• Deutsch Español Français Русский Türkçe 简体中文
    1. Emarsys
    2. Mobile Apps
    3. Mobile Engage

    iOS integration:: Mobile Engage - iOS SDK
    Updated

    Contents

    Further reading

    Resources

    What is the Emarsys SDK?

    The Emarsys SDK enables you to uses Mobile Engage in a very straightforward way. By incorporating the SDK in your app, we support you, among other things, in handling credentials, API calls, tracking of opens and events as well as logins and logouts in the app.

    The Emarsys SDK is open sourced to enhance transparency and to remove privacy concerns. This also means that you can always be up-to-date with what we are working on.

    Using the SDK is also beneficial from the product aspect: it simply makes it much easier to send push messages through your app. You do not have to follow and implement changes in our API calls, endpoints and parameters: we do it for you in the SDK. Your only task is to use the latest version of the SDK in your app and we take care of everything else. 

    By completing the steps on this page, the Android app will be able to:

    Integrating with iOS

    1. Requirements

    • The iOS target should be iOS 11 or higher.
    • Emarsys App code, which is generated when the app is added to the account.
    • Emarsys Predict Merchant ID (If the Predict feature is enabled on the Emarsys account).

    Wherever you see <TargetName> or anything similar in <> brackets, you should change those according to your own naming convention.

    2. Installation with CocoaPods

    CocoaPods is a dependency manager for iOS, which automates and simplifies the process of using 3rd-party libraries.

    You can install it with the following command:

    $ sudo gem install cocoapods

    3. Pod file

    To integrate the Emarsys SDK into your Xcode project using CocoaPods, specify it in your Pod file:

    platform :ios, '11.0'

target "<TargetName>" do
    pod 'EmarsysSDK'

end

    3.1. Install Pods

    After creating the Pod file, navigate to the project directory in terminal and execute the command below to download dependencies:

    pod install

    4. Initialization

    To configure the SDK, the following has to be done in the AppDelegate of the application:

    The setContactFieldId should not be set to 3 (email). In order to prevent your customers' personal data (PII) being stored in our cloud infrastructure, we require use of unique, non-guessable and immutable contact identifiers. Customer ID's are considered secure. Salted email hash is no longer supported for new Mobile Engage implementations. To make sure the behavioural tracking is cross devices (i.e. mobile and web), the Web Extend contact ID should also use Customer ID and match that used on mobile.

    Objective-C

    - (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions {
    EMSConfig *config = [EMSConfig makeWithBuilder:^(EMSConfigBuilder *builder) {
        [builder setMobileEngageApplicationCode:<applicationCode: NSString>];
        [builder setContactFieldId:<contactFieldId: NSNumber>];
        [builder setMerchantId:<predictMerchantId: NSString>]; // This call is optional and only if implementing the Predict feature
    }];
    [Emarsys setupWithConfig:config];

    return YES;
}

    Swift

    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {

    let config = EMSConfig.make { builder in
        builder.setMobileEngageApplicationCode(<applicationCode: String>)
        builder.setContactFieldId(<contactFieldId: Number>)
        builder.setMerchantId(<predictMerchantId: String>)
    }
    Emarsys.setup(with: config)

    return true
}

    The pushToken has to be set when it arrives:

    Objective-C

    - (void)application:(UIApplication *)application didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken:(NSData *)deviceToken {
    [Emarsys.push setPushToken:deviceToken
               completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
               }];
}

    Swift

    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken deviceToken: Data) {
    Emarsys.push.setPushToken(deviceToken)
}

    To track whether the push messages have been opened, the trackMessageOpen function should be used. In the simplest case this call will be in the AppDelegate's didReceiveRemoteNotification:fetchCompletionHandler: method:

    Objective-C

    -(void)application:(UIApplication *)application didReceiveRemoteNotification:(NSDictionary *)userInfo fetchCompletionHandler:(void (^)(UIBackgroundFetchResult))completionHandler {
    [Emarsys.push trackMessageOpenWithUserInfo:userInfo
                               completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                               }];
}

    Swift

    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didReceiveRemoteNotification userInfo: [AnyHashable: Any], fetchCompletionHandler completionHandler: @escaping (UIBackgroundFetchResult) -> Void) {
    Emarsys.push.trackMessageOpen(userInfo)
}

    5. Contact Management

    5.1. Identifying Contacts

    When the application setup is finished, you can use the setContact method to identify the user.

