Release Notes and Publications for 2019

Article Contents

• Release Notes and Changelog
• Published Help Center Articles

There are instances where Mail Sync is not connecting properly through Gmail. This is a known issue, and it is being addressed.

This does not mean that Mail Sync cannot connect to a Google account, however. In fact, you can use your Google account to serve as the main connection mechanism.

In this case, you will need to generate an application-specific password in your Google account settings. This is a special password that you will need to use to connect Google with SharpSpring.

Tag management features have been enhanced. The Tag Manager lets you edit, delete, and otherwise manage your tags for accounts, leads, emails, lists, campaigns, and user groups.

The Tag Manager is directly attached to several of SharpSpring's core components. All of the Tag Manager's features will be available regardless of how and where it is accessed.  

The billing platform has been updated to reflect international payment and tax options.

International bank account number (IBAN) and value-added tax (VAT) support has been added for agencies and clients in the European Union.

Goods and sales tax (GST) support has been added for agencies and clients in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

SharpSpring has updated its billing system in order to be in compliance with South Dakota v. Wayfair. This United States Supreme Court ruling permits states to charge sales tax on out-of-state purchases.

These sales tax charges apply to online sales and software-as-a-service (SaaS) products, including SharpSpring. SharpSpring must abide by South Dakota v. Wayfair and properly bill all end users and correctly charge taxes according to their state's laws.

As such, SharpSpring has completely overhauled its billing and payments systems. Billing information, client management, and agency settings are all impacted by these changes. 

Effective 31 October 2019, SharpSpring terms have been updated. The following are required in order to use SharpSpring services:

• Agencies must accept an updated version of the Partner Terms
  
  
• Clients must accept an updated version of the Client Subscription Agreement

This is done within your respective agency and client SharpSpring accounts. Do so by accepting the updated terms upon logging in.

These terms are being updated to detail how:

• SharpSpring is addressing tax regulations that require certain users to pay sales taxes
  
  
• Fees are collected in the SharpSpring billing system
  
  
• Partners can leverage SharpSpring services without an additional contract

Effective 31 October 2019, the Sales Optimizer and opportunity workflow features will be enabled by default.

These features are now included as part of the standard Agency Client License and offered free for all current and future users.  

The Bulk Edit feature has been updated and expanded to include accounts. The Bulk Edit feature streamlines the process of modifying or assigning accounts.

With Bulk Edit, you can do the following for selected accounts:

• Change selected account fields
• Set tags to multiple accounts
• Assign an owner for multiple accounts

The Help Panel has been removed and has been incorporated into the User Settings panel. The User Settings panel has been updated to include links to the following:

To access the User Settings panel, click
 User Settings from SharpSpring's top toolbar.

Users with Direct Support can access the Virtual Classroom portal directly from the SharpSpring application.

The Virtual Classroom is a collection of courses that are specially designed to teach the many different parts of the SharpSpring application.

To access the Virtual Classroom portal, click
  User Settings > Virtual Support from SharpSpring's top toolbar.

Mail Sync options and settings have been updated. You can now disable previously configured Mail Sync accounts from the Mail Sync section of your settings page.

In addition, user accounts with Mail Sync enabled will display their current connection status, as well as any relevant issues.

The Meetings feature has been updated. You can now create team meetings with groups of people.

In addition, when creating meetings, you can now enable Zoom video functionality, which allows for video conferencing.

Granular unsubscription settings now allow for greater customization and rebranding.

This allows for your granular unsubscription page to more closely look how you want it to.

The Task Manager now allows for bulk editing. These editing features provide a way to reassign or delete many tasks at once for a single user. 

Visual and opportunity workflows require any number of triggers and filters in order to function. The manner in which these filters and triggers are presented has been updated.

As this is a purely visual update, no changes have been made to trigger or filter functionality. Existing triggers and filters remain as they were. No existing visual or opportunity workflows have been impacted.

The lead export feature has been updated. When you export leads and contacts from the Contact Manager, you will be given the option to search for and select specific fields that you want to export. This allows for more customized exports.

Users can now create preset meetings in SharpSpring.

Once you have set your general availability during a given day, you can set meetings to take up certain amounts of time during that availability.

These meetings can then be placed as links or buttons in emails and on landing pages.

Auto-notify settings have been updated. You can access auto-notify settings from the My Account page.

Auto-notify settings allow you to configure how and when you receive notifications that leads you own have visited your websites.

The Sales Optimizer is now available. The Sales Optimizer takes the place of platform activities that are repetitious and time-consuming.

In addition, the associated tasks report gives visibility on what automated tasks are being completed and rescheduled.

When importing .CSV files of lists of contacts, Is Unsubscribed fields are now required. For SharpSpring to successfully import a .CSV file, the file needs one column header that is labeled as Is Unsubscribed. The Is Unsubscribed field should be a boolean field, where 0 is for leads who are opted in, and 1 is for leads who are not opted in.

