Use variables, reusable snippets and text variations
Make each message readable with the contact data you actually have.
On this page
Separate contact fields from shared snippets
Contact variables pull values from the recipient’s record. Organization custom variables are reusable snippets saved in Settings, such as your business name or calendar link. These are different mechanisms: a shared snippet does not create a different value for each contact. Plan which information belongs in the contact import and which should remain consistent across your organization before writing the message.
| Item | How to use it |
|---|---|
| {{firstName}} and {{lastName}} | Recipient name fields; last name is optional in the documented import flow. |
| {{companyName}} | Company field; confirm it exists before making it essential to the sentence. |
| {{jobTitle}}, {{location}}, {{email}} | Other documented contact variables available in subject and body. |
| {{yourKey}} | A reusable organization snippet you have actually created in Settings. The key shown here is illustrative. |
| {Hi|Hello|Hey} | Spintax chooses one of the alternatives for each recipient. |
| {{RANDOM|option one|option two}} | The alternative named syntax for random text variation. |
Build and preview the personalization
Check the contact values
Inspect the fields your draft needs in Contacts. Rewrite any sentence that depends on data you do not have.
Expected result: Sample records contain the values the message will use.
Insert supported variables
Add the documented merge tags to the subject or body, preserving the exact spelling and braces.
Expected result: The editor recognizes the intended variables.
Save a shared snippet if needed
In Settings, create the reusable business snippet. Organization custom variables appear in the Insert Variable menu.
Expected result: The saved snippet is available through Insert Variable.
Add limited text variation
Use braces and pipes or the RANDOM form for alternatives that all make grammatical sense.
Expected result: Each alternative fits the surrounding sentence.
Render real examples
Use Preview & Send Test in the campaign editor. Check filled fields, chosen variations and any warning for an unknown tag.
Expected result: The rendered subject and body contain readable text without unresolved variables.
Example with a defined shared snippet
First save this organization snippet in Settings:
Key: serviceName
Value: operations review
Then preview this example message:
{Hi|Hello} {{firstName}},
Would a short {{serviceName}} be useful for {{companyName}}?This is an example configuration, not a built-in serviceName variable. Confirm your business actually offers the service before using the wording. If company data is missing, rewrite the question to work without the company name. The guides do not document a default-value syntax for blank contact fields, so do not invent a fallback expression.
Review changes to shared wording
Organization snippets are shared and updating a value affects the campaigns that use it. Before changing a calendar link, business name or common offer, identify where it is used and preview those messages afterward. Spintax changes wording, not the truth of a claim or the relevance of an audience. Treat it as a small writing aid rather than a delivery guarantee.
When the preview does not read correctly
An unknown merge tag should produce an editor warning. Correct the key or select the variable from Insert Variable, then preview again. A known tag with missing contact data is a different problem: fix the mapped record or remove the dependency from the wording. Check both the subject and body, including greetings and punctuation around any optional value.