    The setContact call only has to be placed once to connect the device to the contact record in Emarsys. It does not need to be placed for every time the app starts. However, if the contact has been logged out using the clearContact method, the setContact call should be placed the next time the contact logs into the account to reconnect the device with the contact record.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys setContactWithContactFieldValue:<contactFieldValue: NSString>
                         completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                         }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.setContactWithContactFieldValue(<contactFieldValue>)

    5.2. Clear Contacts

    Use the clearContact method to remove the device details from the contact record, for example, if the user signs out of the app, and they should not receive personalised messages.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys clearContactWithCompletionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
}];

    Swift

    Emarsys.clearContact { error in}

    5.3. Clear Push Token

    Use the clearPushToken method to remove the push token of the contact.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.push clearPushTokenWithCompletionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
}];

    Swift

    Emarsys.push.clearPushToken { error in}

    When the application setup is finished, you can use the setContactWithContactFieldValue to identify the user.

    6. Tracking Predict Events

    Events are a powerful tool to allow marketers to automate user journeys. Therefore, implementing events on any key user milestone within the app mitigates the need for future ad-hoc development requests to satisfy new marketing contact journeys.

    Predict tracking needs to be enabled on the Emarsys account to utilise Predict mobile tracking.

    6.1. Track Predict Cart Events

    When a contact adds items to the cart, the contents of the cart can be tracked by using the trackCart method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackCartWithCartItems:<cartItems: NSArray<EMSCartItem *> *>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackCart(withCartItems: <cartItems: Array<EMSCartItem>>)

    6.2.  Track Predict Purchase Events

    When a contact makes a purchase, the purchase can be tracked by using the trackPurchase method. It is required to include the orderId parameter when calling this method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackPurchaseWithOrderId:<orderId: NSString>
                                    items:<cartItems: NSArray<EMSCartItem *> *>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackPurchase(withOrderId: <orderId: String>, items: <cartItems: Array<EMSCartItem>>)

    6.3. Track Predict Item Views

    When a contact views an item, the view can be tracked by using the trackItemView method. It is required to include the itemId parameter when calling this method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackItemViewWithItemId:<itemId: NSString>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackItemView(withItemId: <itemId: String>)

    6.4.  Track Predict Category Views

    When a contact views a category, the category view can be tracked by using the trackCategoryView method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackCategoryViewWithCategoryPath:<categoryPath: NSString>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackCategoryView(withCategoryPath:<categoryPath: String>)

    The categoryPath is required to exactly match that of the product catalogue

    6.5.  Track Predict Search Term

    When a contact enters a search term, the search term can be tracked by using the trackSearchTerm method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackSearchWithSearchTerm:<searchTerm: NSString>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackSearchTerm(withSearchTerm: <searchTerm: String>)

    6.6.  Track Predict Custom Tag

    Use the trackTag method to track custom tags. The eventName parameter is required, though the attributes are optional.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.predict trackTag:<tag: NSString>
           withAttributes:<attributes: NSDictionary<NSString, NSString>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.predict.trackTag(<tag: String>, withAttributes: <attributes: [String: String]?>)

    7.  Tracking Custom Events

    Custom events cannot be deleted and therefore should not contain any PII data

    Use the trackCustomEvent method to track custom events. When implementing, the eventName parameter is required, though the attributes are optional.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys trackCustomEventWithName:<eventName: String>
                  eventAttributes:<eventAttributes: NSDictionary<String, String>
                  completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                  }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.trackCustomEvent(withName: <eventName: String>, eventAttributes: <eventAttributes: NSDictionary<String, String>) { error in}

