#Platform Security

• Corrected a conflict with new security settings and age verification during new account creation

It's September, and Fall is (or soon will be) upon us! That means cooler weather, falling leaves, and the smell of warm apple pie on the breeze (or more likely out of a scented candle for those of us too lazy to bake). And boy, does Centercode have some delicious new features crisping up in the oven! But all good things require patience, and they're not quite ready to be served yet. Given how big of a deal GoEarly is this month, we’ve included a candid note from Centercode CEO, Luke Freiler down below!

Not participating in our GoEarly program? Click here to sign up now, and get your hands on these features as soon as possible!

#Centercode GoEarly Features

Hi all,

Our new preview release is being handled a bit differently than usual, as we're focusing on not only new features and enhancements, but also a brand new Centercode product, which we're not quite ready to announce publicly just yet.

If you're a member of our GoEarly community you will have received an email with further details, inviting you to participate as usual. If you're not, but are curious - feel free to sign up here, and we'd be happy to add you to the test team!

Thanks,

Luke Freiler
CEO @ Centercode

#A new option to tune your engagement bot

The engagement bot (Ted by default) leverages multiple means of engagement to ensure you and your testers are well aware of what's happening in your tests. This month, we've added the ability to turn off SMS messaging from the bot. It's uncommon for the bot to resort to texting — typically only in "emergencies" — but this option will make sure that Ted sticks to email correspondence.

#Bug Fixes

#Localization & Strings

• A number of project-level strings that are shown on sign-in pages were updated to ensure they appear correctly during the recruitment process

This week's patch fixes a highly impactful issue that we discovered this week. Please take a moment to consider how this issue may have affected your program's filters. Projects cloned from custom templates between June and September may be affected, so please review any automation based on user or feedback filters in projects created during this window, or contact help@centercode.com for support.

#Project Templates & Cloning

• Corrected a project cloning issue related to certain filter options retaining their selections.

The sun is beating down, things are heating up, and here at Centercode, we thought a set of cool enhancements might be just the breath of fresh air you need! The August release contains a new feature designed to help you get your project off of the ground, as well as a few pesky bugs zapped!

#Don't forget your NDA (and sunscreen)!

Protecting your project privacy is important (almost as important as protecting your skin!), and this brand new feature coming out of our GoEarly program adds an extra layer of protection to your program. We've added a combo of warning banners and infoboxes to let you know if you don't have a project-level NDA set up in your notice process in any project marked as private.

A new button will take the place of your "Invite to project" button, letting you know that you're missing an NDA for your participant teams. Clicking it will take you right where you need to go to get one set up! Warning infoboxes will also show up anywhere you might add testers, such as the Invite to project interface, recruiting pages (shown below), and invite type pages. Not setting up an NDA for your project (or already have one configured at the community level), or simply don't need the reminder? No problem! Dismissing the button in the menu will return it to the "Invite to project" button, and you'll never see these warnings again in that project.

#Data Engine & Custom Reporting

• Corrected an issue preventing the creation of label elements in custom reporting.

#Miscellaneous

• An issue with user following email enable/disable state related to completing new user features was corrected
• Feedback system emails will once again send with the ticket ID linked in the email received

July always starts with a bang, and the explosive new features in Centercode's July release will make sure it ends with one as well! We've got two huge reporting-related crowd-pleasers this month guaranteed to spark some oohs and aahs, as well as some exciting new GoEarly features and bug fixes. So get your sparklers ready, and enjoy the show! 💥

#Starting things off with a bang!

BOOM! Exploding out of the gate is our first new feature this month, report-level filters! This handy new tool, available at the "Modify this report" level view, allows you to set filters that apply to every report element using a specific data source (ie. user data, specific feedback types, etc.) Instead of setting up a filter on each element in a report with multiple elements, you can ensure you're seeing the same set of filtered data in each element by setting up a report-level filter!

After configuring your report-level filter, every report element using the same data source will automatically use the report-level filter that you created, both saving you time and ensuring that you're viewing the same subset of data in each of your report elements!

#

#The showstopper!

And now, the one you've all been clamoring for (one of our most frequently requested new features!), report cloning! This brand-new feature gives you the ability to generate a clone of a report at the click of a button! Got an in-depth complicated report set up just the way you want, but need a version that applies to a different subset of users? Simply hit "Clone" in the report management screen and you'll have an exact copy of your existing report ready for tweaking! Combine this with our new report-level filters and you'll have that data on that new set of users in your hands in minutes!

