Bloomreach Engagement: Telltide Seed Address Guide

Bloomreach Engagement (formerly Exponea) is a real-time customer data platform with a schema-less NoSQL architecture. Contacts are called "customers." All segmentation is dynamic, there are no static lists. Saving a Segmentation creates a new customer attribute that scenarios can reference. The most important constraints for seed management: customer hard IDs are case-sensitive (User@example.com and user@example.com are treated as different customers and can cause duplicates), and test emails from the scenario builder do not generate campaign events (opens, clicks) or affect analytics.

Quick reference

---

1. Scheduled / one-off sends (Email Campaigns)

Bloomreach Engagement Email Campaigns are one-time sends. The audience is defined using inline customer and event filter conditions, not pre-built named segments as static audience pickers.

Where to add seed addresses

Simplest approach: add an internal_test_user boolean attribute to seed customer profiles, then add a condition to every campaign: internal_test_user = true (OR logic alongside the main audience filter). This ensures seeds are always included.

Non-technical path

For CRM managers who prefer the UI and CSV imports.

Add a seed customer manually

1. Navigate to Data & Assets > Customers
2. Click Add customer (or use the + button)
3. Enter the seed email address as the customer's identifier
4. Set the email attribute
5. Add internal_test_user: true as a custom boolean attribute
6. Grant consent for the relevant consent category (required to receive email sends)
7. Save

Add seeds via CSV Import

1. Navigate to Data & Assets > Imports > New import
2. Upload a CSV with one row per seed: registered,email,first_name,internal_test_user,consent_category
3. Map columns to customer attributes; set registered as the hard ID
4. For consent, include a consent column or grant consent separately via the UI or API
5. Run the import. Imports are the recommended path for bulk seed loading; the Tracking API should not be used for large historical loads (fair use policy).

Add seeds via the Customer Acquisition Weblayer

If your site already uses the Bloomreach Customer Acquisition Weblayer for signups, you can submit the seed address through the live form so it picks up the same consent and attribute defaults as real subscribers. Set internal_test_user: true afterwards from the customer profile.

Include seeds in a Segmentation

To make seeds reusable across multiple campaigns, define a "Seeds" Segmentation:

1. Navigate to Data & Assets > Segmentations > New segmentation
2. Add a segment named "Seeds" with the filter internal_test_user equals true
3. Save. Bloomreach creates a customer attribute (e.g., seeds_segmentation) that any campaign filter or scenario condition can reference.

Technical path

For engineers wiring up seeds through the Tracking API.

Create a seed customer

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers
Authorization: Basic {{base64(api_key_id:api_secret)}}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "customer_ids": {
    "registered": "seed@example.com"
  },
  "properties": {
    "first_name": "Seed",
    "last_name": "Monitor",
    "email": "seed@example.com",
    "internal_test_user": true,
    "date_of_birth": "1990-04-15"
  }
}

Base URL: Use the API base URL configured for your project (e.g., api.exponea.com or a project-specific host such as api-{cluster}.exponea.com). The exact host is shown in Project Settings > Access Management > API.

Authentication: Basic auth using API Key ID and API Secret from Project Settings > Access Management > API. Token auth (public) is for front-end tracking only; use Basic auth for server-side management calls.

registered: The hard ID used as the primary identifier. Using email as the registered hard ID is the most common pattern, but your Bloomreach project may use a different hard ID (e.g., internal database ID). Check your project's customer identification setup.

Project token: Found at Project Settings > Access Management > API > Project token.

Case sensitivity warning: Hard IDs are case-sensitive. Always normalize email addresses to lowercase before tracking. User@example.com and user@example.com create two separate customer profiles.

Add consent for the seed customer

Consent is required for the customer to receive email sends in the relevant consent category:

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/consents
Authorization: Basic {{base64(api_key_id:api_secret)}}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "customer_ids": {
    "registered": "seed@example.com"
  },
  "consents": [
    {
      "category": "newsletter",
      "action": "accept",
      "valid_until": "unlimited",
      "sources": {
        "imported": true
      }
    }
  ]
}

Replace "newsletter" with your project's specific consent category name.