    8. In-App

    8.1.  Pause In-App campaigns

    When a critical contact activity starts, use pause to stop any disruptions in the user journey by pausing In-App messages. The most common utilisation of the pause method is on the payment wall.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.inApp pause];

    Swift

    Emarsys.inApp.pause()

    8.2.  Resume In-App campaigns

    When the contact is no longer engaging with a critical activity, and In-App messages should resume after a pause, use the resume method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.inApp resume];

    Swift

    Emarsys.inApp.resume()

    8.3. React to In-App message triggered event

    To react to an event triggered by the In-App message, you can register for it using the setEventHandler method. The eventHandler is a callback for an In-App message event.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.inApp setEventHandler:<eventHandler: id<EMSEventHandler>>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.inApp.eventHandler = <eventHandler: EMSEventHandler>

    8.4. Inline In-App

    Please note that inline in-app is a pilot feature. If there is a desire to join the pilot, please contact your Emarsys Client Success Manager.

    In-App message, that takes place in the application's view hierarchy. Multiple inline In-App components are allowed in one screen.

    8.4.1. Implementing Inline In-App

    There are three ways to implement the inline In-App.

    • First option is from XML, this way onAppEventListener, onCompletionListener and onCloseListener cannot be set.
    • Secondly is completely from code, this way it could be set up by its constructor.
    • The last one is the mixed setup, for this the view could be created in XML, then the listeners should be set by code.
    8.4.2. Loading Inline In-App

    In order to load the inline In-App, the loadInAppWithViewId must be called with the corresponding viewId. When the view is created from UI builder and this value has been set, this call is unnecessary.

    Objective-C

    EMSInlineInAppView *inappView = [[EMSInlineInAppView alloc] initWithFrame:<frame: CGRect>];
[self.inappView loadInAppWithViewId:@"view-id"];

    Swift

    let inlineInApp = EMSInlineInAppView(<frame: CGRect>)
inlineInApp.loadInApp(withViewId: "view-id")
    8.4.3. React to Inline In-App event

    In order to react to an event triggered from the In-App message, register for it using the setEventHandler method. The eventHandler is a callback for an In-App message event.

    Objective-C

    inlineInApp.eventHandler = ^(NSString *eventName, NSDictionary<NSString *, NSObject *> *payload) {
    ...
};

    Swift

    inlineInApp.eventHandler = { name, payload in
    ...
}
    8.4.4. Inline on completion block

    The completionBlock is triggered when the inline In-App message is loaded.

    Objective-C

    inlineInApp.completionBlock = ^(NSError *error) {
    ...
};

    Swift

    inlineInApp.completionBlock = { error in
    ...
}
    8.4.5. Inline on close block

    The closeBlock is triggered when the close button has been clicked in the inline In-App message.

    Objective-C

    inlineInApp.closeBlock = ^{
    ...
};

    Swift

    inlineInApp.closeBlock = {
    ...
}

    9. Rich Push Notifications

    Push notification could show media content and action buttons besides the title and body. Push notifications with these types of contents are called Rich Notifications.

    Requirements

    • Mobile Engage backend is setup for sending push notifications already
    • application is setup for receiving push notifications already
    • use Emarsys SDK notification extension as mentioned in documentation

    Only HTTPS image URLs are supported.