#Centercode GoEarly features

#NDA Reminders!

Not sure if your testers have signed everything they need to before getting their hands on your test product? No problem! Our GoEarly feature for this month is a new NDA reminder system designed to notify project managers if their tests set to "Private" exposure have tester-facing project-level NDAs. Get some peace of mind before you hit that invite to project button!

If you’re not already participating in our GoEarly program, sign up here to get your hands on these new updates before they go live!

#Miscellaneous

• Feedback Macros that adjust workflow and also send email will now include the email as intended.

What is that delicious smell? That's right, it's summer, and that means cook-out season! Centercode is serving up a few grilled-to-perfection new features and improvements to help get your summer started off right! A sleek and condensed new way to view your community home project list (for if your backyard cookout has escalated into a full-on block party!), as well as a few tasty new items for the Centercode Data Engine to help you get your data customized just the way you want! And that's not all—we've got a few big improvements coming down the line for your Centercode reports. If you're a member of our GoEarly program, you can get their hands on them now!

#A new way to display!

Hold out those plates! First up, we've got a brand-new way to view your Centercode community home: a condensed project list into a series of more manageable and easy-to-read buttons. Simply click the new "Toggle display mode" button located in the upper right corner of your community home project list to swap between the standard and condensed view on the fly, giving both admins and testers an easy new way to scan through long project lists!

#A heaping helping of new CDE fixins'!

Next on our list we've got a whole host of new CDE items for the Centercode Data Eengine. Available for both filters and views, the focus of these new data items is on providing new insights on overall project timelines and participation.

Click here for a full list of the new data items and the data types and groups they are listed under!

#Centercode GoEarly features

#Report cloning and report-level filters!

Exciting news this month for our GoEarly members! We've got two brand new time-saving features coming to reports. First up, we've got one you've all been clamoring for and one of our MOST requested improvements: report cloning! Create a clone of an existing report that you can tweak to your heart's content while leaving the original untouched! And that's not all— we've also got a brand new report-level filter system, allowing you to create a single filter at the report level that you can choose to apply to all elements within the report.

If you’re not already participating in our GoEarly program, sign up here to get your hands on these new updates before they go live!

#Press Start!

• Enjoy some new classic video game themed loading strings as we enter the summer months!

#Data Engine & Custom Reports

• Some redesign was completed with respect to how the data engine calculates total phases and total features. Regression and Phaseless features are not counted, and New User phase plus features are counted (when features exist within)
• Adjusted the display of the Project Type filter item previously set when modifying a report element

#Project Templates & Cloning

• A rare issue with legacy project templates leading to malformed feedback tickets has been corrected

Santa Claus is off for the year, and the Easter Bunny has come and gone, but is the lack of a nearby gift-giving holiday going to stop us from showering you with an absolute avalanche of updates and bug fixes? Heck no! It's time for another Centercode 🎊DevJam🎊!

Just like last time, we gathered up a huge number of fast-but-super-impactful bugs and improvements from nearly every area of the platform. Our devs competed to implement the highest number, the most valuable, and the most anticipated improvements. At the end of this round, you're getting nearly a hundred bug fixes, UI tweaks, and string clarifications (listed in detail below!) And that's not all—we've also got great new features and data engine improvements coming to our GoEarly servers, so power through that DevJam list and check those out as well!

#DevJam Improvements

#DevJam 2: Electric Boogaloo (so nice we Jammed it twice)!

And here it is! The List™! Just like last time we’ve highlighted a few of the bigger changes and summarized the rest. You’re welcome to reach out to us via in-site chat or email if you’d like clarification on any of these items!

#Highlights from DevJam2 - Don’t miss these!

Here’s a short list of the most impactful, important, and shiniest updates from this DevJam:

• When hovering a survey, a count will display displaying completion stats

  

  Hover over a survey's 'Completed' number to see how many users completed it out of those with access.

• Increased the character limit when customizing Ted’s name

  

  Doubled the number of characters available for the tester engagement bot from 15 to 30! Get creative with Ted's name, or include the entire name of your community to keep things clear for your user testing products from multiple companies!

• The Converted pill within invite types is now linked to a User view

  

  Switch from your pending candidate pool to converted users with a single click!

#Dashboards

• Product success dashboard now has consistent fonts
• Cleaned up visual style of “Team Size Over Time” charts within Dashboards
• Updated the color of Delta Success score in dashboards when in informative mode

#Data Engine and Reporting

Improved element selection for Macro survey reports

Made survey report element selections easier to click (the whole row is now a clickable area) and improved text wrapping and spacing!

