tdx Engage

First: What Are You Building?

User says...	Write this	Reference to read first
"create an email template", "build an email"	type: template YAML + HTML	references/template-yaml.md
"create a campaign", "set up an email send"	type: campaign YAML + HTML	references/campaign-yaml.md

Always produce YAML + HTML together. The YAML is what tdx engage template push or tdx engage campaign push consumes — HTML alone can't be pushed. This is the most common mistake: generating beautiful HTML, then realizing there's no YAML to push it with.

After writing YAML+HTML, execute the full pipeline yourself

Do not stop after writing files and tell the user what to run. Immediately proceed: validate → fix errors → push --dry-run → push --yes. If workspace is missing from the YAML, add it yourself before validating.

Commands

# Workspace
tdx engage workspaces
tdx engage workspace show "Name" --full --json  # Shows applicable parent segments
tdx engage workspace use "Name"

# Templates — YAML-based workflow
tdx engage template pull "Workspace" --yes      # Pull to YAML+HTML
tdx engage template validate path/to.yaml       # Local schema check
tdx engage template push path/to.yaml --dry-run # API validation
tdx engage template push path/to.yaml --yes     # Push

# Campaigns — YAML-based workflow
tdx engage campaign pull "Workspace" --yes
tdx engage campaign validate path/to.yaml
tdx engage campaign push path/to.yaml --dry-run
tdx engage campaign push path/to.yaml --yes
tdx engage campaign launch "Name"
tdx engage campaign pause "Name"

# Discovery
tdx engage templates                            # List templates
tdx engage campaigns                            # List campaigns
tdx delivery senders --workspace "Name"          # List email senders

Workspace Discovery

tdx engage workspace show "Marketing Team" --full --json

The applicableParentSegments field tells you which parent segments (and therefore which audience attributes) are available:

tdx ps desc <parent_segment> -o   # Output columns + non-null rates

Non-null rates matter because they determine whether template variables need default_value — see the template workflow below.

Template Workflow

Read references/template-yaml.md before writing template YAML.

1. Check parent segment attributes

tdx ps desc <parent_segment> -o

This shows output columns and non-null rates. You need this to write correct variables.

2. Write YAML + HTML

my-template.yaml    # type: template
my-template.html    # HTML content

Always set editor_type: grapesjs. The beefree editor uses a proprietary JSON format that can't be generated from HTML — grapesjs works directly with the HTML you write.

Variables: every {{profile.<name>}} in HTML or subject needs a variables entry.

• preview_value: set to the Liquid tag itself ("{{profile.first_name}}")
• default_value: set this when the attribute's non-null rate is below 100% — without it, recipients with null values see blank text
• {{sender.email}} is special (comes from workspace sender, not parent segment) and doesn't need a variable entry

3. Validate, preview, push

Execute these yourself immediately after writing the files — don't ask the user to run them:

tdx engage template validate path/to/template.yaml
tdx engage template push path/to/template.yaml --dry-run

Use preview_engage_template (with file_path for local YAML, or template name after push) to visually check the email. Then push:

tdx engage template push path/to/template.yaml --yes

Campaign Workflow

Read references/campaign-yaml.md before writing campaign YAML.

1. Discover workspace, segments, and sender

tdx engage workspace show "Workspace" --full --json
tdx sg pull "parent_segment_name" --yes
tdx sg list "[1] Segments" -r
tdx delivery senders --workspace "Workspace"     # Note sender id

2. Create template (if needed)

A campaign references a template by name. Check existing templates:

tdx engage templates

If you need a new template rather than reusing an existing one, create it using the Template Workflow above (write YAML+HTML → validate → preview → push). The template must exist on the server before the campaign can reference it.

3. Write campaign YAML

Read references/campaign-yaml.md first. The schema has non-obvious nesting — common mistakes:

• template, subject, html_file, variables go inside email:, not top level
• connector.email_sender_id, not from_email / from_name
• utm.source, not utm_source
• ref: prefix required on template, audience, segment
• email.template must be ref: + the exact template name on the server

4. Validate, preview, push

Execute these yourself immediately — don't ask the user to run them:

tdx engage campaign validate path/to/campaign.yaml
tdx engage campaign push path/to/campaign.yaml --dry-run

Use preview_engage_campaign for visual preview. Then push:

tdx engage campaign push path/to/campaign.yaml --yes

Personalization

Liquid merge tags reference parent segment output columns:

{{profile.first_name}}         # Parent segment attribute
{{profile.customer_segment}}
{{sender.email}}               # Special: workspace email sender

{% if profile.customer_segment == 'Gold' %}
  <p>Exclusive Gold member offer!</p>
{% endif %}

Check available attributes: tdx ps desc <parent_segment> -o

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
HTML created but can't push	Write a YAML file (type: template or type: campaign) — push consumes YAML, not raw HTML
Blank merge tag in sent email	Attribute has nulls — add default_value to the variable
ref: template not found	Template must exist on server first. tdx engage templates to check
Segment not found	Try full path: ref:[1] Segments/Behavioral/Name
ref: prefix missing	template, audience, segment fields require ref:Name format

Related Skills

• segment — Child segments used as campaign targets
• parent-segment — Parent segments that provide audience attributes
• connector-config — Activation connectors
• journey — Multi-step customer journeys

Resources

• Template YAML reference
• Campaign YAML reference