provide a link to a hosted PDF, PNG, or JPG file 3. Add the address that will receive this postcard. * We’re going to use Zapier’s named variables function here; this time on the Address. * By using the named variable function, Zapier will pull the corresponding information for me every time a new entry is added to the Google Sheet. 4. Lob defaults to USPS First Class Mail (a faster option), but Standard Class mail is also an option. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#stage-3-test-the-zap-to-confirm) **Stage 3: Test the Zap to Confirm** 1. Test the entire Zap (From Trigger to Action) by clicking on the "Send Test to Lob" button. 2. Zapier will run a test, and once it runs through successfully you will be notified at the top of the page. An additional alert will tell you how long it’s been since the test was successful. 3. Formally name your Zap and turn it on. If the Zap is not on, then Zapier will not execute against the workflow you set up in Stages 1 + 2). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#setting-up-webhooks-11) Setting up webhooks with Zapier With Lob you are able to track each step of a mailpiece's journey from production through to delivery. In addition to making these metrics available in the platform, Lob offers webhooks for each event, allowing you to listen to these events and pull this event data back into your own systems. With Zapier, the process is as follows: * Lob sends out a webhook when the mailing gets created * Zapier "catches" the webhook notification * Zapier notifies you that the mailer was created, scanned, delivered, etc. _Webhooks by Zapier_ can be configured if you have a premium subscription with Zapier. There’s no native integration for outgoing webhooks to Zapier, but there’s a way to catch these events using a generic webhook configuration. You can learn more about [_Webhooks by Zapier_ integrationsarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/webhook/integrations) and all the apps that are available for use. In this example, we will set up a Zap to automate the following: every time Lob sends a new event for your mailpieces—and Zapier receives (the _Trigger_), Zapier will send you an email notification via Gmail (the _Action_). 1. Start by clicking “Create Zap” on the homepage. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FuL9YSLdc10Np09kNvRBu%252Fzap_webhooks_1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6efb0bbc-55f3-461e-b7fb-3eb5b5a96608&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5d69cfa0&sv=2) 2\. First you will Next, select the option “Webhooks by Zapier.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJq5T369CSuExCyBh3kpr%252Fzap_webhooks_2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D790b4833-5564-48ae-8336-6dfd7f56257c&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=92de17b&sv=2) 3\. Under “Choose app & event,” select “Catch Hook” from the “Event” dropdown options and hit continue. This is what starts the Zap. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJfgUxp3tFULF0TOYum4M%252Fzap_webhooks_3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df0cc25e5-e9f5-49c0-99e7-c2aecbdc3f18&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=dcd6c935&sv=2) On the “Set up trigger” screen that follows, hit “Continue.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FOiB4s6wv6oH7YSSFmKpN%252Fzap_webhooks_4.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dddcef9fa-e832-422e-93ac-92fa28a51833&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=184eff49&sv=2) 4\. A URL will be generated, which you will need to configure with Lob. When an event occurs within Lob architecture and you have a webhook subscribed to that event type in that environment (Test vs. Live), we will attempt to make a `POST` request with the entire event object to the URL provided. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FS5dg2miEJwjLuM0oRd42%252Fzap_webhooks_5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da025f3cf-cba0-47d6-8355-81118fb1b7ac&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e751ba7c&sv=2) 5\. Copy the Webhook URL then login to your Lob dashboard; on the [Webhooks pagearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/webhooks) , click “Create a new webhook.” Name your webhook, then paste the URL provided by Zapier into the “URL” field. Then choose the EVENT TYPES you want sent. Due to the inherent limitations of Zapier, we advise **selecting from one form factor (postcards, letters, etc.) per Zapier integration**. [See herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#all_event_types) for a full list of all available event types that you can subscribe to. circle-info In Live mode, you can only have as many (non-deleted) webhooks as allotted in your current [Print & Mail Editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) . There is no limit in Test mode. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FVRHKkfym7lj0YtiDp8GG%252Fzap_webhooks_6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D66c6a33e-fa27-44de-8bf8-a5aa384610f7&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=cc2bcdd0&sv=2) 6\. Now click the “Debugger” button on the top right-hand side corner. The Debugger allows you to trigger webhook attempts to a specified URL with a generated event body. This should mainly be used to determine JSON structure, as all IDs and URLs within the event bodies sent are not real. Select one EVENT TYPE from the dropdown options, and click “Send.” You should receive a **200 OK** response. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FgFWIG3RFzoHGxgZ9edpE%252Fzap_webhooks_7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D7f1a9f65-2ca0-49cc-9318-3182cb541a0c&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=df8b10d4&sv=2) 7\. Now go back to Zapier. Test the connection by clicking “Test trigger.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FV1FJIabMvFyBgYvNQXaF%252Fzap_webhooks_8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Daaffaad3-e202-47e2-bfb2-9f02fd763895&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1ff1673c&sv=2) 8\. You should see your event. Click “Continue.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FT6qsgBVktgtrVu9CeBom%252Fzap_webhooks_9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6286929f-d4d9-4e35-8ada-316cf93104ef&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fa99032d&sv=2) 9\. Now select which integration/app you want to Action on. Here we selected “Gmail” to receive event notifications for each mailpiece via email. Select “Send Email” and hit “Continue” to connect your Google account to Zap. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FYLMLAEcWcqkCBZCHE2Cs%252Fzap_webhooks_10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D32cc818f-6a41-4770-a9b8-93428eb21a5a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e272bd6&sv=2) 10\. Fill in the required fields, and for the ones you would like to map the Lob webhook events to, click the field, select “Show all Options,” and select the option of your choice. In this example, we want to receive notifications for the `event_ID`, `date` and `time` when this event gets created, and the sender's information on the postcard. Note this will be redacted as this contains Personal Identifiable Information (PII). You can choose any of the fields from the available options that you would like to receive notifications about based on your preferences. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FxDEdk2cxWSfab35Lh02O%252Fzap_webhooks_11.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da76a44ea-6d49-4365-b850-5b5c5209c70b&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=886a736d&sv=2) Fill out the rest of the fields where you’d like to receive these webhook notifications, review the contents, and you’re almost done! Select “Publish Zap.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FhEpTxYInNn9sqrza4PyG%252Fzap_webhooks_12.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D558c29da-7e34-4f2d-aae6-7efa0ef64b34&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=67c14c44&sv=2) You should receive an email with the webhook events that you selected. The last thing needed is to Name your Zap (if you haven’t done so already) and to “Turn on Zap.” If the Zap is not on, then Zapier will not execute against the workflow you set up (Trigger to Action). 11\. If all the steps are set up correctly, then you should receive a green checkmark on both “Trigger” and “Action.” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2cM9ZveyZAMHUUERqJeC%252Fzap_webhooks_13.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D753c0607-0e87-4a81-b16c-7c56caa7ae21&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8aa4d012&sv=2) If Zap failed to create, then you will receive a message on where to fix the issue and an additional message regarding the error. Here’s a link to the [HTTP status codesarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Errors) that the API would return in case of an error that may help in troubleshooting. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FbpYyH57W4ZkqUkfvW2bx%252Fzap_webhooks_14.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dc9c54c21-a902-4107-b0fe-530fbfcfafba&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1e7b0f07&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#adding-merge-fields) Adding merge fields To integrate merge variables on Zapier, you would need to paste the full HTML string directly into the text box, then use the built-in merge functionality from Zapier to insert variable content. This is an example of what that might look like: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport.lob.com%2Fhc%2Farticle_attachments%2F5364951668627%2FZScreen_Shot_2022-03-28_at_4.17.02_PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e8b945bd&sv=2) Watch the [screencast](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#sending-postcards-with-google-sheets-zapier-6) above for more context. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#support-information-12) Support information ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Feel free to email [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#30535f5e44515344704a51405955421e535f5d) for issues on the Zapier side, or [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1e6d6b6e6e716c6a5e72717c307d7173) for Lob-specific debugging! [PreviousSimon Datachevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/simon-data) [NextCreative conversion toolschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#integration-overview-0) * [Integrate with Zapier in 4 simple steps:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#integrate-with-zapier-in-4-simple-steps) * [Getting started with Lob & Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#getting-started-with-lob-zapier-2) * [Connecting Lob to Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#connecting-lob-to-zapier-3) * [Getting started with Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#getting-started-with-zapier-4) * [Other popular workflows](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#other-popular-workflows-5) * [Sending postcards with Google Sheets & Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#sending-postcards-with-google-sheets-zapier-6) * [Setting up webhooks with Zapier](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#setting-up-webhooks-11) * [Adding merge fields](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#adding-merge-fields) * [Support information](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations/zapier#support-information-12) Was this helpful? --- # Figma plugin | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#plugin-overview-0) Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Figma plugin enables designers to create [dynamic, personalized creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) within a familiar design tool environment, and export them to Lob to be used in mail campaigns. **Here’s what you can expect** * **Design it.** Build branded templates with proper dimensions, address blocks, and bleed lines. * **Personalize it.** Add dynamic variables, like first name or variable imagery, to tailor each piece. * **Send it.** Your design automatically ports to Lob when you're ready to send. In order to use the plugin, you can navigate to the **Integrations** section of your Lob dashboard. The Figma plugin is listed in the Design Tools section of the page. You can also go straight to the [Figma to Lob listingarrow-up-right](https://www.figma.com/community/plugin/1121939663584407048/figma-to-lob-beta) to download the plugin. Enter your Lob login information to the plugin to get started. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FyHM1N0OuhElGzOGJ6LVx%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D022519c9-50d0-4a7f-a850-9697c920d422&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8886bb72&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#steps-to-using-the-plugin-1) Steps to using the plugin ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-1-create-a-template-2) Step 1 - Create a template Once you have downloaded the plugin, you will want to create a new base file by creating a template. 1. Create and open a blank design template. 2. Open the plugin at the top and select the desired mail format. We currently offer templates for Letters: 8.5x11, Postcards 4x6, 6x9, 6x11 , and Self-Mailers 6x18, 12x9, 11x9 3. Click "Continue" ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-2-design-away-3) Step 2 - Design away Now that you have your template set up, you should go ahead and design as you normally would! To create dynamic personalization in your creative: 1. Mark dynamic text with double brackets. e.g. `{{first_name}}` 2. Name dynamic images with double brackets on the leftside nav When you send mail with Lob, dynamic text / imagery is populated when columns in your audience file map to merge variables in your creative. **Best practices to keep in mind while designing:** * Create your design on the template generated and be sure to only use 1 root frame (ensure all design elements, shapes, images, text are all contained within this single frame) * Rotating the root frame of your design file will result in an error * Be sure your design fits within the bleedlines, and takes the address block into account. We will automatically hide guide layers (bleedlines, address block) when you export - if you change the names of guide layers you will need to hide them on your own. * No need to flatten non-variable imagery and text - this will happen automatically on export * For letter templates, duplicate the second page until you have the needed page count ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-3-convert-to-html-4) Step 3 - Port to Lob Once your design is ready, it's time to export it to your Lob account. The plugin achieves this by converting your Figma design into HTML. 1. Open the plugin and click "Export your mail design" 2. If your design uses Google fonts and static imagery, Lob will auto-host your background imagery. Your creative will appear as an HTML template in your Lob account. 1. As a default, the plugin sets your template as a Live HTML Template, but you can always choose to set it as a Test Template instead. 2. Assets will not expire, but we do have a 100 asset cap in place to manage storage per account. Once you hit this cap, reach out to support and we will help you clear room for new images. 3. If you’re using **variable imagery**, you can still click "continue" to port your creative to your Lob account. While building your campaign, you'll need to host these images and add hosted image URLs to your audience file in order to map images to recipients. For those using custom fonts (ie. fonts not available at [https://fonts.google.com/arrow-up-right](https://fonts.google.com/) ), we need access to the versions of that font you’re using in order to port your dynamic creative to Lob. Don't worry—we've laid out instructions for how to host custom fonts yourself [here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts) . If you have any questions on the plugin, contact your CSM or reach out to [\[email protected\]arrow-up-right](email:support@lob.com) . Happy designing! [PreviousCreative conversion toolschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools) [NextCustom Fontschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts) Last updated 8 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#plugin-overview-0) * [Steps to using the plugin](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#steps-to-using-the-plugin-1) * [Step 1 - Create a template](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-1-create-a-template-2) * [Step 2 - Design away](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-2-design-away-3) * [Step 3 - Port to Lob](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin#step-3-convert-to-html-4) Was this helpful? --- # Reaching your audience | Lob Help Center The first step to any successful direct mail program is the ability to piece together an audience list for effective targeting. This is because reaching customers with direct mail that is relevant and contextual to their needs can maximize your responses and lead to high channel ROI. The days of sending mail indiscriminately to every household within a given area using the "spray and pray" method are long over. However, good audience segmentation and targeting is heavily dependent on having quality data, which can impact how your mail is planned, produced, mailed, and converted. Lob provides various ways to improve your address data hygiene and deliverability, offers connections to your [existing customer database](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) , and can augment your first-party data with additional datasets to increase reach. [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fv0eh00a0BMDh6SMA98wS%252FScreenshot%25202023-02-09%2520at%25202.33.58%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D49d048e0-7789-4be0-a9fc-f39f32ad1b33&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c81d2c26&sv=2) **All about Addresses** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/lob-audience) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Ft9PJNCCVoHj04w8mNPOc%252Faudience_id.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8ca70602-641a-4d03-9dbd-e7a3066267f7&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=562fab16&sv=2) **Lob Audience** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FRidWmWILaum0f2p3buBT%252Fcampaign_audience_guide.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3e5bc173-8ba4-403c-a964-af9bdfb84b75&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e16495ad&sv=2) **Campaign audience guide** [](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FOtUOBibUUYIWRFaVx5JW%252FScreenshot%25202023-02-09%2520at%25202.40.31%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D11e626ce-f6f2-436d-8844-0a13d175b298&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6b4cf497&sv=2) **Address Verification API** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FgSBlIP9LmMomnRIWBUiQ%252Faudience_integration.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8acbc2c9-e6ed-4664-b7e4-24ee32feecf0&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=41b68bd6&sv=2) **CRM Integrations** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FrVmgQ4Lbh3ziD3l5UNDY%252FNCOAAddOn.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Daf5d0b8b-51ec-48cd-aeaf-a07450bdb199&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4e5deb6f&sv=2) **Additional Lob NCOA functionality** [PreviousCustom Fontschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts) [NextAll about addresseschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses) Last updated 11 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Additional Lob NCOA functionality | Lob Help Center circle-info Customers must meet certain requirements to access this additional NCOA functionality. Please review the below and reach out to your Account Manager to see if you are eligible. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#national-change-of-address-ncoa-7) NCOA overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ National Change of Address (NCOA) is a [service offered by the USPSarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing-and-shipping-services/NCOALink) , which allows individuals or businesses who have recently moved within the US to have any mail forwarded from their previous address to their new address. As a CASS-certified Address Verification Provider, all mail sent through Lob Mail will be run through CASS and NCOA, as these are requirements for sending with USPS. Addresses will be corrected to reflect an individual's or business's new address in the case that they have moved (only if they have registered an NCOA with the USPS). The National Change of Address (NCOALink) database check only runs for US-based addresses. It does not run for non-US addresses or for non-deliverable US addresses. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) Additional Lob NCOA functionality -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob also offers additional NCOA functionality to our Print & Mail customers, providing more visibility. Customers must meet certain requirements in order to access this functionality; please review the below and reach out to your Account Manager to see if you are eligible. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#signing-a-processing-acknowledgement-form-paf-8) Signing a Processing Acknowledgement Form (PAF) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In order to have the Lob NCOA report feature enabled, our customers must sign a Processing Acknowledgement Form (PAF), which is required by the USPS. NCOA reporting cannot be enabled if a PAF has not been signed. Reach out to your Account Manager to see if you are eligible to sign a PAF. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#endpoints-affected-9) API-related changes ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Due to privacy concerns and USPS constraints, for customers with the NCOA feature enabled, our API responses for a limited set of endpoints differ slightly in the case when an address has been changed through NCOA. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#endpoints-affected-9-1) Endpoints affected With Lob NCOA feature enabled, there are no changes to API requests sent to Lob. This is true whether you are using our client-facing libraries, or making raw HTTP(S) requests to our API. If you have Lob NCOA reporting enabled, all live API requests to the following endpoints will be run through NCOA. However, there are some changes to the API responses for the following endpoints: * `POST /v1/addresses` * `POST /v1/checks` * `POST /v1/letters` * `POST /v1/self_mailers` * `POST /v1/postcards` * `POST /v1/campaigns` * `POST /v1/uploads` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#response-format-10) Response format Though there are no changes to API requests received, there are significant changes to our API responses, but only in the event that an address has been changed through NCOA. If an address has not been changed through NCOA, the response would be identical to our standard API responses, except with the addition of a `recipient_moved` field, which is `false` for unchanged addresses. Due to the USPS constraints mentioned above, if an address has been changed through NCOA, we are required to suppress the following response fields for that address: * `address_line1` * `address_line2` * The +4 portion of the ZIP+4 (5-digit ZIP code will still be present). **How do I know if an address went through NCOA?** The black boxes in the address block mean the address went through our National Change of Address (NCOA) process. If you ever see the primary and secondary lines blotted out but not the city, state, and zip (without plus 4), that likely means it has gone through NCOA. If you’d like to know if an address went through NCOA, you’re also welcome to reach out to Lob support. Below is an example of how this would look like in your Lob dashboard. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FfnvCsIteLs5AiEF8TldX%252FScreenshot%25202023-05-09%2520at%252012.53.13%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De97fb5da-4d63-4957-9ba2-c61d83b55423&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2bfcb7ad&sv=2) In addition, if an address has been changed through NCOA, the address will have a `recipient_moved: true` flag. For more details about the response format, see the NCOA information in our [API docsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/National-Change-of-Address) . In addition to our API responses, the suppressed fields will (almost) always be suppressed in other places within the Lob platform as well. This includes: * In the PDF proofs and thumbnails generated for Print & Mail requests * In Exports for Postcards, Self-Mailers, Letters, Checks and Addresses resources * API Logs & Event Logs * Webhooks * Dashboard Search There are two locations where these fields are not suppressed: * In the physical mail piece that will be sent to your customer. * In an NCOA export from the Lob Dashboard (discussed in more detail below). The NCOA export is the only way in which you will be able to access the suppressed response data for addresses that have been changed through NCOA. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#accessing-suppressed-data-11) Accessing suppressed data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to allow our customers to access NCOA'd data, the USPS has given us the following constraint: triangle-exclamation Customers must send at least 100 addresses through NCOA within one week in order to gain access to NCOA'd data. This means that in order to access this data, you must send at least 100 live API requests in a one-week time span to any of the following endpoints: * `POST /v1/addresses` * `POST /v1/checks` * `POST /v1/letters` * `POST /v1/self_mailers` * `POST /v1/postcards` * `POST /v1/campaigns` * `POST /v1/uploads` Additionally, the USPS has defined a "week" to be the following time ranges: * 1st-7th of the month (inclusive) * 8th-14th of the month (inclusive) * 15th-21st of the month (inclusive) * 22nd-28th of the month (inclusive) * 29th-30th or 31st of the month (inclusive, when a month has more than 28 days) Once you have sent at least 100 live API requests in a one-week time span, you can access suppressed data through an NCOA export, which can be accessed in the Lob Dashboard Settings, under the [Reportingarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/reporting) tab. Once in the Reporting Tab, you can select any week from the previous month or the current month, and generate an export for that week. Additionally, you have the option of only exporting addresses that have been changed during the NCOA process. This option is selected by default, as this tends to be the more useful option. Once you have clicked the "Export" button, an email should arrive in your inbox with the exported data. Depending on how many requests you've sent and how many addresses have been changed through NCOA, this can take anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours. The export is a CSV, which has the following fields: * `id` - The Address ID (not the mailpiece ID) for the address that has been changed. * `name` - The `name` passed with the API request. * `company` - The `company` passed with the API request. * `phone` - The `phone` passed with the API request. * `email` - The `email` passed with the API request. * `address_line1` - The full, unsuppressed `address_line1`, which represents the new address for the recipient. * `address_line2` - The full, unsuppressed `address_line2`, part of the new address for the recipient. * `address_city` - The city of the recipient's new address. * `address_state` - The state of the recipient's new address. * `address_zip` - The ZIP code (including the +4) of the recipient's new address. * `address_country` - The country of the recipient's new address. Always `UNITED STATES`. * `metadata` - The metadata associated with this address. * `date_created` - The timestamp this address was created. One important thing to note is that the export only includes an address ID, and not a resource (postcard/self-mailer/letter/check) ID. This means that you must keep track of address ID for inline addresses created in Postcard, Self-Mailer, Letter and Check requests. Usually, NCOA records get updated once every two weeks contingent on USPS updating their internal database. **Since this is a recipient-led process, Lob does not have control over how often NCOA changes happen nor how often the database is updated by USPS.** Whenever you send a mailing through Lob, you reap the benefits of accurate address cleansing and verification powered by our [CASS-Certified Address Verification APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications) . Verifying addresses is a necessary part of sending mail at scale, to optimize the efficiency and accuracy of your mail delivery. [PreviousCampaign audience guidechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) [NextDesigning mail creativeschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [NCOA overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#national-change-of-address-ncoa-7) * [Additional Lob NCOA functionality](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) * [Signing a Processing Acknowledgement Form (PAF)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#signing-a-processing-acknowledgement-form-paf-8) * [API-related changes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#endpoints-affected-9) * [Endpoints affected](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#endpoints-affected-9-1) * [Response format](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#response-format-10) * [Accessing suppressed data](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality#accessing-suppressed-data-11) Was this helpful? --- # Custom Fonts | Lob Help Center When you translate your designs from Figma to Lob, sometimes the fonts you've chosen might not be publicly available. If your brand uses a custom font (ie. fonts not available at [https://fonts.google.com/arrow-up-right](https://fonts.google.com/) ), we need access to the versions of that font you’re using in order to port your dynamic creative to Lob. Don't worry—we've laid out instructions for how to host custom fonts yourself here: #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#step-1-collect-your-font-files) Step 1: Collect Your Font Files You will need every variation of the custom font used in the file. This means any combination of weight and style. Let’s say for the purposes of demonstration, we’re using font family `Lato` with regular, bold, and regular-italic variations. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#on-a-mac) 🍎 **On a Mac:** 1. Open **Finder**. 2. Press `Cmd + Shift + G`. 3. Type or paste the following paths: * **System Fonts:** `/System/Library/Fonts` * **User-installed Fonts:** `~/Library/Fonts` * **All Users (Shared):** `/Library/Fonts` Copy your custom font files (`.ttf`, `.woff`, `.woff2`) from these folders. * * * #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#on-windows-pc) 🪟 **On Windows (PC):** 1. Open **File Explorer**. 2. Navigate to: Copy C:\\Windows\\Fonts 3. Copy your custom fonts from here. **\*OTF files are not supported**, translate them to ttf or woff first! #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#step-2-host-the-font-files) Step 2: Host the Font Files * Upload each font variation to an external hosting service * Ensure your files are publicly accessible, meaning anyone can access the file from anywhere. In our example, we would have URLs for `lato-regular.woff2`, `lato-bold.woff2`, and `lato-regular-italic.woff2` #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#step-3-create-a-stylesheet-css-file) Step 3: Create a Stylesheet (CSS file) You'll create a file named after your font family, like `lato.css`. This file tells Lob how to use your fonts. Key components include: * **font-family** : will always be set to the name of your font * **src:** the URL at which your font is hosted * **font-weight:** the “boldness” of the font variation * **font-style:** either ‘normal’ or ‘italic’ Font weights: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fp7LQ89DjwGt3TitTRbiD%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D7e7d67d4-1919-4465-ac5e-41100a94dbc3&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=203da745&sv=2) Example content of `lato.css`: #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#step-4-host-your-css-file) Step 4: Host Your CSS File * Upload your CSS file to the same external hosting site * Again, make sure the link to your CSS file is publicly accessible. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin/custom-fonts#step-5-include-your-css-file-in-your-html) Step 5: Include Your CSS File in Your HTML Back in Figma to Lob, when you export, you will be given a prompt to map the file to the CSS [PreviousFigma pluginchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools/figma-plugin) [NextReaching your audiencechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience) Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? Copy @font-face { font-family: 'Lato'; src: url('') format('woff2'); font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; } @font-face { font-family: 'Lato'; src: url('') format('woff2'); font-weight: 700; font-style: normal; } @font-face { font-family: 'Lato'; src: url('') format('woff2'); font-weight: normal; font-style: italic; } --- # Designing mail creatives | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives#anatomy-of-a-mailpiece-1) Making your design mailable --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The first pillar of building your direct mail program with Lob is to design your mail creatives. Creating a well-designed mail piece can elevate your brand amongst other mail pieces in the mail box, communicate your value prop effectively, and actually deliver results. Design applies to imagery as well as text and copy, and a clear, easily identified CTA or promotion can make a material difference in the level of responses you may receive. When sending programmatic mail through the Lob platform, it is important to make sure that digital designs can effectively translate into physical print with the right set of instructions, whether they are static or dynamic creatives. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives#anatomy-of-a-mailpiece-1-1) Anatomy of a mailpiece ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When you send an API request to Lob, you are sending 3 pieces of information: 1. the "To" address, 2. the "From" address, and 3. the content. This section contains some best practices to follow when **designing creative content** for Lob. Read on to learn more about each of the design components needed in your mail creatives. [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FIYrT0d87hz26x2pJKHY3%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25204.20.35%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dfe29184d-44db-46a6-85d1-863bbac4ebbd&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d813801c&sv=2) **Artboard layout** Learn the do's & don'ts of your mail creative when building your layout templates [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FSN428YDOgMAqvu8jRrzk%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25204.01.01%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D4bf34991-c22d-4d29-8108-42e29019bf41&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e52a5bad&sv=2) **Creative formatting** Everything you need to know on file, font, & image formats used in Lob's mail pieces [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flp7JDqznlYDIlu5DtPif%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25204.21.07%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dad631d08-a4d1-4de4-9998-37608844461f&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e63ef719&sv=2) **Mail piece design specs** See the available mail types and relevant specs needed to send programmatic mail [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FNRpLYzvEAJhf8XpFNLsc%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25204.26.35%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D835bbc88-9c2e-4c5a-bd85-ebc07a12ce08&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=df054f1c&sv=2) **Dynamic personalization** Say goodbye to static creatives by building dynamic creatives with HTML [PreviousAdditional Lob NCOA functionalitychevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) [NextArtboard layoutchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Making your design mailable](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives#anatomy-of-a-mailpiece-1) * [Anatomy of a mailpiece](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives#anatomy-of-a-mailpiece-1-1) Was this helpful? --- # All about addresses | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#ispasted) Anatomy of a mailpiece ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ When you send an API request to Lob, you are sending 3 pieces of information: 1. the "To" address, 2. the "From" address, and 3. the content. Below are some best practices to follow around **formatting your address data** with Lob. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#whats-an-address-0) What's an address? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An address gives the location of a structure or land using identifiers to help with navigation to that location. They also aid in the routing of mail. The delivery address is the most important information on your mail piece. Use the following format for your delivery addresses: 1. Name (or attention) 2. Company\* (if applicable) 3. Delivery address: Line 1, and Line 2\* (if applicable) 4. City, State, ZIP Code, Country\* Items marked with a **\*** are optional. circle-check For more details on character limits etc., reference our [API docsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Addresses/operation/address_create) or see the [Formatting fields and record values](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#formatting-field-and-record-values) in our Campaigns audience guide. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#address-book-1) Address book -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Address Book is a collection of a customer’s addresses uploaded and stored in our system, which can be accessed in the [Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/addresses) or you can leverage the `address_id` to [retrievearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/address_retrieve) that entry's information programmatically. Rather than passing the full address + mail information in one API call, customers can also pass the `address_id` (provided upon creating the address in the address book) that will look for the associated address information. This makes requests faster and simpler. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#standardization-verification-2) Standardization & verification We cleanse all newly created addresses in order to optimize for maximum deliverability. * All US addresses will be automatically standardized, cleansed, and verified through our [CASS-Certified Address Verification systemarrow-up-right](https://lob.com/solutions/address-verification) before being returned back to you in the API response. * All international addresses will simply be standardized by being transformed to all uppercase. Mail requests will be run through [CASS](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#coding-accuracy-support-systems-cass-3) and [NCOA](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#national-change-of-address-ncoalink-r) , as these are requirements for sending with USPS. This may result in the final mailing address being different from the ones you see in your API requests and Dashboard. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#coding-accuracy-support-systems-cass-3) Coding Accuracy Support Systems (CASS™) The [Coding Accuracy Support Systems (CASS™)arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/certifications/cass) certification process is designed in cooperation with the mailing industry to improve the accuracy of postal codes, i.e., Five-Digit ZIP Code, ZIP+4, delivery point codes (DPCs), and carrier route codes that appear on mail pieces. Lob is CASS™ certified [(Cycle O)arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/CASS_CycleO_Summary) to ensure your addresses are standardized before any mail is sent. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#national-change-of-address-ncoalink-r) National Change of Address (NCOALink®) [National Change of Address (NCOALink)arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing-and-shipping-services/NCOALink) is a service offered by the USPS, which allows individuals or businesses who have recently moved to have any mail forwarded from their previous address to their new address. Addresses will be corrected to reflect an individual's or business's new address in the case that they have moved (only if they have registered an NCOA with the USPS). The National Change of Address (NCOALink) database check only runs for US-based addresses. It does not run for non-US addresses or for non-deliverable US addresses. [For more visibility of address changes, learn more about additional NCOA functionality offered here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#adding-deleting-addresses-4) Adding & deleting addresses You cannot edit any existing addresses via the dashboard or API request. You can however delete the current address and add a new one with the updated information. For more details on adding a new address to your address book, refer to the [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Addresses) . If you are interested in mass-deleting addresses, you will need to set up a delete address request script. See more details on deleting in our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/address_delete) . Note that Lob is not permitted to add or delete addresses on behalf of customers. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#autoverify-5) Autoverify ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Autoverify is included in all US Print & Mail subscriptions. Lob verifies the deliverability of all addresses before sending a request to our print partners. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#strictness-settings-6) Strictness settings Depending on what business logic you'd like to take, based on your verification result, you can toggle your US address strictness settings in your [Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/account) . There are three possible strictness levels: **Strict**, **Normal**, and **Relaxed**. Learn more about the importance of [mail strictness settings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#us-mail-strictness-settings-2) and how to adjust them as required by your business. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#using-current-resident-as-the-recipient) Using "Current Resident" as the recipient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The purpose of including "Current Resident" as the recipient of your mailpiece is to ensure that your message reaches its intended audience. This serves well in a case in which you're uncertain that the person(s) living at that address are the intended recipients and you do not wish to risk offending the current residents by potentially sending someone else's mail. Using the phrase "Current Resident" can be a good idea if your mailpiece is time-sensitive and the recipient may be variable. To make an informed decision on whether or not to include the phrase, consider the purpose of your mailpiece and your target audience: * If your mailpiece is intended to be a personal communication or a marketing message that relies on building a relationship with your audience, then you **may want to avoid** using the phrase "Current Resident." Learn more about [dynamic personalization](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) here. * On the other hand, if your mailpiece is informational and the message is more important than the recipient, then you **may want to include** the phrase, as any recipient can still respond. To indicate your recipient as "Current Resident," simply provide that as the `name` value where you would normally input a recipient's full name. [PreviousReaching your audiencechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience) [NextCampaign audience guidechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Anatomy of a mailpiece](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#ispasted) * [What's an address?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#whats-an-address-0) * [Address book](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#address-book-1) * [Standardization & verification](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#standardization-verification-2) * [Adding & deleting addresses](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#adding-deleting-addresses-4) * [Autoverify](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#autoverify-5) * [Strictness settings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#strictness-settings-6) * [Using "Current Resident" as the recipient](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#using-current-resident-as-the-recipient) Was this helpful? --- # Creative formatting | Lob Help Center Every form factor starts with your creative, or the content of your mail piece. Lob’s core technology is built around modern APIs that remove the typical complexities and limitations of the print and mail industry. We can accept static PDFs, but similar to email sends, HTML enables dynamic personalization so each and every mail piece is unique. circle-exclamation Please be sure to note that because you are ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, Lob can't offer guidance on the legality of your mailpieces and their content. For any questions of that nature, we always recommend consulting with the USPS and/or a qualified attorney. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#file-and-font-formats-12) Example mail pieces --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Artboard or layout templates can be found under each mail format (see [Mail piece design specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) ). Or, visit Lob's [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery) on our website for pre-designed templates to help you get started; you can download these to use as inspiration and a guide to create your own designs. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#file-formats-for-creative) File formats for creative ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#html-13) HTML for dynamic creatives We recommend designing your direct mail in HTML to enable personalized content at scale. HTML allows you to include dynamic merge variables, similar to how you would personalize an email campaign, to maximize engagement and conversions. circle-info See [dynamic personalization](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) for more details on how to take advantage of HTML and merge variables. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FT0NWx2h7V4Y6xZYnUHm4%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-19%2520at%252011.13.46%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D307ca679-28a5-4069-914d-58d3be17fc46&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=99428c9f&sv=2) Example translation of HTML for a postcard front ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#pdf-guidelines-14) PDFs for static creatives You can submit your creative file in PDF format, but keep in mind that PDFs are static and don’t support personalization. We ask that you follow our PDF formatting guidelines outlined in our [PDF preflight checklist](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) to help ensure successful and accurate printing. Here are some tips to [create print-ready PDFs with InDesign.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/exporting-pdfs-from-indesign) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#supported-font-formats-16) Font formats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#supported-font-formats-16-1) Supported fonts All fonts in any PDFs you provide should be embedded. Embedding a font in a PDF ensures that the final printed product will look as it was designed. Fonts can vary greatly in size and shape, even within the same family. If the exact font used to design the artwork is not used to print, the look and placement of the text is not guaranteed to be the same. We make an exception for "standard fonts," a set of fonts that we have identified as being common. Otherwise, the request will be rejected. See our full list of [supported PDF Fontsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/Standard-PDF-Fonts) in our API docs. We support the following web font formats: * TTF * SVG * EOT * Google web fonts * Custom fonts within your HTML templates (any links must be [accessible](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#html) to Lob) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#unsupported-fonts) Unsupported fonts * OTF ([Can be convertedarrow-up-right](https://cloudconvert.com/otf-to-ttf) into another type we support) * Type 1 fonts (Exception: standard base14 fonts) * Type 3 fonts * [Adobe (Typekit) fontsarrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Fonts) (These fonts require white-listing a specific domain, which Lob is unable to do. We recommend hosting the font yourself and using it within your HTML, or finding an appropriate non-Typekit font to replace it with.) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#image-formats-17) Image formats ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **PNG:** This is a raster image format that can have a transparent background. It is generally of higher quality than other image formats. **JPEG:** This is a raster image format that is often used for photographs. It does not allow for a transparent background. When using PNGs or JPEGs with Lob, we require a minimum of 300 dpi. The dpi is calculated as (width of image in pixels) / (width of product in inches) and (length of image in pixels) / (length of product in inches). For example: `1275px x 1875px` image used to create a `4.25" x 6.25"` postcard has a dpi of 300. It is also recommended that you don't greatly exceed 300 dpi, as this will result in unnecessary additional file size. Submitted images must have the same length-to-width ratio as the chosen product. Images will not be cropped or stretched by the API. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#hosting-content-20) Hosting content ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you pass an image or send HTML in your API request, Lob will then render and host the content. If you are sending at high volumes, we recommend you host the content yourself on a performant file hosting provider, such as Amazon S3, and send Lob a hosting URL to the content in your API request. This will reduce your API request time. circle-check All URLs must be accessible. For example, broken links, missing files, and incorrect permissions will all cause mail pieces to fail. See here if you are experiencing [rendering errors.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#rendering-best-practices-21) Design tools ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We highly recommend using the Adobe Creative Suite (Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign) to design your content. This will give you design flexibility and multiple export options. circle-exclamation Please note that PNG files are RGB only—to prepare a file for printing, our rendering engine must convert this color profile to CMYK. During this conversion, there may be a slight variance in color that would impact the print result. If you require a very specific color experience (to abide by brand guidelines for example), then we recommend providing a PDF file and/or evaluating the color in Adobe Photoshop Pro. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#converting-from-pdf-to-html-26) Converting from PDF to HTML If you want to take advantage of the personalization opportunities of HTML, we recommend using a developer to convert your PDF designs to HTML. We'd estimate 15 minutes to 2 hours of development time for the average file. Some applications like Adobe Illustrator come with HTML export options, but note that their exports won't typically produce HTML that conforms to Lob's requirements. circle-check **Need help with converting your creative files to HTML?** You can now easily import your creative from popular design programs and quickly spin up merge variables. See [Creative conversion tools](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/creative-conversion-tools) for more info on our design tool integrations. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#rendering-best-practices-21-1) Proofing --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To see how your HTML is rendered, create a Test API request either through the API or view a preview in the dashboard (HTML templates). Lob's HTML renderer is based on Webkit. For this reason, using the Safari browser will show previews more accurately. This works for PDFs as well as long as the submitted PDF follows [our guidelines.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) If a PDF not following guidelines is submitted, the rendered proof may not reflect the final printed product. If using Campaigns in the dashboard, the Creative Proof will render and present a single mail piece. (It will include merge variables, address block, Lob carbon-neutral logo, and indicia, plus return address and QR codes if included.) circle-check We highly recommend sending yourself a printed piece to validate the mail piece's appearance. chevron-rightWhy does my design render differently with Lob than it does with my design tool?[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#why-does-my-design-render-differently-with-lob-than-it-does-with-my-design-tool) This difference is likely due to variations found in the rendering engine of your design tool vs. web-based browser, which seemingly results in slight deviations. * Design tools and web browsers are different mediums with different font-rendering engines. Put simply, design tools do not render based on CSS and HTML, as they are not web browsers. Different browsers (e.g., Safari vs. Chrome browsers) will show variations in rendering as well. * Points, for measuring typeface, are not a precise measurement. Point size (or ‘pt’) refers to the bounding box of the letter — not the letter itself. Differences in font files and rendering engines may also add to the rendering discrepancy. * For example, if you create a PDF in Adobe InDesign, that tool’s rendering engine will define “11pt” font differently than what Lob’s web-based rendering engine defines “11pt” to be. Points, for measuring typeface, are not a precise measurement. In metal type, point size refers to the height of the metal body on which a typeface’s character is cast. In digital typefaces, the metal body is replaced by an invisible box known as the em square. Each character fits inside that em square or em box. The em size of a font is equal to its point size. The point size is also used to measure leading (line-height), line length and other elements, apart from font size. * Given the point size system is not based on a universal standard, any differences that exist are likely due to rendering engines. It is best practice to review requests in your Test Environment, prior to requesting them in the Live environment. * The rendered image can also vary based on the DPI (Dots per Inch: a measure of the resolution of a printed document or digital scan) and zoom settings of your design tool vs. your web browser. chevron-rightWhy is the content of my mail missing?[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#why-is-the-content-of-my-mail-missing) If you are receiving a blank PDF when trying to render content, but the content of the link is not blank, it may be that the link was not performant. In order to avoid such issues, we recommend using a performant service, such as Amazon S3, to host the content. In order for this content to be visible, ensure that the link is set to public viewing, and not private, as this is one of the common reasons why content may appear as missing or blank in your creative. chevron-rightWhat are these smudges on my postcards and/or self-mailers? [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#what-are-these-smudges-on-my-postcards-and-or-self-mailers) [Smears and smudgesarrow-up-right](https://blog.click2mail.com/articles/view/hey-how-did-that-happen-why-your-mail-gets-damaged-sometimes) are an industry-wide issue that has been extensively researched by our Production team. We've found that the USPS's high-speed sorting machines are what typically cause these scuff marks. If postcards or self-mailers get exposed to the belts for a millisecond longer than they're supposed to, they're at the risk of getting abrasions. This is not an isolated incident for our printer or for our mailers. Below links are a few articles that further explain the issue with examples of how these would look like. We are unfortunately unable to provide a refund or credits for these smudge marks. [PreviousArtboard layoutchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout) [NextPDF preflight checklistchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) Last updated 8 months ago Was this helpful? * [Example mail pieces](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#file-and-font-formats-12) * [File formats for creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#file-formats-for-creative) * [HTML for dynamic creatives](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#html-13) * [PDFs for static creatives](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#pdf-guidelines-14) * [Font formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#supported-font-formats-16) * [Supported fonts](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#supported-font-formats-16-1) * [Unsupported fonts](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#unsupported-fonts) * [Image formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#image-formats-17) * [Hosting content](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#hosting-content-20) * [Design tools](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#rendering-best-practices-21) * [Proofing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#rendering-best-practices-21-1) Was this helpful? --- # Campaign audience guide | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#overview-0) Overview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The foundation of any effective marketing campaign strategy is to have a specific and defined audience of contacts. Creating a targeted audience list by utilizing important customer data, such as past purchase history, product engagement or site interaction, or loyalty or subscription data, can be an effective way to test your marketing performance. As you export your campaign audience list to bring it into Lob, keep the following guidelines in mind when using the [Campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) feature, either in the [Dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) or the [APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-1-build-your-audience-file-1) Step 1: Build your audience file --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#file-formatting) File formatting All CSVs, or comma-separated values, are required to contain recipient address data. If you are using HTML templates with merge variables for your creative, your CSV must also include merge variable data. Files must have a **.csv** filename extension and **must not exceed 500MB**. Also note, though this is typically already the default, **UTF-8 encoding is required** for CSV files. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#formatting-field-and-record-values) Formatting field & record values CSV output will always start with the first row returning the column field names. Then the data itself will follow as CSV records. Whitespace characters (spaces, pilcrows, and carriage returns) will be trimmed at the start and end of each value to ensure we can process the CSV. For example, " John Doe " will be trimmed to "John Doe". Any whitespace characters inside the value will _not_ be trimmed. You are not required to name your columns to Lob's naming convention, as you can easily map them in the Dashboard. However, any fields that use Lob's naming convention will be automatically mapped. The Lob naming convention for CSV column headers are indicated below in **bold**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#required-columns-2) Required columns * `**name**`: Recipient name must be 40 characters or less * Note the name as it appears in this column will appear in the "To" field in the address block on your mail piece * If more than 40 characters are needed, you can also utilize the (optional) `**company**`field; when both are provided, they will be printed on two separate lines above the rest of the address. * `**address_line1**`: Must be 64 characters or less * `**address_city**`: Must be 200 characters or less * `**address_state**`: [2-letter US state short-name codearrow-up-right](https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28apb.htm) (e.g. CA for California) * `**address_zip**`: Must follow the ZIP format of 12345 or ZIP+4 format of 12345-1234 * Lookout! MS Excel and Google Sheets may attempt to drop leading zero. * Any merge variable data * When using merge variables that point to a URL, like images or custom fonts, ensure the link is public and can be accessed by Lob ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#optional-columns-3) Optional columns * `**address_line2**`: Must be 64 characters or less * `**company**`: Must be 40 characters or less * `**address_country**`: Must be in [ISO 3166-1 alpha-2arrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ISO_3166_country_codes) convention (e.g. US for the United States of America) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#metadata-columns) Metadata columns Tagging your mailpieces with [metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) can help identify and group your mail sent in any given campaign for easier reporting and attribution. While optional, if you choose to add metadata tags, you cannot add more than 20 Key-Value pairs. **Keys** can be at most 40 characters and **values** must be at most 500 characters. * **Recipient metadata**: is passed in the CSV and applies to each individual _**row**_, or recipient. Recipient metadata is great for tags that are specific to each recipient of mail, like `state:NC` or `first_name:John`. Recipient metadata can be passed in the CSV one of two ways: 1. **As regular column data**: You can use any number of the CSV columns as metadata for your mailpieces such as “name”, “address\_line1”, etc. The values for this column for each row should be regular text and **not** JSON formatted. See our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads/operation/upload_create) on how to use more than one column from your CSV file as metadata. Example: If you have a column header in your CSV file called “`recipient`” and the value of the cell for this column in the first row is “`john_smith`”, then the metadata that gets attached to your mailpiece for this row will be “`recipient: john_smith`” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJz5dT0yb6VoFMdP5NFc7%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-04%2520at%25204.21.24%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D74fb605a-0ff5-488c-8544-803a1339f5c6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=369f6e26&sv=2) 2. **In multiple columns, prefixed with** `**metadata_**`. For example, your file could have `metadata_key1` and `metadata_key2` columns, and then the values that correspond to each mailpiece in each row. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FECKuVN7rT1GH3ZNmJXQ1%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-04%2520at%25204.21.40%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D16df01a5-d8ab-4544-baa0-3dec3c750580&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b17fcba8&sv=2) * This is different than **Campaign Metadata** * It is configured on the `POST /v1/campaigns` [API callarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) or in the Lob dashboard, on the Campaigns [Configure Settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/create/settings) screen in Step 1 at the bottom in the “Add campaign-level metadata tags” section. * Note: Campaign metadata is **not configurable within your CSV** * Each individual mailpiece created through the campaign will inherit Campaign metadata. This is ideal for tags you’d like to apply to an entire campaign and can be set in Step 1. circle-exclamation Only 1 of the above methods can be used at once. If you have a column name prefixed with `metadata_` in your CSV file but you’ve also selected a regular column to be used as metadata for your mailpiece, then the the values from the `metadata_` prefixed column will NOT be used. We prioritize the manually selected columns to be attached as metadata. If you have not manually selected any column from your CSV file to be used as metadata and the CSV file contains a `metadata_` prefixed column, then the data from the `metadata_` prefixed columns will be used as metadata for each mailpiece automatically. Column names prefixed with `metadata_` DO NOT need to be manually selected as metadata. They are automatically applied. If you would like to manually select this column, then simply remove the `metadata_` prefix from the column name. See [Using Metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) to learn more about how this powerful feature can help parse your mail. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-2-map-your-data-to-your-campaign-4) Step 2: Map your data to your campaign --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-exclamation If a merge variable has the same "name" as a "key" in the `requiredAddressColumnMapping` or `optionalAddressColumnMapping` objects, then they **CANNOT** have a different value in this object. If a different value is provided, then when the campaign is processing it will get overwritten with the mapped value present in the `requiredAddressColumnMapping` or `optionalAddressColumnMapping` objects. The redirect URLs for QR codes can also be customized using this mapping. If the URL has a variable and the variable mapping existsing here, then data from the respective column in the audience file will be merged into the URL template. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#dashboard-5) Dashboard Upload your CSV file in [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) > Step 2: Add Audience. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656449310898-1656449310898.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d04b2865&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#campaigns-api-6) Campaigns API When [sending](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) the `POST` or `PATCH` request to the `/v1/uploads` endpoint, you will need to pass in an array of key-value pairs in the `requiredAddressColumnMapping` property. The keys will be the Lob-required field names, and the values will be the column headers in your CSV. For the other properties that you can pass in the payload, refer to our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads/operation/upload_create) . Example: `POST /v1/uploads` [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-3-add-your-return-address) Step 3: Add your return address (if applicable) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Within campaigns, you're able to choose if you'd like to have a single return address or a personalized return address for your recipients. A return address is optional depending on the form factor (e.g. Postcards), but required for other form factors (e.g. Letters). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#single-return-address) Single Return Address A single return address allows you to select a return address that you have created within Lob, to use across all of your recipients in your campaign. In this case, every recipient will have the same return address on their mail piece. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F8suDAgHgAuKO9I11RQy5%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.20.45%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D003813fa-7dea-4016-9a93-e1aad5c2b72d&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5bfeaa33&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#personalized-return-address) Personalized Return Address A personalized return address allows you to have a unique return address for each recipient within a Campaign. Within the campaign flow, in Step 2: Add Audience, a block will appear to set up your return address after you have added your audience to the campaign. The default option is to use a Single Return Address, or you can select Personalized Return Address. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FPI5c6PAqUEHwfmyDRW8r%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.17.46%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da1e4946a-6100-43d5-a27c-9bbd0d754e5e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9ef6c31f&sv=2) When you select Personalized Return Address and new mapping fields to map the return address values will appear if you have already uploaded your audience file. Similar to the address mapping for a recipient delivery address, the return address mapping connects to the CSV file uploaded in one-time campaigns and the integration table for automated campaigns. If you have Personalized return address selected, then the fields below will be required in order for you to submit the campaign: 1. Default return address 1. If there is any data field missing in your audience file for a particular recipient, the default return address will be used as a fallback option to still produce a valid return address on your mail piece. 2. Return\_address\_name 1. The name (first/last) for the return address 3. Return\_address\_line1 4. Return\_address\_city 5. Return\_address\_state 6. Return\_address\_zip Optional return address fields can be added to the return address, but are not required to be filled in to submit the campaign: 1. Return\_address\_line2 2. Return\_address\_company 3. Return\_address\_country Required fields are denoted in the UI with a red exclamation icon, whereas the optional fields show a gray exclamation icon. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FzfvT7yz69GHatU6yIph2%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.22.47%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D5ee05acd-4dc6-4983-a43d-0d717ed60c02&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6d995666&sv=2) Similar to the recipient delivery address mapping, if your audience file includes the column headings that match the return address variables above, then we will auto-map these variables together. If we can’t detect which column to auto-map to, then you will need to manually map these fields together to properly connect. You cannot use the same return address column data as used in a recipient address delivery field. For example, if you have an “address\_line\_1” column in your audience file and you map that to the recipient address line 1 field, you can’t also use that same address\_line\_1 field for the return address line 1. In this case, if you have already used that field in another mapping, then when you go to select that column in the return address mapping it would say “already mapped”. There's handling in place that prevents a user from mapping the same address to a recipient to the return address so that a customer doesn't go around the return address in a way they aren't supposed to. When you have all of the mapping implemented correctly you should see a green success indicator for each return address field and no more red exclamation icons. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FigV9iTl8IWyHgOyaJciH%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.26.01%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D1f4453e7-61f6-41c8-a454-001c85c8891e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=624e71fc&sv=2) After you have successfully added and mapped your return address fields on step 2 of campaigns, you will see a confirmation of the field mapping on step 4 of campaigns. Verify the information in step 4 for your return address is correct. If you haven’t done so already, we recommend you generate a creative proof to have a full preview with the address data inserted on the address block for the return address. After you submit the campaign, in the campaign details page, select the details tab to view the return address details that were submitted with the campaign. At this point, each mail piece created from the campaign will be using a return address based on the mapping you had outlined. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FDlRJ1pnk0dywmb0MuNCU%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.27.24%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df9d83133-c73d-429a-83ba-8e968ac1b8c1&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e8e74686&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2tdUjzoHdOWmRrjuFmjA%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-01%2520at%25209.28.04%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De2746b42-d981-4356-bdb1-77f3bea7d117&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1d713171&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-3-map-merge-variable-data-if-applicable-7) Step 4: Map merge variable data (if applicable) to your creative ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#dashboard-8) Dashboard Merge variable data (if applicable) is mapped in [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) > Step 3: Choose Creative ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656449426748-1656449426748.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8d882e9d&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#campaigns-api-9) Campaigns API This can either be [configured](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-2-add-creative-8) in Step 2 during the initial `POST` request or updated using a `PATCH`. When sending the request, pass in an array of key-value pairs in the `mergeVariableColumnMapping` property. The keys will be the merge variable names defined in your HTML template and the values will be the column headers in your CSV. Example: `POST /v1/uploads` [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#troubleshooting-common-issues-10) Troubleshooting common issues ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **When uploading your CSV audience file, ensure the** _**filetype**_ **is correct.