Collecting data to sync to VAN


You can add your VAN Survey Questions and Activist Codes to your ThruTalk scripts and sync back calling results to your VAN committee using a ThruTalk-enabled API key!


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Set up - Adding a VAN key to your GetThru account.

Add your VAN key to your account by opening the Integrations page in your GetThru account, and inputting it into the VAN Integration Wizard. 


Step 1 - Create a script using VAN-imported survey questions

When creating a new script, admins can choose if they would like it to be used for either MyVoters or MyCampaign syncing groups. Admins can use the drop-downs at each question creation to access a VAN "question type" and VAN survey IDs. Answers created in VAN will pre-populate your script!

Screenshot of a VAN survey question in the ThruTalk script creator. The script features prepopulated answers in uneditable grey fields and unmapped next questions in black text within white dropdown menus.


Use a script naming convention that includes the side of VAN (MyVoters or MyCampaign) the survey questions are imported from. This will make your campaign creation easier!


Step 2 - Create your VAN syncing group

Using the External Contact list, create a group. Be sure to map the VAN ID custom field to the side of VAN you will use!


Step 3 - Create your ThruTalk campaign

After a script has been created with VAN surveys, campaign creation can begin. 

  • NOTE - It is important only to select groups with VAN ids that were mapped correctly at group upload. Failing to use groups that are mapped to VAN or using groups that are mismapped will cause the sync to fail.

After campaign creation is complete, callers can start collecting script data!


Step 4 - Collecting call and script results

As callers make calls, they will record survey data on their script. A canvass record will be added when survey data is synced at the end of each call. MyVoters scripts with MyVoters groups will save to the MyVoter file. Survey questions imported from MyCampaign to a MyCampaign script will save to your MyCampaign file.


Important notes about syncing:

  • All starting question results, excluding "Talked to correct person," will sync to VAN with their applicable canvass code. This means if you branch to a survey question or activist code its applicable canvass result will not sync to VAN unless branching from "Talked to correct person." 
  • If the caller uses "Talked to correct person" but does not record a VAN survey data or an activist code, the canvass code will sync back as "not home."
  • System call results will sync back automatically as ThruTalk makes calls while script results will sync back after the call is completed. Visit our guide to learn more about how system call results and starting questions sync back to VAN. 
  • You and your callers do not need to press any special "sync to VAN" button. If your campaign is set up properly, the survey data will sync automatically as callers move to the next call. Just check your VAN account and you will see the recorded data!


Step 5 - Viewing the Data Synced Back to VAN

  • If multiple calls are made in ThruTalk on the same day to a contact with the same VAN Voter ID or VAN Campaign ID within your committee, VAN will only reflect the contact history once for that day per file in VAN.
  • If VAN-integrated survey question(s) are answered for that contact on the same day, it will change the contact history result code to "Canvassed" and update the timestamp.
  • Do Not Call results will sync back to VAN on campaigns that have been mapped correctly.