    1. Add a new Notification Service Extension target to your project.
    1. Add the EmarsysNotificationService to this target in the Podfile.
    target "Emarsys Sample" do
  pod 'EmarsysSDK'
end

target "EMSNotificationService" do
  pod 'EmarsysNotificationService'
end
    1. Install pods with the pod install command in the workspace directory via terminal.
    1. If your selected language is Swift, then create a Bridging-Header for your new target.
    <NameOfYourExtension-Bridging-Header.h>
    #import <EmarsysNotificationService/EMSNotificationService.h>
    1. Open the NotificationService class in the target, then:
      • Import the EmarsysNotificationService.
      • Extend the class EMSNotificationService instead of UNNotificationServiceExtension. 
    import EmarsysNotificationService

class NotificationService: EMSNotificationService {
}
    1. Set Emarsys event handler in the AppDelegate 
    
// Add EMSEventHandler protocol in your AppDelegate class.
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate, EMSEventHandler {
    var window: UIWindow?
    func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
        ...
        Emarsys.setup(with: config)
        // Set the delegates for in-app and push messages after Emarsys configuration in didFinishLaunchingWithOptions.
        Emarsys.inApp.eventHandler = self
        Emarsys.notificationCenterDelegate.eventHandler = self
        UNUserNotificationCenter.current().delegate = Emarsys.notificationCenterDelegate
        ...
        return true
    }
    // Add handleEvent method to conform EMSEventHandler protocol.
    func handleEvent(_ eventName: String, payload: [String : NSObject]?) {
        // Rich push with actions sent through Emarsys platform will be handled in this method. Ex: Deep link
    }
    ...
}

    10. Switch applicationCode, merchantId and contactFieldId

    To allow for the switching of accounts, the Emarsys SDK now includes functions to either set, switch or remove the application code, merchant ID (use for Predict tracking and recommendations) and the contact field ID. The functions do not require a session restart, and common use case would include switching between Emarsys accounts.

    10.1. Change Application Code

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config changeApplicationCode:<applicationCode: NSString>
                          completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                                if(error){
                                    NSLog(error);
                                }
                            }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.changeApplicationCode(applicationCodeValue.text) { error in
            if error != nil {
                print("\(error)")
            }
        }

    10.2. Change Predict Merchant ID

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config changeMerchantId:<merchantId: NSString>];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.changeMerchantId(<merchantId: String>)

    10.3. Change Contact ID

    When changing contactFieldId, the contact is logged out by the SDK and a setContactWithContactFieldValue must be called again with the correct contactFieldValue.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config changeApplicationCode:<applicationCode: NSString>
        contactFieldId:<contactFieldId: NSNumber>
                          completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                                if(error){
                                    NSLog(error);
                                }
                            }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.changeApplicationCode(<applicationCode: String>, <contactFieldId: NSNumber>)  { error in
        if error != nil {
            print("\(error)")
        }
    }

    11. Retrieve Device Settings

    The Emarsys config function allows the retrieval of current SDK configuration. This includes:

    1. Application Code
    2. Merchant ID
    3. Contact ID
    4. Hardware ID
    5. Language
    6. Notification Settings

    11.1. Get Application Code

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config applicationCode];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.applicationCode()

    11.2. Get Merchant ID

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config merchantId];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.merchantId()

    11.3. Get Contact Field ID

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config contactFieldId];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.contactFieldId()

    11.4. Get Hardware ID

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config hardwareId];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.hardwareId

    11.5. Get Language

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config language];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.language

    11.6. Get Notification Settings

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.config notificationSettings];

    Swift

    Emarsys.config.notificationSettings

    12. Inbox Notifications

    Inbox campaigns is in the closed pilot phase. Developers should not integrate in less it is confirmed they are on the pilot.

    12.1. Fetch Messages

    To retrieve the Inbox messages for a contact, use the fetchMessages method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.messageInbox fetchMessagesWithResultBlock:^(EMSInboxResult *inboxResult, NSError *error) {
    if (error) {
        NSLog(error);
    } else {
        NSLog(inboxResult.messages);
    }
}];

    Swift

    Emarsys.messageInbox.fetchMessages { inboxResult, error in
    if let error = error {
        print(error as Any)
    } else if let inboxResult = inboxResult {
        print("Messages: \(inboxResult.messages)")
    }
}

    12.2. Message Tag

    Tags are to be used to set the status of the inbox message, e.g. opened, seen etc. There are 6 tags in total and the details are confirmed in the table below. App developers can add the tags seen, opened, pinned and deleted. It is important to note all the tags though as they will be included in the message payload in the SDK Tag field. Depending on the tag included in the message, the message could be handled differently by the app. An example would be that messages tagged with "high" (for High Priority) could be visible flagged/highlighted by the contact.

