Airship Destination
MessageGears delivers audience data to Airship (formerly Urban Airship) for use in mobile push notifications, in-app messaging, and other Airship-powered channels. There are two Airship destination types available in MessageGears:
| Destination | Delivery Method | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Airship Attributes | SFTP (CSV) | Deliver audience data as user attribute updates |
| Airship Tags | API | Apply or remove tags on Airship channels |
Prerequisites​
Before setting up an Airship destination, make sure the following are in place:
- An active Airship account with the appropriate project configured
- Airship API credentials (App Key and Access Token) — these will be configured by MessageGears Support
- For the Airship Attributes destination: SFTP credentials for your Airship SFTP ingestion endpoint
- A MessageGears audience or Blueprint ready to publish — see Creating and Editing Audiences and Blueprints for Campaign Segmentation
Airship Attributes destination (SFTP)​
The Airship Attributes destination delivers a CSV file via SFTP that Airship uses to update user attributes in bulk. This is suitable for syncing customer attributes to Airship user profiles.
Step 1: Provide SFTP credentials to MessageGears​
Provide the following connection details to MessageGears Support:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| SFTP Hostname | Airship's SFTP ingestion hostname |
| SFTP Port | Port number (default: 22) |
| Username | SFTP username |
| Password or Private Key | Authentication credentials |
| Base Path | Folder path within the SFTP server |
If using private key authentication, the key must be in RSA format. OpenSSH keys can be converted with:
ssh-keygen -p -N "" -m pem -f your_private_key
Step 2: Configure identifier mapping​
Airship requires an identifier field to associate incoming records with the correct user channel. When configuring the campaign, you will specify:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
identifier_type | The Airship channel type to match on (see supported types below) |
identifier | The audience column containing the channel identifier value |
Supported identifier types:
| Identifier Type | Description |
|---|---|
named_user | Airship Named User ID |
ios_channel | iOS device channel UUID |
android_channel | Android device channel UUID |
amazon_channel | Amazon Fire device channel UUID |
web_channel | Web push channel UUID |
open_channel | Open channel UUID |
sms_channel | SMS channel identifier |
email_channel | Email channel identifier |
Airship Tags destination (API)​
The Airship Tags destination uses the Airship API to apply or remove tags on user channels. Tags can be used to trigger Airship automations, segment messaging, and personalize content.
Step 1: Configure the destination​
Airship API credentials (App Key and Access Token) are configured by MessageGears Support on your behalf. Contact Support to provide your Airship project credentials.
Step 2: Configure identifier mapping​
As with the Attributes destination, tag operations are associated with Airship channels. You will specify the identifier_type and identifier column when configuring the campaign (see the supported types table above).
Step 3: Build your audience in MessageGears​
Use the MessageGears audience builder or a Blueprint to define the segment you want to deliver to Airship. Your audience must include the Airship channel identifier field (e.g., Named User ID or channel UUID) that you plan to use for matching.
For guidance on building audiences and Blueprints, see:
Step 4: Create an External Campaign targeting the Airship destination​
Once your audience is defined and the Airship destination is configured, create an External Campaign:
- Navigate to Campaigns > External.
- Under Settings, select your audience or Blueprint.
- In the Destination dropdown, select your Airship destination (Attributes or Tags).
- Set your schedule (one-time or recurring) and click Save or Launch.
For a full walkthrough of the External Campaign workflow, see External Campaigns.
Troubleshooting​
| Symptom | Likely cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Attributes not updated in Airship | SFTP delivery failed or file schema mismatch | Verify SFTP credentials and confirm the file format matches Airship's expectations |
| Tags not applied | Invalid API credentials or channel not found | Contact MessageGears Support to verify Airship API configuration |
| Low or no match rate | Incorrect identifier type or mismatched UUIDs | Confirm the identifier_type matches the channel type in your audience data |
| Private key authentication fails | Key not in RSA format | Convert your key using the ssh-keygen command above |
For additional help, contact MessageGears Support.