** * To ensure compatibility, ensure your CSV is **UTF-8 encoded (Unicode)**. * Your file should have an extension that ends in **.csv**. * In rare cases, your file type might appear to have a .csv extension but actually be saved in a different, unsupported format. **Avoid opening up your audience CSV in a spreadsheet program like Excel if possible.** * If you do need to open the file, avoid saving the file or making updates. These programs will automatically make changes to your file when saved, which could potentially cause issues on upload. * Stripped leading zeros for zip codes are the most common issue. For example, the program turns Zip Code 07751 into 7751. Zip codes that begin with “0” are in the Northeast, specifically CT, MA, ME, VT, NH, NJ, RI. **Avoid line breaks in your audience file to prevent your CSV from being rejected.** * If you need line breaks as part of a merge variable, consider using two merge variables at this time. **Avoid commas in your audience file to prevent your CSV from being rejected.** * Check if your CSV file has commas that are separating values that belong in unique columns per the specifications above. **Avoid disallowed characters in the header row.** * Allowed characters in the headers are: alphanumeric (`a-z`, `A-Z`, `0-9`), underscore (`_`), dash (`-`), parentheses (`()`), space ( ), and period (`.`). [PreviousAll about addresseschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses) [NextAdditional Lob NCOA functionalitychevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#overview-0) * [Step 1: Build your audience file](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-1-build-your-audience-file-1) * [File formatting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#file-formatting) * [Formatting field & record values](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#formatting-field-and-record-values) * [Required columns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#required-columns-2) * [Optional columns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#optional-columns-3) * [Metadata columns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#metadata-columns) * [Step 2: Map your data to your campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-2-map-your-data-to-your-campaign-4) * [Dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#dashboard-5) * [Campaigns API](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#campaigns-api-6) * [Step 3: Add your return address (if applicable)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-3-add-your-return-address) * [Single Return Address](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#single-return-address) * [Personalized Return Address](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#personalized-return-address) * [Step 4: Map merge variable data (if applicable) to your creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#step-3-map-merge-variable-data-if-applicable-7) * [Dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#dashboard-8) * [Campaigns API](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#campaigns-api-9) * [Troubleshooting common issues](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide#troubleshooting-common-issues-10) Was this helpful? Copy { "campaignId": "{{campaign_id}}", "requiredAddressColumnMapping": { "name": "recipient", "address_line1": "primary line", "address_zip": "zip_code", "address_state": "state", "address_city": "city" } } Copy { "campaignId": "{{campaign_id}}", "mergeVariableColumnMapping": { "mergeVariable1": "dog", "mergeVariable2": "cat", } } --- # Exporting PDFs from InDesign | Lob Help Center If you use Adobe InDesign to create PDFs for Lob, you can use this video to do some checks on your creative before it is sent to Lob. 1. **All fonts in your PDF should be embedded.** If you are having trouble embedding your fonts, this is most likely because of a licensing issue. The preferred resolution would be to find/renew the font license but if that is not possible, you can always use InDesign to create an outline of the text. Remember that this option is to be used sparingly because it dramatically increases the size of the resulting PDF. (By default InDesign will embed fonts when exporting PDFs.) 2. **Image resolution should be 300 dpi** for the best print quality; the video will walk you through adjusting the resolution. 3. **Images must use a CMYK color profile: GRACoL 2006 or GRACoL 2013.** This will make sure that colors show up correctly in the final printed product. Setting the correct color profile also goes for any artwork/pictures that you import into InDesign as well. 4. **Flattening the transparencies is VERY IMPORTANT.** If you fail to do this, certain artwork/pictures won’t show up in the final printed product. Make sure to set the option to “High Resolution” to cover any edge cases that may show up in your PDF. 5. **Keep your file size under** **5MB.** Tips on saving space include using text outline sparingly, not using a giant picture as the background, and making pictures/artwork the same size as will be used in the design. 6. **Run a diagnostic on the generated PDF.** If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can use the Preflight function under the Edit menu to run a report on your PDF. This will alert you to any issues. Set the profile to the “**PDF-X/1a** (GRACoL 2006)” and select “Analyze and Fix”. [See our full PDF preflight checklist here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) [PreviousPDF preflight checklistchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) [NextRendering errorschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Send mail via Print & Mail API | Lob Help Center [See our API quickstart guide here!](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) [PreviousLaunch your first campaignchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) [NextSend campaigns via the Campaigns APIchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Maximizing engagement | Lob Help Center To maximize engagement with your direct mail campaigns, we recommend leveraging dynamic personalization and integrating clear calls to action (CTAs) on each mailpiece. Including a coupon code, phone number, URL, or QR code is a powerful way to bridge the gap between offline and online experiences, driving more interaction with your brand. Lob also empowers you to enhance your direct mail campaigns by leveraging USPS’s Informed Delivery service to create an additional digital touchpoint, giving your audience another opportunity to engage with your content before they even receive the physical mail. * [Dynamic personalization](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) * [Adding QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) * [URL shortener](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls) * [Informed Delivery](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery) [PreviousCustom mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/custom-mail) [NextDynamic personalizationchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Rendering errors | Lob Help Center Lob occasionally encounters problems with the creative when rendering mailpieces; this can occur with either PDFs or HTML. To avoid sending out erroneous mailpieces, Lob provides visibility of these errors, with proactive notification of rendering errors in place. circle-check We always recommend testing; and where possible, sending yourself a printed mailpiece. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#pdf) PDF ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Lob will fail incorrectly formatted PDFs.** [See our PDF preflight checklist here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist) to ensure your file will process through our rendering engine. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#html) HTML --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Lob will fail HTML that includes inaccessible assets (images, fonts, any other URLs):** * the link to an asset is incorrect * the asset referenced in the file is missing * Lob has not been given the correct permission to access the asset (ensure that the link is set to public viewing, and not private) * when a remote asset references a local asset (for example, a remote asset is at www.example.com which then references something local in that directory) * slow or under-resourced server providing the asset (we recommend using a performant service, such as Amazon S3, to host the content) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#html-template-preview) HTML Template Preview If your HTML contains an inaccessible asset, your HTML preview will error. Details of the error will be displayed in a future release. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F5IeRgocdJgIAoUvP4DSw%252Ftemplate_preview.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De2170e2b-3b4a-4099-b989-a4de5e4d0fe5&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=775c0d43&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#in-the-campaigns-ui-flow) In the Campaigns UI flow * **When creating your Campaign, you** _**may**_ **be notified when you generate a Creative Proof** (if the sample mailpiece that is rendered results in an error); if this occurs you should troubleshoot against the above list. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FGUTZvm3AZ1FerJzpehYM%252Fproof-error.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3ea325af-db7e-4cf6-b3b3-3598d879b2f7&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4f4f2ce5&sv=2) * **After placing the order, you will be notified in the dashboard,** and the reason for the error will be provided (click to enlarge): ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2SKOsFjwpC1lnhJxrFNa%252Ferror-dashboard-campaigns.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dcfd2b496-441f-4a1b-9c04-321bbcdf9e0e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6814e4cb&sv=2) Campaigns - dashboard ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FRq8yd4wUyAss8K1NfB5c%252Ferror-formfactor.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D11e676d5-97fd-4b3e-88e9-eae3f33015e1&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e02872f8&sv=2) Campaigns - Form factor (ex: Postcards) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FK7zAe4cZolCpBrSzPzvV%252Ferror-formfactor2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df5125b3b-53a6-44f3-9d97-90b86818aad6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=56566e98&sv=2) Campaigns - Form factor (ex: Postcards) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FhQYsGB78ea6aZvvGy38c%252Ferror-orderdetails.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0150ec97-930e-41c7-8900-e2cf3d10bafb&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=96c6aaec&sv=2) Campaigns - order details * The Lob support team will proactively reach out. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#api-users) API users * API customers will receive an error notification in the API response. * The Lob support team will proactively reach out. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#webhooks) Webhooks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Webhooks users can subscribe to receive notifications of failed orders. (Learn more about [using webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) here.) 1. Under Webhooks in the dashboard, in the Live environment, click Create. 2. Check \[formfactor\].failed; click Create. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLvZZhoKaDQgE2eTOZmxj%252Fcreate_webhook.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dffc18ed7-8829-4634-ace6-4229336b8b41&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2badf297&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQ4d8Q9xw0MmlbxuF2v6C%252Fsubscribe_failed.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D05794922-302d-4b68-ac4b-530f050f0a1b&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6535363b&sv=2) self\_mailer.failed also available If subscribed to postcard.failed, letter.failed, and/or check.failed, and Lob fails an order during rendering, the following error messages are possible: _"Rendering failed due to asset issue:_ * _The requested asset was not found: "_ * _The requested asset is not permitted: "_ * _Authentication is required to access the requested asset: "_ * _An internal server error occurred for: "_ * _The requested asset timed out: "_ * _An unknown server error occurred for: "_ * _The requested service is unavailable for: "_ * _An unknown error occurred for: "_ If not one of the most common errors above, or a PDF failure, _"try re-render”_ will be returned. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjIhXFiKGEjMJBQYdfusp%252Fwebhook_error_messaging.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Db73010f3-a296-442e-8627-cb590398a91d&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=61677d86&sv=2) circle-info If you are unable to resolve the error, please reach out to [\[email protected\]arrow-up-right](email:support@lob.com) [PreviousExporting PDFs from InDesignchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/exporting-pdfs-from-indesign) [NextMail piece design specschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [PDF](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#pdf) * [HTML](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#html) * [HTML Template Preview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#html-template-preview) * [In the Campaigns UI flow](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#in-the-campaigns-ui-flow) * [API users](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#api-users) * [Webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors#webhooks) Was this helpful? --- # Artboard layout | Lob Help Center circle-info **Note**: All measurements are in inches, denoted by the double prime symbol (e.g. 4"x6"). [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#artboard-components-2) Artboard components -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FKcGo7YgH2PQd6zBtUlfy%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-19%2520at%252010.15.38%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D965d1fcb-ebb5-4999-8eb4-f3f6a6080e13&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2942010b&sv=2) Example artboard: 4"x6" postcard ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FY2b7K0DfuTNNZNYTR3xm%252FArtboard-letter-6pagsorless.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D864077c9-0cc5-4938-a9cc-2cffc6ec5a26&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5aba00f3&sv=2) Example artboard 8.5"x11" letter ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#mail-piece-size-6) Mail piece size The sizes of our mail pieces and their respective print layout requirements can be found in each respective section of the [Mailpiece design specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) in the Help Center. Note that the API will return an error if you input a non-HTML file with the incorrect dimensions. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#bleed-area-3) Bleed area In the above postcard, you'll notice that the file that you are sending to Lob is actually 4.25" x 6.25" instead of 4" x 6". This extra space is what we call the Bleed Area. The Bleed Area is included in postcards and self-mailers to ensure that creatives get printed all the way to the edge. This is because the creative gets printed with slightly larger dimensions than the actual card area and is subsequently trimmed down in production. Backgrounds and graphics should be extended into the Bleed Area. If they don't extend into the Bleed Area, it can result in a white or unprinted border on the edge of the postcard or self-mailer. There is no need to include [crop marks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#avoiding-printers-marks-15) in your submitted content. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#trim-zone-4) Trim zone The Trim Zone captures the finished size of a mail piece, which will result from the printer trimming down a larger sheet of paper. Artwork that extends into the Bleed Area will be trimmed down to the size of the actual mail piece. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#safe-zone-5) Safe zone Keep all critical text and artwork within 1/8" from the edge of the final size to ensure no important content is ever trimmed off. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#no-ink-zones-7) No-ink zones ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) Address block & postage On our artboard templates, there is a space marked as **\*RED: INK-FREE AREA\*** on the backside of the mail piece. Anything in this area will not be printed, as this space is where the postage and address information will be printed during the production process. Address blocks for `4" x 6"` postcards measure `2.375" x 3.2835"`, and all other postcard, self-mailer, and snap pack blocks measure `2.375" x 4.0"`. On letters, the address block is `3.15" x 2"` and is located 0.6" from the left edge and 0.84" from the top edge. A white box will be printed, upon which will be printed the address and barcode information. Any content in this area will be covered and will not be visible. On checks, the check itself will be printed at the `8.5" x 3.625"` area at the top. This area must thus be left blank. Anything printed in this area will not be printed to leave room for check details, including address information, payment amount, signature, and bank routing numbers. All text and important information should be included within the safe zone of the check bottom or check attachment pages. Special characters, such as emojis, should not be submitted for the address block. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#carbon-neutral-mail-certification-9) Carbon Neutral Mail Certification Lob is committed to setting a new [sustainability](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability) standard for direct mail and helping our customers and partners meet their sustainability goals. Lob has partnered with USPS to include a [Carbon Neutral Mail certificationarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sustainable-direct-mail) to help customers demonstrate to their end-recipients that they are sending mail in an environmentally responsible way. The Carbon Neutral Mail certification will automatically be included within the official use address block of postcards and self-mailers. (Support of this certification may be expanded to other mail types printed by Lob in the future.) **It will not impact your workflow or the way you design your creatives in any way.** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F1uDK9wiGvUIq5UtWLOiE%252FLob%2520carbon%2520neutral%2520emblem%25201.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D35cbdc23-9de6-4eee-8d70-a09d53bb5c1f&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ed1c35d3&sv=2) The certification measures `0.349" x 0.349"`, and is printed in either full color or black & white, depending on the letter settings. Address block placement and measurements for applicable formats can be found below. You will be able to see the Carbon Neutral Mail logo in the proof PDF. For any questions on our Carbon Neutral Mail certification, reach out to your CSM or [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2c5f595c5c435e586c40434e024f4341) . #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#psc-sfm-placement) **Placement on postcards & self-mailers** On postcards or self-mailers, the Carbon Neutral Mail certification will be placed between the return address, postage indicia, and IMb, within the [address block](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) . This red area in our templates represent a white box, which will be printed on top of all submitted artwork to hold return and recipient addresses as well as the IMb information. circle-exclamation Be mindful of where the red address box of ink-free zone is placed on different-sized postcards and self-mailers in relation to the edge of the actual mailpiece (trim), as well as the middle fold for folded self-mailers. Placement for 4x6" postcards only Placement for all other postcards & self-mailers ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FBnylMSfD45Pg0zckcAI8%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-19%2520at%252010.18.39%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D978fbdab-88a6-42e8-941e-798012d2508d&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=348f0a00&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FaNBHdz77hT6Ti6cmmrP4%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-19%2520at%252010.19.04%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D7b807733-98c9-441f-a449-d50e1b376af0&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e84ebb15&sv=2) Address block size: **2.375" x 3.2835"** Placement **within red box**: * From right: **1.33"** * From bottom: **1.69"** Address block size: **2.375" x 4.0"** Placement **within red box**: * From right: **1.33"** * From bottom: **1.69"** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#qr-codes-sequence-id-numbers-10) QR codes & sequence ID numbers On letters and checks, there is a small QR code and a set of sequence IDs that will be printed on the bottom left corner during the mail production process, which are used as part of Lob's internal quality control process. These codes get scanned by cameras on our printers to ensure that the correct pages go into each corresponding mail piece as they get inserted into envelopes. They will both appear on each page that contains content, and cannot be removed. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FzqC9J71QUaDmfa2kZ6oc%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-03-14%2520at%25203.07.05%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8e39b6cc-768d-4bc6-97ae-e95b82b021c4&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=98defad6&sv=2) While the red zone around the QR code is `0.5" x 0.5"` large, keep a `0.58" x 0.58"` sized area at the bottom left corner of the letter clear of any content as it will be covered and obscured by a white box that will be printed around the QR code. Sequence IDs itself are `1.45" x 0.09"` long, and is located 0.3" from the left edge and 2.2375" from the bottom edge of the page. Any content behind the sequence ID will be covered and obscured by a white box that will be printed to make the ID legible. Plan your artwork submissions accordingly by avoiding printing any important text or artwork in the area saved for the printer QR code and sequence numbers. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#intelligent-mail-barcode-11) Intelligent Mail barcode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The [Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb)arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing/intelligent-mail-barcode) is a 65-bar US Postal Service barcode used for mail sorting and tracking. It includes the routing ZIP and tracking information. USPS requires the use of the IMb in order for Lob's mail to benefit from automated processes. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) Prohibited artwork ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Stamp or indicia artwork**: There is a risk that the USPS will reject mail that includes artwork that resembles a stamp or fake indicia. * **Postcards & self-mailers**: Indicias are automatically printed within the [address block](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#no-ink-zones-7) (see above section). Fake indicias should not be part of your submitted artwork elsewhere. * **Custom envelopes**: There is no need to include indicia outlines in your artwork for the risk of rejection. **Artwork near the indicia**: Artwork (such as eagles or American flags) is sometimes added to the left of an indicia box to add a sense of importance or urgency to a mailed piece. A 0.125" clearance on all sides from the indicia is necessary for this addition. Example: Fake indicia on postcard Example: Artwork too close to indicia ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FwOVriUsKXVbDncia5RUc%252Fimage.png%252016-41-15-209.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dfd2a290e-2420-4fd5-b3ec-5d65329b7658&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f16b0649&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1663702772720-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-09-20%2520at%252012.39.11%2520PM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d7581f94&sv=2) Lob will print the actual indicia in the address block area. Leave enough space near indicia. No need to show the indicia box in artwork submissions, as Lob will print the indicia at the time of printing. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-zone-warning) Address "zone" warning ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-exclamation We do not recommend placing any address in your creative in the bottom 2.375" of a mailpiece opposite the address panel. This will prevent the USPS from accidentally scanning the wrong side of the mailpiece. In the following example, promotional text (in the form of an address) included on the opposite side of the postcard could be mistaken by USPS scanners for the "To:" address. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FhYMgdIbaxc2AvUBMQmp9%252FBAD%2520example.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0ca96fd1-38ae-4a20-83ca-eba7b0f66004&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1c5c30f7&sv=2) Instead, if you would like to include a promotional address in your creative, we recommend you: * Place it above 2.375" from the bottom OR * Choose light text on a dark background (to clearly distinguish from the address/postage block) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQ05lYAdrO6CK3CL9tdlG%252FGOOD%2520example%25201.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0bb36b8a-1665-4475-ba1a-e62cd970d906&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b9db471c&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FGU8WPRH7zM7kHYfmYXbN%252FGOOD%2520example%25202.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da443291b-e795-4aa6-a490-bdb4541ed44e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fdc1a586&sv=2) [PreviousDesigning mail creativeschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives) [NextCreative formattingchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [Artboard components](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#artboard-components-2) * [Mail piece size](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#mail-piece-size-6) * [Bleed area](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#bleed-area-3) * [Trim zone](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#trim-zone-4) * [Safe zone](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#safe-zone-5) * [No-ink zones](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#no-ink-zones-7) * [Address block & postage](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) * [Carbon Neutral Mail Certification](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#carbon-neutral-mail-certification-9) * [QR codes & sequence ID numbers](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#qr-codes-sequence-id-numbers-10) * [Intelligent Mail barcode](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#intelligent-mail-barcode-11) * [Prohibited artwork](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) * [Address "zone" warning](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-zone-warning) Was this helpful? --- # Send mail! | Lob Help Center This Help Center is a fantastic resource for learning all things Lob, and we recommend doing your homework. But once you feel ready...get set, and send! [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQXS1kUWxq8QQ99VpP7FQ%252FScreenshot%25202023-02-08%2520at%25204.00.50%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D060498d2-8008-47f7-a843-23c8a7748c57&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=22d40f9d&sv=2) **Send via the Lob Dashboard** [](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FZ2HmCKKgRvorpCSIHEZB%252Fcodeletters.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6c565034-1fb1-4405-b739-9425095e93f8&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f93c5800&sv=2) [**Send via Print & Mail API**](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F6ETFF3amovfuR5dvIz8e%252F0_ljyW1QItACx67HVd.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0e1d2058-f6df-4880-9b77-4f8eef756fdb&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6035d2b0&sv=2) **Send via Campaigns API** [](https://app.gitbook.com/o/0H4sVkZ2D8HLrJ2FgpS4/s/iXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC/~/changes/1141/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FPONXxiRbaOQ26gssYBVf%252Fsecure_destruction_hero.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dae7ecbd8-8fb0-456e-a8f5-4d6b874d52ca&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fa9af3aa&sv=2) **USPS Secure Destruction** [PreviousInternational mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail) [NextLaunch your first campaignchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # PDF preflight checklist | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#what-is-preflight) **What is preflight?** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Preflight is a print industry standard term for checking files for things that might cause issues in the physical output before you start the printing process. It is however NOT a standard set of checks or ways to solve those problems. Every printer has its own flavor of Preflight that does the checks and/or resolution steps in a different order. Lob’s preflight module requires each file to meet the PDF-X/1a standard. PDF-X/1a is a standard for creating reliable and predictable PDF files for print production. (The "X-1a" part refers to the specific version of the PDF/X standard, which has certain requirements and restrictions to ensure compatibility and consistency.) To render and execute your campaigns quickly, and at scale, our ability to audit every file is limited. We run an automated check—where fixes are automatically applied—but in doing so, it may negatively impact your mailpieces. **To ensure each mailpiece is rendered exactly like you intend, please submit print-ready files by following the preflight checklist below.** [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#requirements-for-static-pdfs) Requirements for static PDFs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chevron-rightMust be PDF/X-1a compliant[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#must-be-pdf-x-1a-compliant) If you have Adobe Acrobat Pro, you can use the Preflight function to run a report on your PDF which will alert the issues with your PDF file and also allow you to fix/convert the PDF file to PDF/X-1a format. To perform these actions in Adobe Acrobat, please follow the steps outlined below: ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#vtt9l5sivqnw) How to review: 1) Open Acrobat and the desired PDF 2) Access the Production tools by clicking on **(View > Tools > Print Production**) from your window pane. Alternatively, you can locate it on the right-hand side of the screen under search tools by expanding the Print Production tab. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F9hZ4UDsL6laSoD21Z38M%252F0.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2bbb3de0&sv=2) 3) Once the Print Production tools are open, click on the **Preflight** option. 4) In the Preflight window, select the **"PDF/X”** tab. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FBFNgBa7Xy4Ey77Cg7yGo%252F1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d09d1a2e&sv=2) 5) Choose the option "**Convert to PDF/X-1a (Coated GRACoL 2006)”** 6) You then have two options: * If you want to generate a report detailing errors in your PDF file, click on the **“Analyze”** button. * To analyze and fix any identified issues click the **"Analyze and Fix**" button. \*\***This option will also save your file in PDF/X-1a format.\*\*** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#dsolao16sval) How to Save: 1. Select the PDF file that you want to convert to PDF/X. 2. Once the PDF document is open, go to the “File” menu option and choose “Save As” ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FrosJl0VwbazAguALxm4G%252F2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=af4b8181&sv=2) 1. In the “Save As” dialog box, specify the desired location on your computer to save the converted file. Choose a recognizable name for the converted PDF/X-1a file. 2. Next, look for a dropdown menu or an option that allows you to select the file format. Click on the **PDF/X** option. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FsJLz9824LCiSywPjFJJJ%252F3.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=be547bab&sv=2) 1. Next, configure the settings: * Select **Save as PDF/X-1a** * Select **Convert to PDF/X-1a (Coated GracOL 2006)** 1. Click the “OK” button to initiate the conversion process. 2. Depending on the size and complexity of the original PDF file, the conversion process may take a few moments or longer. You may see a progress bar indicating the status of the conversion. 3. Once the conversion is complete, the software will save the PDF/X-1a file to the specified location on your computer. chevron-rightFlatten transparency[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#flatten-transparency) If transparencies are not flattened, overlapping colors may change and objects may disappear completely. To ensure predictable and accurate print results, it is generally recommended to flatten transparencies before submitting the file over to Lob for printing. Flattening eliminates potential issues and helps create a final output that closely matches the intended design. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#dhsv0f7dhmn5) How to review: 1. Open the pdf you want to check 2. Open Print Production tools (View > Tools > Print Production) 3. Click Preflight 4. Click the PDF/X tab 5. Click convert to PDF/X1-a (coated GRACoL 2006) 6. Click on the Analyze button. 7. The preflight tool will return information on where transparency was applied. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FOn0eF3QbFcK6dbSzYrbU%252F5.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5634e52f&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#x7hvj6p3i854) How to save: 1. Open PDF file to flatten 2. Open Print Production > Flattener preview 3. Select Transparent Objects from the dropdown for highlight, any transparencies will be highlighted in red. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FILZyrjzBOwtGr3w7AJbP%252F6.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1be789f8&sv=2) 4\. If you’re unable to select the Transparent object instead have the option to select None (Color Preview) which means the file doesn’t have any transparencies. 5\. Click Apply. chevron-rightRemove layers[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#remove-layers) When you create a PDF from layered documents using software, such as Adobe InDesign or Adobe Photoshop, your PDF can contain multiple layers with different content on each one. If you submit the PDF file as is, you will only print the layer that is visible onscreen as opposed to all visual elements from various layers. To avoid this issue, you want to flatten your PDF file for print. Flattening a PDF before print removes transparency information and converts it to a format that the printer can read. Ensure the creative/PDF file you’re submitting over is flat and there is just one single layer prior to submission. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#id-3uyfd2u47mne) How to review: 1. Open the PDF file or creative you want to check. 2. Click on the layers icon on the left panel as shown in the screenshot below. 3. If there are layers on your file, they will be listed as Layer 1, Layer 2, etc.., under Layers ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FBEExYBFVKxO3Udy3OwE6%252F7.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bd785552&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#wk3mpr10k6sa) How to remove Follow the above three steps, then click on the layer icon and select the Flatten Layers option. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F67lNy7WisbBj54ktgPMR%252F8.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7d2a23ff&sv=2) Alternatively, you can flatten the PDF to remove layers and transparencies. Please check - How to Save a File under flattening transparencies. chevron-rightFonts must be embedded[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#fonts-must-be-embedded) Please note the [font typesarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#supported-font-formats-16) Lob can and cannot support. Fonts must be outlined (preferred) or [embedded.arrow-up-right](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/embed-fonts-in-a-publication-to-ensure-their-availability-644449b9-22ab-4c80-9ffe-a7ddc183a650) Fonts that have not been outlined or embedded might change or render incorrectly, specific letters may be substituted with incorrect glyphs. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#cywg2mbcuppt) How to review: 1. Go to "File" and choose "Open" to select the PDF file you want to check the fonts. 2. Click on "File" and then select "Properties" from the dropdown menu. 3. Access the Fonts tab: In the Properties dialog box, click on the "Fonts" tab. 4. Check font embedding status: You will see a list of fonts used in the PDF document. Look for fonts that are listed as "Not Embedded" or "Embedded Subset." ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjtHpsNulouWIW7bKxbef%252F9.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=53f24dc&sv=2) If the above is not true for your PDF file, you will have to follow the below instructions on how to embed fonts in PDF. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#id-10v58sd16tjr) How to save/embed fonts: If you are using InDesign, export PDF with PDF/X1a setting and all fonts will be embedded. Likewise, if you are using Microsoft Word, “save as Adobe PDF” (not Microsoft's “save as PDF”) choose the High Quality Print settings, and all fonts will be embedded. If you no longer have access to the original document and all you have is the PDF file with fonts that aren't embedded, Acrobat does provide a fix for embedding fonts via the Preflight feature. There is a fix for embedding missing fonts. Note that this requires that (1) the missing fonts are actually installed on your system and (2) the fonts themselves do not prohibit embedding in a PDF file. 1. To embed a new font, go to File > Print and then select Adobe PDF. Click Properties. 2. Select the Adobe PDF settings tab at the end and then click the EDIT button to the right of the default settings. 3. Next, a left menu of folders will appear in the pop up window. Click Fonts, then make sure the fonts you need to embed are on the fonts source list. If so, tick the box at the top that says Embed all fonts. 4. If they are not, then you will need to close the pop up window and either move or duplicate the fonts files from where you have stored them to C:/Windows/Fonts. If you struggle to find this then you can search for the folder in the search bar on the launcher menu. 5. All fonts you want to embed in the PDF should be in the Fonts source list. You now need to move the desired fonts to the Always Embed box. 6. Click OK on the pop-up window and you’re done. Please note that font embedding may increase the file size of the PDF document. chevron-rightFile size under 5MB[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#file-size-under-5mb) Lower file size allows for easier processing at the print level. Large files have a higher potential to fail ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#kdmqwajyen75) How to review: 1. Open the PDF file that you’re looking to check. 2. Click File > Properties. Under the Description tab check for "File Size" where you should be able to see the size of the file. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQlNALaPpmhUEChHBYVaI%252F10.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=82b897b0&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#skedmxuzu076) How to compress: 1. Open the PDF you wish to re-save as a smaller file. 2. Choose File, "Save as Other," and then "Reduced Size PDF." ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#c3kjcfb13htt) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F0dnFbFPUUKFAoSMaCdKb%252F11.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=624c000f&sv=2) chevron-rightColor in CMYK[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#color-in-cmyk) The color should be CMYK Color Space (SWOP v2 or GRACoL 2006/2013 preferred). By submitting CMYK you will avoid potential conversion errors when Lob changes RGB to CMYK. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#vqbobcikypsw) How to review: 1. Open the pdf you want to check the color profile for 2. Open Print Production tools (View > Tools > Print Production > Output Preview 3. Under Show > select dropdown CMYK. 4. This will show the area which is in the CMYK profile. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F6wGB890vbFHilb5HqrMb%252F12.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6a751407&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#m302fiypftgq) How to save: 1. Open the pdf you want to save 2. Open Print Production tools (View > Tools > Print Production) 3. Click Preflight 4. Click the PDF/X tab 5. Click convert to PDF/X1-a GRACoL 2006) 6. Click on Analyze and Fix button. This will save the file in CMYK format. chevron-rightImage resolution at 300 ppi[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#image-resolution-at-300-ppi) Image resolution should be 300 ppi. If the resolution is below 300 ppi, you may see pixelation and incorrect color saturation of your images; if ppi greatly exceeds 300 the file size will be too large and have the potential to fail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#id-43bbu0pdxav3) How to review: To determine the resolution of an image in pixels per inch (PPI) on a Mac, you can use the built-in Preview application. Here's how: 1. Locate the image file on your Mac and select it. 2. Right-click (or Control-click) on the image file and select "Open With" from the context menu. 3. Choose "Preview" from the submenu. The image will open in the Preview application. 4. In Preview, click on the "Tools" menu at the top and select "Show Inspector". A sidebar with image information will appear. 5. In the Inspector sidebar, click on the "General" tab. You should see information about the image, including its dimensions, file size, and resolution. 6. Look for the "Resolution" field, which will display the image's PPI value. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F0OpjkplMnXdNWaMJCh5z%252F13.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c71f0e81&sv=2) Please note that not all images may contain PPI information. In such cases, you can still determine the image's dimensions in pixels and calculate the PPI manually by dividing the pixel dimensions by the desired print dimensions. chevron-rightNo printer marks[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#no-printer-marks) Do not submit printer marks (or trim lines) including, but not limited to crop marks, trim marks, bleed marks, slug lines, registration marks, color bars, page information, etc. Our production facilities have several QA standards in place to ensure cuts are made appropriately and the color is correct. Any content uploaded is treated as part of the design, and thus the printer marks will cause the dimensions to be larger than the intended image size, resulting in an error. If you are exporting an image for a printing proof the way you usually would when sending images to traditional printers, then the trim lines should be unticked in your settings to ensure a sizing error does not occur. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#fqixgx8ay99) How to review: The below marks are referred to as the printer marks. Lob's APIs will not accept printer marks (or trim lines). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJZwEJBomxmlpEdmxrvLK%252F14.png%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=561a0ee&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#id-3tl5me3050rd) How to remove: Avoid having any printer's marks in your PDF by ensuring your image export settings do not include them. To remove these trim lines and color bars from your PDF, open your file in Adobe Acrobat, go to **Settings**, and clear the **Printer’s Marks** checkbox. Note that whether or not you export with “Bleed” will depend on how you built your template. If you already manually added the bleed (e.g. 4.25" x 6.25" artwork), then you should have that unticked as well. See also: How to download a profile on Acrobat to remove the printer marks on [Youtubearrow-up-right](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kJS7PjKnsc) . chevron-rightOther considerations[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#other-considerations) * Adjust margins and borders to ensure they meet the printer's specifications and accommodate any necessary trimming. * Page boxes (ArtBox, CropBox, TrimBox, and MediaBox) should all be consistently sized * Set the correct page size and orientation. * Bleed: Ensure the document has sufficient bleed (if needed) to avoid any white borders around the printed area. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#qbyllhkwcito) Page elements * Double-check that all text is spelled correctly and positioned correctly on the page. * Verify that images, logos, and graphics are in the correct locations and are of high quality. * Ensure that important content is not too close to the edge to prevent it from being cut off during trimming or binding. [PreviousCreative formattingchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) [NextExporting PDFs from InDesignchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/exporting-pdfs-from-indesign) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [What is preflight?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#what-is-preflight) * [Requirements for static PDFs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/pdf-preflight-checklist#requirements-for-static-pdfs) Was this helpful? --- # Custom mail | Lob Help Center As a direct mail automation platform, Lob's focus is to offer [set mail formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) that can be programmatically sent at scale. These are postcards, self-mailers, snap packs, letters, and checks. However, for customers who need to send greater mail variations beyond these formats, we are open to exploring options with you. Please reach out to your Account Manager for more information on program eligibility and requirements. [PreviousBookletschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets) [NextMaximizing engagementchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Building a mail strategy | Lob Help Center Another crucial pillar of building your direct mail program with Lob is to determine your direct mail strategy. Just like any other digital channel, using direct mail can help in attracting new customers and expanding your reach to your target audience. However, success is predicated on the careful cultivation and analysis of quality data, iterative testing, and creative content. As an automation technology platform, Lob places the power of direct mail automation strategy directly in the hands of our customers. As a result, you have access to a broader set of tools at your disposal to better calibrate how you execute your direct mail campaigns, which can be optimized over time to create a highly performative channel. Stop relying on spray-and-pray strategies that spams every mailbox, and start thinking about the most (cost) effective ways to get in front of the audience that matters the most with content that's actually relevant to them. Lob can be your partner in this journey. Read the articles in this section to see what areas you can optimize in your mail sends. * [Choosing a SEND strategy:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends) One- time campaigns or triggered sends * [Choosing a DELIVERY strategy:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy) ASAP, scheduled mailings, or target delivery * Managing your mail settings (use type, cancellation window, etc.) Sending * [Mailing class and postage](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage) * Sending [Certified or Registered Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail) * Sending [International Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail) [PreviousInformed Deliverychevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery) [NextOne-time campaigns or triggered sends?chevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Mail piece design specs | Lob Help Center Browse our available mail formats and associated design specs: [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FoyLQNeu9tBgccICe3mAZ%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25203.25.25%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D38e53163-1ab5-4fb7-905c-ae9d50218cb4&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=90a13e75&sv=2) **Postcards** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLpkEDJji3H2L7UqmyTDH%252Fself-mailer-icon.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De9893d40-5fa2-442f-a842-94e48e392bab&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f0ea64fe&sv=2) **Self-Mailers** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLFskXQ24Ks8ungpa6Y9l%252Fletter_card.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df76f572b-deef-4b8a-a44a-a98ddad00e40&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8d88d320&sv=2) **Letters** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fc3ShpOHILndbKNZVRBx5%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25203.38.26%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D93bbea3d-962a-438e-90e3-752f9c9a3280&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e2c08540&sv=2) **Letter Envelopes** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FDhjU1e2oH6cQUnhfLPpl%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25203.41.52%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D85ac46fb-16a3-41aa-bad6-5620d25f10ab&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fcb34cea&sv=2) **Letter Add-ons** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/checks) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FM4modG9iPikfr8HIq5Fr%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-02%2520at%25205.05.44%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0dc92670-29b9-496d-ae70-1660da582f3f&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=17971b9a&sv=2) **Checks** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FrRzhkkZelpZuYCH8MEZQ%252Fsnappack_card.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6e9895b3-4d89-4224-a5ec-5daad0b82920&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3ac815e&sv=2) **Snap Packs** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FAPS8iMbTYWS37zrXd1ax%252Fbookletcover.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Db3cf8957-72d5-41eb-a3cb-d24df30cbce8&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a9e57a5b&sv=2) **Booklets** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/custom-mail) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FNmyomx1Q7wKFQtHEekaq%252Fcustom_mail.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D384a3eee-d2b4-47c7-b2b6-d9e53e91a410&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=35b1d5a3&sv=2) **Custom Mail** [PreviousRendering errorschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors) [NextPostcardschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Choosing a delivery strategy | Lob Help Center Thinking through your **mail delivery strategy** can be a powerful differentiator in fostering meaningful connections, and should be a strategic pillar in building any direct mail program. Being adaptive in how you send and deliver mail given fast-changing customer preferences and market conditions can have an outsized impact on improving your reach, relevance, and responses. Lob’s automation technology offers different delivery options to deploy your direct mail campaigns with regards to speed, reach, and timing, so you can get in front of your target audience in a way that engages them the most. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#immediate-or-asap-mailings-14) Immediate (or "ASAP") mailings ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As a default, Lob mail will be immediately sent and routed to production after the customer submits a mail order, pending any [cancellation rules](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) applied at the account or campaign level. This is the primary API setting for Lob mailings that is available to all customers, and optimizes for speed of delivery over delivery timing or reach. See [Tracking your mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) on how to track individual mail pieces at each step of the production and delivery process, and see [webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) on setting up and surfacing mail tracking notifications. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduled-mailings-15) Scheduled mailings for a future date -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Scheduled Mailings is available only to [Enterprise editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) customers. Contact [Salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) or your Account Manager to gain access to this feature. Mailings can be scheduled up to 180 days in the future. Until that time, mailings can also be canceled. You can use this feature to * Create automated drip campaigns (e.g. send a postcard at 15, 30, and 60 days) * Schedule recurring sends * Plan your mailing schedule ahead of time Up until the time a mailing is scheduled for, it can also be canceled. If you use this feature in conjunction with a cancellation window, the `send_date` parameter will always take precedence. Example: Create request using `send_date` Copy curl https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards \ -u test_0dc8d51e0acffcb1880e0f19c79b2f5b0cc: \ -d "description=Demo Future Postcard" \ -d "to=adr_bae820679f3f536b" \ -d "from=adr_210a8d4b0b76d77b" \ -d "front=tmpl_b846a20859ae11a" \ -d "back=tmpl_01b0d396a10c268" \ -d "merge_variables[name]=Harry" \ -d "send_date=2021-07-26" ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduling-a-future-mailing-10) Scheduling a future mailing Scheduling a mailing for the future just requires one additional parameter: `send_date`. This specifies a date and time up to 180 days in the future to start processing the mailing. For billing purposes, requests will count towards the month of their `send_date`, and will not be charged if they are canceled before that time. If your account has a [cancellation window](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) set for the resource you are creating, passing a `send_date` will override that window. For more detailed request information, see our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/postcard_create) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#canceling-a-future-mailing-11) Canceling a future mailing If something changes on your side and you no longer wish to send a mailing that had already been scheduled (such as the customer taking a certain action), you can programmatically [cancel those requestsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/postcard_delete) as long as the mailing's `send_date` has not passed. Additionally, you can cancel a mailing from your [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/) on the page associated with your mail piece. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1643313442617-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-01-27%2520at%252011.56.33%2520AM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fd7c5b91&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#targeted-delivery-date-mailings-16) Target delivery date ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Target Delivery is under development; contact [Salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) or your Account Manager to explore this functionality. Lob prides itself on speed of execution: our goal is to get mail into the USPS mailstream within 2 business days from submission. However, we’ve heard from customers that more exact timing of delivery is of equal importance. We are currently developing a new feature for timing mail arrival in the end-recipient’s mailbox. Our goal with Target Delivery will be for 80% of campaign mail pieces to land in the recipient’s mailbox on or within 3 business days before or after the specified in-home target date. With a target release date in 2024, this feature will be available to Enterprise edition customers and prospects who can meet the requirements of volume and saturation. [PreviousOne-time campaigns or triggered sends?chevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends) [NextManaging mail settingschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Immediate (or "ASAP") mailings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#immediate-or-asap-mailings-14) * [Scheduled mailings for a future date](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduled-mailings-15) * [Scheduling a future mailing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduling-a-future-mailing-10) * [Canceling a future mailing](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#canceling-a-future-mailing-11) * [Target delivery date](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#targeted-delivery-date-mailings-16) Was this helpful? --- # Snap packs | Lob Help Center A snap pack is a pressure-sealed mailer with perforated sides for easy opening. Snap pack mailers are versatile and can be used by a wide range of industries including Financial Services, Education, and Healthcare. The official-looking nature of snap packs demands attention, offers unique tactile engagement, and has one of the highest open rates among mail types. To get started with snap packs, check out our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Snap-Packs) , [arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/examples/) or [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#letters) for inspiration. circle-info Snap packs are exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this mail format, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. circle-check Snap packs currently have a 4-day SLA. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#layout-dimensions-and-specs) Layout dimensions & specs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#layout-dimensions) Layout dimensions Lob’s snap pack offering has a flat, final trim size of 8.5x11”, a folded (in half) dimension of 8.5x5.5", and three perforated sides. Snaps packs are printed double-sided in black and white or color. Reference our design templates on where to place your design elements; carefully note the location of the address block and other ink-free zones. * [8.5x11” snap pack templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/8.5x11_Snappack_template_address.pdf) Snap packs DO NOT need additional trim space added to their dimensions because their production journey does not involve trimming (the way a postcard would). Please set your document sizing to the above dimensions when submitting to Lob. circle-exclamation **Make sure all artwork submissions are facing upright for both inside and outside panels**. Our printers will invert the inside panel of submitted customer artwork during the production phase. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#paper-specs) Paper specs We use a few pre-approved papers across our commercial printer network. In ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all of our mail pieces, each paper source specification must fall within a small range. The specification/value range pairs are: * 8.5 x 11" B&W & color snap packs * Basis Weight: 80# text * Bi-fold ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#ink-free-zone-dimensions) Ink-free zone dimensions 8.5x11" snap packs: * ½” around the entire flat piece (for perforation) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#design-best-practices-10) Snap pack best practices ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your snap pack self-mailers get to their final destination by following these guidelines: * The `from` field is required for all self-mailers, regardless of the destination * Snap pack should not contain any PII outside of the [no-ink zonearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) * Avoid any [prohibited artworkarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) to ensure your mail does not get rejected by USPS * HIPAA-compliant snap packs are offered at this time, so long as all HIPAA related information is on the inside of the snap pack. * [Mailing Classarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-class-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) options may differ based on destination and use type (e.g. promotional vs non-promotional) * We do not recommend placing promotional address information in your creative in the bottom 2.375" of a mailpiece _opposite the address panel_. This will prevent the USPS from accidentally scanning the wrong side of the mailpiece. [Learn more here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-zone-warning) [PreviousCheckschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/checks) [NextBookletschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Layout dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#layout-dimensions-and-specs) * [Layout dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#layout-dimensions) * [Paper specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#paper-specs) * [Ink-free zone dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#ink-free-zone-dimensions) * [Snap pack best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs#design-best-practices-10) Was this helpful? --- # Certified Mail or Registered Mail | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#certified-mail-electronic-return-receipts-5) Certified Mail Certified Mail is an add-on service offered by USPS for First Class mail that provides proof of mailing to the sender. With electronic USPS [tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-information-for-registered-certified-mail-14) , the sender is notified when the mailing was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made. An electronic return receipt showing the recipient's signature is also available for Certified Mail only. Both the Certified Mail and the electronic return receipt add-ons are only available for First Class mail sent domestically within the US. You send letters as Certified Mail through the Lob API by passing the value `certified` in the `extra_services` parameter of the [create letter requestarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/letter_create) . You may similarly opt for an electronic return receipt by passing `certified_return_receipt` in the `extra_services` parameter in the [APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/letter_create) . Tracking events are viewable directly within the Lob dashboard or via the API, similar to how they are for non-Certified letters, and you can also subscribe to webhook events for Certified letters. When you make a request for Certified Mail you will immediately receive a carrier tracking number (retrievable via your Lob dashboard), which can be used to track the mail via the carrier’s website - or you can choose to track the mail via the scan events within your Lob dashboard. The resulting screen should appear in your dashboard: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQomFRb6j5FWeFyds23oV%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D5d0f16b4-a5ba-48fa-a3d3-98caa426a42a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6ab30d2f&sv=2) circle-info Tracking events for Certified Mail are **different** from tracking events received for regular mail types; see the full list in our [API documentation for Certified tracking event detailsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Tracking-Events) . Visit the [Certified Mail envelopes section](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#certified-mail-envelopes-1) for more guidance around sending Certified Mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#electronic-return-receipts) Electronic Return Receipts An Electronic Return Receipt is available to the sender as a USPS [add-on](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#letters-6) to Certified Mail. This receipt will allow you to download a digital copy of the recipient's signature used to sign for the delivery of the letter. You opt for an Electronic Return Receipt by passing `certified_return_receipt` in the `extra_service` parameter of [creating a letterarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters/operation/letter_create) . The return receipt will be accessible via the certified tracking number from the [USPS homepagearrow-up-right](https://www.usps.com/) . However, if you would like to receive the signature PDF via email, follow these steps: * Visit [www.usps.comarrow-up-right](http://www.usps.com/) * Enter the Certified tracking number into the Track a Package box * Click the "Return Receipt Email" dropdown and fill the required fields in the form ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FIT3cNArAtDQeGwuY4ytW%252Fexpected_delivery.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2dfab7a6-45c6-42ab-9c7e-906a372fcd89&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=934500a3&sv=2) * The USPS will send you an email with the signature file like the below example ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fok9tayGKPqp8GxSa4sQ7%252FPOD.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3a788df6-42d9-4b44-8990-d3e2c659fb4b&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7c5d794b&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#registered-mail-6) Registered Mail circle-check The USPS Registered Mail add-on is only available for First Class mail and can only be sent (and tracked) domestically. Registered Mail is an add-on service offered by USPS that provides extra protection for high-value letters and packages. When you send a letter by Registered Mail, the USPS establishes a chain of custody that [tracks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-information-for-registered-certified-mail-14) and secures your shipment throughout the entire transit process—from the moment it is dropped off at the Post Office until the moment it’s delivered. You can send letters as Registered Mail through the Lob API by passing the value `registered` in the `extra_services` parameter of the [create letter requestarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/letter_create) . Letters sent as `registered` will receive a different set of scan events compared to regular First or Standard Class mail. Registered Mail will instead receive a carrier tracking number and link, which is an add-on that will be available 3 business days following the mailer’s `send_date`. This tracking number can be used to track the mailer via the carrier’s website. [PreviousMailing Classes & Postagechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage) [NextInternational mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail) Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [Certified Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#certified-mail-electronic-return-receipts-5) * [Electronic Return Receipts](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#electronic-return-receipts) * [Registered Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail#registered-mail-6) Was this helpful? --- # USPS Promotions Through Lob | Lob Help Center At Lob, we’re committed to helping you take advantage of every opportunity to save on postage costs. Each year, the USPS offers various promotions that provide discounts on mailing services, and we’re here to support you through the process of applying for and meeting the requirements for these offers. In this section, you’ll find detailed guides that walk you through each USPS promotion, helping you understand how to qualify, how to apply, and how our platform can seamlessly support you in the process. Whether you’re a seasoned mailer or new to USPS promotions, we’ve got you covered with all the information you need to maximize your savings. Ready to start saving? Explore the guidebooks below to get started! Past acceptance/approval in prior year promotion does not guarantee acceptance/approval in current year promotions. Refer to each promotion for enrollment and acceptance criteria. [PreviousDeclaring mail use typechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type) [NextIntegrated Technology Promotionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Postcards | Lob Help Center Postcards stand out in direct marketing for their ability to deliver eye-catching, concise content that engages recipients instantly, making them highly effective for promotional campaigns. For transactional or operational communications, their streamlined, envelope-free design ensures important information is immediately visible, enhancing clarity and response rates for critical updates or calls to action. Let's get started! First, be sure to check out the following resources: * API documentation: [Postcards APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Postcards) or [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) * Lob dashboard: [Postcardsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/postcards) section or [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/) for postcard campaigns * [GitHub libraryarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/examples/) for HTML templates * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#postcards) for ready-to-use creatives and design inspiration [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#postcard-back-2) Layout dimensions & specs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#layout-dimensions) Layout dimensions The front side of the postcard is fully available for customization. For the backside of the postcard, follow the guidance provided in the templates below to leave enough room for ink-free areas. * [4x6" postcard templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/postcards/4x6_postcard.pdf) * [5x7" postcard templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/postcards/5x7_postcard.pdf) * [6x9" postcard templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/postcards/6x9_postcard.pdf) * [6x11" postcard templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/postcards/6x11_postcard.pdf) You may also [add QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) to your postcards to incorporate personalized tracking. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#paper-specs-3) Paper specs We use a few pre-approved papers across our commercial printer network. In ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all of our mail pieces; each paper source specification must fall within a small range. The specification/value range pairs are listed below: * Basis Weight: 100# - 120# * Cover GSM: 255 - 325 * Full Bleed * 1 Side UV Gloss ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#ink-free-zone-dimensions-4) Ink-free zone dimensions 4x6" Postcards: * W x H: 3.2835 x 2.375" * 0.275" from the right edge (including bleed) * 0.25" from the bottom edge (including bleed) All other postcard sizes: * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.275" from the right edge (including bleed) * 0.25" from the bottom edge (including bleed) circle-check For all postcards printed by Lob, a Carbon Neutral Mail certification will automatically be included within the official use address block on the backside. Read more about how you can send mail in a more environmentally responsible way with Lob in our [Carbon Neutral Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#carbon-neutral-mail-certification-9) section. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#mailing-postcards-5) Postcard best practices ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your postcards get to their final destination by following these guidelines: * All US postcards can be sent as either First Class or Marketing Mail (Standard Class Mail) * The `from` field is not required for US postcards, but is required for international destinations * Only 4x6" postcards can be sent to [international destinations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail) * Postcards cannot include any PII outside of the [no-ink zone](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) * Avoid any [prohibited artwork](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) to ensure your mail does not get rejected by USPS * We do not recommend placing promotional address information in your creative in the bottom 2.375" of a mailpiece _opposite the address panel_. This will prevent the USPS from accidentally scanning the wrong side of the mailpiece. [Learn more here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-zone-warning) [PreviousMail piece design specschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) [NextSelf-Mailerschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers) Last updated 5 months ago Was this helpful? * [Layout dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#postcard-back-2) * [Layout dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#layout-dimensions) * [Paper specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#paper-specs-3) * [Ink-free zone dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#ink-free-zone-dimensions-4) * [Postcard best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards#mailing-postcards-5) Was this helpful? --- # Using metadata | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#metadata-tags) Metadata tags ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Lob ecosystem, metadata is used to “tag” each mail piece or each campaign. You can use metadata to find individual mail pieces more easily and group mail pieces together for reporting and attribution. Example metadata tags could include a campaign name, a customer segment, or an internal ID. Using metadata smartly can help bridge the gap between Lob and your internal systems, allow you track mail at a more granular level, and create data-driven stories to get the most ROI out of the direct mail channel. See [here for more coding examples using metadata tagsarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/mass-deletion-setup#use-lob-metadata) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#metadata-types) Metadata types There are several kinds of metadata at Lob: * **Mailpiece metadata** can be used on our single mailpiece APIs. * **Campaign metadata** can be used with our Campaigns feature, and allow you to filter your searches by all mailpieces in a particular campaign. * **Recipient metadata** can be used within our Campaign UI feature in the dashboard, and allow you to filter by a specific subset of mailpieces. