This article answers to some common question from users of TrackReports' previous version, and explains the best practices to accomplish a smooth upgrade (more technical info here)
What are the benifts of the new system?
Long story short: instead of using a shared url (the same for all users), you will have your own tracking url linking directly to your website. This means, everyone is responsible for what is sending: if someone behaves bad and spams, you are not affected anymore. Your reputability and deliverability will not depend on what other users may or may not do. And spammers will not be able to abuse the system by hiding behind a shared url; this will make it easier for antispam filters to pick up abusers. Furthermore, we will be able to stop spam abuses more effectively, as the system can now force SendBlaster to stop malings which were reported as spam. If you are a legitimate sender, this is a huge improvement, which really protects your business. For abusers – bad luck!
What is needed to use the new system?
First of all, you need to update SendBlaster to the latest release. Since the format of tracked links has changed, earlier releases will not be able to work with the new TrackReports version. As any other minor update, this new release is free for all SendBlaster 2 customers.
Then, you also need to upload a PHP script to your website. The script does not need any editing or configuration, doesn't use MySql, and is very lightweighted – you just need to rename it and put it on your server. That's all, nothing else is required. Obviously, this means your server must support PHP – but most, if not all, modern hosting plans (both on Unix/Linux and Windows) meet this basic requirement.
More technical info (and download) here
What if my server does not support PHP?
In those rare cases when PHP is not supported, you can still subscribe some basic (or even free) PHP hosting plan just to be used for tracking (your web site stays where it is).
Will it take lots of work / time?
We expect the average user (someone with basic knowledge of uploading a file to a web server) to be up and running in a few minutes.
Was this really needed?
It really was – either this, or stop the service completely. While we know this requires a little extra work on your part, the improved security and deliverability are certainly worth the effort. We tried to minimize your work and make things as simple as possible (and we can't think of anything easier than just uploading a file without editing anything else – even configuring Google Analytics requires more work); but doing without some stronger security countermeasure to prevent spam abuse wasn't just sustainable anymore.
Do I need to change anything (i.e. pages, etc) in my website?
Absolutely not. Whatever platform is running your website (any CMS, plain html pages, etc) no change is required. Again, you only need to upload a file.
Will my existing account work on the new system?
Yes; you login using your existing username and password
How do access reports?
The same way you used to; nothing has changed about this. You just need an updated release of SendBlaster.
Are old reports still there?
Yes, all data has been preserved.
How do I use this new system in SendBlaster?
Exactly the same way you are used to. There's only one extra step: you need to enter the url of the script on your server (SendBlaster will remember it after the first time).
Are "old" tracked links still working?
No, as they used a different method which does not work anymore. You need to create new tracked links. This means you cannot re-send old mailings: you need to update them to the latest format, by removing existing links and substituting them with new ones. For the same reason, you cannot complete pending mailings from History, if they have "old format" tracking links. Instead, you should load the message, update it to the new format, and start a new mailing.
I still need more info or support
We are here to help! Just open a ticket and we'll do our best to address any issue.