How do I use Optimized Ask Amounts in Targeted Email?

Optimized Ask Amounts automatically generate personalized donation suggestions for each donor based on their giving history — so you don’t have to calculate or set ask amounts manually. Follow the steps below. 

Step 1: Understand how Optimized Ask works 

When Optimized Ask is on: 

• Donors who have made at least one contribution in the last 24 months see 6 customized ask amounts 

• Forms with recurring commitment options show 6 customized monthly ask amounts for eligible donors 

• Donors with no contribution history see the default amounts set on your contribution form 

• The second-lowest amount is pre-selected as the default on the form 

Ask amounts are calculated from each donor’s highest previous contribution (HPC) or most recent contribution (MRC) and are adjusted using predictive models. Amounts are updated daily. They may be higher, lower, or equal to a donor’s previous gift, depending on their recent engagement. 

All amounts are rounded and fall between $10 ($5 for recurring) and $5,000. If your form has its own minimums or maximums set, no Optimized Ask amounts will appear outside those limits — which may result in fewer than 6 asks. 

Note: Optimized Ask doesn’t account for election cycle contribution limits. If your organization files compliance or disclosure reports, monitor for over-limit contributions when using this feature. 

Step 2: Confirm Optimized Ask is enabled 

Optimized Ask is on by default. It applies automatically whenever your email links to an Online Actions contribution form. 

To disable it for your entire organization, an administrator can uncheck the option under Targeted Email > Settings. 

To disable it for a single email, uncheck the option on the Compose Message step. 

Step 3: Add Optimized Ask manually using SmartLinks (optional) 

In both the Drag & Drop and Classic editors, you can add Optimized Ask manually through SmartLinks. After selecting your contribution form in the SmartLinks wizard, choose Optimized Ask Amount from the Suggested Amount dropdown. You can also set a default ask amount for donors with no giving history. 

Step 4: Add Optimized Ask manually using query strings (optional) 

You can manually add Optimized Ask to any link using query strings. Use this format: 

http://mycontributionform/?amtOpts={{OneTimeOptimizedAskArray}}&am={{OneTimeDefaultOptimizedAskAmount}}&recurringAmtOpts={{RecurringOptimizedAskArray}}&recurringAm={{RecurringDefaultOptimizedAskAmount}} 

The available Optimized Ask merge fields are: 

• {{OneTimeOptimizedAskArray}} — comma-delimited array of 6 one-time amounts 

• {{OneTimeDefaultOptimizedAskAmount}} — single one-time default amount (second-lowest) 

• {{RecurringOptimizedAskArray}} — comma-delimited array of 6 monthly amounts 

• {{RecurringDefaultOptimizedAskAmount}} — single monthly default amount (second-lowest) 

Step 5: Preview a single Optimized Ask amount in your email body (optional) 

Use the format_currency macro with the default amount merge field to show a single amount in your message: 

Donate {{format_currency(OneTimeDefaultOptimizedAskAmount,USD)}} today! 

Note: If you add a recurring upsell lightbox to your form, the upsell will convert based on a percentage you selected on the form — not the Optimized Ask monthly amount. 

Step 6: Track your results 

Use these reports to evaluate performance: 

• Online Activity Report — add the Optimized Ask Shown, Optimized Ask Accepted, Optimized Ask Options, and Amount columns 

• Contribution Report — add the Optimized Ask column, then filter by Optimized Ask Accepted = Yes 

• Recurring Commitment Report — add the Optimized Ask column, filter by Optimized Ask Accept = Yes 

• Email Links Comparison Report — add the Optimized Ask Enabled column to compare click-through rates in A/B tests 

When reviewing results, consider whether your list includes non-donors (Optimized Ask only customizes asks for previous donors) or inactive donors (Optimized Ask makes lower asks to reactivate them). 

Not quite what you were searching for? 

• Navigate back to the Understanding Email Personalization Resource Index.

How do I use Optimized Ask in EveryAction Targeted Email? | How do I turn off Optimized Ask for one email in EveryAction? | How do I add Optimized Ask manually in Targeted Email? | How do I preview an Optimized Ask amount in my email? | How do I track Optimized Ask results in EveryAction? | How does Optimized Ask calculate donation amounts? | How do I set a default ask amount for donors with no giving history in EveryAction?