Need Help With MLM and MaxBulk Mailer

[sclark]

ok... let me start by saying I am a NEWBIE with MaxBulk Mailer, MLM and php scripts... so only the brave, respond )

I have an existing website that contains 2 pages. Each page has a form for the user to subscribe to different things. One is a "joy tip of the day" and the other is a "meditation tip of the day". Currently, the form just gets sent to an email account. I want to change this...

When the subscriber hits the submit button, I want the fields of the form (name and email) to auto-populate a list that will be managed through MaxBulk Mailer's remote list option. Do I need to change my pages from html to php then add some php scripting to the page somewhere?

Then, when they receive their "joy tip" or "meditation tip" mailing, I need there to be an unsubscribe link at the bottom that will automatically remove their email and name from that list if they so choose to be unsubscribed.

I've purchases the MLM but am unsure of where to put what scripts, and what parts of the scripts to modify (or are they called commands?). I've read so much of the manual and forums and still am not exactly sure what to do.

Also, for the remote list that is created, I know in the Preferences panel I need to enter the URL of the script, ID and Password....BUT, what url, what ID and what Password do I need to enter? Is the URL the path to the mlm.php? Do both lists have the same url? Is the ID and Password the server administrator login and password? (the same one I would use to access the files via ftp?)

I know I asked a lot, but I'm hoping SOMEONE can be patient and help me out as I would be so VERY grateful!

thanks.

 

[stanbusk]

Do I need to change my pages from html to php then add some php scripting to the page somewhere?

Yes. Actually in your place I would take our page and modify it to match your site. I think it is easier.

About MLM, first question, did you install it on your site? If yes, does it work? I mean, have you tried to subscribe yourself to a list?

Also, for the remote list that is created, I know in the Preferences panel I need to enter the URL of the script, ID and Password....BUT, what url, what ID and what Password do I need to enter?

The URL depends on where you installed your script. ID and password can be defined in the settings file.

Is the URL the path to the mlm.php?

Yes

Do both lists have the same url?

Yes. MaxBulk Mailer will handle lists for you.

Is the ID and Password the server administrator login and password?

The data you have set in the settings file.

(the same one I would use to access the files via ftp?)

no.

 

[sclark]

Thanks so much for your help!

Yes. Actually in your place I would take our page and modify it to match your site. I think it is easier.

Well, my current page has been designed. The "sign up" form is just a small area on the sidebar. Is it still easier to redesign your page to fit the needs of my page? The url is http://www.thejoyfulguide.com so you can see what I'm talking about.

About MLM, first question, did you install it on your site? If yes, does it work? I mean, have you tried to subscribe yourself to a list?

Yes, I installed it. It seems to be working...meaning, I subscribed using one of your template pages, clicked on the link that was sent to my email (to verify subscription), then I checked the list1.txt file on my server and saw my info there.

I don't see it on MaxBulk Mailer though... should it be automatically showing there once someone subscribes? I created a list named "list1" just for testing purposes, then subscribed, but when I opened MBM back up, and went to the "list1" I saw nothing. What am I missing here???

Couple other things about this:
My client DOESN'T want the double opt in security feature. She just wants the person to be able to sign up without having to go back to their email to do the verifying. She's not worried about the security issue of it. She basically just wants the people who sign up to be automatically updated in her list that will be managed through MaxBulk Mailer. Then when they unsubscribe when she sends the html emails or newsletters, she wants it automatically removed from the list. That way, her list is always current without her having to manage it.

 

[stanbusk]

You could also simply change your page extension to '.php', modify or make sure your form fields have the proper names and finally copying the PHP code at the beginning of the page. It is the text between '<?php' and '?>'. We also some error checking on that page, line 135 to 163, again, the code between '<?php' and '?>'. We also auto-insert values in the fields in case of errors. It is again code between '<?php' and '?>'. The code at the beginning is required, the error checking code is recommended and auto-entry is handy to reinsert what the user entered before the error. Well, in your case perhaps you can omit that.

About your second question, you have to add your MLM script url to MaxBulk preferences. Once done, selecting 'Remote Lists' from the list pull-down menu will show your list(s). When checking the list(s) you should see the addresses in the recipient list. If you don't make sure you really actually subscribe to the list.

Removing the double-optin feature means anybody can subscribe anybody. I don't think she wants that.

 

[sclark]

Thanks again for all the info. It's been really helpful!

About your second question, you have to add your MLM script url to MaxBulk preferences. Once done, selecting 'Remote Lists' from the list pull-down menu will show your list(s). When checking the list(s) you should see the addresses in the recipient list. If you don't make sure you really actually subscribe to the list.

So, once I add the mlm.php url to MB prefs, the list names will automatically show up?

Do I add my custom list names to the mlm.php file (replacing 'list1' and 'list2'?