Batch creation for multiple seeds

Use Batch commands (up to 50 commands per request) to create or update several seed customers in a single call. For larger seed loads, prefer Data & Assets > Imports rather than scripting bulk Tracking API calls.

Including the seed in a Campaign

In the Campaign's audience definition step:

1. Add a condition: internal_test_user = true (or membership of the "Seeds" segment created above)
2. Set the condition with OR logic relative to the main audience conditions
3. The seed customer receives the campaign alongside the main audience

Profile attributes required

Seeds need:

• Customer identifier (hard ID) set
• email attribute set to a deliverable inbox address
• Consent granted for the campaign's consent category
• Values for any custom attributes referenced in email template personalization

Ensuring seeds receive the same version as real recipients

Dynamic content in email templates: Bloomreach email templates use a conditional logic system. The seed receives content based on its own attribute values. Set the seed's attributes to match the target recipient segment.

A/B split nodes in Scenarios: If the scenario uses an A/B split, the seed is assigned to one branch randomly. Use multiple seed customers to monitor all branches.

Custom recipient setting (validation only): During development, configure the scenario or campaign to redirect all test emails to your own inbox. This is for content validation before go-live; Telltide monitoring requires the seed to be in the live audience, not a redirected test recipient.

Gotchas

Frequency Policy can suppress sends. Bloomreach's Frequency Policy (Settings > Project settings > Campaigns > Privacy management > Frequency Policy) limits the number of messages a customer receives per time period. Seeds subject to the default frequency policy may not receive all sends. To exempt seed customers: create a separate frequency policy segment for internal_test_user = true with no limits, or use the custom recipient setting for testing.

Global Suppression List. Bloomreach maintains a project-wide custom suppression list (Settings > Email > Suppression lists). Addresses on this list receive no emails from the project regardless of consent or campaign settings. Verify seed addresses are not on the suppression list.

---

2. Ongoing / automated journeys (Scenarios)

Bloomreach Scenarios are visual drag-and-drop automation sequences. Entry is controlled by the trigger node placed at the start of the canvas.

Scenario entry trigger types

The API trigger is not a separate trigger type. It is an event source: an external system calls the trigger URL Bloomreach generates for the API trigger definition, which produces a tracked event that an "On event" scenario then consumes.

---

Creating trap profiles per journey type

Welcome / onboarding (On event trigger)

• Trigger: "On event" with session_start (first visit), a custom signup event, or a consent event when the customer opts in
• Seed requirements: Customer profile with email attribute, consent granted for the relevant category
• How to trigger: Track the trigger event via the Tracking API:

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/events
Authorization: Basic {{base64(api_key_id:api_secret)}}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "customer_ids": {
    "registered": "seed@example.com"
  },
  "event_type": "signup",
  "timestamp": 1744732800,
  "properties": {
    "signup_source": "web",
    "plan": "pro"
  }
}

Or add the customer's email and consent via the consent API and add a Condition node after the trigger that filters email = seed@example.com so only the seed enters during testing.

Abandoned cart (On event trigger - cart_update)

• Trigger: "On event" with cart_update event - scenario checks that no purchase event occurs within the configured window
• Seed requirements: Customer profile with email and consent; cart_update event tracked with product data
• Required cart_update event properties:
• product_list - array of cart items; each item needs: item_id (must match product catalog), item_quantity, price, title
• total_quantity
• total_price

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/events
{
  "customer_ids": {
    "registered": "seed@example.com"
  },
  "event_type": "cart_update",
  "timestamp": 1744732800,
  "properties": {
    "product_list": [
      {
        "item_id": "SKU-123",
        "item_quantity": 1,
        "price": 95.00,
        "title": "Widget Pro",
        "category_1": "Electronics"
      }
    ],
    "total_quantity": 1,
    "total_price": 95.00,
    "currency": "USD"
  }
}

Wait the configured abandonment window. If no purchase event is tracked, the scenario sends the abandoned cart email.