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#key-value-pairs) Key-value pairs Both mailpiece and campaign metadata rely on **key-value pairs** that you create. * The **key**, or **tag name**, is what will remain consistent across all the mailpieces you’d like to create. For example, “state”. * The **value**, or **tag value**, will be unique to each mailpiece, for example “NC” or “CA”. * When combined, you can easily find mailpieces with “`state:NC`” or “`state:CA`”. Metadata objects can include up to 20 key-value pairs of custom data. Each metadata key must be less than 40 characters long and values must be less than 500 characters. Neither can contain the characters `"` and `\`. Metadata does not support nested objects. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#mailpiece-metadata-16) Mailpiece metadata ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mailpiece metadata applies to each individual mailpiece sent. Mailpiece metadata is great for tags that are specific to each recipient, like `state:NC` or `first_name:John`. You can create mailpiece metadata on our single mailpiece APIs by including a metadata object with each mailpiece `POST` request. Here is an example of a mailpiece `POST` request to our `api.lob.com/v1/postcards` endpoint, including a metadata object: [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#campaign-metadata-17) Campaign metadata --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Metadata at the campaign level is configured on the `POST /v1/campaigns` [API callarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) or in the dashboard, in the Campaigns [Configure Settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/create/settings) screen at the bottom “Add Tags” section. circle-exclamation Campaign metadata **cannot be configured within your campaign CSV** Each individual mailpiece created through the campaign will inherit Campaign metadata. This is great for tags you’d like to apply to an entire campaign. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#recipient-metadata) Recipient metadata In addition to Campaign metadata, you can assign metadata on the individual recipient level. This is great for instances in which you'd like to apply context specific to each individual such as a unique identifier, customer id, or email address. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#filtering-your-metadata-18) Filtering your metadata --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the dashboard, you can filter metadata at the single mailpiece level. Any mailpiece created in the Campaigns function will also be visible within the single mail piece tabs. Example: In the [Postcardsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/postcards) section, click on ‘Filters’ and search by Metadata ​![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656632218598-1656632218598.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4893bf7d&sv=2) You can also go into any individual mailpiece, and see the key-value pairs tagged in the 'Metadata' section under the 'Details' section. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629279221778-1629279221778.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bd707c71&sv=2) [PreviousManaging mail settingschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings) [NextDeclaring mail use typechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type) Last updated 10 months ago Was this helpful? * [Metadata tags](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#metadata-tags) * [Metadata types](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#metadata-types) * [Key-value pairs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#key-value-pairs) * [Mailpiece metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#mailpiece-metadata-16) * [Campaign metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#campaign-metadata-17) * [Recipient metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#recipient-metadata) * [Filtering your metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata#filtering-your-metadata-18) Was this helpful? Copy { "description": "demo", "to": "adr_210a8d4b0b76d77b", "from": "adr_210a8d4b0b76d77b", "front": "tmpl_a1234dddg", "back": "tmpl_a1234dddg", "size": "6x9", "mail_type": "usps_first_class", "metadata": { "spiffy": "true", "first_name": "John", "state": "NC", "segment": "012b-ACQ" }, "send_date": "2022-01-01T00:00:00.000Z" } --- # First Class Mail Advertising | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#what-is-the-first-class-mail-a-dvertising-promotion) What is the First-Class Mail Advertising promotion? The First-Class Mail Advertising promotion offers businesses a unique opportunity to blend the reliability and prestige of First-Class Mail with impactful advertising. By leveraging First-Class Mail’s superior delivery service and incorporating effective marketing strategies, you can unlock powerful ways to connect with your audience and achieve your marketing goals. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#when-is-this-promotion-live) When is this promotion live? The First-Class Marketing Mail promotion runs from **September 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-first-class-a-dvertising-mail-promotion-with-lob) How can I take advantage of the First-Class Advertising Mail promotion with Lob? The easiest way to take advantage of this promotion with Lob? * **Add a marketing message**: Update your operational or transactional mailpieces to include at least one marketing message directly on the mailpiece. * Discount offer example: “Save 10% on your next purchase with this exclusive coupon!” * Limited-time offer example: “Act now! This offer expires in 7 days.” * **Upgrade to First-Class Mail**: Ensure your mailpieces are sent using First-Class Mail to qualify for the discount. * **First-Class Mail, including letters, cards, and flats**, is eligible for this promotion. * Marketing messages must be on the mailpiece itself. Those that only appear on buck slips, stickers, etc. will be disqualified. * Content that promotes mail diversion (i.e. “Go paperless” or “Switch to e-billing” will disqualify your mailpieces. Here’s everything you need to know to qualify for a **5% discount**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#opt-in-to-the-promotion) Opt-in to the promotion To get started, log into the Lob Promotions Portal: [https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotionsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotions) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-1.-select-the-available-promotion) 1\. Select the Available Promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flvp7AIo0t42QyqEoe29f%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.29%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D28d737a6-fc65-43d3-ac47-86d34743c3d6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9315012c&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-2.-provide-campaign-title-description-and-pdf-of-mailpiece-image) 2\. Provide campaign title, description, and PDF of mailpiece image ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F5WLXXjnMOaJv3kRsBQar%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-26%2520at%252010.47.20%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D00544fca-f5e7-459b-99c1-f776fd822d19&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a1a37fca&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-3.-validate-promotional-approval) 3\. Validate Promotional approval Your chosen Promotion will be visible within your My Promotions section: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fm5SWvQmfEuR2A1e5kPRq%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.44.18%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D48cc1561-9868-4f2c-b7c7-53e982670623&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a970dd47&sv=2) [PreviousTactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion) [NextAdd-Onschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [What is the First-Class Mail Advertising promotion?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#what-is-the-first-class-mail-a-dvertising-promotion) * [When is this promotion live?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#when-is-this-promotion-live) * [How can I take advantage of the First-Class Advertising Mail promotion with Lob?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-first-class-a-dvertising-mail-promotion-with-lob) * [Opt-in to the promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#opt-in-to-the-promotion) * [1\. Select the Available Promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-1.-select-the-available-promotion) * [2\. Provide campaign title, description, and PDF of mailpiece image](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-2.-provide-campaign-title-description-and-pdf-of-mailpiece-image) * [3\. Validate Promotional approval](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising#id-3.-validate-promotional-approval) Was this helpful? --- # USPS Secure Destruction | Lob Help Center Secure Destruction is a free service provided by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that offers a secure method for handling undeliverable First-Class mail. This service is especially beneficial for customers managing sensitive documents, such as those containing Personal Identifiable Information (PII), financial data, or medical information, while also helping reduce costs and environmental impact. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#what-is-secure-destruction) What is Secure Destruction? Secure Destruction ensures that any undeliverable First-Class mail is securely destroyed at USPS facilities. Rather than being returned to the sender, mail is processed and eliminated under strict security protocols, preventing any potential unauthorized access. Lob provides this service at no cost to customers who send First-Class mail, and it can be easily integrated into existing workflows for organizations that regularly deal with undeliverable mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#why-use-secure-destruction) Why Use Secure Destruction? 1. Enhanced Customer Security Secure Destruction offers a significant value-add for organizations that handle sensitive customer data, such as PII, financial records, or medical information. By ensuring that undeliverable mail is destroyed securely, companies can maintain compliance with data protection regulations, reduce the risk of breaches, and improve customer trust. 2. Cost Savings Secure Destruction helps customers avoid the financial burden of handling undeliverable mail. For example, companies that do not use this service may need to contract with third-party vendors or allocate in-house resources to manage the destruction of returned mail. 3. Reduce Environmental Footprint Secure Destruction also offers environmental benefits by eliminating the reverse logistics of returning mailpieces to senders. By preventing the need for transportation and manual disposal, carbon emissions are reduced. This aligns with Lob's sustainability mission to minimize the environmental impact of mail processing. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#how-secure-destruction-works) How Secure Destruction Works Secure Destruction is available exclusively for First-Class letters and snap packs. If your organization sends these types of mail, you can easily enable Secure Destruction through your account page. Once activated, any undeliverable First-Class mail will be securely destroyed at USPS facilities, ensuring your sensitive documents are handled with the highest level of security. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#who-benefits-from-secure-destruction) Who Benefits from Secure Destruction? Secure Destruction is ideal for First-Class mailers, particularly those who manage sensitive information or face significant logistical challenges in processing undeliverable mail. This includes: * Financial institutions * Health care providers * Insurance providers * Public and private education institutions * Government agencies * Utility companies * Mail service providers * Legal service providers Once your organization opts into Secure Destruction, Lob will track your undeliverable mailpieces via USPS scanning events. You will be able to confirm that the mail has been destroyed through these tracking events, offering you peace of mind that your sensitive documents have been successfully processed by USPS. [PreviousSend campaigns via the Campaigns APIchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) [NextGetting data & resultschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [What is Secure Destruction?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#what-is-secure-destruction) * [Why Use Secure Destruction?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#why-use-secure-destruction) * [How Secure Destruction Works](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#how-secure-destruction-works) * [Who Benefits from Secure Destruction?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction#who-benefits-from-secure-destruction) Was this helpful? --- # Letters | Lob Help Center Letters are highly effective for direct marketing due to their personal touch and tangible presence, enhancing recipient engagement. They also serve well for transactional or operational communications, offering a formal and reliable delivery of important information that stands out from digital clutter. Lob offers two sizes of letters: 8.5x11" and 8.5x14". To get started with sending letters, check out our [Letters API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters) , our [GitHub libraryarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/examples/) , or Lob's [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#letters) for inspiration. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#dimensions-specs-1) Layout dimensions & specs --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#layout-dimensions) **Layout dimensions** **8.5x11" letters** Lob offers `8.5" x 11"` letters in both black & white and in color, which can be printed single or double-sided. Letters and checks not exceeding 6 tri-folded sheets of paper in total will be sent in standard [#10 double-windowed outer envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-10-double-windowed-outer-envelope) . Letters and checks over 6 sheets of paper but not exceeding 60 total sheets of paper will be mailed in a [flat envelope](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#9-x-12-single-window-flat-outer-envelope) . Reference our design templates on where to place your design elements for letters; carefully note the placement of the address block. * [Letter design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/letter_template_updated+4_25.pdf) (for 6 sheets of paper or less) * [Letter design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/letter_flat_template_updated+4_25.pdf) (for over 6 sheets of paper but not exceeding 60) Lob standard letters cannot accommodate letters that bleed or print edge-to-edge. All text and design must be 1/16” from all sides leaving the required 1/16” clear space on all sides. chevron-rightWhat is that small QR code printed on my letters? [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#what-is-that-small-qr-code-printed-on-my-letters) What looks like a small QR code printed on letters is a data matrix, a type 2D barcode used by our print partners to encode information to facilitate efficient sorting, tracking, and delivery. Recipient attempts to scan this code won't direct anywhere, but cameras read these small barcodes during the automation process. Typically, this appears on the lower corner of letters (as noted on our templates), though some print partners may place it in the address block area (as shown below). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FCy09g0n0is5N5tQpqw8Z%252Fsample2D_addressblock.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D352e2014-5947-467f-af79-6aa4797977f1&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=876d5eac&sv=2) chevron-rightWhat is the difference between a page and a sheet of paper?[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#what-is-the-difference-between-a-page-and-a-sheet-of-paper) A "page" in the context of a Lob letter is a PDF page, while a "sheet" refers to the physical paper that is used to print the letter. Lob charges based on the length of a letter in PDF pages, while the length of a letter in sheets is used to determine what envelope a letter uses. **8.5x14” Letters (“Legal letters”)** circle-info Legal letters are exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this mail format, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. circle-check Legal letters currently have a 4-day SLA. Lob offers 8.5x14" letters in both black & white and in color, which can be printed single or double-sided. Using two parallel folds, a legal-sized letter is folded in half, then folded again _with a slight overlap_ (two edge panels will be slightly larger than the middle panels); this allows it to fit in a standard #10 double-windowed outer envelope. Legal letters cannot exceed 3 sheets of paper at this time. Reference our design templates on where to place your design elements for letters; carefully note the placement of the address block. * [Legal letter design template arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/Legal_Letter_updated_4_25.pdf) (3 sheets of paper or less) Lob Legal letters cannot accommodate letters that bleed or print edge-to-edge. All text and design must be 1/16” from all sides leaving the required 1/16” clear space on all sides. chevron-rightWhat is that small QR code printed on my letters? [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#what-is-that-small-qr-code-printed-on-my-letters-1) What looks like a small QR code printed on letters is a data matrix, a type 2D barcode used by our print partners to encode information to facilitate efficient sorting, tracking, and delivery. Recipient attempts to scan this code won't direct anywhere, but cameras read these small barcodes during the automation process. Typically, this appears on the lower corner of letters (as noted on our templates), though some print partners may place it in the address block area (as shown below). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FCy09g0n0is5N5tQpqw8Z%252Fsample2D_addressblock.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D352e2014-5947-467f-af79-6aa4797977f1&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=876d5eac&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#paper-specs) Paper specs We use a few pre-approved papers across our commercial printer network. In ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all of our mail pieces, each paper source specification must fall within a small range. The specification/value range pairs are: * 8.5" x 11" B&W & color letters * Basis Weight: 60# text * C-fold letters * 8.5" x 14" B&W & color letters * Basis Weight: 60# text * Double parallel fold ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#address-placement-2) Address placement If you do not follow these address guidelines, your letter will be printed incorrectly. The `address_placement` parameter specifies the location of the address information that will show through the double-window envelope. Options are `top_first_page` and `insert_blank_page`. By default, Lob selects `address_placement = top_first_page`, meaning Lob will print address information at the top of your provided first page. Make sure to leave ample space for the address information to be printed, which will show through our standard double-windowed envelope. To see how this will impact your letter design, view our [letter templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_template.pdf) (6 sheets or less). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F4UJ6M1fAHr0vSu1oo7uh%252Fletter%25206%2520pages%2520or%2520less.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De78bdc7e-40a4-414b-bd79-04dee0e44289&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d92c5963&sv=2) circle-exclamation Letters may shift slightly within their envelope during transit. As such, we do not recommend putting any sensitive content close to the window area. If you pass `address_placement = insert_blank_page`, a blank address page will be inserted at the beginning of your file where we will print the address information to show through our standard double-windowed envelope. triangle-exclamation If a blank address page is inserted, note that you _will_ be charged for the extra page. Reference the [Letter Unit Pricing section](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/ready-to-get-started/pricing-details#letters-6) for charges you will incur based on your tier. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#mailing-letters-3) Logo placement Your logo should be entirely within the blue box of the letter template, with no overlap of the red box, in order to print appropriately. If you're looking to print a color logo then ensure you're setting the color parameter to 'true' if you would like to print in color otherwise you can set it to false. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#mailing-letters-3-1) Letter best practices ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ensure your letters get to their final destination by following these guidelines: * The `from` field is required for all letters, regardless of the destination * Letters may contain PII as envelopes have an [interior security tint](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-letter-outer-envelopes-0) for privacy * [Mailing class](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) options may differ based on the destination and use case (e.g. promotional vs transactional) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#using-certified-mail-or-registered-mail-4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [PreviousSelf-Mailerschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers) [NextLetter envelopeschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes) Last updated 11 months ago Was this helpful? * [Layout dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#dimensions-specs-1) * [Layout dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#layout-dimensions) * [Paper specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#paper-specs) * [Address placement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#address-placement-2) * [Logo placement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#mailing-letters-3) * [Letter best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#mailing-letters-3-1) * [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#using-certified-mail-or-registered-mail-4) Was this helpful? --- # Self-Mailers | Lob Help Center Self-mailers can grab attention with their creative design unfolding to tell your brand's story. They offer more room for your messaging but are folded to a compact size. Their all-in-one format eliminates the need for envelopes, encouraging immediate engagement from recipients and facilitating a quicker response. circle-info Self-mailers are exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this mail format, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. Check out the following resources to get started with self-mailers * API documentation: [Self-Mailers APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Self-Mailers) or [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) * Lob dashboard: [Self-mailerarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/self-mailers) section or [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/) for self-mailer campaigns * [GitHub libraryarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/examples/) for HTML templates * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#folded-self-mailers) for ready-to-use creatives and design inspiration [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#self-mailer-formats) Self-mailer formats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FFIbDeZDtSEvJy2EFffo2%252F23.10%2520Trifold%2520Chart%2520Final%2520Version.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2f379c76-4cf6-4fa4-aa46-02c5927a7d3a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=60e91c15&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#dimensions-and-specs-7) Layout dimensions & specs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#layout-dimensions) Layout dimensions Lob currently supports the following self-mailers: * [6x18” bifold templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/self_mailers/6x18_sfm_bifold_template.pdf) : measures 6x9” when folded in half, no offset of panels, and unfolds horizontally * [12x9” bifold templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/self_mailers/12x9_sfm_bifold_template.pdf) : measures 6x9” when folded in half, no offset of panels, and unfolds vertically * [11x9" bifold templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/self_mailers/11x9_sfm_bifold_template.pdf) : measures 6x9" when folded in half, has a 1" offset between the top and bottom panels when folded, and only unfolds vertically * [17.75x9" trifold templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/Updated+9x17.75+Trifold+SFM.pdf) : measures 6”x9" when c-folded inward, has a .25" offset on the bottom panel when folded, and only unfolds vertically. Follow our design templates carefully to ensure you place your design elements for each permutation, including the location of the adhesive, in the appropriate location. (For example, there are four panels available to customize for all bifolds, wherein one of the outside panels must have an [ink-free zone](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#ink-free-zone-dimensions-8) for the address and postage area.) circle-exclamation **Make sure all artwork submissions are facing upright for both inside and outside panels.** Our printers will invert the inside panel of submitted customer artwork during the production phase. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1641887499459-1641887499459.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8b697805&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#paper-specs) Paper specs We use a few pre-approved papers across our commercial printer network. In ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all of our mail pieces, each paper source specification must fall within a small range. The specification/value range pairs are listed below: * Basis Weight: 80# Cover with Gloss * GSM: 218 * Full Bleed * 1 Side UV Gloss ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#ink-free-zone-dimensions-8) Ink-free zone dimensions * 6x18" bifold self-mailer * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.25" from the bottom edge (including bleed) * Placement: Left panel outside * 12x9" bifold self-mailer * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.25" from the right edge (including bleed) * Placement: Top panel outside * 11x9" bifold self-mailer * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.25" from the right edge (including bleed) * Placement: Top panel outside * 17.75x9" trifold self-mailer * W x H: 4 x 2.375" 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.25" from the right edge (including bleed) * Placement: Top panel outside * Glue zone 9”x.5” (at 12” score) circle-info A Carbon Neutral Mail certification will automatically be included within the official use address block on the backside for all bifold self-mailers printed by Lob. Read more about how you can send mail in a more environmentally responsible way with Lob in our [Carbon Neutral Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#carbon-neutral-mail-certification-9) section. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#self-mailer-adhesives-9) Self-mailer adhesives --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stain-resistant, low tack, clear fugitive glue is used for adhesives on the folded self-mailers. Glue is positioned within 0.25" of the opening edges and placed opposite the final fold. Glue is applied by one of the following methods: * Continuous glue line at least 0.125" wide * Three or four glue spots at least 0.375" in diameter * Three or four elongated glue lines [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#design-best-practices-10) Self-mailer best practices --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your self-mailers get to their final destination by following these guidelines: * The `from` field is required for all self-mailers, regardless of the destination * Self-mailers should not contain any PII outside of the [no-ink zone](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) * Avoid any [prohibited artwork](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) to ensure your mail does not get rejected by USPS * HIPAA-compliant self-mailers are not offered at this time, as self-mailers are not placed in envelopes * [Mailing Class](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) options may differ based on destination and use type (e.g. promotional vs non-promotional) * We do not recommend placing promotional address information in your creative in the bottom 2.375" of a mailpiece opposite the address panel. This will prevent the USPS from accidentally scanning the wrong side of the mailpiece. [Learn more here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-zone-warning) [PreviousPostcardschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards) [NextLetterschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters) Last updated 11 months ago Was this helpful? * [Self-mailer formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#self-mailer-formats) * [Layout dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#dimensions-and-specs-7) * [Layout dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#layout-dimensions) * [Paper specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#paper-specs) * [Ink-free zone dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#ink-free-zone-dimensions-8) * [Self-mailer adhesives](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#self-mailer-adhesives-9) * [Self-mailer best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/self-mailers#design-best-practices-10) Was this helpful? --- # Informed Delivery | Lob Help Center As USPS’ Mail Service Provider of the year, Lob works in lockstep with the postal service to bring you solutions to optimize your direct mail performance. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-is-informed-delivery) What is Informed Delivery? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Informed Deliveryarrow-up-right](https://www.usps.com/manage/informed-delivery.htm) by USPS enhances the mail experience by providing subscribers a daily email with a digital preview of incoming mail. The preview may be a representative image or an actual scan of the mailpiece. The email includes a ["ride-along" image](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) : a small, full-color, interactive image that redirects to a target URL. This supplemental content is meant to enhance the customer call-to-action and reinforce the messaging and objective of the mailpiece. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FuB0GgvLKlfCCPoYh2v6h%252FInformed_Delivery_sample.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8418855c-6809-461a-80d1-5657db157097&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e1e44367&sv=2) _Image source:_ [_2024 Informed Delivery Guidebook_arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/ID?_gl=1*19newo6*_gcl_au*MjAxMjE3Mjk3Ni4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga*MjExNDg2NzE5OC4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTcxNzUxODkwNi4zLjAuMTcxNzUxODkwNi4wLjAuMA..) You can review the [USPS's 2024 Informed Delivery Guidebook herearrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/ID?_gl=1*19newo6*_gcl_au*MjAxMjE3Mjk3Ni4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga*MjExNDg2NzE5OC4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTcxNzUxODkwNi4zLjAuMTcxNzUxODkwNi4wLjAuMA..) [.arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/ID?_gl=1*19newo6*_gcl_au*MjAxMjE3Mjk3Ni4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga*MjExNDg2NzE5OC4xNzE2NDczNTI3*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTcxNzUxODkwNi4zLjAuMTcxNzUxODkwNi4wLjAuMA..) circle-info Access to this feature is exclusive to Enterprise plan customers, and by request only. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail Editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#why-should-mailers-use-informed-delivery) Why should mailers use Informed Delivery? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct mail helps your brand increase awareness, connect with potential customers, and drive conversions. However, combining this marketing method with digital technologies can lead to even more successful results. Using Informed Delivery is one of the best ways to do this. While there is no guarantee everyone in your audience has opted into the Informed Delivery program, the list continues to grow. Per USPS, as of March of this year, the Informed Delivery user base has grown to 62.4M active users! * **Increased Customer Engagement:** Integrates physical mail with digital campaigns. * **Additional Digital Footprint:** Extends marketing reach at no additional cost. * **Attribution Data:** Provides additional insights into mail campaign performance. circle-check **Cost Savings:** 3-4% postage discount for approved campaigns during the [USPS promotional period](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-informed-delivery-promotion-period-august-1-december-31-2024) , August 1-December 31, 2024. Reach out to your Account Manager to learn more. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#step-1-sign-up-for-informed-delivery-promotion) Step 1: Sign up for Informed Delivery Promotion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This process is necessary regardless of how a user will execute the campaign. 1. Log into the Lob Dashboard; navigate to Billing > Promotions. Click on "Create an Informed Delivery Promotion." ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FXT24IO6bH4VKaLOAuJGU%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6ab5ac13-fa03-4c69-9009-4836849c931a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bdcb164&sv=2) 1. Indicate the Promotion Name 2. Input the Promotion URL 3. Upload your [Ride-along image](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) circle-exclamation Ride-along image specifications: **Must be full color**, JPG, 200x300px, max file size of 200KB. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F2krTFN4uixOCReNjXFnW%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df0d4c319-d538-49e1-a918-1d3c374da728&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3ffef2a6&sv=2) 1. Click "Create an Informed Delivery Promotion" to send your promotion application to USPS for approval. 2. You will receive an email notification once your promotion is approved. (Please allow for 3-5 days approval time.) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#step-2-send-an-informed-delivery-campaign) Step 2: Send an Informed Delivery campaign --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once approved, you can send an Informed Delivery campaign with postcards, letters, self-mailers, and checks. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#send-via-api) Send via API 1. Use the [Lob APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Informed-Delivery-Campaign/operation/informed_delivery_campaign_create) to POST `informed_delivery_campaign` and get a `campaign_id`. * Include required fields: [Ride-Along Image](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) , URL, Campaign Size. circle-exclamation Ride-along image specifications: **Must be full color**, JPG, 200x300px, max file size of 200KB. * _Optionally_, include * Brand Name: If you do not pass a brand name, it will auto-populate in the Informed Delivery email as the Company name in Lob's system. * Representative image: A sample image of your mailpiece. This photo should represent all mailers in the Informed Delivery Campaign, and will be sent to all Informed Delivery subscribers; avoid using any PII. Campaigns with no representative image will display a USPS scan of the mailpiece. circle-check Representative image specifications: JPG, 500x780px, max file size of 200KB. 1. On successful POST, receive a `campaign_id` and validation if it qualifies for an existing promotion. 2. Once validated, send your mail as usual, including the `usps_campaign_id` in your submission. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#send-via-campaigns) Send via Campaigns 1. Begin your campaign setup as usual in Lob Campaigns. 2. When prompted, select the option to use Informed Delivery. 3. Choose from available approved Informed Delivery Promotions (Procured in [Step 1](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#step-1-sign-up-for-informed-delivery-promotion) ). 4. Fill out required information: * Promotional URL * Upload the [Ride-Along Image](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) circle-exclamation Ride-along image specifications: JPG, 500x780px, max file size of 200KB. 1. _Optionally,_ input: * Brand Name: This populates in the Informed Delivery email sent to the end user; if you do not update this field, it will default to your company name in the Lob database. * Representative image: Upload a sample image of your mailpiece. This photo should represent all mailers in the Informed Delivery campaign, and will be sent to all Informed Delivery subscribers; avoid using any PII. Campaigns with no representative image will display a USPS scan of the mailpiece. circle-check Representative image specifications: JPG, 500x780px, max file size of 200KB. 1. Please look over the uploaded images and make sure all information is correct. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FEVnwDNJzM7PJuD5AD1Xs%252FInformedDeliverySendCampaigns.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D002a9d58-3402-4a54-b929-97d52179ebf2&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=35c4481a&sv=2) 1. Click "Next Step" to proceed with the Campaigns worklflow. 2. Click "Place Order" as you normally would to finalize the campaign. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#informed-delivery-engagement-metrics) Informed Delivery engagement metrics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Engagement metrics for Informed Delivery campaigns will be visible in the Mail Analytics in the dashboard, under the [Engagement arrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/analytics/attribution-analytics) tab. Learn more about [Mail Analytics here](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) . Below is a breakdown of the engagement metrics: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FMZBx6SuJ5Bl93jN9mJM5%252FInformedDeliveryAnalytics.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd7e1a225-e82e-4f4f-a2a8-f5c82157f9f0&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5f4eab24&sv=2) _**Metric**_ _**Description**_ **Mail Pieces** Total number of mail pieces sent as part of your Informed Delivery Campaign. **Emails** The number of recipients signed up for Informed Delivery who received an Informed Delivery email. **Emails Opened** The number of emails that were opened. _Note: This number can exceed 100% as multiple people within the same household may receive and open their Informed Delivery email._ **Click Through** The total number of times the link in your Informed Delivery campaign was clicked. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#informed-delivery-faqs) Informed Delivery FAQs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) What makes a great ride-along image? Note your image **must** be in full-color; the USPS has provided more helpful guidelines here: [https://www.usps.com/business/pdf/informed-delivery-campaign-elements-guide.pdfarrow-up-right](https://www.usps.com/business/pdf/informed-delivery-campaign-elements-guide.pdf) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-informed-delivery-promotion-period-august-1-december-31-2024) How can I take advantage of the Informed Delivery promotion period August 1- December 31, 2024? Reach out to your Account Manager today! ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#can-i-use-informed-delivery-for-an-automated-campaign) Can I use Informed Delivery for an Automated Campaign? Not yet; this is on our roadmap. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#how-long-can-an-informed-delivery-campaign-run-for) How long can an Informed Delivery campaign run for? 45 days. [PreviousShort URLschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls) [NextBuilding a mail strategychevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy) Last updated 9 months ago Was this helpful? * [What is Informed Delivery?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-is-informed-delivery) * [Why should mailers use Informed Delivery?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#why-should-mailers-use-informed-delivery) * [Step 1: Sign up for Informed Delivery Promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#step-1-sign-up-for-informed-delivery-promotion) * [Step 2: Send an Informed Delivery campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#step-2-send-an-informed-delivery-campaign) * [Send via API](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#send-via-api) * [Send via Campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#send-via-campaigns) * [Informed Delivery engagement metrics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#informed-delivery-engagement-metrics) * [Informed Delivery FAQs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#informed-delivery-faqs) * [What makes a great ride-along image?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) * [How can I take advantage of the Informed Delivery promotion period August 1- December 31, 2024?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-informed-delivery-promotion-period-august-1-december-31-2024) * [Can I use Informed Delivery for an Automated Campaign?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#can-i-use-informed-delivery-for-an-automated-campaign) * [How long can an Informed Delivery campaign run for?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery#how-long-can-an-informed-delivery-campaign-run-for) Was this helpful? --- # International AV suite | Lob Help Center Lob's Address Verification API provides a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to optimize their international customer experiences and make more informed decisions about their international address data. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-verifications-5) International verifications ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Validate, automatically correct, and standardize non-US international addresses. See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Intl-Verifications) for details. We follow [USPS standardsarrow-up-right](http://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_008.htm) for sending international mail. Therefore, any addresses submitted in a language other than English will see the address returned in English. chevron-rightSupported international countries[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#supported-international-countries) See our most up-to-date list of [global address coveragearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/global-address-coverage) for our International Address Verification API. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-deliverability-insights-1) International deliverability insights -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob's International Deliverability provides greater visibility into an address’s delivery response so customers can make more informed decisions about how they manage international address data. Customers are able to understand when a portion of the address has been corrected and if it has resolved the deliverability issues. To leverage this data, review the complete [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/intl_verification) under `Status`. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-autocomplete-7) International autocomplete ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- International address autocompletion for non-US addresses is not currently available. If you believe this feature is integral to your business, please reach out to [support](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support) [envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ffcfaffffe0fdfbcfe3e0eda1ece0e2) to see if we can support your needs. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#configurable-transliteration-0) Configurable transliteration -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Configurable Transliteration provides Address Verification customers greater flexibility and customization when operating around the world. Lob ensures that addresses are correct and deliverable while providing optionality for the address response to be in the native language. This means a customer is able to provide cart checkout messaging that adapts based on where the end customer is located thus creating a more personalized experience. It also means that when working with foreign languages with non-Latin characters the data is seamlessly transliterated and mapped for normalized data storage. To customize your language response, review the complete [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/bulk_intl_verifications) under `x-lang-output`. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#global-av-data-coverage-2) Global AV data coverage ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Country Coverage equips Lob customers with the details needed to make an informed decision about a deliverable address and the potential for false positives. The International Address Verification API provides validation to varying degrees of granularity depending on the country the address is in. Country Coverage indicates the level to which an address has been verified. To leverage this information, review the [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/intl_verification) under `Coverage`. View our most updated [Global Address Coveragearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/global-address-coverage) here. [PreviousUS AV product suitechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite) [NextAV pricingchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [International verifications](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-verifications-5) * [International deliverability insights](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-deliverability-insights-1) * [International autocomplete](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#international-autocomplete-7) * [Configurable transliteration](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#configurable-transliteration-0) * [Global AV data coverage](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite#global-av-data-coverage-2) Was this helpful? --- # Declaring mail use type | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#overview) Overview --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Identifying your mail **use type** helps Lob populate the right mail settings and postage options to ensure your mail is produced and delivered in an optimal way. Lob requires that you identify—or tag—your mail with one of the following use type options: * **Marketing mail**: Any mailers that are sent for marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes * **Operational mail**: All other mail, typically transactional or functional in nature, such as invoices, adverse action notices, statements, and other confidential mail that include sensitive PII/PHI data circle-check It will be your full responsibility to accurately represent the purpose of mail that is created and sent. Lob will be unable to make any determination of which use type should be applied to your mail being sent, or for making retroactive changes to your API calls. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#how-to-declare-your-mail-use-type) How to declare your mail use type ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You should declare your mail’s use type at the appropriate level based on your organization's usage (at the account, campaign, or mailpiece level). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-1-setting-use-type-as-an-account-default-3) 1\. Setting use type for an account (default) If the majority of your mailpieces have a singular use type, then it is best to configure a default use type at the account level. This can be changed by an account administrator in the Use Type section in the [Accounts Tab in the dashboard settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) . **An account-level setting will be applied to any mailpiece created without a** `**use_type**` **at the individual mailpiece or campaign level.** circle-exclamation While an account-level designation is not required, the failure to declare a mail use type at _any_ level means that in the absence of a default value, your organization will be prevented from sending any mail until a use type is declared. To set an account-level default, go to your [Dashboard Settings > Accountsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) tab: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2F2094102%2FScreen_Shot_2022-07-05_at_5.32.22_PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b7cefaf6&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-2-setting-use-types-for-each-mailpiece-4) 2\. Setting use types for each mailpiece If you or your team sends mailpieces with varying use types (including different teams that utilize the same Lob account for different purposes), then it is best to declare your use types at the single mailpiece level or at the campaign level. If you have built a native Lob integration to trigger individual mailpieces, you will want to configure a use type at the individual mailpiece level. **A mailpiece designation will override your account-level use type, regardless of whether the default selection is made.** #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#in-the-dashboard) **In the Dashboard** When sending a single mailpiece through the dashboard, use type will be a required selection for every mailpiece format ([lettersarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/letters/create) , [postcardsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/postcards/create) , [self-mailersarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/self-mailers/create) , or [checksarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/checks/create) ). **Example:** Use Type selection when creating a new [postcardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/postcards/create) in the Dashboard ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2FlU3KZtIBL1i7ex8hQ7oSaJmLdeS-M1qAaDsAoL8_9tYfpSc2Nd-Jz8WS9GiVt673q9L0yViRCQc-Cz9N1bKFwPg9Lj7BU8NKKovIQVkH2QSBTmObLYSOO0aOHoNzSyYN-DcOp-oWlrDtaW_XV8Mw6Y4kTvbiY1JJoMPryBTI7R1KPLI9x-M3-7WFtwbQ8BMU%3Dnw&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7ba46875&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#in-the-api) **In the API** When sending a `POST` request to the below endpoints, pass in a `use_type` value of either `marketing` or `operational`. Note that the account default will be overridden by passing in a `use_type` for each mailpiece. If no account default is set and no single endpoint-level `use_type` is passed in the request, the mailpiece cannot be created and will fail with a 422 error. `api.lob.com/v1/letters api.lob.com/v1/postcards api.lob.com/v1/self_mailers api.lob.com/v1/checks` Example: `POST /v1/postcards` request with `use_type` included ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-3-setting-use-types-for-each-campaign-7) 3\. Setting use types for each campaign The Campaigns product is designed to help send large volumes of mail quickly, either through the [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) or [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) . If you have built a native Lob integration to send mail campaigns, you will want to configure a use type at the campaign level. **A campaign-level designation will override your account-level mail use type, regardless of whether the default selection is made.** #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#in-the-dashboard-1) **In the Dashboard** When sending a Campaign on the dashboard, selecting a campaign use type is a required step during the “[Configure campaignarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/create/settings) ” page in Step 1. You will be able to select one of two options: Marketing or Operational. Any selection will be applied to all mailpieces within the same campaign. Example: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2F6fyIxk7fS35qtckIh6UByNcQf9owJyzzDvBibsIbyDA3gpHBlZFvvlbdC1B_DicLE_pMjsAgjSdSkrEyqvzwejis1I7CoyrVRfb9a8yu5XgMI0HdwYi0EPzKjS70iHtPFbQeNBVouLYJhPVeFLE_RKvFExAv0xnT1MXLOV4r0o3zyRuqmEv30Rf058HQvVWC%3Dnw&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8e43d49e&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#in-the-api-1) **In the API** When using the [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) , add the `use_type` field to the `POST /v1/campaigns` request. If the `use_type` is not added, the campaign will use the account default `use_type`. If no account default is set and no campaign-level `use_type` is passed in the request, the campaign cannot be created and will fail with a 422 error. Example: `POST /v1/campaigns` request with `use_type` included [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#error-reference) Error reference ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If no account default is set and no campaign or mailpiece `use_type` field is passed in your API requests, your calls will fail with a 422 error. Read more about [error codesarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Errors) under the "Error Codes - Advanced" section of our API Reference. triangle-exclamation To ensure your mail sends do not fail in the future, we strongly recommend you **set an** **account default** as a fall-back option as soon as possible [PreviousUsing metadatachevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) [NextUSPS Promotions Through Lobchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob) Last updated 3 years ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#overview) * [How to declare your mail use type](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#how-to-declare-your-mail-use-type) * [1\. Setting use type for an account (default)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-1-setting-use-type-as-an-account-default-3) * [2\. Setting use types for each mailpiece](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-2-setting-use-types-for-each-mailpiece-4) * [3\. Setting use types for each campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#id-3-setting-use-types-for-each-campaign-7) * [Error reference](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type#error-reference) Was this helpful? Copy { "description": "demo", "to": "adr_42bb83a3a643c43f", "from": "adr_42bb83a3a643c43d", "front": "tmpl_a1234dddg", "back": "tmpl_a1234dddg", "size": "6x9", "mail_type": "usps_first_class", "use_type": "operational", "send_date": "2022-05-01T00:00:00.000Z" } Copy { "name": "Summer Campaign", "description": "Acquisition for new customers", "schedule_type": "immediate", "cancel_window_campaign_minutes": 40, "use_type": "marketing" } --- # Managing mail settings | Lob Help Center As you use the Lob API to send mail programmatically, it is important that you manage your account settings to send mail so that they accurately reflect the needs of your business workflows and the frequency of your customer engagements and outreach. Most of the following settings can be adjusted via the API or in your [Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#mail-use-type-1) Mail use type --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For any mail piece that is sent through Lob, you will need to indicate which mail use type is being sent. This helps Lob populate the right mail settings and postage options to ensure your mail is produced and delivered in an optimal way. The following use type options are available for your mail pieces: * **Marketing mail**: These are mail pieces sent for promotional purposes, such as for acquisition, cross-sell, retention, or win-back campaigns. * **Operational mail**: These are mail pieces sent for transactional purposes as part of your trusted business outreach and customer communications, such as account notifications, invoices and payment, policy changes, service announcements, or other similar reasons. See [Declaring mail use type](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type) for details. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#us-mail-strictness-settings-2) US mail strictness settings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depending on what business logic you’d like to take based on your verification result, you can toggle your US Address Strictness Settings in your [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/account) . Each level of strictness determines how much you'd like for our platform to use internal data on deliverability to restrict mail from being created and delivered to potentially invalid addresses. There are 3 possible Strictness Levels: * **Strict**: Only US addresses that Lob and the USPS deem deliverable can be successfully used as the `to` address for postcard, letter or check resources. Mail piece requests sent with non-deliverable addresses will return a `422` (Unprocessable Entity) error. This maps to a `deliverability` value of `deliverable` (see [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications) ). If addresses have never been run through verification (i.e. were created in the past), they will also err when used as the to address. * **Normal**: Mail pieces will be created for addresses that Lob and the USPS deem deliverable, as well as addresses for which secondary information is extraneous or missing. Otherwise, you will receive a `422` (Unprocessable Entity) error. This maps to the `deliverability` values of `deliverable`, `deliverable_unnecessary_unit`, `deliverable_incorrect_unit` and `deliverable_missing_unit` (see [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications) ). If addresses have never been run through verification (i.e. were created in the past), they will also err when used as the to address. * **Relaxed**: All mail pieces will be successfully created and mail delivery will be attempted, regardless of address validity. You will not receive a `422` (Unprocessable Entity) for Address Strictness reasons. Ultimately, this allows you completely control the destiny of your final pieces. Only want to send to addresses that are guaranteed to be deliverable? Pick "Strict" mode. Confident that your addresses are right and want us to mail them out anyway? Use "Relaxed" mode. We want to give you the power to decide when Lob should be sending mail or when we should be rejecting based on deliverability. Ultimately, this reduces the amount of undeliverable mail you send and saves you money. circle-info For more specific FAQs on our Address Verification product and how it works, [see here](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#merge-variable-strictness-setting-3) Merge variable strictness setting ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Depending on how much control you'd like over your HTML integration, we offer two different account settings that affect how we treat merge variables. This account setting affects the `POST /v1/postcards`, `POST /v1/self_mailers`, `POST /v1/letters`, and `POST /v1/checks` single endpoints in both test and live mode: * **Strict**: Lob will send a `422` error if you define a merge variable in your HTML that is not passed in the `merge_variables` field of that request. Pass `''` or `null` to have a particular defined variable not render. * **Relaxed**: Lob will not send an error if you define a merge variable in your HTML that is not included in the `merge_variables` field of that request. Instead, we will simply render nothing in the HTML in place of that merge variable. Note that in the [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) feature, you have additional flexibility to set merge variable strictness settings specific to each campaign, which will override your account-level settings. If you set campaign-level settings to 'Strict', any individual mail pieces that do not have a merge variable input value will not be sent. However, it is also possible to use a substitution value to replace missing merge variable input data, which will allow your mail pieces to be sent with generic values. Regardless of your strictness setting, if you pass merge variables keys that are not defined in your HTML, no error will be thrown. Your HTML will simply be rendered as normal without substituting the extra variable(s). circle-exclamation **NOTE**: On the 2020-02-11 and later API versions which support JSON in merge variables, merge variable strictness will still apply to the nested object keys, i.e. if a nested merge variable is undefined on the strict setting, then Lob will send an error. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) Cancellation windows ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- By default, all new accounts have a 4-hour cancellation window for any single mail piece that is created. Within this buffer timeframe, you can cancel mailings, free of charge. This gives you the flexibility to quickly QA your mailings before they are finally sent to production. Note that in the [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) feature, you have additional flexibility to establish cancellation windows specific to each campaign, which will override your account-level cancellation window settings. Once the cancellation time window has passed for any single mail piece or for a batch of mail pieces within a campaign, the mailing is **no longer cancelable** and has been sent to our printers for production. circle-info Customers on higher editions can customize their cancellation windows by mail product in their [dashboard settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings) . Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) if interested in gaining access to this ability. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#editing-your-cancellation-windows-5) Editing your cancellation windows Growth edition customers and above can customize their cancellation windows. If you have access to this feature, your cancellation window can be anything from 0 minutes (no cancellation window) to up to 3 days. Keep in mind that when you edit your cancellation window settings, any changes made will only apply to mailings created after the update was made. If you find yourself constantly changing your cancellation window for different use cases, we recommend using our [scheduling mailings‍](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduled-mailings-15) feature instead. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#canceling-your-mailings-6) Canceling your mailings Within your chosen cancellation window, any single mail piece or batch of mail pieces within the Mail Campaign feature is cancelable. This means that they will be completely removed from production and that they will not count towards your monthly usage for billing purposes. To cancel a mailing, either use the [API endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/postcard_delete) or cancel the mailing from the dashboard. In either case, the mailing will only be cancelable if its `send_date` has not yet passed. To cancel a list of mailings, you can use a combination of our `LIST` and `DELETE` endpoints to paginate through results and attempt to delete mailings that meet the specific criteria you set. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#bypassing-cancellation-window-with-scheduled-mailings-7) Bypassing cancellation window with scheduled mailings Even if you have a cancellation window set on your account, using the [scheduling mailings‍](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy#scheduled-mailings-15) feature to schedule a mailing will override your cancellation window and the `send_date` passed will be used instead. Not only is this useful for scheduling mailings far off in the future, but it is also handy for completely bypassing any cancellation window you might have and sending one mailing or batch off to production immediately. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#best-practices-on-establishing-cancellation-windows-8) Best practices on establishing cancellation windows * Upgrade to a Growth edition or above to take advantage of configurable cancellation windows. Adjust this window to a time that works for you so you have time to cancel on your end * Have your developer build in buffer time into your Lob integration to give your team extra buffer time to cancel before submitting a live production request to Lob * Protip: configure different cancellation windows per mail format / use case individually in your [dashboard settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) * If you were unable to stop a check sent through Lob, you can still prevent it from being deposited by contacting your bank and placing a stop payment on the check. This can be done by contacting and providing your bank with the check number. * Give yourself a longer buffer while your team becomes familiar with the Lob platform, especially when sending through the Mail Campaigns feature, as sending large-scale mail volumes may amplify the magnitude (and costs) of any errors committed. Once you've become familiar with Lob and its functionalities, gradually adjust your buffer time in order to send your mail to production sooner. * Cancellation windows on your account will delay the sending of any outgoing mail by the desired time window. Make sure to account for cancellation windows when considering [daily production cutoff times](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#mail-collection-cut-off-times-11) of 10am PT. * For example, if you want to make the cutoff time of 10am PT and your cancellation window is 60 minutes, your cutoff time is actually 9am PT. * If you want to bypass your cancellation window for a certain send, you can do so by scheduling your mailings. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#idempotent-requests-12) Idempotent requests ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Idempotent Requests are requests that can be called many times without producing different outcomes. `GET` and `DELETE` requests are idempotent by definition, meaning the same backend work will occur no matter how many times the same request is issued. `POST` requests, however, are not idempotent. Sending a successful `POST` request once will result in a newly created object. If you send the same `POST` request 5 times, you will create 5 resources, assuming none of those requests err. If a network error occurs, there is no deterministic way to ensure the exact number of resources created. For this reason, we have added a feature that will allow you to safely resend the same `POST` request to single endpoints (such as `/v1/postcards`, `/v1/self_mailers`, `/v1/letters`, or `/v1/checks`) and ensure that duplicate products are not created. To perform an idempotent `POST` request, you simply need to provide an additional `Idempotency-Key` header that uniquely identifies that resource. See our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/Idempotent-Requests) for more specific information. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#generating-idempotency-keys-13) Generating idempotency keys The [Idempotency Keyarrow-up-right](https://lob.com/docs#idempotent-requests) is a feature that allows you to pass a unique key along with each request and guarantee that only one mailer is created and sent to prevent any duplicate mailings from being created. You can safely retry the same request with the same Idempotency Key and be assured that no duplicates are created even if the API is called multiple times within 24 hours. We suggest using [V4 UUIDarrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universally_unique_identifier#Version_4_.28random.29) or another appropriately random string, but how you create the unique keys is up to you. For example, if you would like to associate a check with an internal unique ID of the user you are sending the check to, you may use that user id and the transaction date as an Idempotency Key (as long as you can guarantee the uniqueness of each Idempotency Key across requests to the same product). This **key will expire after 24 hours**, meaning if you resend the same request with the same Idempotency Key after 24 hours, a second resource will be created. Ultimately, it is up to you to make sure that you are appropriately setting the uniqueness of your keys based on your business logic. See resources below for help generating V4 UUIDs in various languages. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#sending-requests-on-retry-14) Sending requests on retry In case of failure, we recommend following something akin to an [exponential backoff algorithmarrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_backoff) for retrying your idempotent requests. This ensures that you aren't retrying continuously on a downed server, thereby contributing to the issue at hand. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#resources-15) Resources Below are resources we recommend in various languages for generating V4 UUIDs. * Node: [https://www.npmjs.com/package/uuidarrow-up-right](https://www.npmjs.com/package/uuid) * Ruby: [https://rubygems.org/gems/uuid/arrow-up-right](https://rubygems.org/gems/uuid/) * Python: [https://docs.python.org/3/library/uuid.htmlarrow-up-right](https://docs.python.org/3/library/uuid.html) * PHP: [http://php.net/manual/en/function.uniqid.phparrow-up-right](http://php.net/manual/en/function.uniqid.php) * Java: [https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/UUID.htmlarrow-up-right](https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/util/UUID.html) [PreviousChoosing a delivery strategychevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy) [NextUsing metadatachevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) Last updated 14 days ago Was this helpful? * [Mail use type](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#mail-use-type-1) * [US mail strictness settings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#us-mail-strictness-settings-2) * [Merge variable strictness setting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#merge-variable-strictness-setting-3) * [Cancellation windows](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) * [Editing your cancellation windows](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#editing-your-cancellation-windows-5) * [Canceling your mailings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#canceling-your-mailings-6) * [Bypassing cancellation window with scheduled mailings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#bypassing-cancellation-window-with-scheduled-mailings-7) * [Best practices on establishing cancellation windows](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#best-practices-on-establishing-cancellation-windows-8) * [Idempotent requests](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#idempotent-requests-12) * [Generating idempotency keys](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#generating-idempotency-keys-13) * [Sending requests on retry](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#sending-requests-on-retry-14) * [Resources](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#resources-15) Was this helpful? --- # Short URLs | Lob Help Center Lob’s Short URLs allow you to take a long URL from your website or landing page and create a personalized, shortened, and trackable URL to display on your direct mail creative. For example, if you have a landing page destination URL for your mail campaign like: [https://www.lob.com/product/integrate-target?utm\_source=direct-mail&utm\_medium=summer-2024&utm\_campaign=promoarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/product/integrate-target?utm_source=direct-mail&utm_medium=summer-2024&utm_campaign=promo) using Lob's URL Shortener, you can transform this URL to a custom short URL of your choosing like [lob.st/mailarrow-up-right](http://lob.st/mail) . The shortened URL will still point the end user to that full destination URL above, but will make it easier for a user to digest and type in their browser when receiving the direct mail piece. Lob’s Short URLs can be accessed and created in both the Dashboard and within the campaigns flow directly. In the dashboard, navigate to the “Creative” navigation item, then click Short URLs. Here you will see all Short URLs you have created with Lob. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXch1VUMiRDZex5TwuSVETjceQ0TC9K759G5bdECNeqFlTmvqgC42fodZJxXVsIj6VSB3jeH1GNbSXVt76yh46Kww41bW36vjJNRFuVUFRr4A1V_x6Jh7RRfZ2nJQosyUIvDgKXp3oY7iOA8xZDGeMFP7UDk%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7341e9f2&sv=2) To create a new short URL, click the Create button at the top right of the page. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXd2iM0Z3VI19-JlKQqaD0ftK4DEGv13VhHqOJ2vyXpC-y_PkNvlj6wJTahlodpEuJ8WSqoouxpSmoJK-lgvATzkXi_vgTuZIPZY-cSWySG3lO_AftkFogPR8f1g3C7PdVkOotUmcZYFK-HhBZvKpO4qOrk%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9695b5dc&sv=2) Within the Short URL creation flow, you’ll see: 1. Title 1. The title you can give your Short URL to easily find and select in the future. E.g. You’ll see this title to select in the campaign flow if you want to use the short URL in a campaign. 2. There are no character limits for the title 2. Destination 1. This is the full URL that you want to send users to that should be shortened. In the example above, this is where you would put a URL such as [https://www.lob.com/product/integrate-target?utm\_source=direct-mail&utm\_medium=summer-2024&utm\_campaign=promoarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/product/integrate-target?utm_source=direct-mail&utm_medium=summer-2024&utm_campaign=promo) 2. There are no character limits for the destination URL 3. Shortened Display URL 1. Domain 1. The default domain uses Lob’s built in subdomain “lob.st” which allows you to simplify create a short URL off of as long as that URL is available and not being used by others. 