How to create URL links to access the BidClips widget

This article will demonstrate how to create unique URLs that can direct your customers to specific areas of the BidClips widget.

One of the most popular utilization of building a BidClips Widget URL is to add the URL, once constructed, as a link to marketing materials that will auto-create a service request for a specific service type.  That specific auto-created service request example is demonstrated in greater detail below, along with a couple of other examples, after the overall concept has been explained.

Overview

The general format of the BidClips Widget URL is as follows:

Website URL + #bcwidget=v: + Event Code + ; e: + Reference ID

• Website URL is the URL for your company website where the Widget code is embedded (for example: https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/)
• #bcwidget=v: is the BidClips widget and a constant that is used whenever a URL is built 
• Event Code is a code taken from Table 1 below that identifies which section of the widget the link will direct you to (for example: bid, service request, auto-create service request for a specific service offering, etc.)
• ;e: is optional and only necessary if you are using a Reference ID
• Reference ID is used to identify which specific item the Widget should load in conjunction with the Event Code (which bid, which service request, which service offering, etc.)
  
  

Table 1

Examples use cases

Example 1: Building the BidClips Widget URL to auto-create a service request for a specific service offering.  This will be utilizing event code "r" from Table 1 above.

First, you will need to find the Shop Service ID for the service offering you wish to use.  You can find this value by:

1. Logging in to your provider portal
2. Clicking on "Services" in the "Configure" section of the left-hand navigation bar.
   
   
3. Locating and clicking on the service offering you would like to incorporate.
4. The Shop Service ID is the combination of letters and numbers after the last "/" displayed in your URL address bar, as shown below
   
   

Now that you have the Shop Service ID, you can start building the URL.  Remember the general format:  

Website URL + #bcwidget=v: + Event Code + ; e: + Reference ID

• Website URL https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/
• #bcwidget=v: constant
• Event Code value r from Table 1
• ;e: in use for this example since a specific Shop Service ID will be used
• Reference ID 5e1fa00bb43a230db56f4481 from locating shop service exercise above

Resulting URL is as follows:  https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/#bcwidget=v:r;e:5e1fa00bb43a230db56f4481

Example 2: Building the BidClips Widget URL with a pre-defined search string.  This will be utilizing event code "s" from Table 1 above.

• Website URL https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/
• #bcwidget=v: constant
• Event Code value s from Table 1
• ;e: in use for this example since a specific search string will be used
• Reference ID window

The resulting URL is as follows:  https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/#bcwidget=v:s;e:window

Example 3: Building the BidClips Widget URL to initiate live chat.  This will be utilizing the event code "l" from Table 1 above.

• Website URL https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/
• #bcwidget=v: constant
• Event Code value l from Table 1
• ;e: not in use for this example
• Reference ID not in use for this example

The resulting URL is as follows:  https://yourbusinesswebsite.com/#bcwidget=v:l