Browse abandonment (On event trigger - view_item)

• Trigger: "On event" with view_item event
• Seed requirements: Customer profile with email and consent
• Required event properties: item_id, item_name, item_url, item_image_url, item_price, category
• How to trigger: Track the view_item event via Tracking API with the above properties

Winback / re-engagement (Repeat trigger)

• Entry: Repeat trigger (scheduled daily/weekly) with a Condition node filtering on last purchase aggregate
• Condition example: Running aggregate of purchase events - last event timestamp is more than 90 days ago
• Seed requirements: Customer with purchase event history, or a last_purchase_date attribute set to a date older than the threshold
• How to set up: Track a historical purchase event with an old timestamp, or set a custom last_purchase_date attribute:

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers
{
  "customer_ids": {"registered": "seed@example.com"},
  "properties": {
    "last_purchase_date": "2025-01-15"
  }
}

Post-purchase (On event trigger - purchase)

• Trigger: "On event" with purchase event
• Seed requirements: Customer profile with email and consent
• Required purchase event properties:
• purchase_id - unique order identifier
• total_price - order total (feeds revenue analytics)
• currency
• Product details (product list or individual product attributes)

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/events
{
  "customer_ids": {"registered": "seed@example.com"},
  "event_type": "purchase",
  "timestamp": 1744732800,
  "properties": {
    "purchase_id": "TEST-ORD-001",
    "total_price": 149.99,
    "currency": "USD",
    "product_list": [
      {
        "item_id": "SKU-123",
        "item_quantity": 1,
        "price": 149.99,
        "title": "Widget Pro"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Birthday / anniversary (On date attribute trigger)

• Trigger: "On date attribute" trigger set to fire annually on the month and day of the customer's date_of_birth attribute
• Seed requirements: Customer profile with date_of_birth attribute set (ISO 8601 format: YYYY-MM-DD)
• Trigger configuration: Select the date_of_birth attribute > offset: 0 days > repeat: yearly > set execution time and timezone
• For same-day testing: Set the seed's date_of_birth to today's date. The scenario evaluates date attribute triggers daily; the seed enters on the next daily evaluation.

---

Scenario testing best practices

Add a Condition node immediately after the trigger: Filter email = seed@example.com during testing so only the seed customer enters the scenario flow. Remove this condition before enabling the scenario for all customers.

Custom recipient setting: In the Scenario settings, configure "Custom recipients" to redirect all emails to your own inbox. Recommended for content validation before go-live.

Add event manually from customer profile:

1. Navigate to Data & Assets > Customers > [search for seed customer]
2. Open the customer profile
3. Click the three-dot menu (top right) > Add event manually
4. Select the event type, add properties, set timestamp
5. Click Submit

This is useful for quickly testing scenario entry without writing API calls.

Test emails do not count toward analytics. Test/preview sends from the scenario builder or email editor do not generate open, click, or send events - they do not affect campaign reporting.

---

How to reset seeds for repeated scenario testing

Event-triggered scenarios: Track the trigger event again via the Tracking API. If the scenario allows re-entry ("More than once" mode), the seed enters a new instance.

Date attribute scenarios: The scenario evaluates daily and re-triggers annually (for anniversary-type triggers). For same-day re-testing: change the date attribute value, wait for the trigger evaluation to reset, then set it back to today.

Remove from scenario mid-run: If a seed is stuck in a scenario (e.g., waiting on a delay node), navigate to the scenario's Live view > find the seed customer > remove from the scenario.

---

Always-on flow coverage

Telltide monitors recurring sends, so each seed must keep matching the live Scenario's entry conditions and any downstream Condition nodes. Bloomreach's three relevant primitives are Segmentations (dynamic groups), Aggregates (computed customer attributes), and Scenarios (the journey itself).