2. To customize and personalize this subdomain, you can click to Manage Domains from the Short URLs main page above and create a custom domain to then select and use in this URL creation flow. 2. Back-half 1. This is the path that you would like users to see on their mail creative, which then would redirect to the full destination URL above. Using the above example again, this is where you would have [lob.st/mailarrow-up-right](http://lob.st/mail) . In this case, [lob.st/mailarrow-up-right](http://lob.st/mail) would be what you add on your direct mail creative copy to then be printed. When users type [lob.st/mailarrow-up-right](http://lob.st/mail) in their web browser, it would then redirect to the full destination URL. 2. There are no character limits for the back-half URL 4. Metadata 1. For future analytics and easier searchability, we allow you to add metadata to your Short URLs. If you want to categorize your Short URLs in any way to then access more easily at a later point in time, metadata allows you to add multiple a tag names and values. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#manage-custom-short-url-domains) Manage custom Short URL domains Within the Short URL main page, click the Manage Domains button at the top to enter the Short URL domain details page. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXf0qsVaow2yJOAAQPok-YGWaOEntGzQuMM-unOlHmlKL1jw2QoAAKZY_ciNUSJo1g4N_R7Jl0P3F2YDEruO0-v7ok-LRmF6Ks4yc78rTnojcJ6wDYJtoC8YNOqlvsNMJFd_cVG43yYMU1Jt19Pm6KW9ySUD%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7fe219dc&sv=2) Here you will see all of the custom short URL domains you have created and linked to Lob. To create a new custom Short URL domain, click the Add a New Domain button at the top. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXf3zX0XyPCKhgJKjJZ6s6qW_hySyWbbd6X0RFk9cquSNmeubadpkHi35R2lrNl58LegEzRRlARzOXv5yjptm8Gqndvja-g8nQJkyRYZc3N6vpCOIqeeUFqaC0NH2SQx07PjPx2GqcfC-ZBzHnghCsGhhB6l%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4eb8566&sv=2) To link a domain, add your primary or subdomain in the Domain field in this modal. If there’s ever a time when the subdomain, for example, becomes inaccessible or deprecated, you can enter an Error Redirect URL. The Error Redirect URL should point to a domain that will be more stable such as your primary home page, so if a user in the future types the URL in a browser they’ll be redirect to your home page. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXdEVjGt5puAoeF2uONJCa2gnQSnlPi7fo7OHvcbem1HMV0h79ZOJzoZhWWi3z_L28LevRuD7NT355X82aZ60XRBKMqljtj-VBE1VPD4-Xtx-sO-bFyTturkSDP6Gw9aNXc2__fSnh7QyWHOZxWS4uGZbm4%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=192da7cb&sv=2) When you create your custom domain, the status of the domain will be Inactive by default. To set as active, you’ll need to look your domain provider to Lob by following the steps below. Please note: once a domain is added, it can only be deleted via API request at this point in time. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#activating-your-new-custom-domain) Activating your new custom domain When you create a new domain in the Lob dashboard with the steps above, you’ll need to configure your DNS settings so that it works with our platform. Follow this simple guide to ensure your domain is set up correctly. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#configuring-your-new-domain) Configuring your new domain This is for when your domain is not being used for any purpose other than for short links. 1\. Sign in to your domain registrar's website (e.g. Cloudflare, GoDaddy, etc.) 2\. Locate your DNS settings. * Find the DNS settings or DNS management section within your account. See the documentation below for your registrar if you need help. 3\. Create an A Record. * Add a new DNS record with the following details: * Host: @ * Type: A * Value: 207.174.61.1 * TTL: You can leave this at the default setting. Common defaults are 3600 seconds or automatic. * Note: Some domain registrars do not allow \`@\` as a value for the host. If so, leave the field blank. 4\. Save your changes * Ensure all changes are saved to make your DNS record active. 5\. Wait for domain activation. * Domain activation can take a few hours. Once the status changes to “Active,” your domain is ready to use for shortening links. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#configuring-subdomains) Configuring subdomains circle-info Note: If your main domain is already in use for hosting a website, directly pointing it to our service could result in unwanted behavior, such as users being redirected unexpectedly from your main site. To avoid this, set up a subdomain dedicated to short links. If you already own a domain and don’t want to register a new one, you can create a subdomain and use that to shorten links. A subdomain setup allows you to maintain brand consistency and save on registration costs. Here’s how to configure a subdomain: 1. Sign in to your domain registrar's website. 1. Use the same steps as above to locate the DNS settings for your domain. 2. Create a CNAME record for your subdomain. 1. Add a new CNAME record with the following details: 1. Host: Your desired subdomain. For example, if you want your short links to use \`links.example.com\`, enter \`links\` as the host. 2. Type: CNAME 3. Data/Points to: cname.short.io 4. TTL: You can leave this at the default setting. Common defaults are 3600 seconds or automatic. 3. Save your changes. 1. Ensure all changes are saved to make your DNS record active. 4. Wait for activation. 1. Just like a regular domain, your subdomain will be ready to use after a few hours. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#managing-dns-records-with-specific-hosting-providers) Managing DNS records with specific hosting providers If you need detailed steps on how to edit or add DNS records with your domain registrar, here are links to their official documentation for DNS management: * [Ionosarrow-up-right](https://www.ionos.com/help/domains/dns-settings/) * [Cloudflarearrow-up-right](https://developers.cloudflare.com/dns/manage-dns-records/how-to/create-dns-records/) * [DreamHostarrow-up-right](https://help.dreamhost.com/hc/en-us/articles/215769758-DNS-overview) * [Freenomarrow-up-right](https://my.freenom.com/knowledgebase.php?action=displayarticle&id=4) * [Gandi.netarrow-up-right](https://docs.gandi.net/en/domain_names/common_operations/dns_records.html#) * [GoDaddyarrow-up-right](https://www.godaddy.com/help/manage-dns-records-680) * [Hostgatorarrow-up-right](https://www.hostgator.com/help/article/how-to-change-dns-zones-mx-cname-and-a-records#add-dns) * [Hostingerarrow-up-right](https://support.hostinger.com/en/articles/1583249-how-to-manage-dns-records-at-hostinger) * [Name.comarrow-up-right](https://www.name.com/support/articles/206127137-adding-dns-records-and-templates) * [Namecheaparrow-up-right](https://www.namecheap.com/support/knowledgebase/article.aspx/319/2237/how-can-i-set-up-a-host-record-for-my-domain) * [Namsiloarrow-up-right](https://www.namesilo.com/support/v2/articles/domain-manager/dns-manager) * [Porkbunarrow-up-right](https://kb.porkbun.com/article/68-how-to-edit-dns-records) * [Spaceshiparrow-up-right](https://www.spaceship.com/domain-management/) * [Squarespacearrow-up-right](https://support.squarespace.com/hc/en-us/articles/360002101888-Adding-custom-DNS-records-to-your-Squarespace-managed-domain) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#troubleshooting) Troubleshooting Domain propagation (the process of DNS records updating across global servers) can take up to 24 hours, though it typically happens within a few hours. If you are not seeing the status of your domain update to Active within the Lob dashboard, see the following troubleshooting steps: * Incorrect DNS Records: Ensure that you’ve correctly added the necessary A or CNAME records and removed extra or conflicting records. * Remove extra or conflicting DNS records: Delete any DNS records that might interfere with the proper setup of your domain/subdomain. * Domain Forwarding Issues: For some registrars like Namecheap or GoDaddy, you may need to disable domain forwarding. If your domain is not active after 24 hours, please reach out to our support team. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#using-short-urls-in-your-mail-campaigns) Using Short URLS in your mail campaigns Within Campaigns, you can add one short URL to your campaign. The short URL added to a campaign does not have to be unique to the creative and you may use the same short URL across multiple campaigns or creative. Note when doing this approach though, visits on that URL would be looked at in aggregate across all of the campaigns/creative. So if you would like to specify which campaign had visits, we recommend creating a short URL specific to that campaign. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#tag-your-campaign-with-a-static-short-url) Tag your campaign with a static short URL Static short URLs can be added to a campaign to simply track URL visits for that campaign. Most commonly used with PDF creatives, static short URLs allow you to attach a trackable short URL to a campaign, so if the end recipient visits the URL that’s placed on your mail creative, the campaign will be associated with a visitor to that URL link. Note that for this functionality to work, the short URL tagged in the campaign must match the short URL on your mail piece’s creative. To add a static short URL to your campaign, create a new URL in the [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/short-urls) or directly within the campaign flow on the Creative step. For any previously created short URL, you can select to add an existing short URL previously created within the Creative step of the campaign flow as well. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXcfBdh-srJ-6P6xK72GGA8AYv6BTM7U6D_m00unYRmvcLqtvXuEsoPN_RS5MEStHDOeiQPsCTHrZa_4_PmsOV-XP6I9S26l4RjRkBc3DSIcVB8rFQUT7jnqrj_U4MP2RXCQjSWcQlOlPEXtoZeaF9EtFkBE%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9243be0b&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXfTHZ2iyve-GkmbPJVhgCYK_akCshx0o4DI9nemlpWtaRIsRheoKAo4pAO36mJIDli5fzLe239eRKGBNl5vHpMHl7SSfqJxUQ45OhaCPo0ZT4B3rbFdyMQwZ8ay4bNsE19XPSqZ0ow3Zk3xUONoh8sX5wE%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=bc01880f&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#map-your-short-url-to-a-merge-variable-on-your-html-creative) Map your short URL to a merge variable on your HTML creative Lob can insert a shortened URL onto your html template using merge variables if you don’t want to add the shortened URL to your creative at the time of designing your creative. To insert and map your shortened URL to the html template variable, add your creative with merge variables in the Creative step of campaigns. Add your desired shortened URL to the campaign, and within the creative merge variable mapping section, select the merge variable where you would like the URL applied to. The shortened URL title should show at the bottom of the mapping variable dropdown field to select. We recommend creating a proof within your campaign before submitting to confirm the short URL applies in the correct spot on your creative and looks as expected before sending to print. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXcpb5svD9GnhFJGMYyNgXAzARj5OnEUTEU0vnNMEMxEnhIPgFIKSkQYRIKuyNB9q0NlXcRBD-RoPXea-RdlqAEz9JgUlj5NkYDZCkUBZyrfS6J-wymXoCw8DC6tyGNxOUluEXvBoNrs4lmqvo94Qkw7k5-Q%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a1f7fa58&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#short-url-analytics) Short URL Analytics Currently short URLs are tracked at the campaign level, not at the recipient level. This means you will be able to see that your “Summer 2024” campaign had 100 URL visits, but you won’t be able to know “John Smith” is one of the recipients who visited that URL. You can view analytics for your short URLs in two ways: in the engagement tab within the mail analytics page of the dashboard, or within a campaign details page analytics. Both URL charts will show how many mail pieces were sent with a Lob short URL attached to it, and if a user visited that URL it will then show the total number of visit to that URL. The mail analytics page on the dashboard will allow you to see all short URL sends and visits in aggregate, with the ability to filter by various aspects like date range or metadata. The short URL chart within a campaign details page will only show the URL sends and visits within that campaign specifically, taking into account the date from when the campaign was sent to today. If no short URL was added to your campaign, you will see a placeholder showing no short URL was added instead of seeing the URL chart. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-rt.googleusercontent.com%2Fdocsz%2FAD_4nXeJ1EoJOnamrFIDkoQfoN2J0wYXImVjOtOrYBjNoVljX8OulnrK_m_N1ZYiwiOgUC2qCFNrnMHDjBEPzfUdVmqicB90BsWeuvxiP3wqpHjaA2HSndfvAZesuF0Lpss-azs2SQ_yAI2djDmGkMfXFeAxGLZ_%3Fkey%3DLei-GpseDXDIb7lKJRj03Q&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1ddaf1dd&sv=2) [PreviousAdding QR codeschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) [NextInformed Deliverychevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Manage custom Short URL domains](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#manage-custom-short-url-domains) * [Activating your new custom domain](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#activating-your-new-custom-domain) * [Configuring your new domain](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#configuring-your-new-domain) * [Configuring subdomains](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#configuring-subdomains) * [Managing DNS records with specific hosting providers](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#managing-dns-records-with-specific-hosting-providers) * [Troubleshooting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#troubleshooting) * [Using Short URLS in your mail campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#using-short-urls-in-your-mail-campaigns) * [Tag your campaign with a static short URL](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#tag-your-campaign-with-a-static-short-url) * [Map your short URL to a merge variable on your HTML creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#map-your-short-url-to-a-merge-variable-on-your-html-creative) * [Short URL Analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls#short-url-analytics) Was this helpful? --- # AV integrations & libraries | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries#av-integrations-0) AV integrations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [AV Elements](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements) 2. [Shopify app: Address Cleanser](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser) 3. [Airtable app: Address Cleanserarrow-up-right](https://airtable.com/marketplace/blk3bzbNyiDRvWqWB/address-cleanser) 4. [Zapierarrow-up-right](https://zapier.com/apps/lob/integrations) 5. [JotFormarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/blog/how-jotform-and-lob-can-help-you-collect-better-data) (from our blog) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries#sdks-libraries-1) SDKs & libraries ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [Librariesarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/SDKs-and-Tools) : Ruby, Node.js, PHP, Python 2. [Postman collectionarrow-up-right](https://www.postman.com/lobteam/workspace/lob-public-workspace/folder/16169677-a6f8318f-184b-41e3-81bb-563f7eeffb01) [PreviousAV best practiceschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices) [NextAV Elementschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements) Last updated 9 months ago Was this helpful? * [AV integrations](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries#av-integrations-0) * [SDKs & libraries](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries#sdks-libraries-1) Was this helpful? --- # Getting data & results | Lob Help Center The final pillar of building a successful direct mail program is the ability to continuously iterate--to measure your baseline performance, and keep optimizing your direct mail performance with data and results gained from your sends. Lob offers you ways to gain unprecedented visibility into where every single individual mail piece is moving in the delivery mailstream, and can alert you with notifications at each stage so that you can build sophisticated downstream workflows and processes based on these alerts. You can also define, search, and slice and dice your mailpiece data in any way you see fit, to better understand channel performance and attribution. [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FygSU7FQC7BqkThcVtA08%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%25202.37.46%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D47cc2bf3-613a-40d8-957b-8e013c7dbc60&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d086e8cd&sv=2) **Tracking your mail** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F1vSZu18uVT7KB6zPgkDZ%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%25202.45.10%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D5fd832ee-41e5-4a81-85ca-1de8aef9c669&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=15a99321&sv=2) **Getting notifications via webhooks** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F0cvdAkga6agujJZiKHs8%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%25202.38.55%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D7bec914a-b6a6-4a1f-99ea-528e4796a86e&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9da6b286&sv=2) **Mail analytics and reporting** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FaJbQkELtnEIg9kDXrKsp%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%25202.41.00%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd3c70ace-a447-4b61-b161-efa0cc6d29cb&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=15b685ca&sv=2) **Measuring attribution** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F4IL7Nz11COPnbCe76Xd4%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-21%2520at%25205.24.59%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D9f6fcf77-1bb2-4d7b-a195-d7fcee70240a&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=eeaa5848&sv=2) **Exporting mail data** [PreviousUSPS Secure Destructionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction) [NextTracking your mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # AV best practices | Lob Help Center One of the most prized value propositions of our Address Verification solution is our access to detailed USPS deliverability data which provides a clear, binary value as to whether or not an address is capable of receiving mail. Because Lob sends millions of mailpieces, we also have the data and the intelligence to provide more context that can be useful when considering whether or not to send mail to a specific address. This useful information is returned to you in the Address Verification API response; [see a response sample herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications/operation/us_verification) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#what-youll-see-in-the-av-api-response) What you’ll see in the AV API response -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#deliverability) Deliverability The USPS returns empirical data to Lob on whether or not an address is deliverable (returned in the `deliverability` field), but it’s important to keep in mind the term “deliverable” is literal here— while the address itself may literally be deliverable, it does not guarantee the intended recipient can/will accept mail upon delivery attempt. This is where it becomes important to make further analysis of the API response. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#address-type) Address Type While evaluation on this metric doesn’t really have a bearing on the number of successful deliveries in your campaign, under `components`, the `address_type` field contains human-readable definitions for the type of the specified address. Address type may be very relevant, depending on the goal of your campaign. For example: * Realtors may only be interested in addresses with an `address_type` of “residential” * A startup pitching to companies may only be interested in those noted as “commercial” * Those who wish to opt-out of sending mail to more rural areas would want to filter out address types returned as “rural route” A full list of address types can be found [here.arrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/US-Verifications-Test-Env) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#delivery-point-validation-dpv) Delivery Point Validation (DPV) Under `deliverability_analysis` we provide more information about addresses. [Delivery Point Validationarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/address-quality/dpv) provides the highest level of address accuracy-checking: the address is checked against the USPS Address Management System (AMS) data file to ensure that it exists as an active delivery point to where mail can be delivered. DPV is intended to confirm USPS addresses but also identify potential addressing issues that may hinder delivery. Several sub-fields are included in DPV data to provide additional context on the given address; these fields are one of many variables factored into USPS decision-making when determining deliverability. The `dpv_active` field corresponds to the USPS field `dpv_no_stat`. Even if an address is deliverable by definition, it could still be flagged as "`N`" for inactive. "`N`" indicates an address is not receiving deliveries for one reason or another: * the address has been vacated recently * the address has been unoccupied for 90+ days, thus considered temporarily vacant * the address does not wish to receive mail for unspecified reasons triangle-exclamation **Remember:** If an address returns a `dpv_active` status of “`N,`” any mail sent to this address is at risk of being returned to sender. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#lob-confidence-scores) Lob Confidence Scores The [Lob Confidence Scorearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#lob-confidence-score) (`lob_confidence_score`) is our prediction of successful delivery based on our historical data for an address. If we sent 10 mailpieces to an address, and all 10 were successfully delivered, the address would have a score of 100. If we sent 10 mailpieces to an address, but 8 were [returned to senderarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#undeliverable-mail-9) , it would have a much lower score of 20. Our Confidence Scores are updated monthly to reflect new delivery attempts. You may want to consider using the Confidence Score based on the [type of mailarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#mail-use-type-1) that you send: * If you are sending operational mail, you may only need proof that the mailpiece was sent to a valid address on file, and successful delivery may not be as important. * **If** **you are sending marketing mail, it is strongly suggested that you consider this field before sending**, as addresses with Confidence Scores under 100 indicate the address has rejected mail before. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#return-to-sender-rts-rates) Return to sender (RTS) rates ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Without validation, the industry average RTS rate is 5-10%, but through the use of our AV solutions, we see customers with an average RTS rate of 2% or less. Historically, mail campaigns have been prone to imperfection, but through the use of the best practices provided, return-to-sender rates can be driven lower. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#cache-if-you-can) Cache if you can! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lastly, for customers working with full tech stacks, we highly recommend caching responses to our AV endpoint, as prices are made per API call. So, if an end-user has made a request for the validation of an address (ex: “210 King St, San Francisco, CA”), cache this result internally for at least 24 hours. Now, if another customer attempts to validate that same address, you can pull it from the cache instead and are only charged for the original API call. [PreviousAV pricingchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing) [NextAV integrations & librarieschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries) Last updated 9 months ago Was this helpful? * [What you’ll see in the AV API response](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#what-youll-see-in-the-av-api-response) * [Deliverability](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#deliverability) * [Address Type](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#address-type) * [Delivery Point Validation (DPV)](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#delivery-point-validation-dpv) * [Lob Confidence Scores](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#lob-confidence-scores) * [Return to sender (RTS) rates](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#return-to-sender-rts-rates) * [Cache if you can!](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices#cache-if-you-can) Was this helpful? --- # Booklets | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Booklets are a unique way to promote your products, services, or brand to potential and existing customers. Smaller than a typical magazine, our digest booklets are a snackable, tangible tool for storytelling. Check out the following resources to get started with booklets: * Lob dashboard: [Bookletsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob-staging.com/booklets) section or [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/live) * [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Booklets) * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery/product-promotion-booklet-offset) for sample design inspiration and template circle-info Booklets are exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this mail format, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#booklet-formats) Booklet formats --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9x6” booklet * Like all other mail formats at Lob, this is digitally printed, which allows for dynamic personalization. * Available in 8, 12, or 16 pages. * There is a minimum order size of 5,000. * Booklets have a 4-day production SLA 8.375x5.375” booklet \[offset\] * Utilizes offset printing, a more traditional method of production for direct mail. Offset _does not allow for dynamic personalization,_ but can allow for a higher page count at a lower cost than its digital counterpart. * There is a minimum order size of 10,000. * Booklets have a 4-day production SLA [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#dimensions-and-specs) Dimensions & specs ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#layout-dimensions) Layout dimensions Booklet sheets are folded horizontally resulting in side-by-side panels to be read left to right, like a book. **Artwork should be submitted (and will preview) as a printer’s spread.** Each of our layout templates include page numbers to guide you. chevron-rightWhat is a "printer's spread"?[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#what-is-a-printers-spread) This layout is not in consecutive page order. Instead, pages are paired so that only after the booklet is printed, assembled, and folded, all the pages appear in the correct numerical order for the reader. * From the front cover (page 1), follow a zigzag pattern to the left page of the next spread (page 2) * Keep this zigzag numbering pattern until you get to the bottom. Then go directly across from left to right * Return back up the page in a similar zigzag "ladder" until you get back to the top with your last page ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FnVT9DfocKVng2MCkkftq%252Fprinters_spread.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D71e24313-e8db-4913-b789-bcc52a28854b&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c6caaca5&sv=2) Please refer to our layout templates for where to place your design elements; pay close attention to address/postage block and safe zones. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#id-9x6-layout-templates) 9x6" layout templates * [9x6” 8 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_9x6_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+9x6_8PAGE+.pdf) * [9x6” 12 PAGEarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_9x6_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+9x6_12PAGE.pdf) * [9x6” 16 PAGEarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_9x6_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+9x6_16PAGE.pdf) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#id-8.375x5.375-layout-templates) 8.375x5.375" layout templates circle-exclamation The 8.375x5.375 booklet is produced on an offset printer & mailpieces cannot be personalized. This booklet size is available in 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, or 32 pages. * [8.375x5.375” 8 PAGEarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_8PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 12 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_12PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 16 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_16PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 20 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_20PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 24 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_24PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 28 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_28PAGE.pdf) * [8.375x5.375” 32 PAGE arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/booklets/creatives/Booklet_8.375x5.375_Furniture_Creative/pdfs/Booklet+8_375x5_375_32PAGE.pdf) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#artwork-considerations) Artwork considerations * Booklet sheets are printed double-sided in black and white or color. * Note zone around binding is 0.125” from either side of the midline/fold (.25” total). Artwork may be placed here, but note it will be impacted by the fold. * Minimum booklet size: 8 pages (2 sheets of paper, with 2 panels printed on the front and back of each). * Page count must increase by 4 pages (1 sheet of paper) at a time. * Maximum booklet size: * 9x6”: 16 pages (4 sheets of paper) * 8.375x5.375” \[OFFSET\]: 32 Pages (8 sheets of paper) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#ink-free-zone-dimensions) Ink-free zone dimensions 9x6” digest booklet * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.125" from the top edge (including bleed) * Placement: Left panel outside back 8.375x5.375” booklet \[offset\] * W x H: 4 x 2.375" * 0.15" from the center fold line * 0.125" from the top edge (including bleed) * Placement: Left panel outside back ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#paper-specs) Paper specs We use a few pre-approved papers across our commercial printer network. In ensuring uniform quality and consistency across all of our mail pieces, each paper source specification must fall within a small range. 9x6” digest booklet * Basis Weight: 80# Text * Full Bleed 8.375x5.375” booklet \[offset\] * Basis Weight: 60# Gloss Text * Full Bleed ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#binding-and-closure) Binding & Closure For artwork, regardless of booklet size, note zone around the binding: 0.15” from either side of the midline/fold (.3” total). Artwork may be placed here, but it will be impacted by the fold. All booklets, regardless of page count, will be saddle-stitched with two staples. * In [saddle stitchingarrow-up-right](https://sites.saic.edu/servicebureau/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2023/01/saddle-stitching-binding.png) , folded sheets of paper are nested in one another, then stacks are draped over a holding device (the paper hangs over each side like legs on a saddle). Then, long wire staples are threaded, or “stitched” through the paper; two staples is the standard. All booklets, regardless of page count, will have a three-tab closure (wafer seals) for postal regulations. * Wafer seals are self-adhesive paper disks used to prepare self-mailing materials for delivery or to seal envelopes securely without glue. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#booklet-best-practices) Booklet best practices ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ensure your booklets get to their final destination by following these guidelines: * The "from" field is required for all booklets, regardless of the destination * Booklets should not contain any PII outside of the [no-ink zonearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) * HIPAA-compliant booklets are not offered at this time, as booklets are not placed in envelopes * Avoid any [prohibited artworkarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) to ensure your mail does not get rejected by USPS * [Mailing Classarrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-class-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) options may differ based on destination and use type (e.g. promotional vs non-promotional) circle-check Coming soon: Up next on our roadmap is a 9x6" digitally printed booklet offering full personalization via merge variables. Talk to your Account Manager for more information. [PreviousSnap packschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/snap-packs) [NextCustom mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/custom-mail) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#overview) * [Booklet formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#booklet-formats) * [Dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#dimensions-and-specs) * [Layout dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#layout-dimensions) * [Artwork considerations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#artwork-considerations) * [Ink-free zone dimensions](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#ink-free-zone-dimensions) * [Paper specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#paper-specs) * [Binding & Closure](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#binding-and-closure) * [Booklet best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/booklets#booklet-best-practices) Was this helpful? --- # Tactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotion | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#what-is-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion) What is the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion? The Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive (TSI) Promotion encourages mailers to excite their customers’ senses by incorporating innovative techniques into their First-Class Mail and USPS Marketing Mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#when-is-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion-live) When is the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion live? The promotion runs from **January 1, 2026, to June 30, 2026**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion-through-lob) How can I take advantage of the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion through Lob? By opting into the satin-finish or grooved envelopes (or both), these elements engage the senses, create a stronger connection with your audience _and_ save money. Here’s everything you need to know to qualify for a **5% discount**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#opt-in-to-the-promotion) Opt-in to the promotion To get started, log into the Lob Promotions Portal: [https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotionsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotions) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#id-1.-select-the-available-promotion) 1\. Select the Available Promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flvp7AIo0t42QyqEoe29f%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.29%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D28d737a6-fc65-43d3-ac47-86d34743c3d6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9315012c&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#id-2.-opt-in-for-the-tactile-sensory-interactive-engagement-promotion) 2\. Opt-In for the Tactile, Sensory, Interactive Engagement Promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FcX2l3nYoF83woVzjRyWT%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.55%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D61665168-b0c4-4109-900e-e639ef497a43&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d5d63e4b&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#id-3.-select-your-treatment-you-can-choose-one-or-both) 3\. Select your treatment, you can choose one or both ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FMNrK8FXNDE8iVaRJ7Atu%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-26%2520at%25209.20.41%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D77710609-1c88-46c9-abd5-b0ce6fa02022&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5e7bbf3a&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#id-4.-for-grooved-envelopes-you-will-estimate-usage-quantity-for-january-june) 4\. For Grooved envelopes, you will estimate usage quantity for January - June ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FyXVAzJ7r1ZUxjxSNc9VZ%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-26%2520at%25209.23.41%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D11b52447-1bd6-4741-a354-2b1f60353d75&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=35bda773&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#id-5.-validate-promotion-approval) 5\. Validate Promotion approval Your chosen Promotion will be visible within your My Promotions section: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fm5SWvQmfEuR2A1e5kPRq%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.44.18%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D48cc1561-9868-4f2c-b7c7-53e982670623&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a970dd47&sv=2) [PreviousIntegrated Technology Promotionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion) [NextFirst Class Mail Advertisingchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [What is the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#what-is-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion) * [When is the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion live?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#when-is-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion-live) * [How can I take advantage of the Tactile, Sensory, and Interactive Promotion through Lob?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion-through-lob) * [Opt-in to the promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion#opt-in-to-the-promotion) Was this helpful? --- # Send campaigns via the Campaigns API | Lob Help Center circle-info This functionality is in beta. Please reach out to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cab9bfbabaa5b8be8aa6a5a8e4a9a5a7) or your Account Manager with any feedback or feature requests. Use our Campaigns API to send your large-scale direct mail campaign sends more programmatically. When creating campaigns, you’ll interact with 3 main models: **campaigns**, **creatives**, and **uploads**. * The **campaigns** model is used to set up high-level information about your campaign * The **creatives** model is used for uploading artwork and artwork settings for your campaign * The **uploads** model is used to build your audience and configure any recipient-level details for your campaign Follow the steps below to create your first campaign in the API. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-1-create-your-campaign-7) Step 1: Create your campaign **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/campaigns` **Documentation**: [Create Campaignarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns/operation/campaign_create) First, create your campaign. At a minimum, your campaign needs a `name` and a `schedule_type` and a `use_type` if one has not been declared at the account level. It is highly recommended that a `cancel_window_campaign_minutes` is provided given it will allow you to cancel the campaign within the specified window if needed. Copy { "name": "Demo Campaign", "schedule_type": "immediate", "use_type": "marketing", "cancel_window_campaign_minutes": "120" } ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-2-add-creative-8) Step 2: Add creative **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/creatives` **Documentation**: [Create Creativesarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Creatives/operation/creative_create) The next step is to create your creative object that will be associated with the campaign. You can only associate a single creative with a campaign. You are required to add a `campaign_id`, `resource_type`, and any requirements for your selected `resource_type`. This payload is subject to change depending on your form factor. See examples below. Postcard Letter Note: the `details` section has additional optional parameters, [see docs for more info.arrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Creatives/operation/creative_create) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-3-create-your-upload-object-9) Step 3: Map columns from your data file to specified fields **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/uploads` **Documentation**: [Create Uploadarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads) Uploading your audience data file is the next step. Step 3 can be done prior to Step 2 as well. For more information on how to best structure your upload for Steps 3 and 4, visit our [campaign audience guide](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) . If using `optionalAddressColumnMapping`, all fields must be specified (which means unused fields must be declared with a `null` value). If you're using an HTML template, double check that you have provided all keys and values for `mergeVariableColumnMapping`, if not all merge variables are mapped, your campaign will not be executable when it comes time to send. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-4-upload-your-file-10) Step 4: Upload your file **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/uploads/{{upload_id}}/file` **Documentation**: [Upload Filearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads/operation/upload_file) After creating your upload object, you can now upload your file as a byte stream (binary file). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-5-validate-your-file-11) Step 5: Execute your campaign **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/campaigns/{{campaign_id}}/send` **Documentation**: [Send Campaignarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns/operation/campaign_send) Finally, you can execute your campaign! To see the status of your mail pieces as they are created, use the `GET api.lob.com/v1/uploads/{{upload_id}}` endpoint. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-7-export-failures-13) Step 6: Get failed addresses **Endpoint**: `POST api.lob.com/v1/uploads/{{upload_id}}/exports` **Documentation**: [Create Exportarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads/operation/upload_export_create) First, let us know that you would like to create a failure export. Your response will include an export ID, which will be used to retrieve the export URL in the next step. **Endpoint**: `GET api.lob.com/v1/uploads/{{upload_id}}/exports/{{export_id}}` **Documentation**: [Retrieve Exportarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Uploads/operation/export_retrieve) You can then retrieve the S3 URL of the export from the `GET` response above. Your export will include row-level details on why each record failed. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-8-cancel-your-campaign-14) Step 7: Cancel your campaign **Endpoint**: `DELETE api.lob.com/v1/campaigns` **Documentation**: [Delete Campaignarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns/operation/campaign_delete) As long as your campaign cancellation window has not passed, you can [cancel](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) your campaign using our `DELETE` route on the campaigns endpoint. And that's it! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager, or to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c7f797c7c637e784c60636e226f6361) . [PreviousSend mail via Print & Mail APIchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-mail-via-print-and-mail-api) [NextUSPS Secure Destructionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/usps-secure-destruction) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Step 1: Create your campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-1-create-your-campaign-7) * [Step 2: Add creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-2-add-creative-8) * [Step 3: Map columns from your data file to specified fields](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-3-create-your-upload-object-9) * [Step 4: Upload your file](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-4-upload-your-file-10) * [Step 5: Execute your campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-5-validate-your-file-11) * [Step 6: Get failed addresses](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-7-export-failures-13) * [Step 7: Cancel your campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api#step-8-cancel-your-campaign-14) Was this helpful? Copy { "campaign_id": "campaign_id", "resource_type": "postcard", "front": "{{pdf || url || template_id}}", "back": "{{pdf || url || template_id}}", "details": { "size": "4x6", "mail_type": "usps_standard_class", } } Copy { "campaign_id": "campaign_id", "resource_type": "letter", "file": "{{pdf || url || template_id}}", "from": { "name": "Lob.com", "address_line1": "210 King St.", "address_city": "San Francisco", "address_state": "CA", "address_zip": "94107" } "details": { "color": true, "mail_type": "usps_standard_class" } } Copy { "campaignId": "{{campaign_id}}", "requiredAddressColumnMapping": { "name": "recipient", "address_line1": "address_line1", "address_city": "address_city", "address_state": "address_state", "address_zip": "address_zip" }, "optionalAddressColumnMapping": { "address_line2": "address_line2", "company": null, "address_country": null }, "mergeVariableColumnMapping": { "date": "date", "firstName": "firstName", ... "qr_url": "qr_url" }, "metadata": { "columns": [\ "email"\ ] } } Copy { "file": "{{file.csv}}" } Copy { "is_draft": "false" } Copy { "type": "failures" } --- # One-time campaigns or triggered sends? | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends#one-time-campaigns) One-time campaigns -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A common approach to sending direct mail is to send a single, large campaign to a target audience. **At Lob,** **a "one-time" campaign is a one-to-many method of mail distribution to a broad audience using a single set of mailing instructions.** circle-check Popular use cases for one-time campaigns include sending acquisition or cross-sell mailers, retail promotions, annual policy updates, end-of-life notices for a sunsetting product, referral campaigns, etc. Traditionally, sending a campaign meant negotiating RFPs for every project, long lead times with lots of back-and-forth with the printer, imperfect audience lists, and use of generic creatives that lacked personalization, if any. With Lob, you can create campaigns using our flexible settings and guidance, choose from various delivery options, and apply dynamic personalization at unprecedented granular levels. One-time campaign execution is easy in the Lob Dashboard via [Campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) , or programmatically via our [Campaigns API](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) . [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FQXS1kUWxq8QQ99VpP7FQ%252FScreenshot%25202023-02-08%2520at%25204.00.50%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D060498d2-8008-47f7-a843-23c8a7748c57&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=22d40f9d&sv=2) **Send via the Lob Dashboard** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-campaigns-via-the-campaigns-api) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F6ETFF3amovfuR5dvIz8e%252F0_ljyW1QItACx67HVd.jpeg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0e1d2058-f6df-4880-9b77-4f8eef756fdb&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6035d2b0&sv=2) **Send via Campaigns API** chevron-rightCampaign FYIs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends#campaign-fyis) * Some advanced campaign features or mail formats are only available to Enterprise-tier customers, and may have mail piece minimums to qualify for a campaign send. * Letter add-ons (envelopes, cards, buckslips) must be ordered in advance and be fully stocked in your inventory in order for your campaign to be successfully sent * Target Delivery, cards or buckslips have different campaign send minimums * Some campaign-specific settings may override your account-level settings, such as merge variable strictness or cancellation windows * You can send most domestic mail formats offered by Lob in Campaigns, except checks and extra service mailers (Certified & Registered Mail). No campaigns can be sent abroad. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends#automated-campaigns-trigger-based) Automated campaigns (trigger-based) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Another common way to send direct mail is to individually dispatch mail, usually initiated by pre-programmed logic or event within an orchestration workflow. **"Triggered" mail is an automated process that sends mail to a single recipient when they meet a pre-set condition or take a defined set of actions within a certain timeline.** Lob refers to these event- or trigger-based campaigns as automated campaigns. circle-check Popular triggered use cases include post-signup onboarding mail, abandoned cart recovery, order notices or monthly statements, product retargeting, and follow-up confirmations. Using Lob's single endpoint APIs, you can create a custom trigger automation from scratch, or take advantage of popular pre-built [API integrations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) to connect to a platform you already use for your digital channels. Or for a less technical lift, you can automate your sends [directly from the Lob dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/no-code-integrations) . [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/api-integrations) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FUeQNvafIfcVfC2wH2Iyw%252Fexternal_integrations.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D2596a320-258b-4e2e-80f9-f73048512633&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9cf89fdd&sv=2) **API integrations** [](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations/no-code-integrations) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FFFo6XLWbdOR8BSGPndxq%252Finternal_integrations.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dbb8dc3bd-3efc-4e80-9230-9c24f0e4fd4b&width=490&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=dacd3ff1&sv=2) **No-code integrations** [PreviousBuilding a mail strategychevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy) [NextChoosing a delivery strategychevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/choosing-a-delivery-strategy) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [One-time campaigns](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends#one-time-campaigns) * [Automated campaigns (trigger-based)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends#automated-campaigns-trigger-based) Was this helpful? --- # Mailing Classes & Postage | Lob Help Center Mailing classes categorize mail based on factors like speed, cost, and content, determining how a mailpiece is handled by the U.S. Postal Service. Through Lob, you can take advantage of different mailing class options to reflect your business priorities **Important:** via its Domestic Mail Manual (DMM), the U.S. Postal Service imposes certain standards for mail preparation and content. Such standards include requirements for sending mail containing personal information. Because violations of the DMM can result in mail being pulled from the mailstream and/or other penalties, Lob strongly recommends you review the DMM and consult your legal counsel with any questions or concerns. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#first-class-mail-1) First Class Mail * Used to send Lob postcards, self-mailers, letters, and checks * Intended mostly for personal or business correspondence * Option of add additional services, like Certified Mail * Must weigh 13oz or less; anything over 13oz can be sent as Priority Mail * Delivery is given priority over Standard Class Mail, both locally & nationally * Includes forwarding and return services with no additional charge * First Class domestic mail takes 5-7 business days to deliver and international mailings take an additional 5 to 7 business days. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#standard-class-mail-or-marketing-mail-2) Standard Class Mail or Marketing Mail * Broadly known as Marketing Mail, or "bulk mail" in the industry * Lob will often refer to it by its previous name, Standard Class Mail, in our product offerings * Used to send Lob postcards, self-mailers, and letters with marketing-related content * Intended more for advertisements and mass communication purposes * Must weigh 16oz or less, and meet a minimum quantity of 200 pieces or 50lbs * Processed by USPS on a "time available" basis; no delivery time guarantees * Best to avoid with time-sensitive mailings * Least expensive postage mode available on Lob * Mailings typically take 7-21 business days (only available in US) * Standard Class mail cannot be sent internationally * Standard Class mail is not forwarded or returned if undeliverable unless a special endorsement is used; undeliverable mail will be destroyed by USPS ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) Available mailing class options #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#postcards) **Postcards** * **4x6, 6x9 and 6x11 postcards**: Mailed via USPS First Class Mail (takes 5-7 business days and international mailings take an additional 5-7 business days). * **4x6, 6x9 and 6x11 postcards**: Mailed via USPS Standard Class Mail (takes 7-21 business days) and only within the US. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#self-mailers) **Self-mailers** * Mailed via USPS First Class Mail or Standard Class Mail * USPS Standard Class Mail may only be used for sends within the US #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#letters) **Letters** * Mailed via USPS First Class Mail (takes 5-7 business days) * Mailed via USPS Standard Class Mail (takes 7-21 business days) and only within the US #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#checks) **Checks** * Mailed via USPS First Class only (takes 5-7 business days) * USPS Standard Class Mail is not available for checks * Overnight/expedited mailing options are not available [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#postage-10) Postage --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our fulfillment partners programmatically print their own indicia on all postcards and self-mailers. This indicia is then used to prepare the mailing paperwork for USPS. There is no need to mark the [location of your indicia](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#prohibited-artwork-11) in your submitted creatives. Our return envelopes are blank and come without prepaid postage; mail recipients will be responsible for adding their own postage when sending reply mail. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#mail-collection-cut-off-times-11) Mail collection & cut-off times ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our daily cut-off times for all mail submissions are **10am PST** each business day; anything submitted after that will be processed in the following business day's production run. Remember: if you use the [cancellation window](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) or [scheduling feature](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#bypassing-cancellation-window-with-scheduled-mailings-7) and your send date surpass a daily cut-off time, it will be slotted for the next production day. Production days are based on normal business days, including [National Holidays](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#no-production-days-3) . If you have more questions regarding cut-off times, reach out to [\[email protected\]](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) or your Customer Success Manager. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#mail-distribution-to-lobs-pdn-12) Lob's Print Delivery Network (PDN) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob's Print Delivery Network (PDN) is the backbone of our Print & Mail offering and is predicated on automated production, dynamically-adjusted throughput, and consistency of quality that is on-demand and at scale. By building an integrated, distributed network of professional printers, we simplify client print operations and vendor management on behalf of our customers. Qualified commercial printers are integrated into our PDN ecosystem, enabling customers to easily access different mail delivery strategies. Mail sent through Lob is dynamically distributed to the printers within our PDN, based on a number of factors, including: * Mail form factor and permutation availability * Mail volume capacity * Mail Content * Paper stock and ink availability * Distance from end-recipient of mail * Other manufacturing and logistical capacity needs If you're a printer that's interested in working with us, [let's talkarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/print-partner) ! [PreviousUSPS Mail Growth Incentivechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-mail-growth-incentive) [NextCertified Mail or Registered Mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail) Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [First Class Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#first-class-mail-1) * [Standard Class Mail or Marketing Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#standard-class-mail-or-marketing-mail-2) * [Available mailing class options](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#available-mailing-class-options-5) * [Postage](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#postage-10) * [Mail collection & cut-off times](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#mail-collection-cut-off-times-11) * [Lob's Print Delivery Network (PDN)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage#mail-distribution-to-lobs-pdn-12) Was this helpful? --- # AV FAQs | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#what-are-some-address-verification-use-cases) What are some address verification use cases? Some customers love to use our address verification API to ensure addresses are accurate, deliverable and USPS standardized. Others love to use it for front-end autocompletion and to practice good data hygiene to prevent downstream bottlenecks. The possibilities are endless! ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#how-often-does-lob-update-their-address-verification-api) How often does Lob update their Address Verification API? It depends! For US verifications, our API updates on the 15th of every month, in accordance with USPS’s update schedule. For international verifications, our API updates in accordance with that specific country’s update schedule. For the update schedule by country, check out our Global Address Coverage page. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-are-my-verified-addresses-returning-in-capital-letters) Why are my verified addresses returning in capital letters? By default Lob returns addresses in uppercase, to adhere with USPS' preference. If you prefer proper case you can configure this by changing the \[case\] to "proper." Changing the case is only available to users sending in API requests programmatically. For more information, check our docs. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#how-do-i-keep-track-of-the-amount-of-verifications-ive-done) How do I keep track of the amount of verifications I’ve done? If you want to check how many verifications you completed in a given timeframe, there are two ways to get this done: 1. Look at the Overview tab once you sign in to your Lob Dashboard and hover over the chart below the “API REQUESTS (BY CREATION DATE)” section. If you want to customize the time frame, then select a Start and End date, and hover over the chart for date or month-specific verification information. 2. If you also want to see current month per-piece pricing: * Log in to your Lob Dashboard and click on Billing in the left navigation menu. * Click on “Editions” * Select the product you’d like to review usage for Select the product you’d like to review usage for * You should be able to see your usage settings under the “Current Month Usage” ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-is-my-address-undeliverable) Why is my address undeliverable? There are various reasons an address can be deemed undeliverable, roughly grouped into four buckets below. * ZIP Code Types - components \[`zip_code_type`\] * Record Types - components \[`record_type`\] * Carrier Route Types - components \[`carrier_route_type`\] * DPV Footnotes - deliverability\_analysis \[`dpv_footnotes`\] The full list of detailed definitions for various fields in the US Verification object can be found in our [API docsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verification-Types) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-did-my-address-verification-fail-when-google-maps-was-able-to-successfully-find-it) Why did my address verification fail when Google Maps was able to successfully find it? Our API focuses on whether or not addresses are valid delivery points for receiving mail. Google Maps focuses on locality and walking/driving directions, and therefore should not be relied on for verifying the validity of a mailing address. An address that can be located on a map is not necessarily an officially recognized address by the USPS. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#what-are-the-rate-limits-for-the-address-verification-api) What are the rate limits for the Address Verification API? US and international verification of a single address (`v1/us_verifications` and `v1/intl_verifications`) allow 300 API calls per 5 second interval. However, our bulk endpoints for US and interational verification have the following rate limits: * US bulk verifications (`v1/bulk/us_verifications`) — 70 API calls per 10 second interval, passing a maximum of 20 addresses per API call * International bulk verifications (`v1/bulk/intl_verifications`) — 30 API calls per 10 second interval, passing a maximum of 20 addresses per API call [PreviousShopify App: Address Cleanserchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser) [NextAPI quickstart guidechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) Last updated 2 months ago Was this helpful? * [What are some address verification use cases?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#what-are-some-address-verification-use-cases) * [How often does Lob update their Address Verification API?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#how-often-does-lob-update-their-address-verification-api) * [Why are my verified addresses returning in capital letters?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-are-my-verified-addresses-returning-in-capital-letters) * [How do I keep track of the amount of verifications I’ve done?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#how-do-i-keep-track-of-the-amount-of-verifications-ive-done) * [Why is my address undeliverable?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-is-my-address-undeliverable) * [Why did my address verification fail when Google Maps was able to successfully find it?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#why-did-my-address-verification-fail-when-google-maps-was-able-to-successfully-find-it) * [What are the rate limits for the Address Verification API?](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs#what-are-the-rate-limits-for-the-address-verification-api) Was this helpful? --- # Upgrading API version | Lob Help Center When backward-incompatible changes are made to the API, a new dated version is released. You can view your current version in your [dashboard settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) . circle-info Any API version prior to **2020-02-11** has been sunsetted. It is recommended that when you are ready to upgrade your API version to the current version, you should add the version to your requests in the HTTP header as shown in the [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Versioning-and-Changelog) and then attempt test requests to ensure your integration will not break upon fully upgrading. Once testing is complete, you can go into your dashboard [settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) and make the full upgrade. After that is complete, you should remove the Lob version header from your requests to ensure all your requests use your global version. You will only need to specify a version if you would like to test a newer version of the API without doing a full upgrade. The API will return an error if a version older than your current one is passed in. For more information about versioning see [our API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Versioning-and-Changelog) . [PreviousError referencechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference) [NextTechnical use case guideschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # API keys | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#where-to-find-api-keys-0) Where to find API keys ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob authenticates your API requests using your account's API keys. If you do not include your key when making an API request, or use a key that is incorrect or outdated, Lob will return an error with a `401` HTTP response code. Find all your API Keys in the [API Keysarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) tab of your Dashboard Settings. * Log into your Lob account to access your [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/) * Tap on **Settings** tab located in the bottom left navigation menu. * Tap on the **API Keys** icon and you'll be able to access both your Live and Test API keys ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F5L1luT962s1BlZb1UQTo%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-03%2520at%252012.10.11%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dc25d547e-84cd-4cfa-84e6-2584b16a3d98&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d376a69f&sv=2) Your API keys may be manually generated by clicking on the refresh button below each API key. However, this action will invalidate your existing key at the account level and cannot be undone. Only generate new API keys if you have paused your existing integration. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#secret-publishable-keys-1) Secret & Publishable keys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are two types of API keys: **secret** and **publishable**. * **Secret keys:** Your account's secret API keys can perform any API request to Lob without restriction. These keys should be kept confidential and only stored on your own servers. * **Publishable keys:** These keys are limited to US verifications, international verifications, and US autocomplete requests. While we encourage you to use a secret key for maximum security, you can publish these keys to JavaScript code or in an Android or iPhone app without exposing print and mail services or your secret key. Publishable keys are always prefixed with `[environment]_pub`. Every type comes with a pair of keys: one for the testing environment and one for the live environment. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#test-vs-live-environment-keys-2) Test vs Live environment keys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Every account has a **test** and a **live** environment. All API requests are either a test or live request. The two environments are completely separate; data created in the test environment can not access data created in the live environment, and vice versa. You should use the Test Key within the test environment during development to test that your integration is working properly and that your artwork looks as expected. Once you are ready for production, switch to your Live API key. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#test-mode-3) Test mode Use your Test API key to try out the functionality of Lob's service, perform quality assurance, run automated testing, and perform logic that does not require the creation of a mail piece (i.e. previewing campaign audit proofs for approvals) without incurring any charges. All features that are available in live mode are available in the test environment. When you send a request in test mode, a digital proof and thumbnails will be rendered, but the mail piece will not actually be printed and mailed. PDF proofs and thumbnail images of your mail-pieces are returned in the API response, which is helpful for you to preview the expected print output as well as show previews from your apps. Additionally, a full production-load test can be done in test mode before switching over to production. Requests made with Test API key always validate request arguments, simulate live environment behavior, and enforce rate limits, but for verification services, will never verify addresses. The US and International verification services trigger behavior with specific argument values, and, if you plan to use these services, we recommend you read the [US Verification test environmentarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/US-Verifications-Test-Env) and [International Verification test environmentarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/Intl-Verifications-Test-Env) sections. Test API keys are always prefixed with `test_`. To send a real mail piece, or verify an address, use your Live API key. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#live-mode-4) Live mode Before going live, you will need to verify your email and add a [payment methodarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/payment) . A payment method is not required for the first 300 live requests per month to the `/v1/us_verifications` endpoint (after which you will begin receiving errors with status code `403`). A verification email is sent when you create your account and can be requested again through the [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) . When you send a live request, your mail piece will be queued for printing and mailing immediately. You will also incur a corresponding charge based on what is printed and mailed. **There is no way to undo a live API request**, so please use caution when using your Live API key. Live API keys in production are always prefixed with `live_`. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#authentication) Authentication ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Requests made to the API are protected with HTTP Basic authentication. In order to properly authenticate with the API you must use your API key as the username while leaving the password blank. Requests not properly authenticated will return a `401` error code. For Basic authentication, the authorization request header contains the Base64-encoded username and password, separated by a colon. When handling the request, the server decodes the login details and checks if the user can access the requested content. Since the authorization you pass to Lob does not have a password you will need to Base64-encode “`[API_KEY]:`”. [PreviousSigning into Lobchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob) [NextAccount settingschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings) Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [Where to find API keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#where-to-find-api-keys-0) * [Secret & Publishable keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#secret-publishable-keys-1) * [Test vs Live environment keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#test-vs-live-environment-keys-2) * [Test mode](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#test-mode-3) * [Live mode](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#live-mode-4) * [Authentication](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#authentication) Was this helpful? --- # Ready to start AV? | Lob Help Center If you've spent long hours preparing an audience list by appending data, you also know that your direct mail campaign can only be successful if your mail actually makes it to the recipient in the first place. Similar to digital campaigns, physical mail campaigns need postal address verification so that physical mailers can check the accuracy of the addresses on their list, fix mistakes, and avoid undeliverable mail. Lob's Address Verification solution suite can ensure that submitted addresses are accurate and ready to be mailed, and reduce costly mistakes that end up undelivered and returned or thrown away. Additionally, if your business is operating in a growing web of complex regulatory requirements, maintaining good address hygiene can play a critical role in meeting compliance and reducing friction in your customer experiences. Here at Lob, our suite of products can help improve your business in the following ways: * Improve deliverability by ensuring the physical address in question is deliverable * Mitigate erroneous data inputs or fraudulent transactions through cleansing and verification * Validate recipient identity by ensuring individuals and businesses reside at their stated address Read on for further information on our Address Verification suite. [](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FbhJQw4bVBK06cfYxJSXt%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%252012.06.04%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df06eb46f-5408-45a5-8e53-d89a2afc12aa&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c1406583&sv=2) **US Address Verification product suite** [](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite) ![Cover](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fb5vgEVYm1S04gjJbGkFt%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-13%2520at%252012.06.15%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D5bf7f88c-9d57-4779-a517-04f7f82af35e&width=752&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7b87e7a4&sv=2) **International Address Verification suite** [PreviousExporting mail datachevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data) [NextUS AV product suitechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Technical use case guides | Lob Help Center The following guides are intended to provide an in-depth walkthrough of some of Lob's product features that customers can use to accomplish their business needs. [Mass deletion setupchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/mass-deletion-setup) [NCOA responseschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses) [Override cancellation windowchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window) [Visibility of address changeschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes) [Ingesting tracking events with webhookschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks) [PreviousUpgrading API versionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/upgrading-api-version) [NextMass deletion setupchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/mass-deletion-setup) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Shopify App: Address Cleanser | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#shopify-overview-0) Shopify overview -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Shopifyarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) is an e-commerce platform that allows anyone to set up an online store to sell their products. With Lob’s Address Verification integration, you can validate every address submitted within your Shopify store, ensuring that your addresses are deliverable and that shipments arrive at the right place. **Benefits**: * Ensures accuracy by correcting mistakes and misspelled addresses * Suggested addresses meet USPS address formatting requirements with data standardization * Flag missing mandatory delivery fields such as unit numbers, streets suffixes, etc. * Identify P.O. Boxes and residential or commercial buildings * Reduce non deliverable addresses with delivery verification [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#getting-started-1) Getting started ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#step-1-visit-the-shopify-store) Step 1: Visit the Shopify store Visit the “Lob Address Cleanser” page in Shopify and add the app to your store: [https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanserarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647930482032-1647930482032.