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How can I show content from a website in the signature?

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  • Last reply by Toad-Hall

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Hi, first of all let's to provide context.

I colaborate with a selling company that has asked me if it's possible to add to their signatures the best offer they have each week. It seems easy, but the challenge is that they don't want to be editing the signatures of all their accounts. Instead, they just want to edit the offer in one place and let the signatures get that info. Finally, they've also asked me that the offer be a link to a website with more info about it.

The first solution I thought was to make a resource that could be requested by Javascript using an XMLHttpRequest object that returns a string with the offer info and then just show it as I want. I discovered quickly that the signature doesn't execute Javascript code.

The second solution I tryed was to make a simple web that shows just a string with the info and embed it using an <iframe>. I got it, it was the solution, but unfortunately there are mail servers like gmail that doesn't allow <iframe> tags in their mails. So this solutión is no more a valid option.

As a third option, although much more complex, I thought to make an extension, but given to my unexperience with Thunderbird extensions, the complexity of this solution to approach such a simple task and the fact that after take a look at the Thunderbird extensions API I didn't found the way to edit the signature programmatically, I've put this solution aside for the moment.

At this point (and having in mind that the third alternative, if it's possible, should be the last option), what solution do you recommend me to approach this task?

Thanks and sorry for my english!

Hi, first of all let's to provide context. I colaborate with a selling company that has asked me if it's possible to add to their signatures the best offer they have each week. It seems easy, but the challenge is that they don't want to be editing the signatures of all their accounts. Instead, they just want to edit the offer in one place and let the signatures get that info. Finally, they've also asked me that the offer be a link to a website with more info about it. The first solution I thought was to make a resource that could be requested by Javascript using an XMLHttpRequest object that returns a string with the offer info and then just show it as I want. I discovered quickly that the signature doesn't execute Javascript code. The second solution I tryed was to make a simple web that shows just a string with the info and embed it using an <iframe>. I got it, it was the solution, but unfortunately there are mail servers like gmail that doesn't allow <iframe> tags in their mails. So this solutión is no more a valid option. As a third option, although much more complex, I thought to make an extension, but given to my unexperience with Thunderbird extensions, the complexity of this solution to approach such a simple task and the fact that after take a look at the Thunderbird extensions API I didn't found the way to edit the signature programmatically, I've put this solution aside for the moment. At this point (and having in mind that the third alternative, if it's possible, should be the last option), what solution do you recommend me to approach this task? Thanks and sorry for my english!

All Replies (1)

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It is now common for email clients to auto block remote content. If you put remote content in a signature then it may be blocked. I'm not sure why they would want to do that :)

I've searched for extensions but other than a 'Signature Switch' addon which allows you to choose which signature to use, there is nothing which allows a previously embedded data url to be auto changed without actually changing the html signature file to reflect the changes.

Mail Merge addon extension which works with templates, does faciliate an Attachment option, but that's not really desired.

Thinking out a loud here....:) Signature image location to hold http web address of 'top offer this week' image. Assuming that website 'top offer this week' image is updated to different item, but still retains/uses the generic 'top offer this week' address.

In other words the signature html file does not change nor does the name of http location and filename, but the website does change to use a different image.

As I said, only trying to blow out the cobwebs to look at it from another perpective, but worth a try.