And more!

• Reporting headers are now correctly formatted
• Stacked ranking elements in Reporting no longer show N/A if not included
• Fixed a situation in reporting where popups incorrectly scrolled with the page

#Feedback and Feedback Management

Added a Feedback Reply attachment download button with on demand S3 link

We've added a discrete download button to easily download (or link to!) files in feedback replies!

And more!

• Convert Feedback will now convert within Feedback groups
• Cleaned up some behavior when quoting in feedback replies
• Updated the tooltips on advanced feedback view so they display a little easier
• Updated the “Submission label” within Feedback to now be required when configuring a Feedback Type

#Form Engine

Added a button when modifying a survey’s properties to take you to modifying the form

Jump straight into modifying your survey form elements without returning to the survey management screen!

When hovering a survey, a count will display displaying completion stats

Hover over a survey's 'Completed' number to see how many users completed it out of those with access.

And more!

• Corrected spacing for checkboxes in form engine
• Made the conditional elements easier to identify in the form engine
• Adjusted the background colors of the element label and value for rating scale in form engine

#Integrations

Added a copy button for copying API keys

Easily copy an API key from the API key management page at the click of a button!

#Mobile App

• Mobile menu padding has been polished
• Fixed some incorrect button styling within feedback on mobile

#Notices

Forms set as a notice will now show in the menu

See surveys in the menu, even when they are set as notices. Useful for testing access when assuming a user!

And more!

• Made it easier to modify the Macro attached to a Notice Macro

#Recruiting

The Converted pill within invite types is now linked to a User view

Switch from your pending candidate pool to converted users with a single click!

#Strings

Changed the "Submit button" to “Send email” on the Preview this email page

The button now better reflects the action that will occur when pressed!

And more!

• Product Reception Yes/No options are now properly cased
• Fixed more instances of thousands without a comma
• Removed old references to Wikis in search documentation
• Adjusted validation messaging when creating a visual theme to be more clear
• Fixed string reflecting 0 days left in the current phase
• Pluralized strings on follow page
• Changed reference to lighter rows in Feature overview
• We now Indicate the reason why a Password Reset link would have expired
• Clarified the string for User leaves your community in recruitment and notice preview
• Updated the column header for “Feature phase” to appropriately display more than just “Feature”
• Updated text under the Team Review section on the Delta Huddle dashboard for clarity
• Updated a string when cloning a project to be more clear about recruitment source type cloning
• Updated a string about feature elements on the Delta Readiness Checklist

#Ted

Increased the character limit when customizing Ted’s name

Doubled the number of characters available for the tester engagement bot from 15 to 30! Get creative with Ted's name, or include the entire name of your community to keep things clear for your user testing products from multiple companies!

#Test Planning

• Shrunk the Activity text box height to better reflect needed space
• Fixed a popup growl message when archiving a phase
• Fixed regression bar in Test Planning for Safari

#UI

• Adjusted the element size for Email log filter to look better
• Improved spacing in resources with distributed values
• Increased padding for Email sent! notification for emailing reports
• Removed the black asterisk after the titles on CKEditor forms
• Removed the javascript hover from the content notify preview
• Added correct spacing when modifying a test platform and saving as a template
• Addressed UI errors within the External listener area
• Increased column width for User scoring management points
• Field for Phone number link in CKEditor is correctly formatted
• Spacing between dropdowns and checkboxes are consistent on Survey macro options
• Improve spacing of community Drafts header below Test Platforms button
• Indented filter element items
• Break Workflow corner radii now match other radii on Feedback ticket page
• Cleaned up spacing on the “Following” page on mobile
• Updated the project profiles section in Project template settings to not display if profiles don’t exist
• Project user action icons on a user’s profile will no longer be invisible when project style is set to white
• Fixed the visual style of email template selection within Workflow
• The quick invite email box no longer adjusts its height as you input text
• Addressed validation UI for feedback
• Addressed shadow artifacts on report element count elements
• Adjusted color and padding to be consistent with the filter creation
• Addressed formatting for the Remove My Account page
• Removed select none button from Project icon search box
• Made the Reporting Modify and Refresh bars consistent
• Addressed User card UI issues
• Email template spacing was changed to match standard UI design
• Email log footer page spacing is now consistent
• Infobox is now showing the correct style for Project style (soon to be Project icon) selection
• Addressed privacy link and UI on Create account page
• Phone number now operates and appears accurately as a label when not editable
• Tidied up the up and down arrows when creating or modifying a view
• Cleaned up the macro preview page with a variety of spacing tweaks
• Cleaned up text truncation in situations like the “Add a test platform” page to utilize more available space
• Fixed an incorrect gray color in the background of feedback replies
• Fixed some spacing issues on download logging pages
• Fixed some spacing with distributed values in Content
• Fixed some spacing on the email log resend page
• Addressed display issue when a dark mode label is at the bottom of the page
• Infoboxes now adjust to smaller window sizes
• Adjusted spacing for Linked feedback: search for related