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2796fca5&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#step-2-install-lobs-address-cleanser) Step 2: Install Lob’s Address Cleanser Once you click “Add app”, Shopify will guide you through the installation process, which will require you to select your store and click their “install app” button. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#step-3-customize-your-shoppers-experience) Step 3: Customize your shopper’s experience Once installed, you’ll be taken directly to [Lob’s Address Cleanserarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) getting started page within Shopify. Address Cleanser will be disabled by default once installed, and here you’ll have the option to customize the experience your customers will see in your store. You can customize the font type as well as color theme to match your branding. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647930609573-1647930609573.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7030ea1&sv=2) The above popup will show to your customers after they have submitted their order to give them the option to correct and dial in their shipping address for more accurate delivery. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#step-4-enable-address-cleanser-on-your-store) Step 4: Enable Address Cleanser on your store Payment details are required in order to set Address Cleanser live on your Shopify store. Click the “View Plans” tab within the [Lob Address Cleanserarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) app, and you’ll see two options for you to submit payment: 1. If you’re an existing Lob customer, you can link your Lob live environment API key to the Shopify account, and you’ll be set! Address Verification will be live and enabled on your Shopify store. 2. If you’re not a Lob customer, you can use the left widget which will allow you to connect payment through Shopify. As a new customer to Lob, enjoy 300 address verifications on us! After 300, you’ll be charged $.02 for a verification in the United States. $.04 for international orders. You’ll see an option in which you can set a max spend per month, and after setting, you’ll be taken to a final screen to approve the billing through Shopify’s portal. Click “Approve” and you’re set! ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647930719378-1647930719378.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=eb68a66d&sv=2) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#step-5-sit-back-relax-and-have-confidence-around-your-addresses) Step 5: Sit back, relax, and have confidence around your addresses Now that [Lob’s Address Cleanserarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) is up and running on your store, know that the addresses coming into your Shopify account are deliverable and validated. If any incorrect information is provided by the customer, the customer will have a chance to correct it by selecting the address we automatically corrected for them, or allowing them to go back and edit their address. Once updated, a customer will then see the updated address on their checkout screen. As a merchant, you will see the updated and latest address in your orders list for that customer. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647931301148-1647931301148.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d061fe7d&sv=2) We hope you enjoy [Address Cleanserarrow-up-right](https://apps.shopify.com/lob-address-cleanser) ! If you have any questions, [reach out to usarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/contact) or check our [Support pagearrow-up-right](https://support.lob.com/hc/en-us) . [PreviousAV Elementschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements) [NextAV FAQschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-faqs) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Shopify overview](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#shopify-overview-0) * [Getting started](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser#getting-started-1) Was this helpful? --- # Integrated Technology Promotion | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#what-is-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion) What is the USPS Integrated Technology promotion? The Integrated Technology promotion bridges the gap between physical and digital marketing by incorporating cutting-edge tools that engage consumers in new and exciting ways. Four key USPS Integrated Technology experiences are available through Lob: 1. **Mobile shopping:** Incorporate QR codes that lead to mobile-optimized websites showcasing physical products. Note that the product you are pointing recipients to must be a physical product. 2. **Artificial intelligence:** Use generative AI to craft compelling copy or visuals to meet your campaign goals. 3. **Voice assistant integration:** Encourage interactions through voice prompts to guide exploration. 4. **Augmented reality (AR):** Create immersive experiences that blend physical and digital with 3D images. Please refer to the [USPS Integrated Technology 2026 Promotion Guidebookarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/promotions/26-it) to ensure that the mail piece meets all the 2026 Program Requirements. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#when-is-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion-live) When is the USPS Integrated Technology promotion live? Lob will be supporting this promotion from **July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion-through-lob) How can I take advantage of the USPS Integrated Technology promotion through Lob? The easiest way to leverage this promotion is by using Lob's QR code feature to direct recipients to a mobile-optimized website. Here’s everything you need to know to qualify for a 5% discount. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#opt-in-to-the-promotion) Opt-in to the promotion To get started, log into the Lob Promotions Portal: https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotions 1. Select the Available Promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flvp7AIo0t42QyqEoe29f%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.29%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D28d737a6-fc65-43d3-ac47-86d34743c3d6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9315012c&sv=2) 1. Opt-In for the Tactile, Sensory, Interactive Engagement Promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FcX2l3nYoF83woVzjRyWT%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.55%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D61665168-b0c4-4109-900e-e639ef497a43&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d5d63e4b&sv=2) 1. Select your technology feature ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fxp7F6ydfY5VqOGQ5BX1Z%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.42.29%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0eaaa35f-fc00-40a1-b92d-0b3499098b5e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3a2b0d4b&sv=2) 1. Upload PDF of your mailpiece ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FOVp4r53eM1R9CeiPMg4p%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.43.33%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De9bbf06b-0068-4cbd-aaab-458cf52dcec9&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a8715458&sv=2) 1. Validate Promotion approval ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fm5SWvQmfEuR2A1e5kPRq%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.44.18%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D48cc1561-9868-4f2c-b7c7-53e982670623&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a970dd47&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#requirements-for-4-usps-integrated-technology-experiences) Requirements for 4 USPS Integrated Technology experiences: #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#mobile-shopping) **Mobile shopping** The mobile shopping USPS Integrated Technology experience is ideal for retail or B2C campaigns targeting physical product sales. **How to qualify:** * QR codes should meet size requirements (minimum ½ inch by ½ inch) and include adjacent directional copy, such as, “Scan for your personal offer.” * Directional copy must be as big as or larger than the marketing message. * Must direct users to a fully optimized mobile website with an end-to-end shopping journey. **Digital shopping experience requirements:** * Scans must lead to a fully mobile-optimized website that supports the entire shopping experience, from browsing to purchase completion. * Landing pages can include pop-ups, provided users can easily close them. * The scan must direct users to a purchase site relevant to the mailpiece's message. * The purchase site must sell physical products (e.g., QR codes for credit card applications are eligible if a physical card is mailed to the customer). * Customers must be able to complete a purchase on the site. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#ai) **AI** To qualify as an artificial intelligence Integrated Technology experience, a mailpiece must include text or images that were created by leveraging generative AI tools, such as Adobe Firefly, ChatGPT, or Microsoft Copilot. How to qualify: * **AI-generated text:** Include at least one sentence of text generated by an AI tool (e.g. a call-to-action or supporting sentence). * **AI-generated images:** Use at least one AI-generated image directly related to the mailpiece's message. Pre-approval is required to participate in this promotion. Here’s an overview of the pre-approval process: * Submit a digital file (e.g., PDF) showing the AI prompt alongside its output in an unedited format. * Optionally, include a link to the prompt and output for reference. * Provide a short description of how the AI tool was used in creating the copy or image. * If edits were made to the AI-generated content, explain the changes and the reasons for them. * Ensure there is a clear connection between the prompt and the AI-generated output. * The mailpiece must match the AI output entirely unless justified edits are documented. Mailpieces are not eligible if they use edited AI-generated output without explanation or rely on prompts that directly instruct the AI to repeat specific phrases verbatim (e.g., prompting “Repeat after me, take me to xyz.com” to produce identical copy). #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#voice-assistant) **Voice assistant** To qualify for the Integrated Technology voice assistant experience, your mailpiece must include instructions directing recipients to use a voice prompt for a targeted response or action via a voice assistant. This promotion is best for retail or B2C companies. **How to qualify:** Eligible approaches include: * Using a simple voice command to direct recipients to a website related to the mailpiece's purpose. * Leveraging pre-existing modules in Alexa or Google Assistant without requiring a new skill or action. * Customizing pre-existing modules to include branded content or scripts unique to your campaign. * Developing a fully custom skill or action using tools like the Alexa Skill Kit (ASK). All voice assistant experiences must deliver measurable business outcomes. Mailpieces that do not have a clear reason for directing users to a specific website will not qualify for Voice Assistant discounts. For example, a mailer from ABC Travel that says, "Hey Google, take me to EFGusedcars.com" for a vacation promotion to the Bahamas, or a mailer saying, "Hey Siri, take me to EFGusedcars.com" without explaining the relevance of the website, will not qualify. Companies must submit an audio file attachment demonstrating the voice command and response when submitting the mailpiece in the MPP during the pre-approval process. Any submission that does not include an audio file cannot be approved as final until USPS receives the audio file. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#augmented-reality) **Augmented Reality** The USPS Augmented Reality promotion allows businesses to integrate interactive 3D elements, animations, and digital experiences into their direct mailpieces, enhancing engagement by blending the physical mail with digital content. **How to qualify** * Ensure your mailpiece includes animation, and 3D elements, images, or modules. * Create a dynamic interaction between the physical mailpiece and digital content, engaging the recipient through 3D elements and animations that respond to their perspective. * Examples: * A QR code on mailpiece that directs customers to an interactive experience: * “Dive into your next trip with ABC Travel! Scan this QR code to splash in the pool before you arrive.” * A QR code opens the app store to download a branded AR experience: * “Want to dive deep in the ocean? Download our ABC Travel app to explore our favorite scuba tours.” AR experiences that include only static, pop-up, or worded displays that do not actively engage the recipient will not qualify. Similarly, 2D AR images, which lack interactive elements or depth, are also not eligible. For a valid AR experience, the recipient must engage with the content beyond just reading or clicking a button. [PreviousUSPS Promotions Through Lobchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob) [NextTactile, Sensory & Interactive Promotionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/tactile-sensory-and-interactive-promotion) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [What is the USPS Integrated Technology promotion?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#what-is-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion) * [When is the USPS Integrated Technology promotion live?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#when-is-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion-live) * [How can I take advantage of the USPS Integrated Technology promotion through Lob?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#how-can-i-take-advantage-of-the-usps-integrated-technology-promotion-through-lob) * [Opt-in to the promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#opt-in-to-the-promotion) * [Requirements for 4 USPS Integrated Technology experiences:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/integrated-technology-promotion#requirements-for-4-usps-integrated-technology-experiences) Was this helpful? --- # US AV product suite | Lob Help Center Lob's Address Verification API is able to correct and identify over 156 million US domestic addresses (and more globally) to determine whether or not these physical addresses are deliverable. This is because Lob is [CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) Certifiedarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/certifications/cass) , meaning the API has been thoroughly tested by the USPS to ensure that it can accurately correct and validate street addresses. When our API confirms that a physical address is deliverable, you can be much more confident that your mail will be delivered. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#us-verifications-0) US Verifications ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Validate, automatically correct, and standardize US domestic addresses based on USPS's [Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS)arrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/certifications/cass) . See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications) for more details. If your addresses are returning as `undeliverable`, refer to the various fields in the US verification object in our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Verifications) for detailed definitions and explanations. chevron-rightSupported US States & Territories[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#supported-us-states-and-territories) Our US Address Verification API supports the following states and territories: * All 50 states * Washington, D.C. (District of Columbia) * Armed Forces (Africa - AE, Americas - AA, Canada - AE, Europe - AE, Middle East - AE and Pacific - AP) * American Samoa * Federated States of Micronesia * Guam * Marshall Islands * Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands * Palau * Puerto Rico * The U.S. Virgin Islands [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#us-autocomplete-2) US Autocomplete --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Given partial address information, including optional input of city, state, and zip code, US Autocomplete returns up to 10 full US address suggestions. Not all of them will turn out to be valid addresses; they'll need to be [verifiedarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/verification_us) . See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/US-Autocompletions) for more details. Use of the US Autocomplete API is included with every Address Verification subscription. See our pricing page for different [Address Verification editions](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing) for more information. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#reverse-geocode-lookup-3) Reverse Geocode Lookup ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Find a list of zip codes associated with a valid US location via latitude and longitude; a live API key is required to use this feature. See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Reverse-Geocode-Lookups) for more details. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#zip-lookups-4) Zip Lookups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob's Zip Lookup tool can verify US zip codes without having to provide a full address. If the inputted zip code is real, Lob can return information about the zip code including a list of cities, states, and other associated information. If it's not a real zip code, Lob will return an "`invalid zip code`" error message. See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Zip-Lookups) for more details. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#av-elements-8) AV Elements ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob Address Verification Elements verifies an address by intercepting the original form submission and pre-validating the address fields with Lob. Thus our APIs can be leveraged in customers' address entry workflows without any major rewrite required--just a few additional attributes to add to any existing markup, and it'll be running with a few minutes of work. See our [AV Elements Quickstart guide](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements) to get started. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#lob-confidence-score-9) Lob Confidence Score ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lob Confidence Score is an object returned from the US verification endpoint that provides a value between 0-100 of the likelihood of the address being deliverable. Lob leverages its extensive insights, having sent mail to more than 1 in 2 US households, to generate a confidence score and provide more comprehensive address deliverability data. Score definitions * 70-100% - This address has received one or more successful deliveries * 40-68% - This address has both mail returned to sender and successful deliveries * 0-39% - This address has more mail returned to sender than successful deliveries * None ("") - Lob does not have data on this address Note that high scores do not guarantee deliverability. These are estimates based on Lob’s extensive mail tracking data. See our [API referencearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/us_verification) under the JSON object `lob_confidence_score` for more details. [PreviousReady to start AV?chevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av) [NextInternational AV suitechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [US Verifications](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#us-verifications-0) * [US Autocomplete](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#us-autocomplete-2) * [Reverse Geocode Lookup](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#reverse-geocode-lookup-3) * [Zip Lookups](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#zip-lookups-4) * [AV Elements](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#av-elements-8) * [Lob Confidence Score](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/us-av-product-suite#lob-confidence-score-9) Was this helpful? --- # International mail | Lob Help Center circle-info This page is regarding mail that **originates in the US** and is mailed abroad by the USPS. If you have further questions about sending mail internationally, [contact usenvelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#92e1e7e2e2fde0e6d2fefdf0bcf1fdff) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#general-considerations) General considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-formats) **Mail formats** * [Postcardsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Postcards) and [lettersarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters) created using the individual mail creation endpoints can be sent internationally, Campaigns UI (non-custom formats) and Campaigns API (non-custom formats); see below for [format-specific considerations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#format-specific-considerations-2) * No checks can be sent (or cashed) abroad ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mailing-class) **Mailing class** * Only USPS First Class Mail is available for international delivery * Expect international mail to take an additional 5-7 business days * Registered Mail is not supported internationally * Certified Mail is not supported internationally * Standard class (Bulk/Marketing Mail), Nonprofit stamps, or First Class Presort are not permitted in international mail and will be returned to sender ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#destination-address) **Destination address** * Lob follows [USPS standardsarrow-up-right](https://pe.usps.com/text/imm/immc1_008.htm) for sending international mail * International address data is available in over 240 countries, and the complete list of countries and territories can be found in our [global address coveragearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/global-address-coverage) page * To pass country codes in the API, use the specific two-letter convention identified by the [ISO 3166-1 alpha-2arrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_3166-1_alpha-2) convention (e.g., ‘US’ for United States of America, or ‘CA’ for Canada) * Lob follows USPS’s guidance on [international service disruptions arrow-up-right](https://about.usps.com/newsroom/service-alerts/international/welcome.htm) that affect First Class Mail delivery abroad * Our Print & Mail API will be periodically updated to exclude country-specific mail delivery suspensions. If you attempt to send mail to a suspended destination, you will receive a `422` error. * We will lift service restrictions in accordance with any USPS-provided guidance. * Temporary service disruptions (due to conditions like wildfires or COVID-19 for example) are subject to change. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#non-latin-non-standard-character-support) **Non-Latin/non-standard character support** **For the address box:** * Name and company will remain as-is within their respective character sets * If our Address Verification can validate and translate the address portion, it will return the address in English * All international mail will not receive CASS processing beyond US borders by default, so be sure to have accurate addresses if sending with your respective character set **For the content of the HTML body:** * Must be using a typeface (font) that supports the character set * Must include meta element with utf-8 charset: `` * Example: ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#return-address) **Return address** * US-based return addresses are **required** on all outbound international mail, regardless of the mail service used * All outbound mail pieces (“`to`” address is international) must bear a complete return address in the country of origin (e.g. where you pay postage) * Since Lob mail is originated in the US, the return **must** have a US-based address ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-tracking) **Mail tracking** * For international mailings originated in the US, [tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-events-2) will not appear and tracking data cannot be accessed via the USPS’s website beyond the final scan in the US, "International Exit" * Note: USPS does not appear to scan the majority of their international mail, which means this "International Exit" event is unreliable and thus infrequently surfaced * On rare occasion, international mailings may receive an "In Transit" or "Process for Delivery" scan, indicating that the mail piece has been processed at the entry/origin facility outside of the US * However, because delivery occurs in a foreign country outside the control of the USPS, international mailings do not receive scans beyond that, and cannot be tracked through the mailstream * In short, Lob is unable to provide reliable scans for international mail, especially beyond US borders [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#format-specific-considerations-2) Format-specific considerations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#postcards-3) Postcards * [Per USPSarrow-up-right](https://pe.usps.com/text/dmm100/mailing-international.htm) , only 4x6" size postcards can be sent internationally via First Class Mail ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#letters-4) Letters * File limit is 6 sheets single-sided or 12 pages double-sided (totaling 6 sheets) * PDFs that surpass the file limit will error * HTML that renders more pages than the file limit will be trimmed * While Registered Mail International service items also _**cannot**_ be tracked, it does provide [delivery status or attempted delivery informationarrow-up-right](https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-Registered-Mail-International#tracked) which can be obtained through USPS in three ways: * Go to [www.usps.comarrow-up-right](http://www.usps.com/) . Select "[USPS Trackingarrow-up-right](https://tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction_input) ." By entering the tracking number shown on the mailing receipt into the lookup field, you can view the delivery status of the article * By calling the USPS Tracking telephone number found at [Contact USPSarrow-up-right](https://www.usps.com/help/contact-us.htm?_gl=1*b4xkq3*_ga*MTgzMzI1ODc5NC4xNjU3NTY0NTg4*_ga_3NXP3C8S9V*MTY1NzU2NDU4OC4xLjAuMTY1NzU2NDU4OC4w#kilo) * By bulk electronic file transfer for mailers who provide an electronic manifest to the United States Postal Service ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#checks-5) Checks * Checks cannot be sent internationally, and the API will return an error if `address_country` is not the US. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#checks-5-1) Campaigns UI specific considerations * Start your campaign and choose "Includes International" on the first step. This tells the system you want to follow international mailing rules. * The Campaigns UI will then guide you through the USPS requirements. This ensures your maipiece is properly formatted and is set up for successful delivery. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FlMkiIJTXaViZCMTKJKqN%252FScreenshot%25202024-10-16%2520at%252011.29.55%25E2%2580%25AFAM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd4931a18-ce4e-4f6e-a94d-d8965d488a4f&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=73b6e1a2&sv=2) [PreviousCertified Mail or Registered Mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail) [NextSend mail!chevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [General considerations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#general-considerations) * [Mail formats](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-formats) * [Mailing class](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mailing-class) * [Destination address](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#destination-address) * [Non-Latin/non-standard character support](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#non-latin-non-standard-character-support) * [Return address](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#return-address) * [Mail tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-tracking) * [Format-specific considerations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#format-specific-considerations-2) * [Postcards](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#postcards-3) * [Letters](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#letters-4) * [Checks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#checks-5) * [Campaigns UI specific considerations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#checks-5-1) Was this helpful? Copy Chinese characters in UTF-8
Simplified characters: 简体中文网页
Traditional characters: 繁體中文網頁
Korean characters: 빠른 갈색 여우가 게으른 개를 뛰어 넘다
Arabic characters: الثعلب البني السريع يقفز فوق الكلب
Vietnamese characters: Ăă --- # Signing into Lob | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#sign-in-to-your-lob-dashboard-0) Sign in to your Lob dashboard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#default-login-1) Default login 1. Click **Log in** on [Lob.comarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/) . 2. Enter your **Email Address** and **Password** to sign in. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F7cmmTrEBQha4vhUn7OtO%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-03%2520at%252012.53.46%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Ddde64ca9-262e-48c1-938b-95455e5fd1bd&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=dcbfb255&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#single-sign-on-sso-login-2) Single Sign-On (SSO) login If your organization has [Single Sign-On](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#set-up-lob-sso-with-okta-4) (SSO) enabled, you will be redirected to a separate SSO login page after entering your email and password in the default login screen (as seen above). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FfHN6yS3TMcBuS2c7ZpTm%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-03%2520at%252012.48.51%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Db4335d8b-e09f-4676-8189-b854367701ec&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=96fb7daf&sv=2) Confirm your pre-populated company email, and click "Sign In With SSO" to log into your account. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#reset-your-password-3) Reset your password ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1\. Click **Log In** on [Lob.comarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/) . 2\. Click **Forgot Password?** 3\. Enter your **Email Address** then click **Send Reset Link**. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fjhs4mnnmRVV0zE4Ke9to%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-03%2520at%25201.18.37%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dc49a548a-7a00-4a10-a741-e0c0b72552d2&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b3b59938&sv=2) 4\. Click **Create New Password** in the password reset email sent to you. 5\. Enter a **New Password** then enter the same password in the **Confirm New Password** field. 6\. Click **Update**. You password is now reset. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FBiI082WiMxiHzLwhbC7g%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202023-01-03%2520at%25201.08.02%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8c20a5d5-6c17-4f39-a7b6-0bd4f39429ef&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1f69f049&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#set-up-lob-sso-with-okta-4) Set up Lob SSO with Okta ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Access via SSO is exclusive to Enterprise Edition customers. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail Editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access. These instructions should also apply to configuring with other identity providers, such as OneLogin and Google IdP. 1. Create an application in Okta for Lob using this [guide‍arrow-up-right](https://developer.okta.com/docs/guides/build-sso-integration/saml2/create-your-app/) . 2. Name the application.​ ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629282011117-1629282011117.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f227f48d&sv=2) 3. Add these SAML settings: * For **Single sign on URL**, enter: https://api.lob.com/v1/sessions/saml * Select **Use this for Recipient URL and Destination URL** * For **Audience URI (SP Entity ID)**, enter: https://api.lob.com/v1/sessions/metadata.xml * For **Name ID format**, choose **EmailAddress**. * For **Application username**, choose **Email**. 4. Your SAML settings should match the screenshot below ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629282092826-1629282092826.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=8680fddd&sv=2) Once your new application is created in Okta, you need to copy the SAML metadata generated from your IDP and paste it into Lob's dashboard. 1. View your SAML IDP metadata in Okta by clicking the **Sign On** tab in the application. 2. Click the **Identity Provider metadata** link. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1634265827886-1634265827886.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3b06d2b9&sv=2) This opens a new web page containing the XML you need. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1634266143015-1634266143014.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6dbcfc86&sv=2) 3. Login to Lob's dashboard and hover on your name in the top right corned then click **Settings**. 4. Scroll down to Single Sign-on in the [Account tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) and paste the metadata from your IDP, and then click **Save**. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1649024373219-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-04-03%2520at%25203.12.30%2520PM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=891bc5bb&sv=2) circle-exclamation **Note:** Only Lob administrators will be able to see the Single Sign-on configuration in the Lob dashboard. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#best-practices-5) Best practices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even if your company has an active SSO integration with Lob, each individual user will still need to accept their company's invite before being able to log in using SSO. Otherwise they will be sent to the normal sign-in screen. SSO is a hard cutover for your account, so once SSO is configured then ALL users for that account will only be able to sign in through SSO. If there is an issue with the IDP metadata, e.g. an incorrect SSO URL, then all users for that account will possibly be locked out. It is strongly recommended to test SSO by signing into Lob's dashboard through another session. If you are locked out of your account because of incorrect IDP metadata, contact [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2b585e5b5b44595f6b47444905484446) to revert your account back to the normal login flow. [PreviousIngesting tracking events with webhookschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks) [NextAPI keyschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Sign in to your Lob dashboard](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#sign-in-to-your-lob-dashboard-0) * [Default login](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#default-login-1) * [Single Sign-On (SSO) login](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#single-sign-on-sso-login-2) * [Reset your password](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#reset-your-password-3) * [Set up Lob SSO with Okta](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#set-up-lob-sso-with-okta-4) * [Best practices](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob#best-practices-5) Was this helpful? --- # Exporting mail data | Lob Help Center Lob captures data for each mailpiece created and provides an easy way to export it as a CSV file. Exporting data allows for in-depth performance analysis, auditing, or other purposes, but we strongly recommend customers do this on a regular cadence for record-keeping and maintenance. circle-exclamation Lob’s will retain customer mailpiece data for a total period of ninety (90) days. See our data retention policy for further information. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#data-available-for-download) Data available for download -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Mailpiece details** ID, Description, URL, Color, Double Sided, Address Placement, Return Envelope, Perforated Page, Extra Service, Expected Delivery Date, Tracking Number, Mail Type, Size, Metadata, Date Created, Send Date, Merge Variables **Sender details** To.ID, To.Description, To.Name, To.Company, To.Phone, To.Email, To.Address Line1, To.Address Line2, To.Address City, To.Address State, To.Address Zip, To.Address Country, To.Metadata, To.Date Created **Recipient details** From.ID, From.Description, From.Name, From.Company, From.Phone, From.Email, From.Address Line1, From.Address Line2, From.Address City, From.Address State, From.Address Zip, From.Address Country, From.Metadata, From.Date Created **Tracking events (if applicable)** **Regular Mail**: Mailed, In Transit, In Local Area, Processed for Delivery, Re-Routed, Returned to Sender **Certified Mail**: Mailed (Certified), In Transit (Certified), In Local Area (Certified), Processed for Delivery (Certified), Re-Routed (Certified), Returned to Sender (Certified), Delivered (Certified), Pickup Available (Certified), Issue (Certified) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#exporting-your-data-from-the-lob-dashboard) Exporting your data from the Lob dashboard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. [Log inarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/login) to your Lob dashboard. 2. In the left side menu of your dashboard, navigate to the appropriate mail format for which you'd like to download your data (e.g., "Postcards.") 3\. Select the [environment](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys#test-vs-live-environment-keys-2) (Live or Test) from which to download your data. In our example below, "Test" environment is selected. circle-info Recall that physical mail is only sent when requests are made in the Live Environment. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FcJu0xxi1BKP6dXTvED5E%252Fexport_select.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D140577ab-3e0b-4707-9a4d-bf5082eb9e1e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=944ed863&sv=2) 4\. Filter for the date range you want mailing details. This search is inclusive, i.e., the first date that will have information retrieved will be the Start Date from 00:00 UTC, and the last day of information returned will be the End Date up until 23:59 UTC. circle-info If you are retrieving multiple years' worth of data, we recommend that you download one year at a time, as larger requests will require more time to generate. **Note that we have a limit of 250K rows per export at this point in time.** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FnpH9JRl69NVyriIHEc9U%252Ftracking_filters.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D024e1f5e-3ec8-4010-b7e6-692166d330b9&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a789ccc0&sv=2) 5\. Once you have your filters selected, click "Apply" to filter on the range being displayed. 6\. From this newly filtered view, select the "Export" button. * **Export Tracking events:** If you are exporting Live environment requests, and there are tracking events associated with them, a pop-up will appear to "Select Tracking Events." If you choose Yes, you will receive a second export of tracking events. You will have the option to include all events or a specific subset of events. Click "Submit." ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FqyXmGjHFW9yZ3f8PuWsy%252Ftracking_export.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D7a888ef8-3034-4340-b026-d9550865d294&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=33b9cb8e&sv=2) * A pop-up will show your data selections for the **Product, Mode**, and **Date Range** parameters. If you have selected to receive an additional CSV of tracking events, this will be noted. Once you are satisfied with your data selections, hit the “Confirm” option on the bottom right. Examples: Test data export - no tracking events Live data export - with tracking events ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FnLuTS4PGsptgDbkQRPSv%252Ftracking_confirm_test.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dddad95c3-677e-4605-92c5-e5b35c9bc5a2&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b2370ce9&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FyLClv2YQ0cMAo1UhiLrO%252Ftracking_confirm.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D82cead47-e66d-4866-8087-02bfca29895d&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e5e9284a&sv=2) 7\. You will be emailed an export link to the report that you just requested. (This will be emailed to the user who is logged into the Lob dashboard making the request.) Data export examples Email examples Test environment data export with no tracking events ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FrGv3pDLkYzV66I18NhRu%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-12-21%2520at%25204.23.01%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dcdd3dba9-36f9-462c-af03-1c3fc3d215d0&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d8505221&sv=2) Live environment data export with tracking events ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F9YGgaTokvdsMdboGvrpA%252F10%3Falt%3Dmedia&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=189ef9bf&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#video-walkthrough) **Video walkthrough** ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you have any questions regarding exporting your data, reach out to your Customer Success Manager or to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c7f797c7c637e784c60636e226f6361) . [PreviousUsing webhookschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) [NextReady to start AV?chevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Data available for download](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#data-available-for-download) * [Exporting your data from the Lob dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#exporting-your-data-from-the-lob-dashboard) * [Video walkthrough](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data#video-walkthrough) Was this helpful? --- # Lob Payment Methods | Lob Help Center **Payment Method** **Instructions** **Funds Available** **ACH** (Auto ACH Pull is processed 3-5 business days after invoice is sent) \*dependent on bank * Add ACH Bank Information [herearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/payment) on Lob Dashboard -> Payment * Follow steps to verify bank account and authorize Lob to initiate ACH Pull * Complete this [formarrow-up-right](http://eepurl.com/irmA7c) to finalize this request * ACH Pull will be activated only upon completion of all of these steps. Upon successful ACH Pull , which is typically 3-5 business days after ACH is initiated \*dependent on bank **ACH** (Initiated by Customer) Lob.com Inc. Bank Routing Number: 121140399 SWIFT Code: SVBKUS6S Account Number: 3300989261 Account Name: [LOB.COMarrow-up-right](http://lob.com/) , INC. 1-2 business days from date of ACH push **Wire transfer** (Initiated by Customer) Remittance Address: Lob.com. Inc PO BOX 121900 DALLAS TX 75312-1900 Bank Routing Number: 121140399 SWIFT Code: SVBKUS6S Account Number: 3300989261 Account Name: [LOB.COMarrow-up-right](http://lob.com/) , INC. Bank Address: Silicon Valley Bank, 3003 Tasman Drive, Santa Clara, CA 95054 1-2 business days from date of Wire **Checks** Pay to the order of: “Lob.com, Inc”​ Standard Mail: PO BOX 121900 DALLAS TX 75312-1900 ​Courier Delivery: #891900 1501 NORTH PLANO RD STE 100 RICHARDSON TX 75081 Checks deposited daily **Credit Card** * Add Credit Card Information in Lob Dashboard -> Billing -> Payments Upon successful charge, with a 3% service fee Please reach out to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#91d0c3d1fdfef3bff2fefc) with any questions. [PreviousLob Creditschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/lob-credits) [NextSales Tax FAQchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # AV pricing | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#us-verification-0) US verification Developer Startup Business Growth Enterprise Billed annually $0 $20 $100 $390 Talk to Sales Billed monthly $0 $25 $120 $450 Talk to Sales \# of API requests included/month 300 1,000 10,000 50,000 Talk to Sales $ per add'l request (billed annually) N/A $0.020 $0.010 $0.008 $0.000 $ per add'l request (billed monthly) $0.050 $0.025 $0.012 $0.009 $0.000 circle-exclamation * US Autocomplete is included in all plans * Zip Lookups count toward US Verification usage ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#international-address-verification-1) International address verification Developer Startup Business Growth Enterprise Billed annually $0 $25 $95 $465 Talk to Sales Billed monthly $0 $30 $115 $550 Talk to Sales \# of API requests included/month 0 500 2,000 10,000 Talk to Sales $ per add'l request (billed annually) N/A $0.050 $0.048 $0.047 Talk to Sales $ per add'l request (billed monthly) $0.070 $0.060 $0.058 $0.055 Talk to Sales ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#international-autocomplete-2) International autocomplete International address autocompletion for non-US addresses is not currently available. If you believe this feature is integral to your business, please reach out to [support](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support) [envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fe8d8b8e8e918c8abe92919cd09d9193) to see if we can support your needs. [PreviousInternational AV suitechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/international-av-suite) [NextAV best practiceschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-best-practices) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [US verification](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#us-verification-0) * [International address verification](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#international-address-verification-1) * [International autocomplete](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/ready-to-start-av/av-pricing#international-autocomplete-2) Was this helpful? --- # Add-Ons | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#informed-delivery) Informed Delivery ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#what-is-the-informed-delivery-add-on) **What is the Informed Delivery add-on?** Informed Delivery by USPS enhances the traditional mail experience by providing subscribers with a **daily email preview** of their incoming mail. The email also includes a **ride-along image**: a small, full-color, interactive image that links to a target URL. This additional content reinforces your mailpiece’s messaging and call-to-action while providing a digital touchpoint for engagement. As of March 2025, 72.9 million mail recipients are subscribed to USPS’s Informed Delivery program. **In order to qualify for the Informed Delivery Add-On, your mailpiece must be approved for an** _**active**_ **base promotion on the date of mailing.** Here’s everything you need to know to qualify for an additional **1% discount**. **How can I sign up for Informed Delivery through Lob?** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#opt-in-to-the-promotion) Opt-in to the promotion To get started, log into the Lob Promotions Portal: [https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotionsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/promotions/available-promotions) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#id-1.-select-the-available-promotion) 1\. Select the available promotion ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flvp7AIo0t42QyqEoe29f%252FScreenshot%25202025-12-18%2520at%25202.37.29%25E2%2580%25AFPM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D28d737a6-fc65-43d3-ac47-86d34743c3d6&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9315012c&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#id-2.-send-an-informed-delivery-campaign) 2\. Send an Informed Delivery Campaign You can send an Informed Delivery campaign via **API** or **Campaigns** in Lob. Option 1: Send via API 1. **POST campaign data:** Use the Lob API to send the `informed_delivery_campaign` and retrieve a `campaign_id`. 2. **Include required fields:** 1. [Ride-along imagearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/informed-delivery%23what-makes-a-great-ride-along-image) 2. Promotional URL 3. Campaign size 3. **Optional fields:** 1. Brand name: Defaults to the company name in Lob unless specified. 2. Representative image: A sample image of the mailpiece. This should reflect all mailers in the campaign and **must not include PII**. If omitted, USPS will display a scan of the mailpiece instead. 4. **Validate campaign:** After a successful POST, receive the `campaign_id` and confirm qualification for existing promotions. 5. **Send mail:** Include the `informed_delivery_campaign_id` in your submission to Lob as usual. Option 2: Send via Lob Campaigns 1. **Set up campaign:** Begin your campaign setup in Lob Campaigns. 2. **Enable Informed Delivery:** 1. When prompted, select the option to use **Informed Delivery**. 2. Choose from available approved promotions obtained in Step 1. 3. **Enter campaign details:** 1. Promotional URL 2. Upload the Ride-Along Image. 4. **Ride-Along Image specifications:** 1. Format: JPG 2. Dimensions: 500x780 pixels 3. Max file size: 200KB 5. Optional fields: 1. **Brand name:** Appears in the Informed Delivery email sent to subscribers. Defaults to your company name in Lob unless customized. 2. **Representative image:** A sample of your mailpiece (similar rules as for API campaigns apply). 6. **Launch campaign:** Complete your setup and submit. Lob ensures that the mailpiece adheres to USPS’s Informed Delivery standards. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#sustainability) Sustainability: **What is the USPS Sustainability Add-On?** The USPS Sustainability Add-On rewards businesses that use environmentally friendly materials in their print production by offering an additional **1% discount** on all eligible mailpieces. This add-on promotes eco-conscious practices and helps businesses reduce their environmental impact. **How can I take advantage of the USPS Sustainability Add-On through Lob?** As long as you opt into the Sustainability Add-On in the USPS Promotions Portal, any mailpiece tied to a USPS promotion will automatically receive the 1% Sustainability add-on. [PreviousFirst Class Mail Advertisingchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/first-class-mail-advertising) [NextUSPS Mail Growth Incentivechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-mail-growth-incentive) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [Informed Delivery](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#informed-delivery) * [What is the Informed Delivery add-on?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#what-is-the-informed-delivery-add-on) * [Opt-in to the promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#opt-in-to-the-promotion) * [1\. Select the available promotion](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#id-1.-select-the-available-promotion) * [2\. Send an Informed Delivery Campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#id-2.-send-an-informed-delivery-campaign) * [Sustainability:](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/usps-promotions-through-lob/add-ons#sustainability) Was this helpful? --- # Measuring attribution | Lob Help Center Marketing attribution is important in measuring performance for any channel, online or offline, because it helps to understand the specific impact of any certain content that is driving lead conversions, and thus driving revenue. In the context of multi-channel campaigns, direct attribution allows you to know for certain whether a direct mail touch was the one that drove a conversion. Traditional channels are historically challenging to target and measure, with direct mail being an 'Exhibit A' example of this issue. However, as a modern direct mail platform, Lob offers various approaches to measure attribution as best possible and to provide greater visibility in a rather opaque channel. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#embedding-customized-ctas) Embedding customized CTAs ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Similar to email, direct mail campaigns can measure direct attribution by creating a customized call-to-action CTA that's unique to the end-recipient of the mail piece. This can be a [URL](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls) , coupon code, phone number, or [QR code](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) . Ideally, each CTA should be as dynamically generated and unique as possible, and can be tracked individually if it is followed. If not down to the individual level, creating unique CTAs for each campaign (or cohorts within it) would allow a better understanding of how specific campaigns or cohorts are driving better conversions. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#triggering-downstream-workflows-with-webhooks) Triggering downstream workflows with webhooks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) allow real-time notifications of mail status for individual mail pieces (generated in the form of [tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) ) as it progresses through the USPS mailstream. The two most impactful scanned events are the "Processed for Delivery" and "Delivered" events, which means that a USPS courier is about to deliver mail within the next day, or has successfully delivered the mail piece, respectively. If you have a multichannel campaign in progress, you can design for either of these events to trigger an additional sequence of events downstream, such as reinforcement reminders using other digital channels, a limited-time-only action, or some other action or acknowledgment that's unique to your business workflow. These webhooks and ensuing downstream triggers can indirectly impact your mail piece's broader success or conversion, along with the overall campaign involving the direct mail touch. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#assigning-metadata-to-retrieve-data) Assigning metadata to retrieve data -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) can be used to identify, locate, and "tag" mail pieces or particular campaigns. While metadata is not directly responsible for attribution, appropriately tagging mail pieces is a critical step in measuring attribution at a more granular level. Learn more about [metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) and how it can help measure conversion and attribution through various ways of tagging in our Lob systems. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#lob-engagement-analytics) Lob engagement analytics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Engagement metrics provide insights into what content resonates with which audiences; this is essential to optimizing your campaigns (so you can do more of what works!) Include [Lob-generated QR Codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes) on your mailpieces to view engagement analytics in the following ways: * In the Lob dashboard: Under the Mail Analytics section, see the [Engagement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#engagement) tab for an aggregate view. Or, view [campaign-specific analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) on any individual campaign's detail page, under QR Code Engagement. * Via API: Receive detailed analytics via our [QR Analytics endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/QR-Codes) . [PreviousMail analyticschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) [NextUsing webhookschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Embedding customized CTAs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#embedding-customized-ctas) * [Triggering downstream workflows with webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#triggering-downstream-workflows-with-webhooks) * [Assigning metadata to retrieve data](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#assigning-metadata-to-retrieve-data) * [Lob engagement analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution#lob-engagement-analytics) Was this helpful? --- # SDKs & libraries | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#sdks-2) SDKs ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Currently, we have SDKs available for the following languages: TypeScript PHP Java Python Ruby Elixir C#/.NET Go ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2) [lob-typescript-sdkarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-typescript-sdk) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-3) Installation Lob's TypeScript SDK can be installed through NPM: `$ npm i @lob/lob-typescript-sdk` To build and install from the latest source: `$ git clone [[email protected]](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) :lob/lob-typescript-sdk.git` `$ npm install` Learn more at the [lob-typescript-sdkarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-typescript-sdk) repository on GitHub. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-5) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2) [lob-phparrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-php) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-5-1) Installation The recommended way to install lob-php is through Composer. Install Composer `curl -sS https://getcomposer.org/installer | php` Add Lob.com PHP client as a dependency `composer require lob/lob-php` After installing, you need to require Composer's autoloader: `require 'vendor/autoload.php';` Learn more at the [lob-phparrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-php) repository on GitHub. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-7) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2) [lob-javaarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-java) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-7-1) Installation Include the following in your pom.xml for Maven: Gradle: `compile 'com.lob:lob-java:13.0.0'` Learn more at the [lob-javaarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-java) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-python) [lob-pythonarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-python) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-9) Installation You can use pip to install the package: `pip install lob` To initialize the wrapper, import lob and set the api\_key: `import lob` `lob.api_key = 'your-api-key'` Learn more at the [lob-pythonarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-python) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-ruby) [lob-rubyarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-ruby) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-11) Installation Add this line to your application's Gemfile: `gem 'lob'` And then execute: `$ bundle` Or manually install it yourself: `$ gem install lob` Learn more at the [lob-rubyarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-ruby) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-elixir) [lob-elixirarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-elixir) #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#installation-13) Installation The package can be installed by adding :lob\_elixir to your list of dependencies in mix.exs: Learn more at the [lob-elixirarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-elixir) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-elixir) [lob-dotnetarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-dotnet) [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-ruby) lob-go **Don’t see your favorite language?** Let us know which language you’d like us to support next. Drop us an [email.envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0c60636e21637c69626d7c654c60636e226f6361) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#libraries-4) Libraries -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#address-elements-5) Address Elements Address Elements works by targeting the input elements of your address form and using their values with Lob's **verification** and **autocomplete** functionality. JavaScript React [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647371919748-github-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e1a5fd&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/address-elements) [address-elementsarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/address-elements) **Registration** Create an account at [Lob.comarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/register) to obtain a **Live Public API Key**. The key is available in the [Lob settings panelarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings) and uses the format, `live_pub_*`. **Usage** Embed the Lob Address Elements script immediately before the closing tag in the HTML containing your address form. The script will autodetect your form and its inputs. Learn more at the [address-elementsarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/address-elements) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647461208700-npm-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=397e18e6&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@lob/react-address-autocomplete) [react-address-autocompletearrow-up-right](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@lob/react-address-autocomplete) This is a very lightweight component that uses the Lob Autocomplete API in order to simplify the process of adding in a search autocomplete bar or form. Check out the Autocomplete API for more configuration options in [Lob documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#operation/autocompletion) . **Installation** Learn more at the [react-address-autocompletearrow-up-right](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@lob/react-address-autocomplete) NPM repository. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647461616365-autocompleteDemo.gif&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e104a281&sv=2) [PreviousAPI quickstart guidechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/api-quickstart-guide) [NextPostman & similar toolschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [SDKs](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#sdks-2) * [Libraries](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#libraries-4) * [Address Elements](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries#address-elements-5) Was this helpful? Copy com.lob lob-java 13.0.0 ... Copy def deps do [\ {:lob_elixir, "~> 1.5.0"}\ ] end Copy Sandbox: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1644279576838-1644279576838.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6d01596d&sv=2) \>> [Click here to open sandbox environmentarrow-up-right](https://codesandbox.io/s/av-elements-plain-js-g91e9?from-embed) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#shopify-users-3) Shopify users AV elements works great with e-commerce platforms because they use predictable element names. For example, Shopify users can simply paste the following preconfigured script at the bottom of their Shopify Plus template. circle-check Remember to replace `live_pub_xxx` with your Lob public key ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629292419366-1629292419366.jpeg&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6f2b556e&sv=2) circle-exclamation Many E-commerce platforms have strict content security policies that prevent scripts from loading additional content. Embed the merged build of Address Elements to handle these situations as shown in the example above (`lob-address-elements.min.merged.js`). This ensures all dependencies are included in the download. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#attribute-reference-cheatsheet-4) Attribute reference cheatsheet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Address Verification script has many attributes to give you complete control over its appearance and behavior. They generally go by the following pattern: data-lob-\*-id data-lob-\*-value These attributes are used to identify an element on your web page. Their values should be the elements ID and correspond to the components of an address: primary line, secondary line, city, state, and zip. Example: `data-lob-primary-id="address1"` These attributes modify the behavior of autocomplete and verification. Their values are either true, false, or a string from a list of options Example: `data-lob-verify-value="passthrough"` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#form-detection-attributes-5) **Form detection attributes** With version 2, AV Elements can detect address form inputs automatically. We can improve performance by skipping the form detection process when these attributes are provided. Set them to the IDs for each field to target. * `data-lob-primary-id` * `data-lob-secondary-id` * `data-lob-city-id` * `data-lob-state-id` * `data-lob-zip-id` * `data-lob-country-id` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#form-functionality-attributes-6) **Form functionality attributes** These attributes modify the behavior of AV Elements Attribute name Attribute value(s) `data-lob-verify-value` * `strict` * `normal` * `relaxed` * `passthrough` * `false` Controls the strictness level when verifying an address. If the strictness criteria is not met, we block the form submission and prompt the user to correct the address. Set to `passthrough` to submit the form regardless of the verification result. Set to `false` to disable verification altogether. Default: `relaxed` [Learn more about Lob's strictness setting‍](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#us-mail-strictness-settings-2) `data-lob-primary-valu`e Enables or disables address autocompletion. Default: `true` `data-lob-secondary-value` When set to false, force the suite or unit number to render on the primary address line during address verification. Default: `true` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#custom-error-handling-7) **Custom error handling** `data-lob-*-message-id` Identifies the element containing the error message at the input level. Lob will update the text content for this element and toggle its display. * `data-lob-primary-message-id` * `data-lob-secondary-message-id` * `data-lob-city-message-id` * `data-lob-city-message-id` * `data-lob-zip-message-id` * `data-lob-country-message-id` ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629292739133-1629292739133.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f913b4f5&sv=2) Example: `data-lob-primary-message-id` points to the element below the input for Address 1. Any errors related to the primary line will be inserted inside this element. `data-lob-err-*-value` Overrides the default error message when a value is missing or specific Lob verification error messages * `data-lob-err-primary-line-value` * `data-lob-err-city-state-zip-value` * `data-lob-err-zip-value` * `data-lob-err-undeliverable-value` * `data-lob-err-missing-unit-value` * `data-lob-err-unnecessary-unit-value` * `data-lob-err-incorrect-unit-value` * `data-lob-err-confirm-value` * `data-lob-err-default-value` `data-lob-anchor-id` This optional attribute will place the general error message before the element with the id provided. An alternative attribute is `data-lob-anchor-class` which will search for the target element by class name. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#usage-with-react-vue-8) Usage with React & Vue ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Modern web frameworks like React and Vue boost developer productivity without sacrificing control. Add IDs to the components of your address inputs (they will be included in the compiled HTML at runtime) then include these IDs in the form detection attributes of the AV elements script. circle-info If your component has many layers, you must ensure that the ID is propagated down to the root html components being used. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#react-example-9) React example React demo ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629293249544-1629293249544.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f661fd05&sv=2) \>> [Click here to open sandbox environmentarrow-up-right](https://codesandbox.io/s/av-elements-react-demo-edxk5?from-embed) In this demo we use React out of the box and create an address form. The AV elements script is added in `public/index.html` before the closing body tag. This demo also overrides some styles to keep the verification message centered in the form and to undo the styles applied to our primary address by our dependency algolia (for autocompletion). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#vue-example-10) Vue example Vue 3 demo ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1629293076910-1629293076910.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=28f28f1d&sv=2) \>> [Click here to open sandbox environmentarrow-up-right](https://codesandbox.io/s/av-elements-vue-demo-gtuvs?from-embed) Similarly, the AV elements script is also placed in `public/index.html` before the closing body tag. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#a-note-about-component-libraries-11) A note about component libraries The AV elements script searches for key form elements like the form tag and ``. When building your form with component libraries such as [Material-UIarrow-up-right](https://material-ui.com/) or [Ant Designarrow-up-right](https://ant.design/) , check for the following: * An ID can be propagate down to the root html elements used by the component. * The components render the appropriate html elements for their behavior - they are materially honest (e.g. not styling links as buttons or using hidden elements to work correctly) Case #1 may be the more common scenario you'll come across. If this happens, you will need to fallback to writing the component yourself in place of using the library's component. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#international-support-12) International support -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- International address verification is enabled when there is a country input present and it is set outside the United States. Form detection is relaxed on international forms since different countries may require different sets of address components. circle-exclamation Autocomplete is disabled for international addresses. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#troubleshooting-13) Troubleshooting -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AV Elements employs multiple strategies to detect your address form. If none of them work, we display an error message to help fix this. Those messages are shown below: ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#missing-or-duplicate-form-elements-14) Missing or duplicate form elements **Problem**: These errors arise in the form detection process: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1649181170394-1649181170394.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=605736c1&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1649181188380-1649181188380.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6a940631&sv=2) Either we are unable to find the input for a given address component, or we detected multiple inputs that may correspond to the same address component. There could be various causes for these errors including the input not existing, a label we're not familiar with, or a problem with the component's implementation from an external library. **Solution**: Add the attribute(s) mentioned in the error to the AV elements script. The value should be an element id. For example, with the message above we must add the attribute `data-lob-state-id`. [PreviousAV integrations & librarieschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries) [NextShopify App: Address Cleanserchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/shopify-app-address-cleanser) Last updated 3 years ago Was this helpful? * [How to get started](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#how-to-get-started-0) * [Registration](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#registration-1) * [Usage](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#usage-2) * [Shopify users](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#shopify-users-3) * [Attribute reference cheatsheet](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#attribute-reference-cheatsheet-4) * [Form detection attributes](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#form-detection-attributes-5) * [Form functionality attributes](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#form-functionality-attributes-6) * [Custom error handling](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#custom-error-handling-7) * [Usage with React & Vue](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#usage-with-react-vue-8) * [React example](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#react-example-9) * [Vue example](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#vue-example-10) * [International support](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#international-support-12) * [Troubleshooting](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#troubleshooting-13) * [Missing or duplicate form elements](https://help.lob.com/address-verification/av-integrations-and-libraries/av-elements#missing-or-duplicate-form-elements-14) Was this helpful? Copy Copy pick --- # Visibility of address changes | Lob Help Center When sending mail or using Address Verification through Lob, addresses can be altered to match USPS requirements. This includes performing actions such as standardization, fixing typos like wrong zip codes, etc. These changes are surfaced back up to you, and if needed you can see the changes made. