CalInnovate Toolkit

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CalInnovate Toolkit

CalInnovate Toolkit

Benefits recommender technical overview

This benefits recommender is under active development. Exact details may vary before 9/1 relaunch.

What hosts should know

Get your HOST-CODE from ODI

Embed the following code on a webpage replacing HOST-CODE with the one you were given

<cagov-benefits-recs host="HOST-CODE"></cagov-benefits-recs>

The widget display will look similar to:

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What targets should know

Users click the link to your program.

No engineering is required from the target.

However, url parameters containing the HOST-CODE and the language are available for analytics.

Example: https://benefitscal.com/?host=MY-PROGRAM&lang=es

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Learn more at GitHub

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FAQs

Q: As a host, can I change the number of links that display?

A: No. ODI has done research and determined that 3 links are ideal for engagement

Q: What language/frameworks does the widget use?

A: The widget is plain JavaScript, delivered as an ES module. There are no frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue. We are using open standard web component tech like Custom Elements, Shadow DOM, and HTML Templates.

Q: What data does the widget need in order to make its recommendations?

A: At the moment, the widget does not need any additional data to make its recommendations.

In the future, the widget may accept additional parameters for more fine-grained targeting, such as the constituent's income or veteran status. When we're ready for those details, the plan is to submit them to the widget via attributes on the custom element. To provide an entirely speculative example, we might do something like the following.

We're open to suggestions. This is still on the drawing board.

Q: Will the widget be smart enough not to refer people to the host site?

Yes. We've already implemented logic to ensure we don't link back to your site from the widget.

We also have the beginnings of a "rules engine" on our side that will allow us to serve more specific links to your site. For example, if you wanted to limit the links in the widget to only a subset of our partners (that are more relevant to people using GetCalFresh), we could do that.

This benefits recommender is under active development. Exact details may vary before 9/1 relaunch.

What hosts should know

What targets should know

FAQs

Q: As a host, can I change the number of links that display?

Q: What language/frameworks does the widget use?

Q: What data does the widget need in order to make its recommendations?

Q: Will the widget be smart enough not to refer people to the host site?

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