#Miscellaneous

Updated the Logo background to better display white logos

The Logo preview area will now dynamically update to better display white or black logos!

And more!

• Pressing “Enter” now submits on the login page
• Team access for User profiles and Surveys is now consistent
• Adding a note at the project level no longer returns you to the community
• Adjusted behavior with the "Nevermind" button in Feedback Automation filters
• Updated the “User Role” field to appropriately show as required when creating a Team

#Centercode GoEarly features

#New Data Columns and Improved Community Homepage Title!

Whew, you made it all the way down here! And your reward? Even more improvements! Coming soon to our GoEarly implementations is a new and improved Community home view, designed to simplify and streamline the page to make things more easily navigable for customers with very large project lists. In addition, we've also got a whole host of new data columns being added to the Centercode data engine, giving you even more options when filtering and viewing your data!

If you’re not already participating in our GoEarly program, sign up here to get your hands on these new updates before they go live!

#Filters & Views

• Corrected an issue with view creation and edit triggered by the latest chrome update

#Test Planning

• The link to the spreadsheet test plan import template will once again function as intended

#Ongoing trade compliance IP udpates!

• Monthly update of our IP definitions utilized in trade compliance. This will now be automated on a monthly cadence going forward!

#Data Engine & Custom Reports

• Adjusted the data engine items Project Impact and Project Points to be more accurately labeled (Total community points and Total project points are clear and distinct now)

#Feedback Management

• Corrected a workflow issue with "Send to Previous Owner" to make it more reliable and handle quick updates via the simple feedback list properly

#Whimsy of the Universe

• Travelers from across the stars have recently visited Earth and left behind a new set of loading strings! Plus towels for everyone, just in case. (Towels not included.)

#User Interface

• Corrected an unintended message prompt when creating a new project feature via Chrome on Mac.

#Single Sign-On & Authentication

• Users will no longer encounter a Bomb error when their account is removed from the Community then re-added without a project invite

Spring is in full swing with Centercode’s garden of new features and improvements! Last month in our GoEarly program, we planted the seeds for our new embedding system for content within resources, and now those features are ready to bloom. And that’s not all! This month’s GoEarly release includes the results of our second DevJam, bringing you a bouquet of nearly one hundred small improvements, bug fixes, and quality-of-life features!

#Help your resources bloom with embeds!

This month’s main feature is the full release of our brand-new content embedding system, adding even more functionality to our recently updated resource creation system! These new embedding features bring you a more feature-rich, streamlined, and intuitive new way to embed a wide range of custom and preset embed options. It's never been easier to add external video, social media, and scheduling tools (with many more to come!) into your Centercode resources (content, releases, and activities).

When creating a resource, you’ll now find the “External embed” option listed in the “Include” portion of the resource. Selecting that will present you with a drop-down menu that allows you to select the type of embed you’d like to include. We've expanded the capabilities of Centercode’s embedding system to include inline JavaScript and link assets via the “Custom embedded script” option, and you'll also get a number of pre-built embed selections.

Selecting any of the pre-built embed types will present you with a helpful infobox (and accompanying linked help article), telling you how to acquire the embed code from the external source (YouTube, Loom, Figma, etc) and which field to embed the code in.

If you don't see the option you are looking for on the list, we also have a custom embedded script option that now includes the ability to include inline JavaScript and linked file assets. This custom embedding option will cover the vast majority (if not all) of proper embeds - we haven’t met one we couldn’t support!

These powerful new embed tools give you a new degree of freedom in presenting vital testing material, visual aids, and scheduling tools to your testers—and we can’t wait to see what you do with them! For more detailed information on these tools and how to use them, see our helpful knowledge base article here!