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#why-is-this-important-0) Why is this important? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some companies may want to update their addresses to what we return when standardizing and correcting—however, some may also want to log what we changed. This could be important for compliance reasons as well as customer experience; showing your end users what was changed could be a very nice touch in your workflow. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-1) How do we solve this problem programmatically? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The way to do this today is to do a string comparison and see what we altered. For example, you will need to compare the address you passed to Lob with the address we returned back. With our AV product, you can retrieve more granular information without having to split out the address data on your own. For example, if you passed in "street" and in the API response you received "ST" in the "Street Suffix" field, you would know that was the specific change. If the "Street Name" was corrected you would see that split out as well. Otherwise, you can compare the full address and pull out the changes from there. This leaves a lot of room for customization on business logic to determine what is important to your team when classifying something as a change. Oftentimes a change like “Street” to “St '' is not something the business team wants to be surfaced. It’s these types of business rules that are important when handling these alterations. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1654105548084-Communication%2520With%2520Lob%2520%2820%29.jpg&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ea920ddb&sv=2) Below is an example of creating a postcard and comparing the to address input with the to address response to identify changes. TypeScript Python Ruby PHP Java [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#further-resources-2) Further resources --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * [Lob’s Print & Mail and Address Verification APIs & National Change of Address (NCOA)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#national-change-of-address-ncoa-7) * [NationalChangeofAddress.comarrow-up-right](http://www.nationalchangeofaddress.com/) (NCOALink) [PreviousOverride cancellation windowchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window) [NextIngesting tracking events with webhookschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Why is this important?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#why-is-this-important-0) * [How do we solve this problem programmatically?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-1) * [Further resources](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes#further-resources-2) Was this helpful? --- # Postman & similar tools | Lob Help Center Postman is a great way for developers to get started on using Lob’s APIs. Our public workspace allows you and your team to collaborate and make sure you have everything you need to get familiar with Lob’s APIs. * [Lob’s public workspacearrow-up-right](https://www.postman.com/lobteam/workspace/lob-public-workspace/overview) * [Collectionsarrow-up-right](https://www.postman.com/lobteam/workspace/lob-public-workspace/documentation/16169677-975ecb9f-ea22-4d8f-a4f9-53a42f2aee03) Watch the video below for an overview or read through the tutorial below. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-311b238c-b08e-4ecf-88e1-60ba45f84bed) **Postman: How to create & test requests, then export source code** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following will guide you through the process of using Postman to create and test requests for Lob's API and then export the source code in your chosen programming language. Lob provides an API for automating the sending of postcards, letters, checks, and more. With the help of Postman, we can easily test Lob's API endpoints, understand their behavior, and assist with the development of a custom Lob integration by exporting source code in any modern programming language. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#b4fc482c-566e-46de-8b7f-0961d5768983) **Requirements** * [Download Postman for free from their websitearrow-up-right](https://www.postman.com/) * Your Lob API key - Can be located under [Account settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) in your Lob dashboard ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-83333c7d-58bf-4faa-b7ec-eead06832876) Step 1: Launch Postman Once you’ve downloaded Postman, follow the installation instructions and launch the app once it’s ready. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-74cfe26b-7885-4516-87cc-338ca40eedd0) Step 2: Create a request 1. Click on the "New" button located in the top left corner of the application. 2. From the modal that appears, select "HTTP". ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fd3hR6GXmq92XD3HrlbWd%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dcc8945a0-4666-497a-9aae-9cfa3e0f2865&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e9b2727d&sv=2) 1. Once you’ve configured your request using the instructions below, you can used the “Save” button to select a name and save the request to a collection. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#d2f8ab3e-866e-48dd-9ea5-fd30fd968cfb) Step 3: Configure your request 1. You will see a new tab open in Postman. 2. From the dropdown menu on the left of the URL bar, select the required HTTP method (GET, POST, DELETE, etc.). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FgTFWblVZPzgN9FioItWb%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dcedbbfac-be41-4fa7-b03f-11460ebcb626&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=57c583b1&sv=2) 1. Input the desired Lob API endpoint into the URL field (e.g., `**https://api.lob.com/v1/postcards**`). 2. To authenticate, click on the **Authorization** tab below the **URL** field. Choose “Basic Auth” \*\*\*\*from the **Type** dropdown menu. In the **Username** field, enter your Lob API key, leave the **Password** field blank. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FNp48jFnKWh3NKLv6FPJJ%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D96bbf2c4-93c6-4058-a4b9-fb5d1de4d3e1&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=b285ab46&sv=2) 1. Depending on the request type, you may need to include additional information. For example, for POST requests, navigate to the "Body" tab, select "raw" and choose "JSON" from the dropdown menu (defaulted to “Text”). Here, you can input the data for your request in JSON format. circle-info For fields that are intended to accept only string values, submitting JSON objects in string format (stringified JSON objects) is not supported. Our system automatically parses and validates incoming data according to their expected types. As a result, providing a stringified JSON object in a field designated for string input can cause parsing errors or lead to unexpected validation results. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FtRunLuCYaXCYhT6ejQ20%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd5b3fd0b-3492-4307-9fb4-44cb72603ba9&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=766cced&sv=2) 1. If you’d like to send a file in your API request (for example, a PDF file), you can do so by following the instructions below. If you do not need to send a file (e.g. if you are not sending a POST request or you are using HTML templates), you can skip this step. a. Select the “Body” tab and toggle into “form-data”. b. From here, you should see a table with columns labelled “Key”, “Value”, and “Description”. In the first empty row, hover on the “Key” field cell to display a dropdown selector with the default datatype option “Text” selected. Click on this dropdown and select “File”. c. You should se a button labelled “Select Files” appear in the “Value” field cell. Click this button to open the file browser and select the file you’d like to send. d. Ensure the “Key” cell contains the value “file” (if creating a letter) or “front”/”back” (If creating a postcard or self-mailer). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJXqOS7XsmxfIrgOkXolO%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D61471570-3302-4e60-8b45-56c75dcc32c4&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a9797ceb&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjTDpGJVG8LUdz2psAFSA%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D005770ac-818d-4910-ba7a-37033d5d9bd3&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7e29e2cd&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-83441eac-90e1-48c5-aacb-fc46c18be1e9) Step 4: Send your request and test the response 1. Click on the blue "Send" button to the right of the URL bar. 2. The response will be displayed in the section below the request fields. 3. You can review the status, time, size, and headers of the response. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#d4b05e25-1903-4574-970f-855c83f2f8bf) Step 5: Export the source code 1. Click on the "Code" button located on the far right side (it should look like an empty HTML tag, i.e., ””). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F1vW2lp8TImRnnfnHd1PP%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D637f92dc-5462-433b-b607-ac125fbdb701&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1ca2b881&sv=2) 2. In the **Code snippets** panel that appears, select your preferred language from the dropdown on the left side. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Flkf98DTsBnol8klUzZnd%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De20e9f79-5e77-4568-b389-7bf0c1fe9905&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=227b741b&sv=2) 3. The right side will display the request code in the selected language. 4. Click "Copy snippet" or manually select and copy the code. **That’s all you need to test requests for Lob's API, and export the source code in your chosen programming language!** circle-check Postman can be an invaluable part of your API development and testing workflows. Always refer to the [Lob API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) for any API-specific information and requirements. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#other-tools) Other tools ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- curl insomnia OpenAPI [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647464112970-http-domain-svgrepo-com.svg&width=40&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=73561e44&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://curl.se/) [curl.searrow-up-right](https://curl.se/) **Usage** cURL is used in command lines or scripts to transfer data. We've included cURL code snippets in our documentation for each resource. By including your API key, you can run these commands from the terminal and see the response from Lob's API. Explore Lob's [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/) for more cURL examples. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647465234443-insomnia-svgrepo-com%2520%281%29.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9d739fe3&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-insomnia) [lob-insomniaarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-insomnia) **Usage** Insomnia REST client is a free cross-platform desktop framework for testing RESTful applications. We've created a collection for Lob's API endpoint for use with Insomnia. [![Run in Insomnia}](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcamo.githubusercontent.com%2Faea93669640167416980164768783f94e76ed3dd4b0fb6b96eacaa7063023176%2F68747470733a2f2f696e736f6d6e69612e726573742f696d616765732f72756e2e737667&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=440abd5a&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://insomnia.rest/run/?label=Lob%20Insomnia&uri=https%3A%2F%2Fraw.githubusercontent.com%2Flob%2Flob-insomnia%2Fmain%2Flob-insomnia-1.0.0.json) Learn more in [lob-insomniaarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-insomnia) repository on GitHub. [![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1647464731759-openapiinitiative-svgrepo-com.svg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c0593da1&sv=2)arrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-openapi) [lob-openapiarrow-up-right](https://github.com/lob/lob-openapi) **Usage** We've written an OpenAPI v3 authored specification for the current Lob API. This provides users the ability to generate SDKs in languages not currently supported by Lob, import Lob operations and schemas into popular tools that support OpenAPI or define operations and schemas in middleware solutions. Learn more at the [lob-openapiarrow-up-right](https://www.github.com/lob/lob-openapi) repository on GitHub. [PreviousSDKs & librarieschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/sdks-and-libraries) [NextError referencechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Postman: How to create & test requests, then export source code](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-311b238c-b08e-4ecf-88e1-60ba45f84bed) * [Requirements](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#b4fc482c-566e-46de-8b7f-0961d5768983) * [Step 1: Launch Postman](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-83333c7d-58bf-4faa-b7ec-eead06832876) * [Step 2: Create a request](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-74cfe26b-7885-4516-87cc-338ca40eedd0) * [Step 3: Configure your request](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#d2f8ab3e-866e-48dd-9ea5-fd30fd968cfb) * [Step 4: Send your request and test the response](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#id-83441eac-90e1-48c5-aacb-fc46c18be1e9) * [Step 5: Export the source code](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#d4b05e25-1903-4574-970f-855c83f2f8bf) * [Other tools](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools#other-tools) Was this helpful? Copy curl https://api.lob.com/v1/addresses \ -u test_0dc8d51e0acffcb1880e0f19c79b2f5b0cc: --- # Mail analytics | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#overview-0) Overview --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Our [Mail Analyticsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/analytics/mail-speed) feature in the Dashboard provides insights to empower you to fine-tune targeting, enhance engagement, and optimize the overall effectiveness of your direct mail campaigns. You can slice and dice your data by certain filters to view a full deliverability report, all directly from your Dashboard. To access this feature, sign in to your Dashboard and click the "[Mail Analyticsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/analytics/) " tab in the left navigation bar. circle-info We also offer [campaign-specific analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) . Similar to the metrics below, these are visible from any Live campaign's details page. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-events-3) Tracking events ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob is the only intelligent platform that tracks each piece of mail as it moves through the USPS delivery process. This section gives you full visibility into where all the mail you've sent in any given time period sits in the mail stream. As you send higher volumes of mail with Lob, you may need to analyze the status and deliverability of your mail on a more aggregate basis. The Tracking Events tab displays a visual breakdown of all tracking events applicable to the mail pieces within the filter parameters. circle-check You can export all tracking events data into a CSV file; [see more details on exporting mail data here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-event-stepper) Tracking event stepper The tracking stepper at the top of the dashboard displays the different stages in your mail's delivery process: ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FD8sVBUU7MmkGM8DzAD9l%252Ftracking_stepper_ananalytics.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D3a752909-615a-4c2a-914b-f8fc282ba3c3&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5af2e749&sv=2) Tracking stepper (Mail Analytics -> Tracking Events) * **Sent:** This is a count of non-deleted mailings that you have sent to Lob in the specified time frame based on the date for which a piece was scheduled (the piece's `send_date`), not the date the API request was made. * **In production:** Mail piece instructions were dispatched to Lob's printer network and the request is now being printed/cut, soon to be handed off to the USPS or a mail carrying partner for fulfillment. * **Mailed\*:** This bucket is a count of all pieces that have received a [Mailed](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-events-3) event, which represents handoff to USPS or a mail carrying partner. Access to "Mailed" Events is exclusive to certain customers. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail Edition arrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access. * **In Mailstream**: This bucket is an aggregate of two tracking events, In Transit and In Local Area. These are the first two scans that a piece will receive—representing that it's in the mailstream and on the way to its destination. * **Processed for Delivery:** This bucket is represents pieces that have received a Processed for Delivery scan. This scan means that the piece has been approved for delivery at the destination's nearest postal facility and will likely be delivered in 1-2 business days. * **Delivered**: This bucket represents pieces that have received a Delivered scan, meaning they were delivered to the end recipient. The final scan is generated when the mail carrier's GPS unit leaves the delivery area. * **Re-Routed:** If a piece is re-routed due to recipient change of address, address errors, or USPS relabeling of barcode/ID tag area, it will receive this scan. * **Returned to Sender:** A piece will receive a Returned to Sender scan if delivery was attempted, but failed due to barcode, ID tag area, or address errors. Each mail piece will be counted once in each bucket for which it receives a scan. For example, if a letter has these tracking events: * "In Transit" * "In Local Area" * "Processed for Delivery" Then it will be counted once in the "Sent", "In Mailstream", and "Processed for Delivery" buckets. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#reading-the-graph-6) Reading the graph Under the Tracking Event statistics on the dashboard, we also provide a graph that provides an even further breakdown of your mail by day, week, or month. Time periods are grouped by the date a piece was sent, not by the date of the API request. As with all other dates within the Lob system, the UTC time zone is used. Hover over a specific column to view a full tracking breakdown for that time period. Use this breakdown to narrow down your data for even further analysis. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fc8JMVDG5PtyHZ9GErq2m%252FMA_tracking_events_graph.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D1479c54e-928b-4867-b4f0-ba09727fe253&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4b108c5b&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#benchmarks-7) Benchmarks Over time, you can expect to see tracking events for 98-100% of your mailings. The numbers below are benchmarks for when you should start seeing scans. Keep in mind that these timings and percentages may vary based on the volume of mail you've sent, where you're sending to, and the quality of your address set. For First Class mail, you'll start to see mailings reach the "In Mailstream" bucket in 2-3 business days and the "Processed for Delivery" bucket 1 business day afterward. After about 4 business days total, you should expect almost all of your mailings to be in the "In Mailstream" state. After about 5 business days total, almost all of your mailings should be in the "Processed for Delivery" state. For Standard Class mail, which is inherently slower, the timing is a bit different. You'll start to see mailings reach the "In Mailstream" bucket in 4-5 business days and the "Processed for Delivery" bucket 2 business days afterward. After about 10-11 business days total, you should expect almost all of your mailings to be in the "In Mailstream" state. After about 12-13 business days total, almost all of your mailings should be in the "Processed for Delivery" state. circle-exclamation Certified and Registered letters are excluded from this dashboard because they are [tracked via their own external tracking numbers](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#certified-mail-electronic-return-receipts-5) with USPS. chevron-rightThe tracking data in my mail analytics dashboard doesn't seem right, what can I do? [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#the-tracking-data-in-my-mail-analytics-dashboard-doesnt-seem-right-what-can-i-do) **Tracking Events:** If you notice that the tracking events on your mail analytics dashboard are missing or not up to date, it is because USPS didn't scan the mailpieces. However, note that if USPS doesn't scan the mailpiece in the first place, then there is no way for Lob, to recover the tracking events to display on the dashboard as we receive this tracking information from USPS. **No 'Mailed' Event:** (Note, [Mailed](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#mailed-tracking-event-details) event is an Enterprise feature only). It could be that these mail pieces were sent out as metered mail by USPS, which makes it unmeasurable in our system even though the mailpiece is en route to its destination. **Ingestion Issue:** Delay in receiving Tracking events data from USPS cause the tracking events data to not be reflected on the mail analytics dashboard. In these cases, once we receive the data from USPS we will backfill these events. **Certified Letters:** Only mail sent through First Class or Standard class mail will be displayed on the Dashboard. To see the current status of the letter, you would have to click on the USPS Tracking Number that USPS provides. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#engagement) Engagement ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#qr-code-engagement) QR Code Engagement If you have sent any mail containing QR Codes, the next step is learning the engagement rates associated with these mailpieces. The [Engagement tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/analytics/attribution-analytics) will track how all mailpieces you’ve sent with QR Codes are performing over a selected period of time. (You can see QR engagement analytics for any [specific campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) on that campaign's detail/ status page.) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2Fthp0x4R3uhkMjO3Ee_VMGM6Fr1eRZSEdUu7VQe1uLjQdI6MVdqVuJdnvxy4kOKWb3xIBy8EDdmNL-Xo7rYFr0nMg76o7YTAXAANVFw4rQ38K6kRS_JuEt-SC6YD4fW8xvNPxpGs_nZ5GYFYYJHhZSLg6hA%3Dnw&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9afe6f3e&sv=2) In this tab you can: * Filter by a date range and form factor * See the number of mailpieces sent with QR Codes during that time period * See the number of QR Codes that have been scanned during that time period * See a graph of QR Code scans over a selected date range * Filter for more specific subsets of your mail by leveraging [metadata](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) . To receive more detailed analytics, such as time of scan, IP Address, etc, reference [QR Analytics endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/QR-Codes) in our API documentation. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#informed-delivery) Informed Delivery We offer engagement metrics for each Informed Delivery campaign. It's important to remember not every member of your audience may be subscribed to Informed Delivery daily emails. As such, here you will see how many emails were sent for your campaign, and the engagement rate. * Mail pieces sent * Emails Sent * Open Rate * Click Through Rate ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FMZBx6SuJ5Bl93jN9mJM5%252FInformedDeliveryAnalytics.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd7e1a225-e82e-4f4f-a2a8-f5c82157f9f0&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5f4eab24&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#mail-speed-1) Mail speed ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Access to this feature is exclusive to Enterprise plan customers. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail Editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access. Track how quickly your mail moves from being sent to marked as processed for delivery, pinpointing efficiency and flagging any delays. The Mail Speed tab shows the number of business days it took from a mail piece's `send_date` to the date the mail piece was marked as `processed_for_delivery` by the USPS. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FdVQR3O6ztGkTahwMmY0N%252FMA_mail_speed.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Df57ecc67-6d1c-4929-8f3c-d47e4f9b9efb&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=50d3c614&sv=2) The Mail Speed graph respects all applied filters and shows the average and median mail speed for all the mail pieces that fall within the filter. Mail pieces that have yet to receive a `processed_for_delivery` tracking event are not counted in the metrics above the graph. Please note, the graph is for US mail only. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#mail-distribution-2) Mail distribution --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Access to this feature is exclusive to Enterprise plan customers. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail Editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access. Analyze where your mail is going and how fast it gets there with a breakdown of mail pieces by state, helping you optimize your future send strategies. The Mail Distribution tab shows the number of mail pieces sent to each US state (and Washington D.C., but excludes US territories). A state's color corresponds to how many mail pieces have been sent to that state. Hovering over a state will provide more details like how many mail pieces have received a `processed_for_delivery` tracking event, as well as average and median mail speeds (calculated the same way as the [Mail Speed](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#mail-speed-1) tab). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FPbP69csQG3DoHIvSy7gI%252FMA_mail_distro.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dbc9ca90b-0b5f-4b85-b5fe-5365c3527f66&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a3c14c9a&sv=2) You can also view the data in a table format. The table shows the same data as the map, where each state's data corresponds to a row. Clicking on a column header will sort the values in that column. To search by state name, click on the search icon and input a value to filter the table. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F01Yjm3OFN7ocJD8vdrFb%252FMA_mail_distro2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dfcec5f5d-6183-4669-a526-6533526670ac&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=24cf1502&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#filtering-5) Filtering ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On your Mail Analytics Dashboard, you can slice-and-dice your data by various other aspects of your mailings, including: product type, recipient ZIP code, template used, and more. You can use these filters to compare deliverability between your different campaigns, recipients, and more. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FT5dLox47tUGqvHOxsvoh%252FMA_filtering.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Deb5290e3-2a3a-459b-b36c-6279b687183f&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=7784f5c4&sv=2) Be sure to leverage Lob's [metadata feature](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) more deeply tag your Lob mailings with any internal data you may have, such as a customer ID or campaign ID. Then, you can easily filter by that metadata within the Analytics Dashboard to view different deliverability reports based on those factors. For mail sent to [international destinations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-tracking) , we only expect to get either "In Transit" or "In Local Area" scans. For this reason, we've added a top level filter where you can compare US and international mailings, with the last three tracking buckets disabled for international mail. circle-check You can export analytics data (svg, png, csv) by clicking the hamburger menu located at the top right of the graph. [For more details on exporting mail data see here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data) [PreviousTracking your mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) [NextMeasuring attributionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/measuring-attribution) Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#overview-0) * [Tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-events-3) * [Tracking event stepper](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-event-stepper) * [Reading the graph](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#reading-the-graph-6) * [Benchmarks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#benchmarks-7) * [Engagement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#engagement) * [QR Code Engagement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#qr-code-engagement) * [Informed Delivery](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#informed-delivery) * [Mail speed](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#mail-speed-1) * [Mail distribution](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#mail-distribution-2) * [Filtering](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#filtering-5) Was this helpful? --- # Account-level data logs | Lob Help Center ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#webhooks-7) Webhooks Webhooks are an easy way to get notifications on events happening asynchronously within Lob's architecture. You can view, create, and debug webhooks on the Lob dashboard, as well as view subscribed events. Note that in Live mode, you can only have as many non-deleted webhooks as allotted in your current Print & Mail Edition. There is no limit in Test mode. See our [Webhooks integration guide](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) for more details on how to integrate. See the full list of [event types availablearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Events) for subscription in our API documentation. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#audit-logs-8) Audit logs All actions available through the dashboard's settings panel are recorded in the [Logsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/logs) section, which can be fully accessed by admins in Enterprise-level accounts. Only API logs for the past 30 days are saved as they are meant for simple real-time debugging. Click on the '**+**' sign for any user row at the right side of the screen to see more details, or click on the Filter button at the top to narrow your search for specific audit logs, such as: * Action * Associated user * IP address * User agent * Time stamp (UTC) chevron-rightRecorded actions[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#recorded-actions) * Changed the account's address * Changed the account's bank account * Changed the account's credit card * Changed the SAML configuration * Changed the account's company name * Changed the account's deliverability strictness * Changed the account's merge variable strictness * Changed the account's cancellation window for checks * Changed the account's cancellation window for letters * Changed the account's cancellation window for postcards * Redeemed a code * Logged in * Downgraded the Print & Mail edition * Downgraded the Address Verification plan * Downgraded the support plan * Upgraded the Print & Mail edition * Upgraded the Address Verification plan * Upgraded the support plan * Joined * Deleted a team member * Invited a user * Reset their password * Resent a team invite * Requested a password reset * Changed their password * Changed their email address * Changed a user's role * Changed their name * Verified their email address ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#ncoa-export-10) NCOA export National Change of Address (NCOA) is a service offered by the USPS, which allows individuals or businesses who have recently moved to have any mail forwarded from their previous address to their new address. As a CASS-certified address verification provider, Lob also offers NCOA functionality to our Print & Mail customers. With the Lob NCOA feature enabled, postcards, self-mailers, letters, checks and addresses can automatically be corrected to reflect an individual's or business' new address in the case that they have moved (only if they have registered an NCOA with the USPS). For Enterprise edition accounts with NCOA enabled, Lob generates a weekly report of suppressed API response data for addresses that have been changed through NCOA. These reports can be downloaded in the dashboard under the [Reporting tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/reporting) . In order to gain access to and download NCOA'd data, customers must send **at least** **100 addresses** within a single USPS-defined 'week' period. Read more on the [NCOA functionality](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses#national-change-of-address-ncoa-7) offered by Lob. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#event-logs-11) Event logs Event logs are records of the mail piece events associated to your account's API submissions. Within the [Event logsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/events) section use the filter to select a date range, a resource type, and desired event type to generate a list of Reference IDs that apply to the selected criteria. While it is also possible to go to any resource type (postcards, letters, checks, etc.) in the left menu of the dashboard and export all selected tracking events in a CSV file, the Event Logs section is currently the only place where you can generate tracking events for return envelopes. See [Mail data & tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail) for more information. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#api-logs-12) API logs API logs are records of your requests, tied to the specific information you provided for the submission. Use the filter to select a date range, reference ID, path, method, or status code which will generate a list of API logs that apply to the selected criteria. Click on any API log to view more details, including the request post body and response body. If you are looking for more context behind any error codes you have received, check the response body in the API logs for detailed error messages. You can also see the [full list of error messagesarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Errors) in our API documentation. We only save API logs for the preceding 30 days, as they are meant for simple real-time debugging. [PreviousAccount settingschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings) [NextUser settingschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/user-settings) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Webhooks](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#webhooks-7) * [Audit logs](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#audit-logs-8) * [NCOA export](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#ncoa-export-10) * [Event logs](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#event-logs-11) * [API logs](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs#api-logs-12) Was this helpful? --- # Getting support | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#stumped-we-can-help-0) Stumped? We can help. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-check If you've taken advantage of the search bar (top right) but can't find what you're looking for, email us at [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#44373134342b363004282b266a272b29) , or get in touch with our support team via our [contact pagearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/contact) . Use the support email to ask any questions, flag any concerns, or raise issues with things such as our platform experience or mail production, and our Customer Support agent will be in touch soon during [support hours](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#lob-support-business-hours-2) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#best-practices-for-contacting-support) Best practices for contacting support ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ chevron-rightEnsuring your message gets to Support[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#ensuring-your-message-gets-to-support) Starting in February 2024, major email providers (such as Gmail) are rolling out new security measures to crack down on spam and make your inbox safer. These changes will require email senders, including businesses like yours, to follow stricter guidelines. **What do I need to do?** It's important to be aware of the changes and ensure your email service provider (ESP) is compliant. Primarily you want to verify you are following current best practices around authentication: **confirm your ESP uses SPF, DKIM, and DMARC protocols for sender authentication.** This will ensure that your emails will be received by our Support ticketing system, otherwise, they may be marked as spam and deflected from our platform. **What if I'm unsure?** If you are uncertain about your email compliance, talk to your ESP and they can work with you to confirm you're meeting the new requirements. Additional details regarding these changes can be found in this [security update from Googlearrow-up-right](https://blog.google/products/gmail/gmail-security-authentication-spam-protection/) . chevron-rightBasic details to provide when requesting technical support[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#basic-details-to-provide-when-requesting-technical-support) * **Your account ID**: accessible within your [dashboard settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) * **Mail piece or product ID(s)**: located on the top right side of a resource's landing page within the dashboard; IDs start with * Addresses: **adr\_** * Bank account: **bank\_** * Buckslips: **bck\_** * Campaigns: **cmp\_** * Cards: **card\_** * Checks: **chk\_** * Envelopes: **env\_** * HTML templates: **tmpl\_** * Letters: **ltr\_** * Postcards: **psc\_** * Self-mailers: **sfm\_** * Webhooks: **hook\_** * Anything else to help identify the mail in question (e.g. timestamps, recipient, form factor, etc.) * Requested action to being taken / objective or goal you want to achieve. The more context you can provide, the better equipped we will be to service your request. chevron-rightAdditional details needed for dashboard questions[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#additional-details-needed-for-dashboard-questions) * The URL link where you encountered the error/issue * Screenshot(s) / screen recording(s) of the issue * Browser and operating systems used when the issue was surfaced (e.g. Chrome on Mac) chevron-rightAdditional details needed for API questions[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#additional-details-needed-for-api-questions) * The endpoint you were leveraging * Error responses you received * To help us reproduce the issue, share a sample of the request or code snippet being used Our subscription plans offer [Premium Support](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#premium-support-4) ; see below for more details. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#lobs-hours-of-operation-1) Lob's hours of operation ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#lob-support-business-hours-2) **Lob support business hours** For the purposes of contacting our support team, calculating our [Premium Support Service Level Agreementarrow-up-right](https://lob.com/support/pricing) , or calculating our [Print and Mail Service Level Agreementarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sla) , Lob's business and production hours are **Monday-Friday, 9AM-5PM PT**. Lob's support hours of operation are **Monday-Friday, 9AM-8PM ET.** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#no-production-days-3) **2026 No-production days** * New Year’s Day - 1/1 * Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - 1/19 * Presidents’ Day - 2/16 * Memorial Day - 5/25 * Juneteenth - 6/19 * Independence Day - 7/3 * Labor Day - 9/7 * World Mental Health Day (observed) - 10/12 **\*\*** * _Veteran's Day - 11/11_ _**\*\***_ * Thanksgiving - 11/26 * Day after Thanksgiving - 11/27 * Christmas Eve - 12/24 * Christmas Day - 12/25 * New Year's Eve - 12/31 When one of the above falls on a weekend day, Lob observes it as follows: * If it falls on a Saturday, it will be observed on the preceding Friday * If it falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday _\* Lob employees observe Mental Health Day (10/10), but production will take place and the USPS is operational._ _\*\* The USPS observes Columbus Day (10/12) and Veteran's Day (11/11); this means there will be no progress in the mailstream nor any scan events, but production will take place and support is available._ [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#platform-status-5) Platform status ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lob's [API status pagearrow-up-right](https://status.lob.com/) will be updated with any unexpected downtime or performance degradation on our platform. We will continuously update this page and provide any pertinent details as to the status of our API endpoints, dashboard, or webhooks. circle-check You can also subscribe to updates via email, phone, webhooks, or RSS feed. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FCCzaQlsl72A2YNQw8vvh%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D082e9688-5ece-48c2-9158-04420e55e6bb&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=76c83cf4&sv=2) [PreviousTax exemption guidechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide) [NextData retentionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/resources/data-retention) Last updated 1 month ago Was this helpful? * [Stumped? We can help.](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#stumped-we-can-help-0) * [Best practices for contacting support](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#best-practices-for-contacting-support) * [Lob's hours of operation](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#lobs-hours-of-operation-1) * [Lob support business hours](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#lob-support-business-hours-2) * [2026 No-production days](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#no-production-days-3) * [Platform status](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support#platform-status-5) Was this helpful? --- # Sustainability | Lob Help Center Lob is committed to setting a new sustainability standard for direct mail and helping our customers and partners meet their sustainability goals. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We ensure responsible sourcing and practices in the production of every mailpiece. **All mail sent with Lob is carbon neutral through the entire lifecycle, from raw materials to ultimate disposal.** [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-is-a-carbon-footprint) What is a carbon footprint? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A carbon footprint is a total measure of greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere. It plays a huge role in climate change and is associated with human consumption activities, such as driving your car, using electricity, using coal, and more. The higher the footprint, the larger impact on the environment and the world we live in. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#how-is-our-carbon-footprint-calculated) How is our carbon footprint calculated? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FsueRb4ukJ0KhDv6FYGgt%252Fcarbon.webp%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D10e91355-a73c-4434-9541-2e767135281a&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e9b8f0f1&sv=2) Each form factor leaves behind a forecasted carbon footprint, which is determined from the energy/gases used to cut down a tree, energy to produce it in a print facility, emissions to mail it, and energy for after usage. For example, each postcard emits around 0.031kg of CO2, while each letter and envelope emits around 0.092kg of CO2. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-is-a-carbon-offset) What is a carbon offset? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A carbon offset is the reduction of greenhouse gases to offset the emissions happening somewhere else. These can include planting trees, switching to renewable energy, water and waste management, and more. At Lob, we take pride in offering you a carbon neutral experience, meaning for the total amount of greenhouse gases emitted, we offset this same amount by our efforts for sustainability. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#the-lob-promise-100-carbon-neutral) The Lob promise: 100% carbon neutral ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-offset-emissions-across-the-entire-lifecycle) We offset emissions across the entire lifecycle Lob continues to use responsibly sourced raw materials to minimize our footprint as much as possible. We use life cycle assessment (LCA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of our products throughout their life cycles. We offset what we cannot yet avoid by purchasing vetted carbon offset credits and certify our product through Climate Impact Partners, the leading global framework for carbon neutrality. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-plant-more-trees-than-we-use) **We plant more trees than we use** Since 2018, through our partnership with [Eden Reforestation Projectsarrow-up-right](https://www.edenprojects.org/) , we’ve planted over 250,000 trees—more than double the number used in producing our mailpieces. [Read more about our partnership herearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/blog/sustainability-lob-eden-reforestation-projects-partnership) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-use-responsibly-sourced-recycled-paper) We use responsibly sourced, recycled paper Lob proudly uses paper stock that contains post-consumer waste (PCW) pulp fiber for all letter and postcard mailings, allowing us to reduce our carbon footprint, save water, power, and reduce waste. All of the printers in our network work with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified stock paper — paper that is certified for sustainable harvesting and production. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-can-i-do-to-help) What can I do to help? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You already are! By using Lob, we offset your carbon footprint for every mail piece you send out. Lob customers can also reduce waste through built-in address verification, error handling, and direct mail best practices. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#learn-more) Learn more ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * [Read about Lob's sustainability journey herearrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/blog/behind-the-scenes-of-sustainability-at-lob) * [More from Lob on sustainability on our blogarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/category/sustainability) [PreviousData retentionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/resources/data-retention) [NextPrivate labeling Lobchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/resources/private-labeling-lob) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#overview) * [What is a carbon footprint?](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-is-a-carbon-footprint) * [How is our carbon footprint calculated?](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#how-is-our-carbon-footprint-calculated) * [What is a carbon offset?](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-is-a-carbon-offset) * [The Lob promise: 100% carbon neutral](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#the-lob-promise-100-carbon-neutral) * [We offset emissions across the entire lifecycle](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-offset-emissions-across-the-entire-lifecycle) * [We plant more trees than we use](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-plant-more-trees-than-we-use) * [We use responsibly sourced, recycled paper](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#we-use-responsibly-sourced-recycled-paper) * [What can I do to help?](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#what-can-i-do-to-help) * [Learn more](https://help.lob.com/resources/sustainability#learn-more) Was this helpful? --- # Letter add-ons | Lob Help Center circle-info Letter add-ons are features exclusive to our Enterprise tier customers. Upgrade to the appropriate [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access, or contact our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. Add-ons are currently only available for 8.5" x 11" standard letters. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#add-on-custom-envelopes) Add-on: Custom Envelopes -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letter envelopes can be customized with branding, artwork, or messaging to communicate vital information to your recipients even before they open the envelope. Lob offers limited customization for some envelopes, including standard #10 outer envelopes (single-windowed) and #9 return envelopes (no window / single-windowed options). For more details, see [custom envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#custom-outer-envelopes-7) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#using-card-affix-7) Add-on: Cards ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Paper cards can now be affixed to letters, providing a compelling method to direct customers to special promotions and drive engagement, both online and in-store. Having “faux” cards can serve as a tangible and memorable reminder for any upcoming marketing promotion. To get started with letters with card affix, check out our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Cards) or visit our [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#letters) for inspiration. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-dimensions-design-specs-8) Card dimensions & design specs chevron-rightLayout templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#layout-templates) Paper cards can only be affixed horizontally to the top fold of a tri-folded letter, and to the face letter on the first page. Reference our layout templates on where to place your design elements on the card, and the location of where the card will be affixed to any given letter. * [Letter design template with horizontal card affixarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letters/letter_no10_double_window_card_affix.pdf) * [Card design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letters/Card_Affix_Template.pdf) chevron-rightCard specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-specs) * 2.125” x 3.375”, with 0.125” rounded corners * 18-24pt thickness, depending on paper availability * Coated 2 sides (gloss varnish) + full bleed * Affixing adhesive: medium tack fugitive glue chevron-rightCard design & guidelines[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-design-and-guidelines) Artwork can be featured on both sides of the card. In general, any critical design elements or text should be 0.125" away from the final trim line due to movement at press. There are also no color limitations for cards. Other considerations are: * Double-check that all images are embedded into your document * Ensure all rasterized artwork (images, effects, copy, etc.) is created and saved at or above 300 dpi * Thin, small fonts with over 3 colors may fill in slightly or appear “fuzzy” * Line weights of 0.5 pt or more assure optimum print results * Any barcodes/QR codes provided need to be print-ready * CMYK document Refer to our [image formatting guides](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#image-formats-17) for more details on image prepping. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-ordering-11) Card ordering circle-exclamation Cards must be created, ordered, and printed, and available in your inventory _before_ they can be utilized. Upload your front and back designs to create a new card, then order inventory for your card. Cards can be purchased as a one-off order or through auto-reordering. circle-check * Allow an estimated **20 business days** for cards to be available for use in your Lob dashboard. * The **minimum order quantity is 10,000 cards** per artwork design submitted. * Spoilage is an industry norm that occurs during print set-up and processing. Based on the industry average, **we recommend adding 2-3% to account for spoilage**. chevron-rightOrder cards via the Lob dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-cards-via-the-lob-dashboard) * Go to the [Cards sectionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/cards) in the Lob dashboard and hit the Create button * Upload a front and back design, and hit Create * Once card details show, select the Order button at the bottom * Add the desired number of cards and hit Order chevron-rightOrder cards via the Cards API[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-cards-via-the-cards-api) Send a request to the `/v1/cards` [endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Cards) with the following fields: * `Description (Required, string)`: A name to identify your card * `Front (Required, string)`: A locally hosted PDF or hosted PDF URL for the front card artwork * `Back (Optional, string)`: A locally hosted PDF or hosted PDF URL for the back card artwork Send a request to the `/v1/cards/{id}/orders` [endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Card-Orders) with the following field: * `Quantity (Required, number)`: Number of cards you would like to order chevron-rightOrder & inventory management[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-and-inventory-management) See [inventory management](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory-management-for-letter-add-ons) for letter add-ons circle-exclamation Timing and delivery is dependent on order size and complexity, and may be additionally delayed by forces outside of Lob's control (e.g. USPS delays, printer site shutdowns due to Covid, paper shortages, extreme weather events). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#affixing-cards-to-letters) Affixing cards to letters Once cards are ordered, they cannot be sent with letters until your Lob dashboard indicates they are fully stocked and available in your inventory. An email will notify you once your cards are in stock and are ready to be sent with letter campaigns. **The minimum send quantity is 5,000 cards per letter campaign.** If a letter campaign is created with a specified card ID that is not in stock, the request will be rejected. Affixing charges will be billed with each Letter API call made, which is separate from the initial card order. Special considerations when sending card-affixed letters: * Letters with card affix are limited to a single sheet at max (can be double-sided) * Cards can only be affixed horizontally to the top fold of a tri-folded letter, and to the face letter on the first page * Card-affixed letters will be sent in a standard #10 double-windowed envelope * Card-affixed letters cannot be sent with custom envelopes or buckslips at this time * Card-affixed letters cannot be used with Certified or Registered Mail at this time chevron-rightAffix cards via the Campaigns dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#affix-cards-via-the-campaigns-dashboard) In “Configure Settings” Step 1 of the [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/) Letter creation flow, choose “Card” as your add-on ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh4.googleusercontent.com%2Fzgvguq0TVrlnTX_eZpDJQ45W9bIhmvZG91JR13WI_7p2kgpMIl_WWnzkhdHKIxJmAymZePxVrvybQv9KYx-4O77Ky8DpB22fwsW5AumDv8c2fXRI1i88YjdLC2i9H5XTbuRYZtzRblKEm0tjJeRmssnV_BFsEHXs5YS3FCtccEUlyEhD2FFDWnomtg&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5c1de769&sv=2) In “Choose Creative” Step 3 of your Campaign, select the card design that you’d like to use in your Letter campaign. * You cannot send cards if you have an insufficient amount in your inventory, as your campaign request will be rejected * You cannot pair cards with other letter add-ons at this time chevron-rightAffix cards via the Campaigns API[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#affix-cards-via-the-campaigns-api) Adding cards to letters can be done via the [Campaign APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) : * When loading your creative assets, set the `details[cards][0]` parameter in your `POST` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/creatives` to the desired `card_id`. The cards parameter is an array which accepts a single `card_id`. * In the future, we may begin accepting multiple `card_id`s, hence the array data type. Additionally, you can find all cards in your account by sending a `GET` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/cards` chevron-rightAffix cards via the Letters API[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#affix-cards-via-the-letters-api) Affixing cards to letters can be done via the [single-endpoint Letters APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters) , similar to Custom Envelopes * Set the cards parameter in your `POST` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/letters` to the desired card ID, which is found in your Lob dashboard * Additionally, you can find all cards in your account by sending a `GET` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/cards` triangle-exclamation When using the Letters API single endpoint (`https://api.lob.com/v1/letters)`, cards must be sent in groups of **at least 5,000 card-affix letter API requests** during any 24-hour print-day period from 10AM PT to 10AM PT. If you do not, you may incur setup costs of **$250/day** on your monthly usage invoice. Reach out to your dedicated Customer Success Manager if you have questions. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-affix-offering-variations-17) Card affix offering & variations Currently we **do** provide the following card affix offering: * Cards affixed to letters (one sheet total, front-side only) * Static, non-personalized artwork designs for paper cards * Horizontal card orientation in a single size * Cards affixed to the top fold of a trifold letter towards the right * Letters sent in standard #10 outer envelopes We do **not** support the following offerings: * Cards affixed to any other mail format (e.g. self-mailers) * Cards affixed to letters that totals more than a single page, or on the back-side * Dynamic, personalized artwork designs that are unique to the recipient * Plastic cards (e.g. credit or loyalty cards) * Vertical card orientation or different card sizes * Cards affixed to any desired location on a letter * Letters sent in customized #10 outer envelopes * Card affix for Registered or Certified letters [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#add-on-buckslips) Add-on: Buckslips ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Buckslips are small mail inserts that can be sent with letters to improve your ROI on marketing campaigns. These attention-grabbers can add pops of color in an otherwise plain-looking letter, and combined with compelling promotions, can be a very cost-effective solution to boost your response rates. Buckslips can be sent through [Campaigns APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) or the [Campaigns dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns) , but NOT through the single-endpoint Letter API. circle-check Anything sent with Buckslips will have a 4-day SLA. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#getting-started-with-buckslips) Getting started with Buckslips Check out our: * Lob Dashboard: [Upload & orderarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/buckslips) buckslips, or send with a [letter campaignarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/live) * API documentation for [creatingarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Buckslips/operation/buckslip_create) , [orderingarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Buckslip-Orders) buckslips, or [sending letter campaignsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns/operation/campaign_create) with buckslips * [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#buckslips) for design inspiration * Or watch a quick demo of ordering buckslips and sending them with letters via the dashboard ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-dimensions-and-design-specs) Buckslip dimensions & design specs chevron-rightLayout templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#layout-templates-1) * [Buckslip design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letters/buckslip_template.pdf) chevron-rightBuckslip paper specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-paper-specs) * 8.5” x 3.5” size * 80 lb. Text, Gloss or Matte finish * Double-sided, full bleed chevron-rightBuckslip design & guidelines[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-design-and-guidelines) Artwork can be featured on both sides of the buckslip. In general, any critical design elements or text should be 0.125" away from the final trim line due to movement at press. There are also no color limitations for buckslips. Other considerations are: * Double-check that all images are embedded into your document * Ensure all rasterized artwork (images, effects, copy, etc.) is created and saved at or above 300 dpi * Thin, small fonts with over 3 colors may fill in slightly or appear “fuzzy” * Line weights of 0.5 pt or more assure optimum print results * Any barcodes/QR codes provided need to be print-ready Refer to our [image formatting guides](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#image-formats-17) for more details on image prepping. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-ordering) Buckslip ordering circle-exclamation Buckslips must be created, ordered, and printed, and available in your inventory _before_ they can be utilized. Upload your front and back designs to create a new buckslip, then order your inventory. **.** Buckslips can be purchased as an one-off order or through auto-reordering. circle-check * The **minimum order quantity is 10,000 buckslips** per artwork design submitted * Allow an estimated **10 business days** for buckslips to be available for use in your Lob dashboard. * Spoilage is an industry norm that occurs during print set-up and processing. Based on the industry average, **we recommend adding 2-3% to account for spoilage.** chevron-rightOrder buckslips via the Lob dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-buckslips-via-the-lob-dashboard) * Go to the [Buckslipsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/buckslips) section in the Lob dashboard, and hit the Create button * Upload a front and back design, and hit Create * Once buckslip details show, select the Order button at the bottom * Add the desired number of buckslips and hit Order chevron-right**Order buckslips via the Buckslips API**[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-buckslips-via-the-buckslips-api) Send a request to the `/v1/buckslips` [endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Buckslips) with the following fields: * `Description (Required, string)`: A name to identify your buckslip * `Front (Required, string)`: A locally hosted PDF or hosted PDF URL for the front buckslip artwork * `Back (Optional, string)`: A locally hosted PDF or hosted PDF URL for the back buckslip artwork Send a request to the `/v1/buckslips/{buckslip_id}/orders` [endpointarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Buckslip-Orders) with the following field: * `Quantity (Required, number)`: Number of buckslips you would like to order chevron-rightOrder & inventory management[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-and-inventory-management-1) See [inventory management](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory-management-for-letter-add-ons) for letter add-ons ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#sending-letters-with-buckslips) Sending letters with buckslips Once buckslips are ordered, they cannot be sent with letters until your Lob dashboard reflects they are fully stocked and available in your inventory. An email will notify you once your buckslips are in stock and are ready to be sent with letter campaigns. **The minimum send quantity is 5,000 buckslips per letter campaign.** If a letter campaign is created with a specified buckslip ID that is not in stock, the campaign request will fail. Special considerations for sending letters with buckslips: * Only 1 buckslip max per letter request * Buckslips counts as one sheet in a letter * Any letter including a buckslip can have a maximum total of 6 sheets (5 letter sheets + 1 buckslip) to fit in a #10 standard envelope * Said another way, a buckslip cannot be inserted in letters over 6 sheets, as it cannot be inserted in a flat envelope at this time * Custom envelopes (outer & return envelopes) are supported for letters with buckslips * Buckslips cannot be sent with card-affixed letters at this time * Buckslips cannot be used with Certified or Registered Mail at this time * Buckslips cannot be sent using the single endpoint Letters API at this time chevron-rightSend buckslips via the Campaigns dashboard[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#send-buckslips-via-the-campaigns-dashboard) * In “Configure Settings” Step 1 of the [Campaignsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/) Letter creation flow, choose “Buckslip” as your add-on ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2FzdEBhk81jmgaZiJoNOIoaP8v0lJsYx4EXsi11N2Q7WTFL4_eAC27KAYkuGRKEgCT8-9IiiRVH3V172NIV9OvEnqX8AKbG7PQJB5MLPnuB-tY4MvqV9t_EF_qYu6X4V0wRVUO6UvEMDrh9we-HvISdz2bFnBn1nKTCJQLa_2W_mWUFbdBn_EfRkcz5w&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=91853c54&sv=2) * In “Choose Creative” Step 3 of your Campaign, select the buckslip design that you’d like to use in your Letter campaign. * You cannot send buckslips if you have an insufficient amount in your inventory, as your campaign request will be rejected chevron-rightSend buckslips via the Campaigns API[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#send-buckslips-via-the-campaigns-api) Adding buckslips to letters can be done via the [Campaign APIarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Campaigns) : * When loading your creative assets, set the `details[buckslips][0]` parameter in your `POST` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/creatives` to the desired `buckslip_id` * The `buckslips` parameter is an array which accepts a single `buckslip_id` * In the future, we may begin accepting multiple `buckslip_id`’s, hence the array data type * Additionally, you can find all buckslips in your account by sending a `GET` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/buckslips` [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory-management-for-letter-add-ons) Inventory management for letter add-ons --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For any letter add-on items (including buckslips, cards, or envelopes), you will have the ability to view existing orders and manage your own inventory for any designs that have been submitted. Go to your Lob dashboard and go to the section for [Buckslipsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/buckslips) , [Cardsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/cards) , or [Envelopesarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/envelopes) . ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FvKGz8lIx9zM7M5rKO29O%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202022-11-10%2520at%25206.36.06%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D6bdaf7a7-cd15-498b-b51c-6259c736b3b5&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6c661ca4&sv=2) What your inventory management screen typically looks like (Envelope inventory in this example) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#item-details) **Item details** Depending on the custom mail type selected, you will see some of the following details of your ordered design: * Design * Size * Type * Finish ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory) **Inventory** View the number of remaining custom items in your inventory and the number of orders that are still outstanding or fulfilled. Inventory statuses include: * **Available:** Inventory currently in stock and ready to use * **Reserved:** Inventory allocated for scheduled campaigns * **Remaining:** Inventory available, less reserved inventory Inventory for custom items will decrement as you send letters with the add-on item of a specific design, and increment if you cancel a letter request. It may take a few minutes for the inventory quantity to update after any action. Alternatively, use a `GET` call to the item endpoint to return a list of all items on your account, and any available and pending inventory. * Buckslips: `https://api.lob.com/v1/buckslips` * Cards: `https://api.lob.com/v1/cards` * Envelopes: `https://api.lob.com/v1/envelopes` ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#spoilage) **Spoilage** Accurate inventory management is essential for ensuring that we have the right products available to meet our customers' needs. Lob has automated tools and physical audits in place for regularly reconciling inventory, but we need to account for product spoilage. We are focused on addressing routine product spoilage that occurs during print set-up and assembly: Mailpieces generated during setup and testing are discarded along with any misprints or damaged pieces. For items printed on demand, this is not an issue, but for orders using pre-printed custom inventory, this ultimately impacts the accuracy of Lob's reported inventory. By addressing this issue and accounting for spoilage at the time of processing, we can improve the timeliness and accuracy of our inventory, to the benefit of your mail campaigns. * **An auto-triggered overnight job will calculate spoilage from the previous production day and Lob will decrement it from your inventory accordingly.** * **As a proactive measure, based on the industry average, we recommend adding 2-3% to account for spoilage when ordering custom inventory (custom envelopes, cards, buckslips).** ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FriYyIEZL1Am6NMGOrXIf%252FSpoilage_verbiage_in_UI.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D5e7eeda2-909f-4b5b-bd1b-4b81b479c663&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1cf39fc3&sv=2) Sample spoilage message when ordering By addressing this issue and accounting for spoilage, we can improve the timeliness and accuracy of our inventory, to the benefit of your mail campaigns. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#auto-reordering) **Auto-reordering** Given add-on items require additional lead times for printing and stocking in inventory, we recommend enabling **auto-reordering** for any items that will be continuously utilized to ensure there will be no risk of running out. When reordering is turned on, a new order will be submitted whenever the remaining inventory quantity falls below 20%. A confirmation will show the reorder quantity and price that will be charged. * **To turn on auto-reordering**: * Select the design you would like to auto-reorder * Go to the Auto-Reorder Settings section, click Set Up, set auto-reorder to on, and hit Save * Add a reorder quantity, the number of items to be ordered when your most recent order falls below 20% of the original order quantity, and hit Save * **To turn off auto-reordering:** * Go into the same Auto-Reorder Settings * Set the auto-reorder button to off, and hit Save ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-history) **Order history** Order details for any particular item design will be populated in the order history window once submitted, including order date, item ID, order quantity, inventory status, and expected availability date. * **Order status**: Provides current item status * Pending: Lob is reviewing the order submission * In Production: The order is being fulfilled * Available: Item is available in inventory and ready for use * Expired: For envelopes only; indicates if envelopes expired (after 6mo) * Canceled: Customer canceled order while status was pending * **Estimated date**: Lob’s rough estimation of when items may be available in your inventory. However, an email confirmation will be sent when they are actually ready for use. * **Expand details**: Each order under a specific design can be expanded by clicking on the ‘+’ sign to the right in each row, where the expiration date (envelopes only), unit price, and total order cost will become visible [PreviousLetter envelopeschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes) [NextCheckschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/checks) Last updated 7 months ago Was this helpful? * [Add-on: Custom Envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#add-on-custom-envelopes) * [Add-on: Cards](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#using-card-affix-7) * [Card dimensions & design specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-dimensions-design-specs-8) * [Card ordering](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-ordering-11) * [Affixing cards to letters](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#affixing-cards-to-letters) * [Card affix offering & variations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#card-affix-offering-variations-17) * [Add-on: Buckslips](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#add-on-buckslips) * [Getting started with Buckslips](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#getting-started-with-buckslips) * [Buckslip dimensions & design specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-dimensions-and-design-specs) * [Buckslip ordering](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#buckslip-ordering) * [Sending letters with buckslips](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#sending-letters-with-buckslips) * [Inventory management for letter add-ons](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory-management-for-letter-add-ons) * [Item details](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#item-details) * [Inventory](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#inventory) * [Spoilage](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#spoilage) * [Auto-reordering](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#auto-reordering) * [Order history](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons#order-history) Was this helpful? --- # Account settings | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#account-info-settings-0) Account info & settings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In the Lob [dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/) , you can access your [Account Settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings) to view your account details or configure various account settings. You can access these from the bottom of the left navigation menu under "Settings." ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2FqdmQp0RPnobqYZD2GZsP90jly3o0HU7Xd93L3Bbz9RlKXOcp0JEZGaYjtoVWt5-jJWF1OoaGS0Y3PwKULbakcfnf4VQ70DvWinPpsi7LjAQ7hrrmog4Yu5Q7BDrFNYg8rAs36qBWRNJHbnIbmi7fv-TgJQ%3Dnw&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3e2af5ca&sv=2) circle-info You must be on certain platform editions or have Administrator-level access to be able to view or update certain tabs or settings mentioned below. **All users** can find the following tabs in their dashboard: Account User Team * **Account Information**: Update your company name and address here. You can find your **account ID** here, which is useful to reference when reaching out to Lob support. * **Strictness settings & cancellation windows \[Admin only\]**: Adjust these settings to ensure that your account's ability to send mail accurately reflects the requirements of your business. See [Mail send settings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings) . * **Use type \[Admin only\]**: Set at the account level whether you tend to send more marketing or operational (eg. non-promotional) mail. [Mail use type](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#mail-use-type-1) can be overridden at the campaign or individual mail piece level. * This field does not appear visible to non-Admin users * **Webhook payloads \[Admin only\]**: Choose whether to redact webhook payloads in fields that may contain sensitive PII/PHI data, or to keep the fields unredacted. See [Webhook JSON schema](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks#webhooks-json-schema-2) for response examples. * Lob is unable to retroactively provide any redacted payload information for any period of time when this account setting is set to "redacted" * **Single Sign-On (SSO) \[Admin only\]**: Create an active SSO integration with Lob by entering your SSO URL and IDP metadata. See [Signing into Lob](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob) for how to set up your Lob SSO. * **Rate limits**: To prevent misuse, Lob enforces a rate limit on an API Key and endpoint basis, similar to how many other APIs enforce rate limits. Your default rate limits for your APIs and AV endpoints can be found in this section. See [Rate limitingarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Rate-Limiting) . * **Account credits**: View any credit amounts currently available, along with their expiration dates. See [Billing & invoices](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing) . * **User information**: Change your name, email, phone number or password, or adjust your Lob email subscriptions. * **Time zone settings**: Note that all timestamps currently shown within Lob are provided in the UTC time-zone. Lob does not timestamp in local-time zones. * See the list of team members that have been provisioned access to the Lob dashboard, and those who have been invited but remain pending. * See [User settings](https://help.lob.com/account-management/user-settings) Users with **Administrator-level** **access** will find additional tabs visible in their dashboard: API Keys Logs Reporting * **API version**: View your current version; full list of API versions can be found in our [API changelogarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Versioning-and-Changelog) * **API keys**: Find your Secret and Publishable [API keys](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) for both test and live environments here * See the [Audit logs](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#audit-logs-8) section below * **National Change of Address reports**: See the [NCOA section](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#ncoa-export-10) below [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#changing-your-account-1) Changing your account ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#upgrading-api-versions-2) Upgrading API versions When backward-incompatible changes are made to the API, a new dated version is released. You can view your version and upgrade to the latest version in your [dashboard under the API Keys tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/api-keys) . We highly recommend upgrading to the latest API version. Upgrading allows you to keep up to date the with the latest features, bug fixes, and performance improvements. To test a newer version of the API, you need to specify a version in the HTTP header as shown in the [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Versioning-and-Changelog) . The API will return an error if a version older than your current one is passed in. circle-info Any API version prior to 2020-02-11 has been sunsetted. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#upgrading-or-downgrading-subscriptions-3) Upgrading or downgrading subscriptions In the [Plans & Usage tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/editions/print-mail) in your [Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) , go to the desired subscription (Print & Mail, Address Verification, or Support) you'd like to upgrade/downgrade in the toggle bar. Under the Available Plans section, change to your desired edition. If you are already subscribed to an Enterprise edition, speak with your Customer Success Manager if you'd like to discuss your subscription. If you **purchase an edition and start it immediately**, you will gain access to the upgraded edition’s features and limits immediately. If you purchase an edition and choose for it to **start on the 1st of the next month**, you will gain access to upgraded edition’s features and limits on the first day of the following calendar month. If you decide to **upgrade to a higher edition** during the month, we prorate the price difference between your original and new plan. At the end of your first month, your plan will continue to renew at the start of each subsequent month for the full amount. If you **upgrade to an annual plan** from your original monthly plan in the middle of the month, you will be charged upfront for 11 months worth of subscription fees plus a prorated charge for the current month. The current month will count as the first month of your subscription. If you **downgrade to a lower edition** during the month, you will retain the features of your current edition through the end of the current calendar month. Lob will snapshot your account’s settings as they currently are and allow you to continue using any existing templates/webhooks/settings created or set prior to the downgrade. Once the new lower-tiered edition takes effect at the start of the next billing cycle (e.g. start of next calendar month), you will no longer be able to add/adjust the lost features. circle-exclamation Usage counts for mailing volumes are applied based on calendar months and will reset on the first day of each month at **12:00AM UTC.** ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#closing-or-deleting-your-account-4) Closing or deleting your account If you would like to close your account, you can reach out to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#89fafcf9f9e6fbfdc9e5e6eba7eae6e4) with your Account ID and reason for closing the account. You may locate your Account ID in the [Account tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) of your dashboard under Settings. Deletions will only be processed if all outstanding invoices have been paid and there is no unbilled usage for the current billing period. Alternatively, you may opt to downgrade to the Developer edition ($0 monthly subscription fee) and still keep your account with Lob open. This will allow you to return to Lob at any time in the future while ensuring that you do not get charged a platform fee. Downgrading only applies to accounts under a paying subscription (Startup, Growth, etc). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#account-banssuspensions-5) Account bans/suspensions As part of our security measures, we regularly screen activity on our platform. If an account is flagged for suspicious activity, it will be suspended. If you would like to appeal the suspension you can contact [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#ff8c8a8f8f908d8bbf93909dd19c9092) , who will ask you for supporting documentation, and we will work with our Security team in an attempt to verify the integrity of the account. [PreviousAPI keyschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/api-keys) [NextAccount-level data logschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings/account-level-data-logs) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Account info & settings](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#account-info-settings-0) * [Changing your account](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#changing-your-account-1) * [Upgrading API versions](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#upgrading-api-versions-2) * [Upgrading or downgrading subscriptions](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#upgrading-or-downgrading-subscriptions-3) * [Closing or deleting your account](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#closing-or-deleting-your-account-4) * [Account bans/suspensions](https://help.lob.com/account-management/account-settings#account-banssuspensions-5) Was this helpful? --- # Adding QR codes | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#overview) Overview ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lob’s platform allows you to generate a [QR codearrow-up-right](https://www.qr-code-generator.com/qr-code-marketing/qr-codes-basics/) for each individual mailpiece you send. This feature is available via * our [Campaigns tool](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-the-campaigns-tool) in the dashboard, * our [APIs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-print-and-mail-api-and-campaigns-api) (Print & Mail and Campaigns API), and * we also support the use of [3rd-party APIs or Javascript](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#utilizing-qr-codes-outside-of-lob) to generate QR codes. Personalized response tracking is a standard feature of digital marketing channels, but has traditionally been difficult to replicate in Direct Mail. However, with Lob’s QR code offering, personalized tracking can now be easily incorporated into your Direct Mail campaigns. We offer [engagement analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#engagement-analytics-for-lob-qr-codes) to measure the impact of every mailpiece you send. This gives you the ability to track Direct Mail response data in real-time, long before any conversion event ultimately takes place. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-the-campaigns-tool) Lob QR codes via the Campaigns tool ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How to add a QR code in Campaigns tool triangle-exclamation Lob handles URL encoding within the QR code generation process. Do not encode your QR code URL or parameters in advance, as this will lead to double-encoding of the complete QR code URL. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#standard-qr-codes) **Standard QR codes** * All users can generate a single black and white QR code via the Campaigns tool in the dashboard for postcards, all letters, self-mailers, and snap packs. * This QR code will be static, that is, a single URL will be applied across all recipients in a campaign. * The QR code appears in the same location on each mail piece. In Step 3 of Campaigns generation, after you’ve uploaded your creative (PDF or HTML), select "Add QR code" and a module will pop up. In the top left-hand side of the QR code builder, under URL click the “Create QR Code URL” button to open an additional window. Enter the landing page URL; this will be used for all mailpieces (and all recipients) in a campaign. When you have input your URL, Save & Close to continue the QR code build. Next, select “Generate QR code.” A QR code will appear on your mailpiece and you can adjust the size and the placement of the QR code. We recommend sizing no smaller than one inch for optimal readability, and your code should be placed inside the bleed lines, which you can toggle on and off. When you are happy with your design, Save & Close. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2Fq_0PhiS5bJCVQFLCyUVYrH-P4lWBIaDZQJAnWNtepHDkuAMA7yPG0d96otG_DhFHyXoHgdiu0vq2y-wfbOBdyFIzkrMRr8XNeXrQs6h5r11cTYDeOKfWk7r1X9l1yOIJOIYxPJjWuLI5BY6O1qBF6l8&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=37e28226&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes) Custom QR codes circle-info These features are available for Enterprise users. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this feature, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. **Custom QR code features are available for postcards, (standard) letters, and self-mailers only.** With custom QR codes, you can customize the foreground and background color of the QR code, add a logo into the center of the QR code, and create personalized URLs with dynamic merge tags that are unique to each recipient. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes-color) Custom QR codes: Color Match your design elements and branding by customizing the color of your QR codes. In Step 3 of the Campaigns workflow, after you’ve uploaded your creative (PDF or HTML), open the QR code module by clicking the “Add a QR Code” button. Within the customize section of the QR code builder, you will see an option to customize the Background color and Foreground color. The default color option is set to white and black respectively. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2FD9fDnrfByU_mBqiGXTFry70Fb9vrNzkDuu5i5E0uDZmDBO3duZZ_d896bCNv0Y897mTNgPtb175FbqqOf4SKTRY9bOmg8t98aNjfpods4qwucDhAat4_W5IsCYb6WPQzbz7LHWB98rRCazvB-sfY2Uk&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=fc6b8e63&sv=2) When selecting a color, you can pick from the color gradient selection, or if you have a specific hex color that your brand uses, you can type in or paste the hex value into the color picker to apply your changes. You can choose colors that align with your brand or design for your QR code, but ensure it remains scannable on mobile devices. We recommend using contrasting colors to maintain readability (for example, dark red on light grey has a better contrast than light grey on light blue). When you are happy with your design, Save & Close. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes-adding-a-logo) Custom QR codes: Adding a logo Further your brand by adding your company logo inside the QR code. In Step 3 of the Campaigns workflow, after you’ve uploaded your creative (PDF or HTML), open the QR code module by clicking the “Add a QR Code” button. Within the QR code builder, click the “Upload” button under Brand logo. * Acceptable image types to upload and attach to your QR code are JPG and PNG and file size cannot exceed 1MB. * When uploading a logo to your QR code, Lob will automatically resize the logo to fit the dimensions required for the QR code to properly display. * For transparent images like PNG and SVG, Lob will automatically apply a background color behind the logo so that it’s readable. By default the background color is set to black. If you need a white background to show instead, reverse the colors in the QR code builder so that the background color is white and the foreground color is black as shown below. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2FyNN-coUQLVH94M6r2GgEhGVjU2T45CYUKH2WvMJWh4FSazBk2sp--W8i97qHgFgV324rDYWzMzXpgDsJBh3WXtgn4gOHlRUplDySGWwbNJH-7iLXUqL6xCsNLhvOCnQiZCnRrkRK1SsViregeB0J1Ds&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=269beb46&sv=2) When you are happy with your design, Save & Close. We recommend you verify the QR code looks exactly like you want it to and scans correctly; you can view the Creative Proof to view a sample of a rendered mailpiece. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes-personalized-urls) Custom QR codes: Personalized URLs Build fully customizable and dynamic QR code URLs for a 1-1 recipient matching. In Step 3 of the Campaigns workflow, after you’ve uploaded your creative (PDF or HTML),open the QR code module by clicking the “Add a QR Code” button. In the top left-hand side of the QR code builder, under URL click the “Create QR Code URL” button to open an additional window to build out your customized URL. To add personalized merge tags into the URL for each recipient, click “Add merge tag” which displays fields for you to pull variables into your URL. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FwAzrdsU0JcEasGFPW6Fi%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Ddd39e43c-b9c9-46ff-a69c-43836436bfcd&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=aa921044&sv=2) * For One-time campaigns, the merge tags will pull in the columns within the audience file added in Step 2 of the campaign builder. * For Automated campaigns, the merge tags will pull fields from the integration and trigger components you’ve previously set up. * When adding a merge tag into the URL, you can add a dynamic value as a key path in the URL e.g., _lob.com/{{state}}_ if certain recipients will receive a specific landing page for each state they reside in. * If you want to add optional parameters to your URL, add a question mark “?” to the URL followed by the merge tag. Example: _lob.com/{{state}}/?{{discount\_value}}_ would output as _lob.com/california/?20_ to the end recipient. * If you have a use case where you need the entire URL to pull from a row in your audience file that you have already created and included, you can simply add that URL as a merge tag, and only use that merge tag for the QR code URL: _{{landing\_page\_URL}}_ circle-exclamation Ensure you use unique variable names in both HTML templates and QR codes. If you use the same variable names in both places, the previous mapping will be overridden, and your mailpiece will not generate correctly. A merge tag can only be used once in a QR code URL. If you have already added a {{state}} merge tag to the URL, you cannot add it again. **What if some recipients have an empty cell/value?** If some recipients have empty merge tags, you can add an optional fallback for each merge tag. This fallback will only be used if the merge tag is empty. Adding a fallback is not required for the QR code to work properly. For example, if a recipient’s {{state}} merge tag is empty, you can set a fallback to "California," and they will see "California" in the URL and still be directed to the correct page. When you have input your URL, Save & Close to continue the QR code build. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-print-and-mail-api-and-campaigns-api) Lob QR codes via Print & Mail API and Campaigns API ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#standard-qr-codes-1) Standard QR codes All users can generate standard QR Codes for postcards, all letters, self-mailers, and snap packs via API. QR Codes are generated within the API call to create a Lob mailpiece. In addition to passing Lob the name, address, and creative you would like to send the recipient, you will also pass the required parameters to create a QR code: size, positioning, and the URL where you want to send the user upon a scan. Then, when Lob generates the mailpiece, Lob will also dynamically generate the unique QR code and incorporate it into your design. Lob QR codes can be generated by including the [`qr_code` arrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/QR-Codes) object in the transactional API request body while creating [Lettersarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters/operation/letter_create) , [Postcardsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Postcards/operation/postcard_create) , or [Self-mailersarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Self-Mailers/operation/self_mailer_create) . In the Campaigns API _(beta)_, this object can be found in the [Creatives (Createarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Creatives) ) call. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes-1) **Custom QR codes** circle-info These features are available for Enterprise users. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this feature, or reach out to our [sales teamarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) to learn more. **Custom QR code features are available for postcards, (standard) letters, and self-mailers only.** * **To add a logo** to the center of the QR code, include the `logo` key. Logos can be up to 2MB, but ideally should be optimized to a smaller file size. * **To customize the colors:** An optional `style` object can be set on the `qr_code` request to customize the colors for the QR code. This enables users to fully select the colors that will be applied on the QR codes. The style object takes a `foreground_color` and a `background_color` option where you can provide the Hex code for the color you wish to apply to the QR codes. * [See below](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#customize-redirect-urls-for-postcard-letters-checks-self-mailer-api-endpoints) section on URL redirects for how to personalize URLs. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#positioning) **Positioning** Indicate the position of your QR code in your mailpiece by setting the required `Position` parameter to `relative`, then set the distance from a reference position of the “Bottom/Top” and “Right/Left” of your design, in inches. There are a total of 4 anchor combinations available for potential use: top-left, top-right, bottom-left, or bottom-right. Lob recommends using '**bottom-right**' as your placement anchor. * Use `bottom` for your **vertical** parameter: The field takes in a value between 0 to max length of the creative * Use `right` for your **horizontal** parameter: The field takes in a value between 0 to max width of a creative ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#pagination) Pagination An optional `Pages` parameter can be used to specify the pages, in a ‘comma separated’ format, where the QR code should appear. If not included, the default is page 1 for letters, or `front` for postcards. * For **Postcards**, the values should be either `front`, `back`, or `front,back`. * For **Letters**, the values can be specific page numbers or page number ranges (ex: `2,5` or `1-3`) * For **Self-mailers & Snap packs**, the values should be `inside`, `outside,`or `inside,outside`. circle-exclamation * Currently, you cannot generate QR codes with different locations on different pages. * Via API, users can add more than one QR code to a campaign mail piece (ex: front and back of a postcard, or front and back of a letter) **as long as it is placed in the exact location on each side**. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#destination-url-and-redirects) Destination URL & redirects Finally, you will set the **Destination URL** that the QR code resolves to by passing it into the `Redirect_URL` parameter. Since Lob QR codes are **dynamic**, you can pass a unique URL for every single mailpiece you create, such as to direct every mail recipient to a unique landing page, or to capture data using unique UTM parameters. In the sample API request body above ("redirect\_url": "https://www.lob.com/?customer\_id12345") we are capturing the specific user ID of the intended recipient of the mailpiece in Lob’s website analytics when the QR code is scanned. Every QR code generated will have a short **Redirect URL** assigned to it, which will resolve through to the Destination URL passed in the API call. This means you have the flexibility to change the Destination URL _after_ the QR code has been generated, even if the mail has already been sent, as the initial Redirect URL will remain the same. Once a QR code is scanned, the user will see a redirect screen (as shown on the right). ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FVlQO9pEY4VOjbdL4xmtv%252FScreenshot%25202023-05-26%2520at%25203.07.43%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd6c24520-8a26-4722-b542-7d4c25401232&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=3a3cbf29&sv=2) circle-check All URLs passed in the `Redirect_URL` parameter should begin with “`http://`” or “`https://`” #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#customize-redirect-urls-for-postcard-letters-checks-self-mailer-api-endpoints) Customize Redirect URLs for Postcard, Letters, Checks, Self mailer API endpoints: To customize the `redirect_url` for each recipient, you will use `merge_variables`. In your `redirect_url` provide a template url, for eg: https://www.google.com?q={{name}}, where the value for the {{name}} variable would come from the `merge_variables` section of the payload. **Customize Redirect URLs in Campaigns API:** With the Campaigns API _(beta)_, you have the option to set a single redirect for all recipients in your campaign or unique redirect URLs for each recipient. **To set a single URL redirect for the entire campaign**, set the \`redirect\_url\` in the details section of the Creatives (Create) request to your desired URL to this field. **Enterprise users can customize redirect URLs for each campaign recipient** by providing a URL template and a data mapping from the Audience file, enabling Lob to generate unique QR code destinations for each mailpiece. * An example of a URL template for the `redirect_url`, is [www.google.com?q={{namearrow-up-right](http://www.google.com/?q=%7B%7Bname) }}, you can add one or more variables in the template and submit the creative request. * The next step is to let us know where this value comes from, and to do so we allow users to map `name` to any column from the Audience file. You can provide this mapping by sending a POST or a PATCH request to the /uploads endpoint for the campaigns. * The `mergeVariableColumnMapping` holds the mapping for the `name` variable created in the URL template. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#errors) Errors Lob API errors contain human-readable explanations in the `message` parameter. For example, you may receive a `422` error containing the message “`qr_code.position is required`”. This indicates that no value was passed to the API in the `position` parameter. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#qr-code-best-practices) QR code best practices ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-check **Remember to test!** We recommend you verify the QR code looks exactly like you want it to and scans correctly. * In the Campaigns tool you can view the Creative Proof to view a sample of a rendered mailpiece. * If generating via API, use your Test API Key to preview your creative in Lob and verify that everything looks as intended. * **Sizing:** All QR codes are square; the minimum width should be at least 1” so that the code can be easily scanned. In the API, set the size of your QR Code by passing through the `Width` parameter of your QR code in inches. * **Mailpiece placement:** Lob QR codes will be pasted over your design like how Lob places the ‘[Address Block](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#address-block-postage-8) ’, so make sure to designate the size and positioning of your QR code _away_ from any critical designs. * Do not place your QR code over the area in which the mailing address will be printed. [Reference the Ink-Free areas for each template herearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/postcards-and-self-mailers) . * Make sure to leave 0.25” of space between your QR code position and any content of your mailpiece that you don’t want to be covered. * When positioning your QR code, make sure to take into account the [bleed edge](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#bleed-area-3) added to the artboard dimensions of the mailpiece. For example, the dimensions of a 4x6” Postcard in Lob are 4.25” x 6.25”. * Lob QR Codes do not expire. If your destination URL expires, you may want to update live QR codes to redirect to an active landing page. * **URL Encoding**: All QR codes are URL-encoded by Lob for security purposes. Do not URL-encode your URL or URL parameters in advance, or this will lead to double-encoding within the QR code. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#engagement-analytics-for-lob-qr-codes) Engagement analytics for Lob QR Codes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can capture impact and engagement metrics from your mail sends with Lob QR codes in a few ways. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#engagement-analytics-in-the-lob-dashboard) Engagement analytics in the Lob dashboard The [Mail Analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) tab will display metrics for _all_ mail you have sent with Lob across any number of campaigns within a time period. QR code scan data can be found under the Engagement tab. From the Campaigns dashboard, when you drill down to the detail/status page for any individual campaign you can view [_campaign-specific_ analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) . QR code scan data can be found under the Analytics tab > QR Code Engagement. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#qr-code-analytics-endpoint) QR Code Analytics endpoint Retrieve analytics for Lob-native QR codes from Lob’s `qr-code-service.lob.com` API endpoint. For detailed data, see the QR Code section in our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/QR-Codes) . circle-exclamation QR Code scan data is deleted after 90 days. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#real-time-notifications-via-webhooks) Real-time notifications via webhooks Whenever a QR code is scanned from a mailpiece, there will be an event generated, such as `postcard.viewed` or `letter.viewed`. You can enable notifications on these events by setting up webhooks that will alert you when the scans occur. This can be incorporated into your omnichannel marketing campaign to subsequently trigger an email, mailpiece, or other action when a mailpiece is viewed. circle-info See the webhooks section in our [API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Webhooks) , or learn more about [using webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) here in the help center. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#utm-parameters) UTM parameters [UTM parametersarrow-up-right](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTM_parameters) are short text codes that you add to URLs (or links) that help track performance. Because QR codes can be generated dynamically at the time of their creation, we can generate QR codes with UTM parameters that correlate to the recipient. For instance, if we are sending a mailpiece to a recognized user we’ve assigned a Customer ID of “`12345`”, we can append that ID to their Destination Page URL, so that the user can be recognized by our web analytics once they reach the page: `www.lob-example.com/login?customer_id=12345`. This enables you to more easily attribute customer activity back to this mailpiece. UTM parameters can also be used to track Campaign responses, A/B test variants, and other key data points that inform your understanding of the response to your campaign. [PreviousDynamic table tutorialchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/dynamic-personalization/advanced-templating-handlebars/dynamic-table-tutorial) [NextShort URLschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/short-urls) Last updated 9 days ago Was this helpful? * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#overview) * [Lob QR codes via the Campaigns tool](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-the-campaigns-tool) * [Standard QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#standard-qr-codes) * [Custom QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes) * [Lob QR codes via Print & Mail API and Campaigns API](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-print-and-mail-api-and-campaigns-api) * [Standard QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#standard-qr-codes-1) * [Custom QR codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#custom-qr-codes-1) * [Positioning](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#positioning) * [Pagination](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#pagination) * [Destination URL & redirects](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#destination-url-and-redirects) * [Errors](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#errors) * [QR code best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#qr-code-best-practices) * [Engagement analytics for Lob QR Codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#engagement-analytics-for-lob-qr-codes) * [Engagement analytics in the Lob dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#engagement-analytics-in-the-lob-dashboard) * [QR Code Analytics endpoint](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#qr-code-analytics-endpoint) * [Real-time notifications via webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#real-time-notifications-via-webhooks) * [UTM parameters](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#utm-parameters) Was this helpful? Copy "qr_code": { "position": "relative", "redirect_url": "https://www.lob.com/?customer_id12345", "width": "2", "top": "2.25", "left": "3.125", "pages": "back" }, Copy // S"qr_code": { "position": "relative", "redirect_url": "https://www.lob.com/?customer_id12345", "width": "2", "top": "2.25", "left": "3.125", "style": { "foreground_color": "#000000", "background_color":"#ffffff", }, "logo":{"url": "https://lob-assets.com/logos/lob_logo.png"}, Copy { “description”: “postcard with sample merge variables”, "qr_code": { "position": "relative", "redirect_url": "https://www.lob.com/?{{customer_id}}", "width": "2", "top": "2.25", "left": "3.125", }, “merge_variables”: { “customer_id”: “lob_12” } } Copy { "campaignId": "cmp_sample_id", "requiredAddressColumnMapping": { "name": "recipient_name", "address_line1": "primary_line", "address_city": "city", "address_state": "state", "address_zip": "zip_code" }, "optionalAddressColumnMapping": { "address_line2": "secondary_line", "company": "company", "address_country": "country," }, "mergeVariableColumnMapping": { "name": "recipient_name" } } --- # Letter envelopes | Lob Help Center [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-letter-outer-envelopes-0) Standard letter outer envelopes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Letters printed by Lob are sent in a plain Standard #10 double-windowed outer envelope, or in a flat envelope when letter pages exceed 6 pages. These are automatically included when a Letter API request is made, and no special request will need to be made to utilize them. These standard outer envelopes cannot be customized by default. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-10-outer-envelope-double-windowed) **Standard #10 outer envelope (double-windowed)** chevron-rightDesign templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates) * [Letter templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_template.pdf) for standard letter & check orders (tri-folded) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs) * Envelope face size: 4.125 x 9.5" * Window #1 (Top): * Window size: 0.875 x 3.25" * Position from left edge: 0.625" * Position from bottom edge: 2.375" * Window #2 (Bottom): * Window size: 1 x 4" * Position from left edge: 0.625" * Position from bottom edge: 1" * Embossed 24# White Wove with a [vertical grooved patternarrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no10_env_view.jpg) * Contains blue inside security tint * Fits up to 6 sheets of tri-folded `8.5 x 11"` paper / 12 duplexed pages #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#id-9-x-12-flat-outer-envelope-single-window) **9 x 12" Flat outer envelope (single window)** chevron-rightDesign templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates-1) * [Letter templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_flat_template.pdf) for standard letter & check orders (full page) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs-1) * Envelope face size: 9 x 12" * Window #1: * Window size: 4 x 3.375" * Position from left edge: 0.5" * Position from top edge: 0.625" * 24# White Wove * Contains blue inside security tint * Fits between 7 to 60 sheets of `8.5 x 11"` paper / up to 120 duplexed pages [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#certified-mail-envelopes-1) Certified Mail envelopes ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All [Certified Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters#using-certified-mail-or-registered-mail-4) printed by Lob are sent in a large single-windowed Standard #10 Certified Mail envelope with an inside security tint. These Certified Mail envelopes cannot be customized. chevron-rightDesign templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates-2) * [Design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/envelopes/no_10_certified_mail_env.pdf) for Certified single-window #10 envelope * [Design templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_certified_template.pdf) for Certified letter orders (tri-folded) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs-2) * Envelope face size: 4.125 x 9.5" * Window #1: * Window size: 3 x 8" * Position from left & right edges: 0.75" * Position from top & bottom edges: 0.5625" * 28# White Wove * Contains inside security tint * Fits up to 6 sheets of tri-folded `8.5 x 11"` paper / 12 duplexed pages [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-envelopes-2) Return envelopes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Aspects of this feature are exclusive to higher edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this form factor, or reach out to our [salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) team. Lob offers two options for USPS reply mail for our letter form factors only: * **Courtesy Reply Mail**, available to all customers * **Business Reply Mail**, available to Enterprise edition customers only Both reply mail options will be sent in a standard #9 return envelope (single-windowed), which are available to all customers by default. They are blank, come without prepaid postage, and will expire in 6 months. No custom artwork is permitted on the front or back sides of these plain #9 envelopes. See our [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#custom-envelopes) for design examples. chevron-rightDesign templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates-3) * [#9 Standard return envelope (single window)arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no9_single_env_template.pdf) * [Perforated letter template for custom return envelopesarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_perf_template.pdf) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs-3) * Envelope face size: 3.875 x 8.875" * Window #1: * Window size: 1.125 x 4.5" * Position from left edge: 0.875" * Position from bottom edge: 0.5" * Contains inside security tint * Expiration: 6 months (to ensure the integrity of adhesives) * Fits up to 6 sheets of `8.5 x 11"` paper / 12 duplexed pages (+ letter [perforationarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_perf_template.pdf) required) To include a return envelope with your mail pieces, you will need to send a Letter API request with `return_envelope` and `perforated_page` options completed: * `return_envelope = true` * `perforated_page`, specifying the page that will have tear-off slips with a remittance slip and return address for the reply mail Once the return envelope setting is activated, letter designs will automatically include a bottom perforation if including a return envelope. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLqdWKbLOLYAXlOnJBlUk%252FScreenshot%25202023-05-10%2520at%25204.06.01%2520PM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dd6a54f9b-0b5f-4c8e-b871-8c4ac93ab680&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=5fc61f00&sv=2) For customer's who want to further customize their #9 envelope artwork, please reach out to your Customer Success Representative. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#sending-business-reply-mail-brm-3) Sending Business Reply Mail (BRM) circle-info This feature is exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this form factor, or reach out to our [salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) team. * A valid BRM permit must be obtained from USPS before you can start using a BRM mail piece and receive BRM mail * BRM users also need a unique Zip+4Code assigned by the USPS to qualify for volume discounts * Assigned Zip+4 Codes are unique to the category of Reply Mail used * Customers sending Business Reply Mail (BRM) must use Business Return Envelopes (BREs). BREs are [#9 return envelopes (no windows)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-9-return-envelope-no-window-and-single-window-options) with inside security tint * A USPS-approved design must be used in BREs; no custom artwork is allowed * Postage must be prepaid * Letter perforation is required circle-exclamation Business Return Envelopes (BREs) cannot be ordered through the dashboard; please reach out to your account manager to facilitate. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-envelope-tracking-4) Return envelope tracking circle-info This feature is exclusive to higher edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this form factor, or reach out to our [salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) team. Lob offers return envelope tracking for their USPS Courtesy Reply Mail services. Return tracking information is only available via webhooks for standard return envelopes (non-custom single-windowed envelopes only). To access this feature, enterprise customers need to send an API request for a letter with `return_envelope`, `return_address` and `perforated_page` options completed: * `return_envelope = true`, or `return_envelope = no_9_single_window`, if custom return envelopes are enabled on the account * `perforated_page`, specifying the page that will have tear-off slips with a remittance slip and return address for the reply mail * `return_address`, specifying the return address the return envelope customers should send remittance slips to This will result in the return address and associated Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb) tracking code to be placed within the window area of the perforated page. The #9 return envelope will be mailed to the customer along with the letter including the perforated page and return address in a #10 standard outer envelope. Note that no custom outer envelopes can be used with this feature at this time. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F7FTjR26BFlBKfCU8RcVb%252Fimage%2520%282%29.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D37b65bd8-df54-4640-b32e-c007786bd363&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=1fb7beec&sv=2) circle-check It is possible to send Courtesy Reply mail without enabling return envelope tracking, as they are two separate features. To use normal reply mail _without_ tracking, make sure to skip the `return_address` field. This means only the return address (and no IMb) will be rendered in the window area of the perforated page. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#tracking-event-notifications) **Tracking event notifications** Once the returned envelope enters the mail stream and is scanned by the USPS, the customer can start receiving notifications to mail tracking events, which will be surfaced via webhooks. The following is a list of mail tracking event labels and descriptions available for reply mail: * **Created**: Return envelope is first created (should be simultaneous with Letter creation) * **In transit**: Return envelope is being processed at the entry/origin facility * **In local area**: Return envelope is being processed at the destination facility * **Processed for delivery**: Return envelope is greenlit for delivery at the end recipient's nearest postal facility. The mailpiece should reach the mailbox within 1 business day of this tracking event. * **Re-routed**: Return envelope is re-routed due to recipient change of address, address errors, or USPS relabeling of barcode/ID tag area * **Returned to sender**: Return envelope is undeliverable and is being returned to sender due to barcode, ID tag area, or address errors. Return envelope tracking is accessible via our [webhooksarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/webhooks) , and the [Event Logsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/events) node in the Lob dashboard. Tracking events will appear in the `Letters` Events portion of the original individual mailpiece in the dashboard as soon as they become available, or can be downloaded using the Export button that’s located at the top of the [Letters sectionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/letters) in the dashboard. Note: As USPS does not return the `Delivered` mail tracking event for return envelopes, Lob is unable to surface this event via webhooks. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#best-practices) **Best practices** Return addresses that are passed into the `return_address` field will be used _exactly as passed in_. We do not run this address through any verification services like NCOA or CASS. This helps ensure that remittance slips are sent to the business address provided. Customers must take extra care to ensure that the address information provided matches their desired delivery address. Additionally, we recommend supplying ZIP+4 codes in the return address specified to ensure the fastest, most accurate mailing possible. This can speed up USPS processing and delivery by up to as much as 2 days. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#custom-outer-envelopes-7) Custom envelopes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info This feature is exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this feature, or contact our [salesarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/sales) team. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-dimensions-designs-8) Overview Lob allows customization of select #10 outer envelopes and #9 return envelopes. Envelopes must be created, ordered, printed and made available in your inventory _before_ they can be utilized with Letter API call requests. Envelope orders and inventory can be fully managed in the [Lob dashboardarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/envelopes) . Note that custom envelopes are only supported for letters, and are unavailable for checks or postcards. To start creating letters with custom envelopes, refer to our [Letters API documentationarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Letters) or see our [Template Galleryarrow-up-right](https://www.lob.com/template-gallery#custom-envelopes) for inspiration. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-dimensions-designs-8-1) Envelope dimensions & specs #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-10-outer-envelope-single-window-only) **Standard #10 outer envelope (single-window only)** chevron-right**Design templates**[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates-4) * [Custom #10 outer envelope templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no10_env_template.pdf) * [Letter template for custom envelopesarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_custom_envelope.pdf) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs-4) * Envelope face size: 4.125 x 9.5" * Window #1: * Window size: 1.125 x 4.5" * Position from left edge: 0.875" * Position from bottom edge: 0.5" * 24# White Wove * Contains inside security tint * Expiration: 6 months (due to ensure adhesive's integrity) * Fits up to 6 sheets of tri-folded `8.5 x 11`" paper / 12 duplex pages #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-9-return-envelope-no-window-and-single-window-options) **Standard #9 return envelope (no-window & single-window options)** chevron-rightDesign templates[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-templates-5) * [#9 Standard return envelope (no window)arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no9_standard_env_template.pdf) * [#9 Standard return envelope (single window)arrow-up-right](https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no9_single_env_template.pdf) * [Perforated letter template for custom return envelopesarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_perf_template.pdf) chevron-rightEnvelope specs[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-specs-5) * Envelope face size: 3.875 x 8.875" * Window #1 (if single-windowed option): * Window size: 1.125 x 4.5" * Position from left edge: 0.875" * Position from bottom edge: 0.5" * Contains inside security tint * Expiration: 6 months (to ensure the integrity of adhesives) * Fits up to 6 sheets of tri-folded `8.5 x 11`"paper / 12 duplexed pages (+ letter [perforationarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_perf_template.pdf) required) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-placement) **Design placement** Follow the guidelines below to achieve optimal results for your envelope designs, and to ensure a smooth creation process. chevron-right**Layout considerations**[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#layout-considerations) * Bleeds should extend 0.125" past the trim line * Any other artwork should be 0.125" away from trim line due to movement at press * Custom envelopes will not be printed outside of the safe zone, nor on the flap chevron-rightAccepted image submission formats[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#accepted-image-submission-formats) * Preferred: PDF file (.pdf) * Secondary: Adobe Illustrator (.ai), Indesign (.indd), Photoshop (.psd) chevron-rightArtwork considerations[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#artwork-considerations) * Outline all fonts: differences in kerning, font versions, anti-aliasing, etc., can cause small variations between what you see on your screen and what we output to press * Double-check that all images are embedded into your document * Ensure all rasterized artwork (images, effects, copy, etc.) is created and saved at or above 300 dpi * All images must be at or under 25% ink saturation * Type should be no smaller than 5 pt * Thin, small fonts with over 3 colors may fill in slightly or appear “fuzzy” * Line weights of 0.5 pt or more assure optimum print results * It is preferred that barcodes/QR codes are vector/editable * CMYK documents are preferred over RGB chevron-rightEnvelope window placement[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-window-placement) The envelope window is where your recipient address information will be visible. Reference our [letter template for custom envelopesarrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/letter_custom_envelope.pdf) to ensure that your recipient’s address is visible. No design within the envelope window will be printed. chevron-rightStamp placement[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#stamp-placement) Postage will be placed in the upper right corner of the envelope. No design will be printed in this space. Refer to our [custom envelope templatearrow-up-right](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/no10_env_template.pdf) for stamp placement. chevron-rightReturn address placement[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-address-placement) USPS prefers that return addresses are placed in the upper left portion of the mail piece, on the side of the piece bearing postage. USPS does not require that all mail include a return address; however, mail sent without a return address cannot be returned. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#ordering-17) Ordering envelopes circle-exclamation Envelopes must be created, ordered, printed, and available in your inventory _before_ they can be utilized. First, create an envelope design by uploading your artwork in the '[Envelopearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/envelopes) ' section of the Lob dashboard. Hit “Create”, and in the new envelope creation screen, select the envelope size & design and the desired postage option for #10 outer envelopes. Any #9 return envelope selection will default to USPS Standard Class postage. #10 custom outer envelopes (front & back options) #9 custom return envelopes (front-side only) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1661930462135-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-08-31%2520at%252012.20.51%2520AM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=102b9ff&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1661929856303-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-08-31%2520at%252012.09.58%2520AM.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=763b054f&sv=2) Once envelope designs are uploaded into the dashboard, an order must be placed to make them available in your inventory for later use. Envelopes can be purchased as one-off orders or through auto-reordering directly in the Lob dashboard. **First-time orders**: circle-check * New envelope designs take time for quoting, production, and shipment; please **allow up to 25 days** for any new design orders to be fulfilled. * The **minimum order quantity for any custom envelope order is 10,000 envelopes** per artwork design submitted. * Spoilage is an industry norm that occurs during print set-up and processing. Based on the industry average, **we recommend adding 2-3% to account for spoilage**. **Auto-reordering**: * When the auto-reordering function is turned on, a new order will be submitted whenever the remaining envelope quantity in inventory **falls below 20%**. A confirmation will show the reorder quantity and price that will be charged. **Plan ahead**: * Given additional lead times, we recommend enabling auto-reorder for envelopes that will be continuously utilized to ensure there will be no risk of running out. * Additionally, custom envelopes have a 6-month expiration date to ensure the adhesive's integrity. Any unused envelopes that have expired will be discarded by Lob. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#sending-letters-with-custom-envelopes-18) Sending letters with custom envelopes Envelopes cannot be used until the dashboard indicates that they have been made available, and any preemptive API requests that include your unique envelope ID will fail. Once an envelope order is available in your inventory, it can be utilized with Letter API call requests. To use a custom envelope with your mail piece, you will need to set the `custom_envelope` parameter in your `POST` call to `https://api.lob.com/v1/letters` to the desired custom envelope ID, which can be found in your dashboard. If a letter is created with a specified envelope ID that is not in stock, the letter request will be rejected. If a letter is created with a specified envelope ID and is 7+ sheets, the letter will be sent instead in a blank, [flat envelope](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#9-x-12-flat-outer-envelope-single-window) , and the custom envelope inventory will not be decremented. Additionally, custom envelopes have an expiration date, which ensures the envelope's integrity. circle-exclamation When using the single endpoint Letter API, the minimum quantity of envelopes that can be sent during any 24-hour production-day period (10AM PT - 10AM PT) is **4,000 envelopes**. For any customer that fails to send over the 4,000 envelope minimum (with corresponding Letter API calls) will incur a **flat surcharge of $375/day** on your month-end usage invoice. Reach out to your dedicated Customer Success Manager if you have any questions. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#inventory-management-18) Inventory management #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-details) **Envelope details** Return to the dashboard at any given time to view existing order designs, the number of remaining envelopes, the number of orders that are still outstanding or fulfilled, and mailing class/postage type selected. Inventory will decrease with each API call made for a specific custom envelope design corresponding to a unique envelope ID. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#auto-reorder-settings) **Auto-reorder settings** When the auto-reordering function is turned on, a new order will be submitted whenever the remaining envelope quantity in inventory falls below 20%. A confirmation will show the reorder quantity and price that will be charged. Given that custom envelopes have additional lead times, we recommend enabling auto-reorder for envelopes that will be continuously utilized to ensure there will be no risk of running out. #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#order-history) **Order history** View previously submitted orders, and order details once any order is submitted. Rough expected date of availability for submitted orders provides an approximate time of when envelopes may be available, while an email confirmation will be sent when envelopes are actually ready for use. Custom letter envelopes are set to expire in 6 months (due to adhesives). Expiration dates of ordered designs that still remain in your inventory can be viewed. Once envelopes are expired, customers will not be able to access any remaining inventory of the particular design order in their dashboard. [PreviousLetterschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letters) [NextLetter add-onschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-add-ons) Last updated 3 months ago Was this helpful? * [Standard letter outer envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#standard-letter-outer-envelopes-0) * [Certified Mail envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#certified-mail-envelopes-1) * [Return envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-envelopes-2) * [Sending Business Reply Mail (BRM)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#sending-business-reply-mail-brm-3) * [Return envelope tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-envelope-tracking-4) * [Custom envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#custom-outer-envelopes-7) * [Overview](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-dimensions-designs-8) * [Envelope dimensions & specs](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#envelope-dimensions-designs-8-1) * [Design placement](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#design-placement) * [Ordering envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#ordering-17) * [Sending letters with custom envelopes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#sending-letters-with-custom-envelopes-18) * [Inventory management](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#inventory-management-18) Was this helpful? --- # Ingesting tracking events with webhooks | Lob Help Center Ingesting tracking events from Lob has been made easy. With List endpoints, `GET` endpoints, and webhooks, you can ingest events for a specific mail piece, run a monthly data pull from Lob's system for mail pieces that don't have a certain event, or get real-time updates as your mail piece goes through the mail stream. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#why-is-this-important-0) Why is this important? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ingesting tracking events from Lob can unlock a slew of functionality for an organization. By ingesting this data from Lob, you can integrate direct mail into your omni-channel workflows, surface data internally for reporting purposes, provide updates to customers to improve their customer experience, and much more. If someone needs to monitor tracking events in near real-time, and subsequently build additional triggers off of those events, then they have to take a few more steps during integration. That includes setting up an API endpoint for Lob to send data to, as well as developing the logic that each event should follow in their internal systems. For example, “processed for delivery” events could trigger an email to be sent. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-1) How do we (programmatically) solve this problem? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First, you need to understand the model by which you want to receive or fetch this data. If you desire to receive data in real time, then you will need to **set up a webhook endpoint for Lob to send data to**. You can subscribe to a list of events in the Lob dashboard and then build on top of these events inside of your application. keep in mind, customers should have systems in place that, in the event their endpoint goes down, that will enable them to backfill the data they need. If they need to retrieve tracking events on-demand, then having the systems in place to do so is imperative. For the fetch model, systems can be put into place to **programmatically retrieve mail pieces details**, either in batches or per resource, and extract their most up-to-date tracking data. To do this, you can either use our `GET` endpoints to retrieve all of the current information for a specific mail piece, or you can use our `LIST` endpoint to retrieve multiple letters at once based on the desired filtering such as metadata filters, date filters, etc. This model can be used in many ways to help enable your business, but most commonly these are run on a daily/weekly cadence, or they are run ad hoc when the webhook ingestion process has failed to ingest the data. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656696643815-diagram.jpeg&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=63d79e13&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#setting-up-an-endpoint-to-receive-data-from-lob-2) Setting up an endpoint to receive data from Lob ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In this guide, we’ll share the steps and code you’ll need to stand up an endpoint to receive data from Lob. The code is designed to run on your local machine in order to test out receiving webhooks from Lob during development. In order for Lob to reach the endpoint you’ll use ngrok, a cross-platform application that exposes local server ports to the Internet. To follow along with this guide, you will need: * A [Lob accountarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/register) * [ngrokarrow-up-right](https://ngrok.com/download) installed on your laptop * A webhook configured in your Lob.com account (we’ll show you how below) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#set-up-a-new-project-3) Set up a new project Let’s start by creating a folder for our project and installing any libraries. TypeScript Create a new directory, switch to it, and initialize your project from your terminal app with these commands. For this example, we’ll use KOA an HTTP middleware framework for node.js along with supporting libraries. Create two directories to hold our typescript file and our compiled javascript file. We’re also going to add nodejs-specific type definitions as a dev dependency. Otherwise, the TS compiler would complain about some globally available objects that it doesn’t know about. Let's configure how the compiler works in the project by creating a new file called tsconfig.json and setting some values. Lastly, we’ll update package.json so main equals “/dist/index.js” ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#creating-a-webhook-endpoint-4) Creating a webhook endpoint Now all our dependencies are installed on your local machine, we’ll add the code for our endpoint. Open the text editor of your choice (if you need to download one, we recommend Visual Studio Code) and paste the code in the language of your choice. TypeScript Open index.ts and copy and paste the following code. Return to your terminal and from the project folder run your code. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#launch-ngrok-5) Launch ngrok As mentioned, we’ll use ngrok to expose your webhook endpoint to the internet. In another terminal window, navigate to the folder where you installed ngrok and run the command You’ll see a forwarding URL for https connections. You’ll copy this for use when configuring your webhook in Lob in the next section. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656708170607-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-07-01%2520at%25201.42.40%2520PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=d228813f&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#configure-your-webhook-in-lob-6) Configure your webhook in Lob Login to your Lob.com account from the dashboard * Click on Webhooks on the left side navigation. * Click the Create button * Give your webhook a description * Check the boxes for all the events you want to receive notifications. * Paste the ngrok forward URL and append “/webhooks” for your endpoint. Example: https://03ed-67-170-227-250.ngrok.io/webhooks * Click the Create button ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656707103606-New-Webhook.png&width=300&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=ebf7573d&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#test-using-the-debugger-7) Test using the debugger After successfully creating your webhook in Lob, click the Debugger button. Then click the Send button. You should see a 200 OK message in the webhook response window. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.helpjuice.com%2Fhelpjuice_production%2Fuploads%2Fupload%2Fimage%2F9583%2Fdirect%2F1656708130880-Screen%2520Shot%25202022-07-01%2520at%25201.39.24%2520PM.png&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=411c4a2&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#further-resources-8) Further resources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * More about [Webhooks for tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) [PreviousVisibility of address changeschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes) [NextSigning into Lobchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/signing-into-lob) Last updated 3 years ago Was this helpful? * [Why is this important?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#why-is-this-important-0) * [How do we (programmatically) solve this problem?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-1) * [Setting up an endpoint to receive data from Lob](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#setting-up-an-endpoint-to-receive-data-from-lob-2) * [Set up a new project](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#set-up-a-new-project-3) * [Creating a webhook endpoint](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#creating-a-webhook-endpoint-4) * [Launch ngrok](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#launch-ngrok-5) * [Configure your webhook in Lob](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#configure-your-webhook-in-lob-6) * [Test using the debugger](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#test-using-the-debugger-7) * [Further resources](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks#further-resources-8) Was this helpful? --- # Launch your first campaign | Lob Help Center This guide below will walk you through how to launch a campaign from the Lob dashboard, using our Campaigns tool. Here is a preview of the 4-step process: [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#send-campaigns-in-the-dashboard-1) Before you get started ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You'll need three things at the ready to create your Campaign: 1. [**Campaign strategy**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/one-time-campaigns-or-triggered-sends) (including send and delivery strategies) 2. [**Audience file**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) (.csv format) 3. [**Design assets**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives) (front & back), as static PDFs or as HTML templates for dynamic creatives. (HTML templates will need to be loaded into the dashboard prior to use in Campaigns). [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#send-campaigns-in-the-dashboard-1-1) Send campaigns in the dashboard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ First, head over to the [Campaigns tabarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/campaigns/) in your dashboard, and click the Create Campaign button at the top right. Select One-time to start building your campaign. Any campaign you build in the Live environment will be saved into your Drafts until you place an order. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLIOa2HKgLN4zS7ZeB7Vq%252FCampaignsMainMenu.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da47ed147-70d8-4c87-b28f-b1652c9e5102&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=c59f8e3&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FHwOeHYRIIqvZlpJ6alH7%252Fone-time-campaign.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D4df9f0a4-a0e0-41ac-847c-5d3f67a58066&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=f4772ddf&sv=2) circle-info If you would like to set up and send individual mailpieces based on triggers from your customer data, learn more about [Lob integrations](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/integrations) here. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-1-configure-your-campaign-settings-2) Step 1: Configure settings ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FdMKTKP8UqrPz6UKCCVoo%252Fconfigure_campaign.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Db021a77b-d202-496b-a5a0-c20296caab8f&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=183e9886&sv=2) circle-check Note: fields marked with **\*** are required; all others are optional features. 1. **\*Add campaign name**: To begin, give your campaign a unique name and description to reference in the future. Give it a name that is distinguishable and easily identified when you have numerous campaigns in your dashboard. 2. **Add billing group**: Certain Lob customers can optionally choose a specific billing group to allocate their campaign to on their invoice. You can learn more about this functionality [herearrow-up-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing-and-invoices#modifying-your-invoicing-structure-7) . 3. **Select campaign type\***: Select what [use case](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#mail-use-type-1) will your campaign have: are you sending out a marketing campaign or using this for operational (non-promotional) purposes? 4. **Select mail type & settings\***: Select what mail type and size you’ll be sending. Currently, you can choose from high-quality postcards, self-mailers, or letters sealed inside envelopes. * Postcards and self-mailers will show available size options * Letters will show optional add-ons, such as cards, envelopes, and buckslips 5. **Send options:** ASAP or schedule a future date up to 180 days 6. **Postage preferences**: * Add the return address you’d like to appear on the mailpiece * Select the [postage and mailing class](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage) \* that you’d like to apply to your campaign; note this will have pricing implications * Select an amount of time for your campaign [cancellation window](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) , which is the amount of time you are allowed to quickly edit and QA your mailings _after_ submission, but _before_ they are sent to print production 7. **Add campaign-level tags**: Add any custom [tags](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) you'd like to apply to your campaign. Tags enable you to easily filter and sort your campaigns for future reporting. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-2-add-target-audience-3) Step 2: Add audience ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fy3hs3sQZB94dSvLARfsO%252Fadd_audience.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De4eb4468-c8e9-4510-aa6b-0f882ac399ac&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=122caa30&sv=2) 1. **Upload your target audience\***: Select your segment via [CSV](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/campaign-audience-guide) 2. **Map required address fields\*:** Lob automatically maps and formats your address to meet USPS requirements, but you can review and adjust the mapping if necessary 3. **Map optional address fields:** These fields will be added to your recipient address block if mapped 4. **Add recipient-level tags**: Add any custom [tags](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/using-metadata) you'd like to apply to your campaign-specific recipients. Tags enable you to easily filter and sort your campaigns for future reporting. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-3-compose-campaign-creative-assets-4) Step 3: Choose creative ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLNBrfnmsztiLa7MQSFJU%252Fchoose_creative.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D208fc3ff-f901-4f37-ac6c-d7b723cf8f28&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=4f877faa&sv=2) 1. **Upload your creative assets\*** (Example, front and back of postcard) * Make sure you are following the [design guidelines](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs) specific to your mail format * You can utilize [PDF](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#pdf-guidelines-14) or [HTML](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#html-13) ; learn more about [Creative formatting](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting) here. (If using HTML, the template will first need to be loaded into the dashboard as a Live [HTML Templatearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/templates) .) * If sending a letter campaign, upload your add-on creative assets as well * When your creative is uploaded, you will be shown a basic preview; a true creative proof is available in later step circle-check You can [add a QR code](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/maximizing-engagement/adding-qr-codes#lob-qr-codes-via-the-campaigns-tool) to your mailpieces after you upload your creative. