This document provides answers to common questions about using Pardot. It addresses issues like pre-filled form fields, variable tags not resolving in email tests, missing form submissions, form errors, test emails not receiving, needing to activate new locations, prospects not being hit by automations/segmentations, emails looking different across clients, custom landing page URLs, and AddThis links not working in emails. The document suggests checking spam filters, mapping form fields correctly, allowing time for rules to run, using actual numbers for font sizes, and testing with internal lists rather than tests.

1. Partner Certification - Silver

2. Why is there pre-filled
information
on my form and not all fields
• showing?
If you have clicked on a tracked email link or filled out a
form previously without clearing your cookies/cache, the
form made have some information pre-filled and/or some
of the fields may not be showing.
• If Pardot already knows information about the prospect,
by default, we do not show the same fields again – this
allows for progressive profiling.
• If Pardot does show the fields we already know (for
example email address will always show), Pardot will pre-
fill the field with the information that we have on the
prospect.

3. Why does my email test still show
%%first_name%% or other variable
tags?
• Email test are not sent out to a prospect or a list, so when
you send a test through the wizard, Pardot does not
know the information to fill in this data.
• To test the variable tags to see if they are working, create
an internal test list and send a blast to that list – variable
tags should work here.

4. Why does my form report show no
submissions? I have prospects.
• Was the form being used on a Pardot landing page? If so,
we run the reporting on the landing page level. This allows
you to use the same form on multiple landing pages and
have the completion actions and reporting occur on the
landing page level.
• Are you using a form handler instead? Make sure that
you are looking at the correct type of form.

5. In my form/landing page report, I am
seeing errors. What does this mean?
• Your form is working as it should.
• This just means the prospect who completed the form did
not submit the required information that you are requiring
on the form.
• If you are seeing a lot of errors on your form, it could
mean you are asking for too much personal information
and people are not willing to complete it. Ask less
required information.
• If you are seeing a lot of errors on the form handler, make
sure the fields are mapped correctly and any required
fields on the form handler match the required fields on

6. I sent a test email and did not get it!
• Check your spam filter
• If you send multiple test in a short period, some spam
filters may throttle the message to send to spam
• Content could be bad and cause the email to spam
• Check the email with the Gold Email Package to see why
your email went to the spam folder

7. Why do I need to activate my
location?
• Security!
• We want to make sure you are really logging in from this new
location, we don’t want your information to be compromised.
• Make sure your Pardot and Email passwords are different for
maximum protection.
• Once you whitelist the IP, you should not need to activate the
location again
• If you are on a VPN or Remote Box, you may need to activate
each time you login as IP addresses change.

8. Why is this prospect not being hit by
the
automation/segmentation/dynamic
• Check the rules, don’t overlist?
complicate your work in which
could have items that work against each other
• Check your match any and match alls
• If you are matching on state for example, you can’t use a match all
• Is the rule paused?
• How long ago did you create the rule/unpause?
• Give it about 10-15 minutes to run the rule
• Did the preview show the prospect would match?

9. Why does my email look different in
[insert email client here]?
• Every email client reads HTML and CSS differently
• Make sure that font sizes are actual numbers and not
sizes (small, large, etc.)
• Outlook does not like padding or margins
• Gmail does not read external style sheets
• All CSS needs to be inline

10. Why can’t I insert a custom URL for
my
landing page?
• This option is available for all versions of Pardot
• You must have your Cname set up before this option will
work
• Usually on first step of Landing Page wizard and content
• Can not create vanity URLs for forms

11. I have AddThis in my email, but the
links are not working!
• Email test do not have an actual URL to send to AddThis
• You would not want to tweet a test!
• To test the AddThis to see if it’s working, create an internal
test list and send a blast to that list – AddThis should work
here.

12. End of Commonly Made
Mistakes
• You have reached the end of the Commonly
Made Mistakes
• You will now take a test of what you have
learned. You must score greater than 85% to
pass this portion of the test.
• Good luck!