WebAsyst Contacts upgrade: December, 2009

After an upgrade of your WebAsyst Contacts application to the new version minor changes are required for your contact lists setup. This is a recommended step due to the modified mechanism for creation of contact lists which was implemented for increased security and better safe-keeping of personal data.

Folder-based lists should be re-created

The previous version of WebAsyst Contacts allowed to create lists by choosing contact folders and/or user groups. In the new version of Contacts this procedure was replaced  with a powerful, new tool: dynamic search-based lists based on search results.

If you have folder-based lists in your Contacts application, such lists should be re-created. Below are three easy ways to re-create folder-based lists using the new mechanism.

1. Create static lists consisting of expressly selected contacts. The new interface allows easy selection of all contacts in specified folders, and includes them all in the list with one click.
2. Use "Advanced search" and in "Additional conditions" section select the folder in which you want to search.  Optionally, you may include subfolders. In the search results use "Actions -> Save as a list" menu item. Your search results will be saved as a permanent list.
3. Use "Advanced" or "Smart" searches and create a dynamic list based on certain condition(s), combining in one list contacts from multiple folders which satisfy your parameters.

Scheduled mailings to lists must be re-scheduled

If you re-created lists as described above, you must re-schedule any mailings in WebAsyst Mail which were to take place after the upgrade date.

Increased security: no "common" lists

The "common" option from contact lists' properties was removed in the new version for security reasons. In the older version access rights are assigned for each individual folder, while a list may contain contacts from different folders. This could lead to disclosure of confidential information to other account users.

In the new version, contact lists belong only to the user who has created them. Dynamic lists based on search results will contain only contacts from the folders, access to which is allowed only for the user who performed the search.

Possible issues after the upgrade

If you had WebAsyst Shop-Script installed in your account with SEO-friendly URLs enabled, you may have problem accessing WebAsyst Contacts or Users section after the upgrade. The problem may be accompanied by server error 404 or 500.

To eliminate the problem, re-generate correct contents of the .htaccess file in the WebAsyst installation directory. To do so, open WebAsyst Installer section "Settings -> Frontend Settings", change the selected option in the "Storefront URLs" area, and click "Save". Then restore the original option selection in the "Storefront URLs" area and click "Save" once again.