#Updated Data Column Names

(Updated 30 April 2024)

This release also includes some long-overdue data column updates that bring the Centercode Data Engine (CDE) in line with the copy and formatting changes we've made throughout the site. Generally speaking, most changes are capitalization changes - adjusting from title casing to sentence casing. For example: Email Address is changing to Email address. In some cases, however, we're adjusting the terminology: EA Integration ID is changing to SSO integration ID, and Engagement Score is changing to simply Points.

This change impacts data elements throughout the platform including User Management, Feedback Management, and Custom Reporting. While generally not something an in-site user would need to worry much about -- Single Sign-On, Webhook, and Jira integrations won't be affected -- the data column name change will likely affect reporting integrations. For example, data being ingested by external analysis tools like Power BI, Tableau, Splunk, or Excel may be looking for data that is being renamed. In this case, the data won't be found until those systems are updated with the new data column names -- so they know which columns are which.

I've linked a spreadsheet that shows all the copy changes below.

Centercode Data Engine updates - Column name changes (April 2024)

#Centercode GoEarly features

#DevJam 2: Electric Boogaloo

Coming soon to a GoEarly implementation near you are the results of Centercode’s second DevJam - back by popular demand! We gathered another huge batch of small but impactful bugs and improvements that spanned all aspects of the platform and set our dev team loose on them. The result? Nearly a hundred bug fixes, UI tweaks, and string clarifications! Check out that DevJam hand-off board!

If you’re not already participating in our GoEarly program, sign up here to get your hands on these new updates before they go live!

#Macros & Automation

• An order of operations adjustment was made to macros that email users while also removing them (removal is now last, with some protections to prevent access during execution time).

#Performance

• Removed a data point calculation from User Summary pages that was not used which should improve performance of the User Summary page
• Additional work on jQuery refactoring/depreciation was performed.

#User Authentication & SSO

• User-Agent header has been added to OAuth provider API calls

This week we've got a few updates in addition to our usual bugfixes, making some improvements to our new resource creation system, as well as some general email updates!

#Resource creation updates!

• "How will users access this resource" dropdown has been changed to a "Prompt this resource as a notice" checkbox, which will then allow you to select the notice type and behavior
  
• The "Include a hero image" option is now located in the "Content options" section
  
• If a Content Type has Homepage or Single Page enabled, hero image/full width/edge to edge are disabled with a tooltip explaining why

#Email improvements!

• When using the built-in notify email option and customizing, the text is now appropriately centered (to match how it sends)
• Logos in emails will now be a consistent size across all templates
• Improved system generated email compatibility/visuals when viewing them in Outlook

#Onboarding/Recruiting

• Updated QR code generator support, which are once again working as intended.

#Miscellaneous

• Copy email link on user summary was adjusted to once again function as expected.

#Smoother new user experience!

• Timezones are now auto-detected based on personal system settings the first time a user encounters the account settings page.

Spring has officially sprung! In the spirit of the season, Centercode is also springing forward, with this month’s focus being on a redesign and refresh of our GoEarly program, making it easier than ever to provide feedback and shape the future of upcoming Centercode releases!

#March on into your own private beta site!

This month the focus is on our newly revamped GoEarly Program, freshly redesigned to streamline your access to upcoming releases while amplifying the value of your feedback. With this revamped structure, you'll now have access to up to three distinct Centercode sites at all times: your unchanged Live Site, a Stage Site (if included in your license) for testing new processes and configurations against production code, and an opt-in GoEarly Beta Site exclusively for exploring forthcoming features. The Beta Site, private to your team and pre-loaded with demo data, provides an opportunity to test monthly releases ahead of schedule, enabling you to provide feedback and shape the development process before these features reach your Live Site in a zero-risk environment!

In the new GoEarly program, we'll be implementing Centercode's structured Delta methodology in a continuous project format. Regular weekly patches will ensure that all three site types are kept up-to-date with bug fixes.

Your participation in the GoEarly Program is crucial in shaping Centercode's evolution, so please join us for the next testing phase that starts on April 1, 2024! Click here to check it out!

#Centercode GoEarly features

#Embed like never before!

The first set of features we’ll be introducing into the 2024 GoEarly program is a more feature rich, streamlined, and intuitive new way to embed a wide range of custom and preset embed options for many popular external video, social media, and scheduling tools (with many more to come!) into your Centercode resources (content, releases, and activities).

We’re excited to get this new tool into your hands and hear what you’ve got to say about it, so get in there and get testing!