About the double opt-in feature, at this point, she really doesn't want the subscriber to have to do it (she feels it's another chance for the subscriber to NOT be subscribed... she just wants them to be subscribed once they fill out the form, without any further action needed).

Can I just remove specific code to achieve this? and if there is an issue later on, is it easy to add it back in?

 

[stanbusk]

You just need to use the MLM script URL with no parameters.

About your second question, do the following:

1.- Open the mlm_settings.php file and add the following line before trailing '?>':

$mlm_optin = false;

2.- Save the file and then open the 'mlm.php' file. On line 220 you should have:

If ( $pwd == $admin_password ) {

replace it with:

If ( $pwd == $admin_password || !$mlm_optin ) {

then save. That will remove double-optin.

 

[sclark]

ok... When I use YOUR templates, everything works fine (outside of the lists still being named List1, List2, etc). I can even see everything through MBM and it all subscribes and unsubscribes great.

1. Where do I change the name of the lists to reflect their actual name?

Now I'm trying to update my existing pages with the php from your templates. I changed my fields so that they are 'firstname', 'lastname' and 'email'. I also added the radio buttons for 'subscribe' and 'unsubscribe'. I copy and pasted the php from the template to the top of my page and renamed my page with the .php extension.

In my Form div, I had the action going to a FormMail script that used to just email my client when people hit the submit button... I saw on your template, that this area was different. Your page has:

<form id="FormName" action="subscribe_single_fixed.php" method="get" name="FormName">

So I changed mine to:

<form action="index.php" method="get" name="joytipsform" id="joytipsform">

2. Is this where it's messing up?

I also had a javascript form validator that I deleted for now.

Before, after you would click the 'submit' button, the page would redirect to a custom "thankyou.html" page. Even though the redirect code is still in my page (within the form tag as a hidden input field), it doesn't redirect there anymore.

After I click the submit button, I don't get anything. The form just clears, but nothing else happens, the script doesn't work on my page. I just need the 'thankyou.html' page to load and the subscribe info to go to the remote list. You can see the page here to see what I'm talking about:

http://www.thejoyfulguide.com/testingzone/index.php


I hope I'm not overwhelming you. I truly do appreciate your help as I'm learning about this!

 

[stanbusk]

You have to add a hidden form field with the list name. On the original file it is a line like this:

<input type="hidden" name="list" value="list1" /></div>

Change 'list1' with the name of your list.

You can continue to redirect to your 'thankyou.html' page but you will need to edit the MLM.php script. Under 'if ($cmd == "subscribe") {' line 205 you have the code that processes the subscription. You can see the different messages that will be echoed to the page. You can replace those lines with a forward to a page. It is done with this line:

header("Location: YOUR_URL_HERE");

 

[sclark]

It's still not working (

1. I saw that hidden input field for the list name and implemented it into my page. Can it be anywhere within the form tag? I put it here:

<form action="index.php" method="get" name="joytipsform" id="joytipsform">
<input type="hidden" name="list" value="Joy Tips" />

2. I put the redirect code into the mlm.php file. After reading the other things that are already in there and unsure of which are safe to delete, I just added the redirect line as the last line contained in the subscribe command... like this:

if ($cmd == "subscribe") {

If ( count( explode( ";", $list ) ) == 1 && email_exists( $list, $email ) ) {
If ( $pwd == $admin_password ) {......

...... header("Location: http://www.thejoyfulguide.com/testingzone/thankyou.html");
}

So I put the redirect just before the closing bracket to the subscribe command, right before the unsubscribe command.

When I try to subscribe to the form, still, nothing happens except all this info gets put up in the URL field:

[i]http://www.thejoyfulguide.com/testingzone/index.php?
list=Joy+Tips&firstname=stacie+testing+13
&lastname=clark+testing+13&email=stacie%40stacieclark
.com&cmd=subscribe&joy+tips+submit.x=31&joy+tips+
submit.y=13&joy+tips+submit=Submit[/i]

Do you have any more advice?

 

[sclark]

UPDATE

I CAN get the redirect to work on your template, but not on my page.

 

[stanbusk]

Have you replaced the Echo lines with the redirect line?

 

[sclark]

I replaced this first echo line with the redirect:

header("Location: http://www.thejoyfulguide.com/testingzone/thankyou.html");
//echo "Email address '$email' has been added to the list(s) $listfordisplay successfully.";

But the other echo lines I left in tact.



Is this part correct in my index.php file?

<div id="formwrap">
<form action="index.php" method="get" name="joytipsform" id="joytipsform">
<input type="hidden" name="list" value="Joy Tips" />

 

[stanbusk]

Replace all the echo line. Echo lines cancel the header command. The other part looks correct to me.

 

[sclark]

yeah, that still didn't work... the page won't redirect OR submit the script.

I'm guess that since the script won't even submit, there must be something else wrong.

I'm going to do some more troubleshooting and I'll get back to you (ugh...frustrating)... how long are you going to be answering posts today? What about tomorrow?