Match the segment trigger. If a Scenario's Condition node filters on Segmentation membership (e.g., "VIP customers"), set the seed's attributes so the segment evaluator places the seed in the same segment. Each Segmentation creates a customer attribute on save; verify the seed's value of that attribute matches the segment the Scenario expects. Re-check after any Segmentation edit, since rule changes can silently move the seed into a different segment.

Match the event trigger. "On event" Scenarios fire each time the configured event arrives for the customer. Schedule a recurring job to retrack the trigger event for the seed (Tracking API event POST) at a cadence at least as frequent as the Scenario's "More than once" re-entry window. For abandoned-cart and browse-abandonment Scenarios, retrack cart_update or view_item and do not retrack purchase, otherwise the cancel branch will exclude the seed.

Match aggregate-based conditions. Scenarios commonly branch on Aggregates (e.g., total_spend, last_purchase_at) or Running Aggregates derived from event history. Aggregates recompute from the seed's events; keep the seed's event history producing values that fall inside the Scenario's filter ranges. For Winback flows that key off "no purchase in 90 days," do not track new purchase events for the seed; for high-value flows that require minimum spend, backfill historical purchase events with realistic totals.

API trigger Scenarios. If your customer ESP setup pushes events through an API trigger definition rather than direct event tracking, send the seed through the same API trigger payload as production traffic so the resulting tracked event matches the Scenario's "On event" filter exactly.

Re-validate on Scenario edits. When a CRM manager modifies a live Scenario's segment filter, event filter, or aggregate threshold, the seed may drop out silently. Telltide's missed-send alerts will surface this, but reviewing seed coverage immediately after any Scenario or Segmentation change shortens the gap.

---

3. Platform-specific considerations

API options

Update/create customer (Tracking API):

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers
Authorization: Basic {{base64(api_key_id:api_secret)}}

Track event for customer:

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/events

Add consent:

POST https://api.exponea.com/track/v2/projects/{projectToken}/customers/consents

API trigger for scenario: Bloomreach generates the trigger URL when you create an API trigger definition under Data & Assets > API trigger. Copy the generated URL and example payload from that screen; the URL embeds the project and trigger identifiers, so there is no fixed /scenarios/{id}/trigger path you can construct manually.

Batch commands: Up to 50 commands per request, mixing customer property updates and event additions. Use Batch for small grouped operations only; do not use it for high-volume historical imports.

API credentials location: Project Settings > Access Management > API > Create new API key pair (API Key ID + API Secret).

Tracking API is asynchronous. A successful 200 response means the request is queued, not that the customer record has been updated. Allow a few seconds for processing before checking the customer profile.

Rate limits

Duplicate contact handling

Bloomreach automatically merges customer profiles when two profiles share the same hard ID value of the same type. If a new tracking event assigns a hard ID that already belongs to another customer, the profiles merge automatically - combining all historical events and properties.

Case sensitivity: Hard IDs are case-sensitive. User@example.com and user@example.com are different hard IDs and create separate profiles. Always normalize identifiers to lowercase before tracking.

Manual deduplication: Navigate to the customer profile > three-dot menu > Merge. Irreversible once started.

Platform-specific terminology

Known limitations and workarounds

Hard IDs are case-sensitive. Normalize all email addresses and identifiers to lowercase before tracking. Failing to do so creates duplicate customer profiles for the same person.

Tracking API responses are asynchronous. A 200 OK means the request is queued. Wait a few seconds before checking the customer profile or before testing scenario entry.

Test emails do not generate campaign analytics. Opens and clicks from test sends (preview and custom recipient sends) are not recorded. Only production sends count toward reporting.

Scenario toggle OFF/ON affects all eligible customers - not just seeds. Toggling a live scenario off and back on re-evaluates entry conditions for all customers. In production environments, use the Condition node filtering approach or API trigger instead.

Frequency Policy applies to seed customers by default. If the seed has low engagement history, the policy may suppress sends. Configure a separate policy segment for internal test users (internal_test_user = true) with unlimited sends.

Test emails max 20 recipients. The email editor's Test section supports sending to a maximum of 20 addresses simultaneously.