    Only the tags specified below are supported. Any custom tags created will not work.

    Tag Name
    		 Tag Description
    		 Where it can be added
    High Priority
    		 high Marketer setting of high priority message
    		 Emarsys UI
    Cancelled
    		 cancelled
    		 Marketer cancelled the message
    		 Emarsys UI
    Seen
    		 Seen Inbox messages visible in the app inbox but not opened
    		 Mobile App via the SDK
    Opened
    		 opened
    		 Messages opened on the app
    		 Mobile App via the SDK
    Pinned
    		 pinned
    		 Messages that are pinned as favourite by the contact
    		 Mobile App via the SDK
    Deleted
    		 deleted
    		 Messages that are deleted
    		 Both Emarsys UI and/or Mobile App via the SDK
    12.2.1. Add Message Tag

    To add a message tag, use the addTag method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.messageInbox addTag:<tag: String>
                      forMessage:<messageId: String>
                 completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                        if (error) {
                            NSLog(error);
                        }
                 }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.messageInbox.addTag(<tag: String>, forMessage:<messageId: String>) { error in
    if let error = error {
        print("Error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
    }
}
    12.2.2. Remove Message Tag

    To remove a message tag, use the removeTag method.

    Objective-C

    [Emarsys.messageInbox removeTag:<tag: String>
                      fromMessage:<messageId: String>
                 completionBlock:^(NSError *error) {
                        if (error) {
                            NSLog(error);
                        }
                 }];

    Swift

    Emarsys.messageInbox.remove(<tag: String>, fromMessage: <messageId: String>) { error in
    if let error = error {
        print("Error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
    }
}

    Verifying the SDK

    You can check whether the SDK calls have been received by our servers by clicking the SDK events icon on the Apps tab of the Mobile Engage user interface.

    mobile-engage-sdk-events

    The Name column shows the event that has been received, while the Status column shows the response code. If this value is 201 or 202, then the integration of your SDK has been successful.  

    Frequently Asked Questions

    SDK updates

    Why is it beneficial to update the SDK?

    Each new release of the SDK brings either new features or fixes known issues, so it is always beneficial to update to the newest version.

    We are working hard to ensure the SDK is of the highest quality, and this includes taking backwards compatibility very seriously.    

    How often should you update to the newest SDK?

    In general, you should update your version as often as you can. Even if you are not planning to incorporate new features into your app, we still encourage you to at least update when a new patch version comes out, so you will not miss the bug fixes and other enhancements in the SDK.

    What is the version numbering of the SDK?

    The SDK versioning follows the x.y.z pattern, where x is the major version, y is the minor version and z is the patch version.

    • Major version - This brings a significant release online, such as a long-awaited new feature. Although it is against our intentions, it may happen that a new major version may affect backwards compatibility with the previous release. We strive to keep this to a minimum and do so only with a solid reason for it. This will always be duly communicated beforehand.
    • Minor version - This brings smaller new features. Minor versions never break backwards compatibility.
    • Patch version - This brings bugfixes, stability and performance enhancements. Patch versions never break backwards compatibility, either.

    I have the push token in string format, but the Mobile Engage SDK requires it in NSData format. How can I pass the push token?

    If you have a native application, you can normally get the push token in its original form (NSData) in your application's AppDelegate:

    didRegisterForRemoteNotificationsWithDeviceToken: method

    If you have no way of obtaining it in its original format, you can use Apple's solution to create NSData from hexString:

    Was this article helpful?
    0 out of 0 found this helpful
    Return to top