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FaYKeJrGrhxPHErW766N8%252Fqr_campaigns_1.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0dc419f5-2bd9-494c-a987-a40ee1cb74fb&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=faf282f6&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F1xuZXyY0gHfnzoWgNx7C%252Fqr_campaigns_2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dcdf1a113-58a4-457b-85ec-d3c472f3395d&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=a9c9a895&sv=2) 1. **Connect your creative to your audience\*** * **Select your merge variable strictness**: Choose whether you'd like your mailpieces to be sent even if it contains [missing values in your merge variable fields](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#merge-variable-strictness-setting-3) * **Map merge variables in your creative:** If using an HTML template to build a dynamic creative, if you've named your csv column headers exactly to match the merge variable names in the HTML template, then Lob should automatically map these. For example, if a merge variable in a template is {{promo\_code}} and there is a CSV column header titled “promo\_code” then Lob auto-maps this for the user. circle-exclamation Please note auto-mapping is case-sensitive. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FUlDqX3ZYfnEKqUQE5pM2%252Fmerge_variable_helpcenter.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D0024e055-46a9-4e39-894c-a4034fdaafc4&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=2448883e&sv=2) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-4-finalize-and-review-your-campaign-details-5) Step 4: Proof & Review 1. **Creative proof:** The Creative proof includes merge variables, address block, Lob carbon-neutral logo, and indicia, plus return address and QR codes if included. You can View Mail Proof to see (or share) the PDF, or you can Delete Proof and go back. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FJ6WGUoKjdE33vlz9vwVo%252Fproof2.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D920360a6-44d8-495f-9018-34b966eaa4bd&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=9bad4b2&sv=2) 1. **Campaign settings**: Review the campaign send details 2. **Audience**: Review the target audience list 3. **Creative**: Preview a mailpiece to ensure the campaign will render correctly 4. **Cost:** An _estimated_ campaign cost based on cost per mailpiece (learn more about [Estimated Campaign Cost](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing#how-is-the-estimated-campaign-cost-calculated) ) circle-exclamation Please review carefully before you Place Order. You can back up to previous steps to make changes as needed. Should you need to exit the UI, your Campaign will be saved as a Draft. 1. **Place order!** Once your campaign is submitted it will be sent to the printer in the submission window selected before being dropped to USPS for delivery. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FjcP5WOgBkc3SKRc2Wnw1%252Fimage.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3De5fbf26b-2f7f-4843-8a32-045eb6549390&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=310407f2&sv=2) You will receive confirmation, then be directed to the detail or status page for the Campaign. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-status) Campaign status ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After you place an order you will be directed to that campaign's status or details page. You can also access this at any time by clicking on any individual (Live) Campaign from the Campaigns dashboard. Here you can Cancel a One-time campaign (if applicable), or Pause/Resume an Automated campaign. In the kabob menu, you can find the campaign ID, export undeliverables ("Export Failures") and export mailpiece data. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F3VvV1LVL0csiLznwz8LM%252Fcampaign_details_kababob_menu.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D55dae080-e1a5-450d-a9a3-7b602270c73e&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=6d3a95ab&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#cancel-a-campaign) Cancel a campaign ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did you place your order and then suddenly realize there was a mistake or last-minute change? You can cancel a Campaign if you are within the [cancellation window](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings#cancellation-windows-4) . 1. After placing an order, you will be directed to that campaign's detail page. Alternatively, from the (Live) Campaigns view, click on any campaign to navigate to the campaign's detail page. 2. If applicable, click the Cancel Campaign button. 3. You will be asked to confirm; your Campaign will go back into Draft state. 4. Your Campaign will be canceled; you can return the dashboard or edit the Campaign. 5. You will also receive an email confirmation. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252F7t7RM8mAlGP7q4G5ZHUe%252FCancel_confirm.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Da8a92f02-32a4-4c70-afb6-3e17fdcfd14b&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=94d37a0c&sv=2) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252Fr0OMqQYb2du0Xw26XooH%252FCampaign_Canceled.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D77a1fd3f-c089-4b03-92a0-7ca7022dd491&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=49fa21bc&sv=2) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) Campaign Analytics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After you place an order you will be directed to a detailed view of your campaign. You can return here at any time by clicking into any individual campaign from the Campaigns section in the dashboard. In the [Mail Analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) section of the dashboard you will find data for _all_ mail you have sent with Lob across any number of campaigns within a time period. But you can click into any Live campaign to see laser-focused insights that are campaign-specific. Our campaign analytics are designed to help you ensure that every campaign you run is more informed than the last. ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FiDmnkDREK2nQvkYIrSTU%252FCampaign%2520Details%2520-%2520Overview.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D8f9bfc0a-8246-47e3-9634-c19043c7dbdb&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e0decc8b&sv=2) **Campaign summary:** Get the birds-eye view of each campaign with stats including total orders, estimated cost, delivered and undeliverable mailers. **Tracking events** for all mail pieces in the campaign provide full visibility as your mailpiece move through the mailstream. **QR code engagement:** Understand how recipients interact with your Lob-generated QR codes, including frequency and timing of scans. **Delivery speed:** Track how quickly your mail moves from being sent to marked as processed for delivery, pinpointing efficiency and flagging any delays. _Reserved for Enterprise users only._ **Delivery distribution:** Analyze where your mail is going and how fast it gets there with a breakdown of mail pieces by state, helping you optimize your future send strategies. _Reserved for Enterprise users only._ [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#failed-mail-pieces) Failed mail pieces ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After you place your order and it has fully processed, any number of mail pieces that failed rendering (and will not be sent to print) will be shown in red under View Failed Mail Pieces. Read more about [rendering best practices](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting#rendering-best-practices-21) and [rendering errors](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/creative-formatting/rendering-errors) . [PreviousSend mail!chevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail) [NextSend mail via Print & Mail APIchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/send-mail-via-print-and-mail-api) Last updated 10 months ago Was this helpful? * [Before you get started](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#send-campaigns-in-the-dashboard-1) * [Send campaigns in the dashboard](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#send-campaigns-in-the-dashboard-1-1) * [Step 1: Configure settings](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-1-configure-your-campaign-settings-2) * [Step 2: Add audience](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-2-add-target-audience-3) * [Step 3: Choose creative](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-3-compose-campaign-creative-assets-4) * [Step 4: Proof & Review](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#step-4-finalize-and-review-your-campaign-details-5) * [Campaign status](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-status) * [Cancel a campaign](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#cancel-a-campaign) * [Campaign Analytics](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#campaign-analytics) * [Failed mail pieces](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/send-mail/launch-your-first-campaign#failed-mail-pieces) Was this helpful? --- # Override cancellation window | Lob Help Center Anytime you place an order it’s good to understand the cancellation policy. **By default, new accounts have a 4-hour cancellation window.** Within that time frame, you can cancel mailings, free of charge. Once the cancellation time window has passed for a postcard, self-mailer, letter, or check, the mailing is no longer cancelable. circle-info Users on higher editions can customize their cancellation windows in their dashboard settings. Upgrade your [Print & Mail editionarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions) to gain access to this feature, or reach out to our sales team to learn more. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#can-i-programmatically-override-my-cancellation-window-1) Can I programmatically override my cancellation window? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using a custom send date in your Lob request enables you to override your default cancelation window and set a specific date and time for which you want a mail piece to go into production. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#why-is-this-important-2) Why is this important? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some clients may want to create a campaign today with Lob, but have it actually mailed in 2 weeks. This provides them the time to QA and make sure everything is in order. Others may need to dictate when certain mail pieces go out after a trigger, e.g., two weeks after a shopper abandons their cart, a postcard is sent telling them that the item is now on sale. Either way, this feature enables customers to dictate when a mail piece goes into production if a static cancellation window is not sufficient for their needs. They can do this for each specific mail piece and can customize as needed. If this is not used in the request, it will use the default cancellation window as it is not required. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-3) How do we (programmatically) solve this problem? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If a custom send date is desired, you will have to send either a date or a timestamp of the desired send date. If you send a simple date (YYYY-MM-DD) it will evaluate to midnight UTC of that date. If you don't need to send a custom send date, simply do not include it in the payload—or pass `null`—to use your default cancellation window. In the code sample below, we want mail to go into production on July 1st at 6:00 am PST which is 2:00 pm UTC. To do this our send date is "`2022-07-01T14:00:00`" TypeScript Python Ruby PHP Java Copy import {Configuration, Postcard, PostcardsApi, PostcardEditable, CountryExtended } from "@lob/lob-typescript-sdk" async function demo() { const config: Configuration = new Configuration({ username: "" }) const postcardData : PostcardEditable = { to: { name: "Harry Zhang", address_line1: "210 King Street", address_city: "San Francisco", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107" }, from: { name: "Leore Avidar", address_line1: "210 King Street", address_city: "San Francisco", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107", address_country: CountryExtended.Us }, front: "https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/4x6_pc_template.pdf", back: "https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/public.lob.com/assets/templates/4x6_pc_template.pdf", send_date: "2022-07-01T14:00:00" } try { const result : Postcard = await new PostcardsApi(config).create(postcardData) return result } catch (err: any) { console.error(err) } } demo().then((result)=> console.log(result)).catch() circle-exclamation #### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#if-you-are-using-lobs-free-developer-edition-setting-the-send_date-is-not-available-4) If you are using Lob's free Developer edition, setting the `send_date` is not available Message you will receive from Lob's API: "Your account's Print & Mail Edition does not allow you to use the Scheduled Mailings feature. Upgrade here: https://dashboard.lob.com/#/settings/editions" [PreviousNCOA responseschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses) [NextVisibility of address changeschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/visibility-of-address-changes) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? * [Can I programmatically override my cancellation window?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#can-i-programmatically-override-my-cancellation-window-1) * [Why is this important?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#why-is-this-important-2) * [How do we (programmatically) solve this problem?](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window#how-do-we-programmatically-solve-this-problem-3) Was this helpful? Copy import lob lob.api_key = "" postcard = lob.Postcard.create( description = "First Postcard", to_address = { "name": "Harry Zhang", "address_line1": "210 King Street", "address_city": "San Francisco", "address_state": "CA", "address_zip": "94107" }, from_address = { "name": "Leore Avidar", "address_line1": "210 King Street", "address_city": "San Francisco", "address_state": "CA", "address_zip": "94107", "address_country": "US" }, front = "Front HTML for {{name}}", back = "Back HTML for {{name}}", merge_variables = { "name": "Harry" }, send_date = "2022-07-01T14:00:00" ) print(postcard) Copy require 'lob.rb' require 'pp' lob = Lob::Client.new(api_key: "") pp lob.postcards.create( description: "First Postcard", to: { name: "Harry Zhang", address_line1: "210 King Street", address_city: "San Francisco", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107" }, from: { name: "Leore Avidar", address_line1: "210 King Street", address_city: "San Francisco", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107" }, merge_variables: { name: "Harry" }, front: "Front HTML for {{name}}", back: "Back HTML for {{name}}", send_date: "2022-07-01T14:00:00" ) Copy postcards()->create(array( "description" => "First Postcard", "to[name]" => "HARRY ZHANG", "to[address_line1]" => "210 KING STREET", "to[address_city]" => "SAN FRANCISCO", "to[address_state]" => "CA", "to[address_zip]" => "94107", "from[name]" => "LEORE AVIDAR", "from[address_line1]" => "210 KING STREET", "from[address_city]" => "SAN FRANCISCO", "from[address_state]" => "CA", "from[address_zip]" => "94107", "front" => "Front HTML for {{name}}", "back" => "Back HTML for {{name}}", "merge_variables[name]" => "Harry", "send_date" => "2022-07-01T14:00:00" )); print_r($postcard); ?> Copy package com.company.app; // HashMap for Java 8 and below // import java.util.HashMap; import java.util.Map; import com.lob.Lob; import com.lob.model.Address; import com.lob.model.Postcard; import com.lob.net.LobResponse; public class App { public static void main( String[] args ) { Lob.init(""); Map mergeVariables = Map.of( "name", "Harry" ); // FOR JAVA VERSIONS 8 AND BELOW: // Map merge_variables = new HashMap() {{ // put("name", "Harry"); // }}; try { LobResponse response = new Postcard.RequestBuilder() .setDescription("First Mail piece") .setTo( new Address.RequestBuilder() .setName("HARRY ZHANG") .setLine1("210 KING STREET") .setCity("SAN FRANCISCO") .setState("CA") .setZip("94107") ) .setFrom( new Address.RequestBuilder() .setName("LEORE AVIDAR" ) .setLine1("210 KING STREET") .setCity("SAN FRANCISCO") .setState("CA") .setZip("94107") ) .setFront("Front HTML for {{name}}") .setBack("Back HTML for {{name}}") .setMergeVariables(mergeVariables) .setSendDate("2022-07-01T14:00:00") .create(); Postcard postcard = response.getResponseBody(); System.out.println(postcard); } catch (Exception err) { System.out.println("Error on postcard creation: " + err); } } } --- # Error reference | Lob Help Center Lob utilizes response codes to indicate whether an API request has succeeded or failed. Lob uses both Standard RESTful [HTTP status codes](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#http-status-codes-3) and custom response codes, which reflect specific Lob requirements or functionality. Lob’s error response contains a message parameter containing developer-facing information about the reason for failure. circle-info Live requests that result in a non-2XX code response are indicative of resource creation being stopped. That is, those requests do not incur a postage cost as no resource is created. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-handling-0) Error handling --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Handling particular error messages can be crucial in ensuring you have a robust integration with Lob. The main categories of error status codes are 4xx and 5xx. However, timeouts can also be viewed as an error in and of itself. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#id-5xx-codes-timeouts-1) 5XX codes & timeouts 5XX error codes indicate a server failure, as mentioned below, whereas timeouts are indicative of just that. A request did not receive a response in the allotted amount of time. Either way, the request sent to Lob may or may not have been properly received. To ensure that your request to Lob was successful, it is advisable to institute **retry logic** accordingly. When setting up this retry logic, it is essential to keep the following in mind: * [Idempotency-keysarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/Idempotent-Requests) will ensure your retry attempts are safe by checking that no unique mail piece is created more than once. It is crucial to use these keys to make sure you do not incur any undesired usage costs. * Backoff logic should be utilized to allow the network time to recover in the event of a short outage. Lob has sub-second response times, which means if a timeout occurs, it is likely a network issue. * 3-5 retry attempts are considered best practice. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#id-4xx-codes-2) 4XX codes 4XX error codes indicate something about the request was invalid. In the case of Lob, we have custom response codes that should be handled accordingly. 429 404 401/403 Everything else This code is related to exceeding your rate limit. If this status code is received, you should have logic in place to back off all requests to this specific endpoint and resume attempts after 5 seconds. You can utilize the 3 rate limit headers in your retry logic. `ratelimit-remaining` - The number of requests remaining in the current window. `ratelimit-remaining` - The number of requests remaining in the current window. `ratelimit-reset` - The time at which the rate limit window resets in UTC epoch seconds. If you receive a 404 response code on a `GET` request, it is recommended that you attempt that request with proper retry logic in place, as you may be attempting to retrieve a resource that has yet to be created. Usually, within a minute, these errors are resolved. These error codes should be investigated as they relate to authentication issues. No retry attempts are necessary. Other than the cases above, all errors should be acted upon as you see fit. Ultimately, the error code you receive from Lob can help you take corrective action, but not retry attempts are needed as you will get the same error message each time. **Note: For fields that are intended to accept only string values, submitting JSON objects in string format (stringified JSON objects) is not supported.** Our system automatically parses and validates incoming data according to their expected types. As a result, providing a stringified JSON object in a field designated for string input can cause parsing errors or lead to unexpected validation results. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#http-status-codes-3) HTTP status codes --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUCCESS 200 Successful API request UNAUTHORIZED 401 Authorization error with your API key or account FORBIDDEN 403 Forbidden error with your API key or account NOT FOUND 404 The requested item does not exist BAD REQUEST 422 The query or body parameters did not pass validation TOO MANY REQUESTS 429 Too many requests have been sent with an API key in a given amount of time. Learn more about Lob’s rate limits [herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Rate-Limiting) . SERVER ERROR 500 An internal server error occurred, please contact [\[email protected\]](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection) [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-generic-4) Error codes - generic --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FEATURE\_LIMIT\_REACHED 403 The account has reached its resource limit and requires upgrading to add more. UNRECOGNIZED\_ENDPOINT 404 The requested endpoint doesn't exist. NOT\_FOUND 404 The requested resource was not found. REQUEST\_TIMEOUT 408 The request took too long. Please try again. CONFLICT 409/422 This operation would leave data in a conflicted state. BAD\_REQUEST 422 An invalid request was made. See error message for details. INVALID 422 An invalid request was made. See error message for details NOT\_DELETABLE 422 An attempt was made to delete a resource, but the resource cannot be deleted. UNSUPPORTED\_LOB\_VERSION 422 An unsupported Lob API version was requested. INTERNAL\_SERVER\_ERROR 500 An error has occurred on Lob's servers. Please try request again. SERVICE\_UNAVAILABLE 503 The Lob servers are temporarily unavailable. Please try again. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-authentication-5) Error codes - authentication ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EMAIL\_REQUIRED 401 Account must have a verified email address before creating live resources. UNAUTHORIZED 401 The request isn't authorized. UNAUTHORIZED\_TOKEN 401 Token isn't authorized. INVALID\_API\_KEY 401/403 The API key is invalid. PUBLISHABLE\_KEY\_NOT\_ALLOWED 403 The requested operation needs a secret key, not a publishable key. See [API Keysarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/API-Keys) for more information. RATE\_LIMIT\_EXCEEDED 429 Requests were sent too quickly and must be slowed down. Learn more about Lob’s rate limits [herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Rate-Limiting) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-advanced-6) Error codes - advanced ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAYMENT\_METHOD\_UNVERIFIED 401 You must have a verified bank account or credit card to submit live requests. BILLING\_ADDRESS\_REQUIRED 403 In order to create a live mail piece, your account needs to have a [billing address](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing#adding-a-corporate-billing-address) . DELETED\_BANK\_ACCOUNT 404 Checks cannot be created with a deleted bank account. ADDRESS\_LENGTH\_EXCEEDS\_LIMIT 422 The sum of `to.address_line1` and `to.address_line2` cannot surpass 50 characters. BANK\_ACCOUNT\_ALREADY\_VERIFIED 422 The bank account has already been verified. BANK\_ERROR 422 There's an issue with the bank account. CUSTOM\_ENVELOPE\_INVENTORY\_DEPLETED 422 Custom envelope inventory is depleted, and more will need to be ordered. FAILED\_DELIVERABILITY\_STRICTNESS 422 The to address doesn't meet strictness requirements. See [Account Settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) to configure strictness. FILE\_PAGES\_BELOW\_MIN 422 Not enough pages. FILE\_PAGES\_EXCEED\_MAX 422 Too many pages. FILE\_SIZE\_EXCEEDS\_LIMIT 422 The file size is too large. See description for details. FOREIGN\_RETURN\_ADDRESS 422 The `from` address must be a US address. INCONSISTENT\_PAGE\_DIMENSIONS 422 All pages of the input file must have the same dimensions. INVALID\_BANK\_ACCOUNT 422 The provided bank routing number is invalid. INVALID\_BANK\_ACCOUNT\_VERIFICATION 422 Verification amounts do not match. INVALID\_CHECK\_INTERNATIONAL 422 Checks cannot be sent internationally. INVALID\_COUNTRY\_COVID 422 The postal service in the specified country is currently unable to process the request due to COVID-19 restrictions. INVALID\_FILE 422 The file is invalid. INVALID\_FILE\_DIMENSIONS 422 File dimensions are incorrect for the selected mail type. INVALID\_FILE\_DOWNLOAD\_TIME 422 File download from remote server took too long. INVALID\_FILE\_URL 422 The file URL when creating a resource is invalid. INVALID\_IMAGE\_DPI 422 DPI must be at least 300. INVALID\_INTERNATIONAL\_FEATURE 422 The specified product cannot be sent to the destination. INVALID\_PERFORATION\_RETURN\_ENVELOPE 422 Both `return_envelope` and `perforation` must be used together. INVALID\_TEMPLATE\_HTML 422 The provided HTML is invalid. MAIL\_USE\_TYPE\_CAN\_NOT\_BE\_NULL 422 `use_type` must be one of "marketing" or "operational". Alternatively, an admin can set the [account default use type](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/managing-mail-settings/declaring-mail-use-type) in [Account Settingsarrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) . MERGE\_VARIABLE\_REQUIRED 422 A required merge variable is missing. MERGE\_VARIABLE\_WHITESPACE 422 Merge variable names cannot contain whitespace. PDF\_ENCRYPTED 422 An encrypted PDF was provided. SPECIAL\_CHARACTERS\_RESTRICTED 422 Cannot use special characters for merge variable names. UNEMBEDDED\_FONTS 422 The provided PDF contains non-standard unembedded fonts. See description for details. [PreviousPostman & similar toolschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/postman-and-similar-tools) [NextUpgrading API versionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/upgrading-api-version) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Error handling](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-handling-0) * [5XX codes & timeouts](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#id-5xx-codes-timeouts-1) * [4XX codes](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#id-4xx-codes-2) * [HTTP status codes](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#http-status-codes-3) * [Error codes - generic](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-generic-4) * [Error codes - authentication](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-authentication-5) * [Error codes - advanced](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/error-reference#error-codes-advanced-6) Was this helpful? --- # Professional Services | Lob Help Center **States that charge sales tax on computer programming services:** CONNECTICUT HAWAII MISSISSIPPI NEW MEXICO PUERTO RICO SOUTH DAKOTA WEST VIRGINIA For more information, see calculation examples under the [Lob Products bulletarrow-up-right](https://lob.gitbook.io/sales-tax-customer-faq/tD8Bx78w9SFIjSo66w1V/#what-will-be-taxed-and-how-does-it-impact-me) on the Sales Tax FAQ page. \*Subject to change based on state or local tax rule changes. Lob is obligated to follow the most current state or local sales tax rules whether or not published on this list. [PreviousPostage Exemptionchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/postage-exemption) [NextTax exemption guidechevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Delivery Location for Operational Mail | Lob Help Center **States that tax on delivery location for operational mail:** ALABAMA MARYLAND ARIZONA MASSACHUSETTS CALIFORNIA MISSISSIPPI COLORADO MISSOURI CONNECTICUT NEW MEXICO HAWAII NEW YORK IDAHO PENNSYLVANIA ILLINOIS SOUTH CAROLINA LOUISIANA TEXAS MAINE PUERTO RICO For more information, see calculation examples under the [Lob Products](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq#what-will-be-taxed-and-how-does-it-impact-me) bullet on the Sales Tax FAQ page. \*Subject to change based on state or local tax rule changes. Lob is obligated to follow the most current state sales or local tax rules whether or not published on this list. [Previous​Subscriptions and Serviceschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/subscriptions-and-services) [NextCustomer Billing Address for Operational Mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/customer-billing-address-for-operational-mail) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Delivery Location for Marketing Mail | Lob Help Center **States that tax on delivery location for marketing mail** ALABAMA KENTUCKY OKLAHOMA ARIZONA MAINE RHODE ISLAND ARKANSAS MARYLAND SOUTH CAROLINA COLORADO MASSACHUSETTS SOUTH DAKOTA CONNECTICUT MICHIGAN TEXAS GEORGIA MISSISSIPPI UTAH HAWAII NEBRASKA VERMONT IDAHO NEVADA WASHINGTON ILLINOIS NEW JERSEY WEST VIRGINIA INDIANA NEW MEXICO WYOMING IOWA NORTH CAROLINA PUERTO RICO KANSAS NORTH DAKOTA For more information, see calculation examples under the [Lob Products](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq#what-will-be-taxed-and-how-does-it-impact-me) bullet on the Sales Tax FAQ page. \*Subject to change based on state or local tax rule changes. Lob is obligated to follow the most current state sales or local tax rules whether or not published on this list. [PreviousCustomer Billing Address for Operational Mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/customer-billing-address-for-operational-mail) [NextPostage Exemptionchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/postage-exemption) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # ​Subscriptions and Services | Lob Help Center **States and localities that charge sales tax on subscriptions and services:** ALABAMA NEW MEXICO TEXAS ARIZONA NEW YORK UTAH CONNECTICUT OHIO VERMONT DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PENNSYLVANIA WASHINGTON HAWAII RHODE ISLAND WEST VIRGINIA KENTUCKY SOUTH CAROLINA Chicago, IL MASSACHUSETTS SOUTH DAKOTA Denver, CO MISSISSIPPI TENNESSEE Colorado Springs, CO For more information, see calculation examples under the Lob Products bullet on the FAQ page. \*Subject to change based on state or local tax rule changes. Lob is obligated to follow the most current state or local sales tax rules whether or not published on this list. [PreviousApplicable sales tax by statechevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state) [NextDelivery Location for Operational Mailchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/delivery-location-for-operational-mail) Last updated 10 months ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Tax exemption guide | Lob Help Center For sales and use tax exemption of Lob’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Direct Mail services distributed in the United States, email all your relevant signed exemption certificates to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5d293c251d31323f733e3230) . In order for a form to be processed expeditiously, please ensure: * Company Name on the exemption form must match the name on the Lob Billing Account. To update the Lob Account name, change it in the dashboard [herearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) . * Purpose must be clear (Resale certification, exemption for promotional materials, etc.) * Signed and Dated, by an authorized signer * Email your certificates and other related information to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#2753465f674b48450944484a) . **State and/or Local Sales Tax Exemption Forms are required from all customers claiming exemption from state or local sales and use taxes.** State and Local Sales Tax Exemptions vary from state to state; therefore, Lob does not provide exemption forms. You may obtain an exemption certificate from the state or governmental body imposing the tax. Exemption forms must be provided to Lob before any tax exemption is placed on an account. Contact your local taxing authority if you have [questions about statearrow-up-right](http://www.taxadmin.org/state-tax-forms) and local tax exemption. In addition, Lob recommends that you review and/or reach out to your tax advisors regarding the potential applicability of Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (“SSUTA”) and/or the Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate-Multijurisdiction exemption certificate. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#frequently-asked-questions) Frequently Asked Questions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#i-used-the-form-lob-provided-to-upload-my-exemption-forms-or-emailed-my-exemption-forms-to-tax-lob.c) I used the form Lob provided to upload my exemption forms or emailed my exemption forms to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#deaabfa69eb2b1bcf0bdb1b3) When should I expect to hear back? Allow 7-10 business days for the Lob team to review your exemption request. You will receive an email to confirm the exemption products and states and Lob will apply the exemption in conjunction with the collection of the sales tax. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#do-i-need-to-send-a-form-for-each-state) Do I need to send a form for each state? State and Local Sales Tax Exemptions vary from state to state. Contact your local taxing authority if you have [questions about statearrow-up-right](http://www.taxadmin.org/state-tax-forms) and local tax exemption. Lob has nexus, a legal requirement to collect and remit sales tax, in almost every state. The tax situs (state that will receive the tax) is determined by several factors (not only your billing address) and the exemption certificate provided will only apply to the states that accept the particular exemption certificate. This means that if the determined tax situs (place of taxation) for your sales is outside of the states that are covered in your exemption certificates, you will be billed sales taxes in those states for which you do not have certificates.. Lob recommends that you review and/or reach out to your tax advisors regarding the following: * Whether your resale certificate is accepted by other states other than the issuing state. Lob utilizes the _**Healy & Schadewald's Annual Revenue Department Surveys**_ to determine if states will accept out of state resale certificates. * Whether your Company qualifies for the [_**Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (“SSUTA”)**_arrow-up-right](https://www.sstregister.org/) and/or the [_**Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate-Multijurisdiction**_ arrow-up-right](https://www.mtc.gov/Resources/Unif-Resale-Cert-revised-10-14-22v1.pdf) exemption certificate for a broader exemption coverage for direct mail. circle-info Tax-Exempt Entity certificates are only applicable where tax situs equals the issuing state of the certificate. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-is-lobs-legal-entity-name-for-the-form) What is Lob’s Legal Entity name for the form? Lob.com, Inc. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-date-should-be-on-the-tax-exemption-form) What date should be on the tax exemption form? This is the date that the exemption became applicable. Send all exemption certificates that are valid from January 1, 2018 forward. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#who-can-sign-the-exemption-certificate) Who can sign the exemption certificate? If your document requires a signature, it should be signed by either an officer or an authorized representative of your organization as indicated on the form. If the document is not signed, it will be considered incomplete and will be returned for signature. An unsigned exemption certificate is not considered valid by state tax laws. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#if-my-exemption-certificate-allows-me-to-choose-blanket-or-single-purchase-which-choice-best-fits-my) If my exemption certificate allows me to choose Blanket or Single Purchase, which choice best fits my Lob services? If you routinely make similar purchases or purchase recurring services, you should check the Blanket option. If you choose Single Purchase, only one month’s invoice will be tax exempt. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#how-long-is-my-tax-exemption-document-valid) How long is my tax exemption document valid? The duration varies by state and your organization’s type . Most state tax exempt documents will show an expiration date, if it will expire; otherwise many states require a renewal around 3-5 years. Please confirm with the specific states and comply with their respective rules. Send renewed exemption certificates to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#0a7e6b724a66656824696567) to avoid gaps in exemption status. Expired exemption certificates are not valid for sales tax exemptions. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-name-should-be-on-the-form) What name should be on the form? Your organization’s name must be provided on the form. It may say Name of Purchaser, Billing Name or Exempt Taxpayer’s Name and must match the Bill Name on the account. The account must be billed in the tax exempt organization’s name which must match your Lob billing account name or the tax exemption cannot be applied. You may update your billing account name [herearrow-up-right](https://dashboard.lob.com/settings/account) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-is-the-vendors-address) What is the vendor’s address? If your particular state tax exemption document has a field for the vendor’s address, enter: Name of seller: Lob.com, Inc. 2261 Market Street STE 5668 San Francisco, CA 94114 ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-should-go-in-the-description-section-of-the-form) What should go in the Description section of the form? If your particular state tax exemption document has a field for a description, you will need to write in a description of the services provided on that account. To provide the most broad exemption, you can enter: Direct Mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#who-do-i-contact-with-questions) Who do I contact with questions? If you have questions regarding your tax exemption, you can contact the IRS at 1-800-829-4933. If you have specific questions about a request you have submitted to Lob, please email [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9ce8fde4dcf0f3feb2fff3f1) . [PreviousProfessional Serviceschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/professional-services) [NextGetting supportchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/resources/getting-support) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#frequently-asked-questions) * [I used the form Lob provided to upload my exemption forms or emailed my exemption forms to \[email protected\] When should I expect to hear back?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#i-used-the-form-lob-provided-to-upload-my-exemption-forms-or-emailed-my-exemption-forms-to-tax-lob.c) * [Do I need to send a form for each state?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#do-i-need-to-send-a-form-for-each-state) * [What is Lob’s Legal Entity name for the form?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-is-lobs-legal-entity-name-for-the-form) * [What date should be on the tax exemption form?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-date-should-be-on-the-tax-exemption-form) * [Who can sign the exemption certificate?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#who-can-sign-the-exemption-certificate) * [If my exemption certificate allows me to choose Blanket or Single Purchase, which choice best fits my Lob services?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#if-my-exemption-certificate-allows-me-to-choose-blanket-or-single-purchase-which-choice-best-fits-my) * [How long is my tax exemption document valid?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#how-long-is-my-tax-exemption-document-valid) * [What name should be on the form?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-name-should-be-on-the-form) * [What is the vendor’s address?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-is-the-vendors-address) * [What should go in the Description section of the form?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#what-should-go-in-the-description-section-of-the-form) * [Who do I contact with questions?](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/tax-exemption-guide#who-do-i-contact-with-questions) Was this helpful? --- # Postage Exemption | Lob Help Center **States in which postage is** _**not**_ **taxable:** ALABAMA INDIANA MISSOURI ARIZONA IOWA NEVADA CALIFORNIA KANSAS OKLAHOMA COLORADO\*\* LOUISIANA TEXAS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MAINE UTAH FLORIDA MARYLAND VIRGINIA IDAHO MASSACHUSETTS WASHINGTON ILLINOIS MISSISSIPPI WYOMING For more information, see calculation examples under the [Lob Products](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq#what-will-be-taxed-and-how-does-it-impact-me) bullet [](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq#what-will-be-taxed-and-how-does-it-impact-me) on the Sales Tax FAQ page. \*Subject to change based on state or local tax rule changes. Lob is obligated to follow the most current state or local sales tax rules whether or not published on this list. \*\*Certain counties and cities in CO do charge sales tax on postage, including but not limited to Denver, Colorado Springs, Littleton [PreviousDelivery Location for Marketing Mailchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/delivery-location-for-marketing-mail) [NextProfessional Serviceschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/account-management/billing/sales-tax-faq/applicable-sales-tax-by-state/professional-services) Last updated 1 year ago Was this helpful? Was this helpful? --- # Tracking your mail | Lob Help Center One of the most powerful advantages of using Lob is that you can have visibility of any individual mail piece as it moves across the entire print production and delivery process. Gain complete transparency into your mail’s journey from print production to final delivery, ensuring you stay informed every step of the way. Lob will surface notable actions or **events** within the Lob architecture. Examples include when a mailpiece is created, fails the rendering process, or when a Lob QR code is scanned. Additionally, each U.S. mail piece is printed with a unique [Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/artboard-layout#intelligent-mail-barcode-11) , similar to a package tracking number. For USPS First or Standard Class mail, Lob processes data from our commercial printers and mail partners, along with USPS scan events, to surface **tracking events** as your mail moves through the delivery process. You can access this data in the Lob dashboard at the individual mailpiece, campaign, or aggregate level. You can also [subscribe to webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) in the Lob Dashboard or via the API to get proactive notifications. See the full list of [eventsarrow-up-right](https://app.gitbook.com/s/zB3x41nX4pbwHRUZVMAl) (including [tracking eventsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Tracking-Events) ) you can access in our API documentation. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#mail-tracking-events-1) Tracking events -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Note that any mail pieces sent in the Test Environment will not receive tracking events. Tracking events are a subset of [all Eventsarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Events) ; below is a list of each tracking event label and description, as recorded by Lob: * **Received** \- The API call for the mail piece was made and received by Lob. (Event will be displayed in dashboard at individual mailpiece level; no webhook available.) * **In production** - Mail piece instructions were dispatched to Lob's printer network and the request is now being printed/cut, soon to be handed off to the USPS or a mail carrying partner for fulfillment. (Event will be displayed in dashboard at individual mailpiece level; no webhook available.) * **Mailed** \- Confirmation that mail has been handed off to USPS or a mail carrying partner from our printers. * This feature exclusive to Enterprise edition customers. For non-Enterprise customers, the Mailed event in your dashboard view of tracking events will be greyed out in the tracking event stepper. * The ability to accurately surface the "Mailed" tracking event is a unique feature to Lob, and can be utilized to monitor Lob’s SLA adherence as well as provide auditable proof for time of mailing. * The “Mailed” tracking event appears at earliest two business days after sending your Lob API request. In some instances, it can take longer for this “Mailed” event to become visible, but when surfaced, it will accurately reflect the actual date of mail handoff from our printers. * **In Transit** \- The mail piece is being processed at the USPS entry/origin facility or commingler. * **In Local Area** - The mail piece is being processed at the USPS destination facility. * **International Exit** - The mail piece has been processed to ship to a destination abroad. This is typically the last scan a US-originated international mail piece will receive from the USPS. _Note this scan is historically inconsistent, but if it occurs, Lob will surface._ * [**Processed for Delivery**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-to-know-if-your-mail-was-delivered-5) - The mail piece has been greenlit for delivery at the recipient's nearest USPS postal facility. The mail piece should reach the mailbox within 1 business day of this tracking event. * **Delivered** - The mail piece has been delivered to the recipient’s address. This event is generated when the USPS mail carrier's GPS unit leaves the delivery area. _USPS does not guarantee every event for each mail piece, thus Processed for Delivery is more reliable._ * [**Re-routed**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#re-routed-mail-8) - The mail piece is re-routed due to recipient change of address, address errors, or USPS relabeling of barcode/ID tag area. * [**Returned to Sender (RTS)**](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#undeliverable-mail-9) - The mail piece is being returned to sender due to barcode, ID tag area, or address errors. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#scanned-events-3) Scanned events Following production, all mail pieces will be handed off from our printers to USPS and will enter the USPS mail stream. All subsequent events are subject to USPS accurately scanning the mail piece as it travels to its destination in the mail stream, hence called "scanned" events. For tracking events from USPS (i.e., all events listed after the "[Mailed](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#mailed-tracking-events-4) " event), expect to start seeing your first tracking event appear within: * 3 business days after your Send Date for First Class Mail * 4-5 business days after your Send Date for Standard Class Mail In addition to accessing this mail tracking data via our API or Dashboard, you can receive real-time notifications by [using webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#missing-or-out-of-sequence-scans-7) Missing or out-of-sequence scans All USPS scan events are dependent on the local postal offices and how they process/sort mail. Similarly, the delivery of those mail pieces is also under the full control of the local post office. We do not have added visibility or control over the actual mail pieces once they are handed off to USPS—we can only monitor their progress by surfacing mail tracking events that are visible on your dashboard. circle-exclamation Lob does not have any control over the accuracy of scans, nor can Lob go back and reconcile scan events as it is purely a USPS-owned process. While scans are not guaranteed by USPS, we do see scans on over 99% of our mailings. If more than 5 business days have passed and you don't have any tracking events, send an email to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#99eaece9e9f6ebedd9f5f6fbb7faf6f4) and our team will be able to confirm whether the mail piece has been mailed. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#metered-mail-10) Tracking for special mail types ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info Reminder that mail pieces sent in the Test Environment will not receive a tracking events. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#metered-mail-10-1) Metered Mail The minimum volume to qualify for Presort mail is 200 pieces (or 50 lbs) of Marketing Mail or 500 pieces of First Class mail, which is a USPS requirement. Some mail is sent out metered if that day's volume from one of Lob’s production partners does not meet the minimum volume per mail type, as required by USPS. This means the mail pieces are not able to be batched with the other mail pieces and have to be mailed separately. Historically these mailpieces have been difficult to track without a batch ID. But beginning July 12, 2023, the “Mailed” event for Metered mail is available in our webhooks for tracking events and included in mail counts within the Mail Analytics Dashboard. Please note we would not expect to populate any other tracking events for Metered mail. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#po-box-mail) PO Box Mail While we typically see all scans for the majority of our mailings, it is not unusual to see mail sent to a PO box with tracking that ends at the **“In Local Area”** scan event, even though the recipient has physically received the piece. “In Local Area” scan indicates receipt and processing by the post office most local to the final delivery point. Typically the next scan would be “Processed for Delivery,” to indicate a mailpiece has been cleared for a final delivery attempt (and is likely loaded directly onto the mail delivery vehicle). However, a PO box does not need to be loaded onto a vehicle for the final delivery, as the PO box itself is located at the post office already. In this case, postal workers can simply hand-deliver the mailpiece to its final destination—so there will be no "Processed for Delivery" scan. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#unique-zip-codes) Unique ZIP codes This is a ZIP Code that belongs to some entity (for example, a university, a government agency, etc) which is responsible for sorting its own mail. These ZIP codes are classified by the USPS as a “Unique” ZIP Code (code [U1arrow-up-right](https://lob.com/docs#us_verification_details) ), and we often do not see delivery scan events for these ZIP codes. This is because the entity itself is responsible for the final stage of delivery of their mail, rather than USPS. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-information-for-registered-certified-mail-14) Registered & Certified Mail Letters sent as Registered do not receive the same scan events as regular First or Standard Class mail. Registered Mail will instead receive a carrier tracking number and link, which is an add-on that will be available three (3) business days following the mailer’s `send_date`. This tracking number can be used to track the mailer via the carrier’s website. If you decide to send Certified Mail through Lob, you will receive a carrier tracking number and tracking link retrievable via your Lob dashboard**,** which can be used to track the mail piece via USPS’s website. You can also track the mail via scan events within your Lob dashboard. Sometimes certified mail tracking will be available immediately, or as late as 3 days after sending the mail piece. See here for more details on [tracking for Certified or Registered Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage/certified-mail-or-registered-mail) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#return-envelope-tracking-for-reply-mail-12) Return envelope tracking for Reply Mail Enterprise edition customers can now access return envelope tracking for USPS Courtesy Reply Mail (for letters only). Once the returned mail piece enters the mailstream, the customer can start receiving notifications to tracking events via our webhooks. For more information, see how to [enable return envelope tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/designing-mail-creatives/mail-piece-design-specs/letter-envelopes#return-envelope-tracking-4) , and how to [view return envelope tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks#return-envelope-tracking-15) via webhooks. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-to-confirm-usps-received-your-mail) How to confirm USPS received your mail ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Using webhooks](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) , a user can confirm USPS possession for the majority of First Class/Standard mail pieces. (If proof of USPS possession is crucial to your organization, Lob offers [Registered and Certified Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-information-for-registered-certified-mail-14) .) 1. The following mailpiece webhooks indicate USPS possession: * xxx.delivered * xxx.in\_local\_area * xxx.in\_transit * xxx.processed\_for\_delivery * xxx.re-routed * xxx.returned\_to\_sender ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Flh7-us.googleusercontent.com%2Fh5bvKlZkaAiJ6wa1glORDt5pdCaWjIi9xoW5xltSj7IWOTXzzf9iBEN3EOyXz46sfTtwH1IYIMJGmVCwzAoslWQMYGP-ZWROyQE1R7G7xAnLSClWU49WBQo17S1mLVkUqJy8QfC3vGGSJgBopSePVe0&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=80a6889d&sv=2) Also applies to self-mailers 1. USPS may not consistently scan all mail pieces at every stage; Lob is only able to capture and surface scans received from USPS itself. (Lob sees USPS scans for the majority of mail pieces; that is, a very small percentage of mail pieces receive no scans at all.) 2. ​​Lob will send webhook events as soon as they become available. However, users should not assume all webhooks will be sent in real-time, and may occasionally experience some delays; they may also be received out of order. 3. That said, **receipt of any of the events noted above confirms that a mail piece is in USPS possession.** * The inverse is not necessarily true; i.e., NOT receiving any of these events is not a guarantee that the piece is NOT in the mainstream. 1. Although events may not be sent in real-time, for tracking events you can get the USPS timestamp of the event under `tracking_events[].time`. * The earliest time stamp of any of these events would equate to the earliest (recorded) possession by USPS. See our technical use case [ingesting tracking events with webhooks](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ingesting-tracking-events-with-webhooks) for a deep dive on how to ingest events for a specific mail piece, run a monthly data pull from Lob's system for mail pieces that don't have a certain event, or get real-time updates as your mail piece goes through the mail stream. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-to-know-if-your-mail-was-delivered-5) How to know if your mail was delivered ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For First and Standard Class mailings, "Delivered" is typically the last event that USPS provides. When your mail piece receives this event, this means that a USPS courier has delivered the mail piece. circle-info The "Delivered" event is generated when the USPS mail carrier's GPS unit leaves the delivery area; it is not guaranteed by the USPS. **If a “Delivered” event hasn’t yet surfaced for your mail piece, but you have received a “Processed for Delivery” scan, this indicates that USPS is expected to attempt delivery within one business day.** For international mailings originating in the US, see [International Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/international-mail#mail-tracking) for details on tracking mail pieces abroad. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#delivery-timelines-delayed-pieces-6) Delivery timelines & delayed pieces Delivery times for mail will vary depending on [mail class](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/building-a-mail-strategy/mailing-classes-and-postage) and destination: * **First Class Mail**: US domestic mail delivery typically takes 5-7 business days, and international mailings take an additional 7-9 business days. * **Standard Class Mail**: Delivery times can take anywhere from 7-21 business days. USPS does not provide delivery time guarantees for Standard Mail. circle-exclamation Delivery times quoted are estimates; Lob uses USPS as our primary carrier and USPS experiences delays from time to time. To see the most up-to-date status of your mailing, check the tracking information of your particular mailing. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#re-routed-mail-8) Re-routed mail If you receive a "**Re-routed**" scan, this indicates that USPS attempted delivery at the original address, but re-routed it because your recipient no longer resides at that address. In these cases, USPS will attempt to deliver to your recipient at their new address (if they filed a National Change of Address). ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#undeliverable-mail-9) Undeliverable mail / Return to Sender (RTS) If you received a "**Return to Sender (RTS)**" event scan, this indicates that USPS attempted delivery of the mail piece at the original address, was unsuccessful, and the mail is being re-routed back to the return address after being deemed [undeliverable or misdeliverablearrow-up-right](https://faq.usps.com/s/article/How-is-Undeliverable-and-Misdelivered-Mail-Handled) as originally addressed. This results in a yellow sticker being affixed to the mailing by USPS for tracking purposes called a [NIXIEarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/undeliverable-addressed-uaa-mail/CFS_Nixie_Label) label. The NIXIE label is affixed by the USPS if they are unable to complete delivery. (In rare cases, RTS without a NIXIE label is possible due to either the neglect of the USPS agent, or because the recipient had chosen to return it themselves.) ![](https://help.lob.com/~gitbook/image?url=https%3A%2F%2F1775164782-files.gitbook.io%2F%7E%2Ffiles%2Fv0%2Fb%2Fgitbook-x-prod.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fspaces%252FiXDYGxBp6aAwhpEhTMNC%252Fuploads%252FLIW08grSHkZb4MhS8BMp%252FScreen%2520Shot%25202021-08-05%2520at%252011.20.10%2520AM.png%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3D60db5898-6f4b-4299-90bd-918974959dc8&width=768&dpr=3&quality=100&sign=e65c909d&sv=2) Example of a USPS Return to Sender sticker (NIXIE label) chevron-rightCommon RTS reasoning codes on NIXIE label[hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#common-rts-reasoning-codes-on-nixie-label) * **Attempted Not Known (ANK):** Delivery attempted, addressee not known at place of address * **Deceased (DEC):** Used only when the addressee is deceased and mail is not properly deliverable to another person * **In Dispute (DIS):** Cannot be determined which disputing party has better right to mail * **Insufficient Address (IA):** Necessary address details are omitted and the correct address not known * **Illegible (ILL):** Address not readable * **No Mail Receptacle (NMR):** Addressee failed to provide a receptacle for receipt of mail * **No Such Number (NSN):** Addressed to nonexistent number and correct number not known * **No Such Street (NSS):** Addressed to nonexistent street and correct street not known * **Refused (REF):** Addressee refused to accept mail or pay postage charges * **Unclaimed (UNC):** Addressee abandoned or failed to call for mail * **Not Deliverable As Addressed - Unable to Forward (UTF):** Mail undeliverable at the address given; no change-of-address order on file; forwarding order expired * **Vacant (VAC):** House, apartment, office, or building not occupied After the RTS event scan, the mail piece is then treated as a new letter that is going to a new destination and will be tracked to the reroute location. This may be why the same mail piece may receive new scans after receiving the RTS event. A multi-delivery attempt is translated into scans in “Delivery Attempt 1 and 2” below, compared to a standard delivery where the mail piece makes it to its final destination in a single attempt (Col 1): **Standard Delivery Process** **Delivery Attempt 1** **Re-Routed Attempt 2** Received Received \- In Production In Production \- Mailed Mailed \- In Transit In Transit \- Processed for Delivery Return to Sender --> In Transit \[+Yellow Sticker\] Delivered \- Processed for Delivery \- Delivered triangle-exclamation USPS may not consistently scan all mail pieces at every stage; Lob is only able to capture and surface scans received from USPS itself. Because RTS scans are not necessarily an 'end-state scan', you should not track whether it was the last scan received when trying to calculate the percentage of RTS mail, as it may have been marked as such and still received additional scan events. Instead, you should try calculating the percentage based on whether the RTS scan event was ever received, regardless of its place in the sequence of scan events. Furthermore, we recommend you confirm the updated address with the intended recipient and submitting a new request to have it printed and mailed. There is currently no way to re-initiate an existing request in Lob. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#exporting-tracking-events-11) Visibility of tracking events ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- circle-info You can **export** all tracking events data into a CSV file; [see more details on exporting mail data here.](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/exporting-mail-data) ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#where-can-i-see-mail-piece-tracking) **Where can I see mail piece tracking?** You can see tracking events under the detailed pages within Print & Mail and/or Campaigns in the dashboard. Additionally, under Mail Analytics (accessed via the left navigation bar in the dashboard), [the Tracking Events tab](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics#tracking-events-3) displays a visual breakdown of all tracking events applicable to the mail pieces within the filter parameters. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-can-i-get-notified-of-events) **How can I get notified of events?** Real-time progress of mail pieces can be accessed by [using webhooks,](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/using-webhooks) an easy way to get notifications on events happening asynchronously on Lob's side. Once webhooks are successfully set up on the dashboard, Lob will "push" you notifications when mail pieces are created, when they receive USPS scans such as "In Local Area" or "Processed for Delivery", or any other event you subscribe to. Enterprise edition customers can also access [return envelope tracking](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#return-envelope-tracking-for-reply-mail-12) for USPS Courtesy Reply Mail (for letters only). Once the returned mailpiece enters the mailstream, the customer can start receiving notifications to tracking events via our webhooks. The full list of event types available for subscription can be found [herearrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#tag/Events) . ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#what-should-i-do-if-my-mail-piece-does-not-receive-a-tracking-event) What should I do if my mail piece does not receive a tracking event? If your mail piece doesn’t have a tracking event, first check to see how much time has elapsed between your mail piece Send Date and the current date. Typically, it’ll take 3 business days (for First Class Mail), or 4-5 business days (for Standard Class Mail) from the time of your Send Date for USPS tracking events to appear. If more than 5 business days have elapsed since your Send Date and you don’t have any tracking events, send an email to [\[email protected\]envelope](https://help.lob.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9cefe9ececf3eee8dcf0f3feb2fff3f1) . Our team will be able to confirm whether the mail piece has been mailed. Note: If it has been more than 30 days, Lob will not have access to the API logs which track mailpiece tracking events, but you should be able to see the date when the mail piece was scanned by clicking on 'View details' in your dashboard. [PreviousGetting data & resultschevron-left](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results) [NextMail analyticschevron-right](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/mail-analytics) Last updated 6 months ago Was this helpful? * [Tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#mail-tracking-events-1) * [Scanned events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#scanned-events-3) * [Missing or out-of-sequence scans](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#missing-or-out-of-sequence-scans-7) * [Tracking for special mail types](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#metered-mail-10) * [Metered Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#metered-mail-10-1) * [PO Box Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#po-box-mail) * [Unique ZIP codes](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#unique-zip-codes) * [Registered & Certified Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#tracking-information-for-registered-certified-mail-14) * [Return envelope tracking for Reply Mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#return-envelope-tracking-for-reply-mail-12) * [How to confirm USPS received your mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-to-confirm-usps-received-your-mail) * [How to know if your mail was delivered](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-to-know-if-your-mail-was-delivered-5) * [Delivery timelines & delayed pieces](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#delivery-timelines-delayed-pieces-6) * [Re-routed mail](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#re-routed-mail-8) * [Undeliverable mail / Return to Sender (RTS)](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#undeliverable-mail-9) * [Visibility of tracking events](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#exporting-tracking-events-11) * [Where can I see mail piece tracking?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#where-can-i-see-mail-piece-tracking) * [How can I get notified of events?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#how-can-i-get-notified-of-events) * [What should I do if my mail piece does not receive a tracking event?](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/getting-data-and-results/tracking-your-mail#what-should-i-do-if-my-mail-piece-does-not-receive-a-tracking-event) Was this helpful? --- # NCOA responses | Lob Help Center circle-info Customers must meet certain requirements to access this additional NCOA functionality. Please review the below and reach out to your Account Manager to see if you are eligible. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#prerequisites-2) Prerequisites ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In order to leverage Lob’s NCOA feature, we must have a signed Processing and Acknowledgement Form and the account must meet other volume requirements. If NCOA reporting is not currently enabled for your account, please reach out to your Account Manager or your Customer Success Manager for more information and next steps. A live API key is also required. In order to get this, refer to step one of [Getting Startedarrow-up-right](https://docs.lob.com/#section/API-Keys) . [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#how-to-use-lobs-ncoa-functionality-3) How to use Lob’s NCOA functionality ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Using the NCOA data is simple. When an address is created in the Lob API and a mail piece is created, the recipient and address are used to look up current change of address records. If there is a currently active COA, then the mail piece created will include the recipient’s new address information and the response from the Lob API will include a representation of the Address record that has a recipient\_moved value of true and redacted values for `address_line1` and `address_line2`, but all other values will reflect the COA changes. ### [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#code-example-4) Code example For example, an application is sending a check. Because of the business logic of this application, when the recipient has changed addresses, we want to cancel the check instead of allowing it to be rerouted. For this, we will assume there is a verified bank account already recorded and the application is aware of the Lob record id for that bank account. TypeScript Python Ruby PHP Java Copy import { Configuration,ChecksApi, CheckEditable,CountryExtended, AddressEditable } from "@lob/lob-typescript-sdk"; async function demo() { const config: Configuration = new Configuration({ username: "test_XXXXXXXX", }); const checkToCreate = new CheckEditable({ description: "Reimbursement $1", to: new AddressEditable({ name: "HARRY ZHANG", address_line1: "185 BERRY ST", address_line2: "SUITE 6100", address_city: "SAN FRANCISCO", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107" }), from: new AddressEditable({ name: "LEORE AVIDAR", address_line1: "210 King Street", address_city: "SAN FRANCISCO", address_state: "CA", address_zip: "94107", address_country: CountryExtended.Us, }), bank_account: "bank_XXXXXXXX", amount: 1, }); const checksApi = new ChecksApi(config); try { const newCheck = await checksApi.create(checkToCreate); if (newCheck.to?.recipient_moved) { console.log("Recipient has moved - cancel ") await checksApi.cancel(newCheck.id); } } catch (err) { console.error(err); } } demo().then().catch(); [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#conclusion-6) Conclusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lob’s NCOA feature, once enabled for an account, allows a consuming application to more completely manage the behavior of mail pieces when a recipient has moved. [hashtag](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#further-resources-7) Further resources ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * [All about addresses](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/all-about-addresses) * [Add on: Lob NCOA feature](https://help.lob.com/print-and-mail/reaching-your-audience/additional-lob-ncoa-functionality) * [NCOALinkarrow-up-right](https://postalpro.usps.com/mailing-and-shipping-services/NCOALink) [PreviousMass deletion setupchevron-left](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/mass-deletion-setup) [NextOverride cancellation windowchevron-right](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/override-cancellation-window) Last updated 2 years ago Was this helpful? * [Prerequisites](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#prerequisites-2) * [How to use Lob’s NCOA functionality](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#how-to-use-lobs-ncoa-functionality-3) * [Code example](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#code-example-4) * [Conclusion](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#conclusion-6) * [Further resources](https://help.lob.com/developer-docs/use-case-guides/ncoa-responses#further-resources-7) Was this helpful? Copy import lob lob.api_key = "test_XXXXXXXX" newCheck = lob.Check.create( description = 'Reimbursement $1', to_address = { 'name': 'Harry Zhang', 'address_line1': '185 Berry St', 'address_line2': '# 6100', 'address_city': 'San Francisco', 'address_state': 'CA', 'address_zip': '94107' }, from_address = { 'name': 'Leore Avidar', 'address_line1': '210 King St', 'address_city': 'San Francisco', 'address_state': 'CA', 'address_zip': '94107' }, bank_account = 'bank_XXXXXXXX', amount = 1.00, ) if('recipient_moved' in newCheck.to_address.__dict__): lob.Check.delete(newCheck.id) print("Recipient has moved - cancel") Copy require 'lob.rb' require 'pp' @lob = Lob::Client.new(api_key: "test_XXXXXXXX") newCheck = @lob.checks.create( description: 'Reimbursement $1', to: { name: 'Harry Zhang', address_line1: '185 Berry St', address_line2: '# 6100', address_city: 'San Francisco', address_state: 'CA', address_zip: '94107' }, from: { name: 'Leore Avidar', address_line1: '210 King St', address_city: 'San Francisco', address_state: 'CA', address_zip: '94107' }, bank_account: 'bank_XXXXXXXX', amount: 1.00 ) if(newCheck['to']['recipient_moved']) @lob.checks.destroy(newCheck.id) pp 'Recipient has moved - cancel' end Copy $lob = new \Lob\Lob('test_XXXXXXXX'); $newCheck = $lob->checks()->create(array( 'description' => 'Remimburse $1', 'to[name]' => 'Harry Zhang', 'to[address_line1]' => '185 Berry St', 'to[address_line2]' => '# 6100', 'to[address_city]' => 'San Francisco', 'to[address_zip]' => '94107', 'to[address_state]' => 'CA', 'from[name]' => 'Leore Avidar', 'from[address_line1]' => '210 King St', 'from[address_city]' => 'San Francisco', 'from[address_zip]' => '94107', 'from[address_state]' => 'CA', 'bank_account' => 'bank_XXXXXXXX', 'amount' => 1.00 )); $prop = 'recipient_moved'; if (isset($newCheck['to']->$prop)) { $lob->checks()->delete($newCheck['id']); print_r('Recipient has moved - cancel check'); } else { print_r('Check is in the mail'); } Copy import com.lob.Lob; import com.lob.model.Address; import com.lob.model.Check; import com.lob.net.LobResponse; public class App { public static void main( String[] args ) { Lob.init("test_XXXXXXXX"); try { LobResponse response = new Check.RequestBuilder() .setDescription("Remimburse $1") .setAmount("1.00") .setTo( new Address.RequestBuilder() .setName("Harry Zhang") .setLine1("185 Berry Street") .setLine2("Ste 6100") .setCity("San Francisco") .setState("CA") .setZip("94107") ) .setFrom( new Address.RequestBuilder() .setName("Leore Avidar") .setLine1("210 King St") .setCity("San Francisco") .setState("CA") .setZip("94107") ) .setBankAccount("bank_XXXXXXXX") .create(); Check newCheck = response.getResponseBody(); if(newCheck.getTo().getRecipientMoved() != null) { LobResponse deleteResp = Check.delete(newCheck.getId()); System.out.println("Recipient has moved - cancel check"); } else { System.out.println("Check is in the mail"); } } catch (Exception err) { System.out.println("Error on check creation: " + err); } } } ---