In addition, for every import, the Import Tool now requires that you acknowledge and confirm that your unsubscribed contacts are mapped correctly and that your lists are not purchased.

Users can now make copies of individual visual workflows. This saves time, as you now need only to create one visual workflow to have several copies that can be as complex as necessary or have just one or two minor modifications. 

SharpSpring has modified its top toolbar. The Pipeline menu is now known as the Opportunities menu. Pipeline and opportunity features remain the same.

Additionally, older    Opportunity icons have been replaced with new    Opportunity icons.

Users can now track Wix sites in SharpSpring and place SharpSpring forms on Wix sites. 

SharpSpring now has Sharp Ideas, an improved customer feedback platform. Users can provide feedback on various aspects of the SharpSpring application and SharpSpring business as a whole.

The Task Manager is now available to all users. The Task Manager makes it simple to create and complete tasks in one location.  

You can select, set, and manage the following task types in the Task Manager:

In addition, SharpSpring's top toolbar has been changed to reflect the Task Manager.

The    User Settings menu has been updated to now include a New section. This section shows new features that have been added to your account, in addition to other minor changes.

By default, the menu now displays your current Gravatar.

Users can now add images to their LinkedIn posts when publishing social media posts in SharpSpring.

Users now have an updated contact record. This update includes:

• A Global Save option
• The Custom Fields tab
• A Description field
• Descriptions are now pinned notes
• Upgrades to creating tasks

The Activity Feed is now available to all users. This new feature allows you to see a running list, otherwise known as a feed, of the following lead activity:

Users can now use new CC and BCC fields in Smart Mails to send to up to 20 recipients.

When sending a Smart Mail, click + More Recipients to add additional recipients to the email.

Mail Sync must be configured to send Smart Mails to multiple recipients.

Users can now edit the individual desktop, tablet, and mobile versions of a landing page.

The drop-down menu located in the center of the Landing Page Builder allows you to toggle between viewing desktop, tablet, and mobile versions of a landing page. Select individual views to edit for that specific device.

Edits on mobile versions of landing pages are not reflected in tablet or desktop versions, allowing you to have full control over each device.

Users can now add multiple lists and list tags to the Exclusions section of the sending modal window when sending lists.

When sending lists, click the Exclusions field and start typing to add multiple lists.

• Using the Tag Manager
• Enabling and Configuring Mail Sync for Google Accounts
• Managing Client Configuration Settings for Clients in the
  United States
• Managing Client Configuration Settings for Clients in the
  European Union
• Managing Client Configuration Settings for Clients in Australia,
  Canada, or New Zealand
• Managing Client Configuration Settings for Clients Not in the
  United States, the European Union, Australia, Canada, or
  New Zealand
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Clients in the United States
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Clients in the European Union
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Clients in Australia, Canada,
  or New Zealand
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Clients Not in Australia,
  Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, or the United States

• Managing Billing Info Settings for Agencies in the United States
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Agencies in the European Union
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Agencies in Australia, Canada,
  and New Zealand
• Managing Billing Info Settings for Agencies Not in Australia,
  Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, or the United States
• Troubleshooting Social Posting
• Creating Confirmed Opt-In Processes
• Understanding Subscription Bombing

• Using SharpSpring Live Chat
• Understanding SharpSpring API: Methods
• Understanding SharpSpring API: Error Codes

• Configuring Auto-Notify Settings
• Using Google Fonts with SharpSpring Forms
• Customizing Unsubscription Pages

• Using Zoom with Meetings
• Scheduling Sales Task Reminders in Visual Workflows and
  Action Groups

• Meetings Overview
• Connecting Email Accounts to Meetings
• Creating and Previewing Meetings
• Editing Settings for Meetings
• Sharing Meetings
• Administrator Settings for Meetings
• For Administrators: Configuring Custom Domain Settings for Meetings
• Sales Optimizer Overview
• Configuring Sales Optimizer Services
• Sales Optimizer Tasks Report Overview
• Creating Visual Workflows for New Opportunities
• Creating Opportunity Automation Based on Pipeline Stage Changes
• Creating Opportunity Workflows
• Understanding Generated Account and Opportunity Names
• Connecting Gravity Forms

• Configuring My Account Settings

• Understanding CRM Migration File Components
• Troubleshooting IMAP Sync Errors

• Task Manager Overview
• Setting Avatars
• Providing Feedback and Feature Requests with Sharp Ideas
• Wix Integration Overview
• Adding SharpSpring Forms to Wix Sites
• Referring New Partners to SharpSpring

• Editing Form Thank You Page Settings
• Adding Trackable Media Center Assets to Emails

• Registering Clients and Generating Sales Materials
• Activity Feed Overview
• Editing Mobile Versions of Landing Pages

• Integrating SharpSpring with Contact Form 7 Using .PHP
• Available SharpSpring Merge Variables
• Enabling and Configuring Mail Sync for Microsoft Office365
• Troubleshooting Mail Sync
• Email Content Editor Overview
• Email Layout Editor Overview