What merge tags and custom variables can I use in my emails?
A merge tag is a placeholder in double curly braces, such as {{firstName}}, that Warmerly
replaces with each lead's own value when the email sends. Use them in the subject and the
body. The built-in tags are listed below, and any extra column on your leads (a custom
variable) works as a tag too.
The important rule: a tag Warmerly does not recognise is replaced with nothing. There is no error at send time, so a typo ships as an email with a hole in it.
Built-in tags
| Tag | What it becomes |
|---|---|
{{email}} | The lead's email address |
{{firstName}} | The lead's first name |
{{lastName}} | The lead's last name |
{{companyName}} | The lead's company |
{{senderFirstName}} | First name set on the sending mailbox |
{{senderLastName}} | Last name set on the sending mailbox |
{{senderName}} | Full sender name (first and last name, else the mailbox display name, else its address) |
{{senderEmail}} | The sending mailbox's address |
{{ai_opener}} | A personalised opening line written for each lead. See AI personalisation |
Notes:
- Tags are case sensitive.
{{firstname}}is not{{firstName}}and will send blank. - Spaces inside the braces are fine:
{{ firstName }}works. - Tag names use only letters, numbers and underscores.
- The sender tags come from the mailbox each email actually leaves from. If the mailbox has
no sender name set,
{{senderFirstName}}is blank, so set the name on the mailbox first. - Use
{{senderFirstName}}for your sign-off instead of typing a name. See How do I write an email sequence?.
Custom variables
Any extra column on a lead is a custom variable, and its column name is the tag. If your
CSV has a column called mail_setup, write {{mail_setup}}.
When you import a file on the Audience tab (Import leads), columns that are not
mapped to email, name or company become custom fields. A header that is not valid tag
syntax is cleaned up: characters other than letters, numbers and underscores become
underscores, so a column named "Job Title" becomes {{Job_Title}}. The Insert variable menu
shows the exact names your campaign has.
If a custom variable has the same name as a built-in tag, the custom value wins.
See How do I import leads from a CSV? for the import steps.
What the editor flags
On the Sequence tab, a tag that is neither built in nor a custom variable on your leads
gets a warning border and a line under the field: "{{domain}} isn't a variable, it will
send as blank text."
Things worth knowing about that warning:
- The editor knows your real custom variables, so a working custom tag is not called a typo. If the list of variables has not loaded, the editor says nothing rather than accuse a tag on no evidence.
- Insert variable shows how many of your leads actually have a value for each tag, plus a sample. A tag that only 8 of 200 leads have is not a typo, but it is not one to build a sentence around either.
- A tag that exists on only some leads is not flagged, because that is normal for a list you have partly enriched. Those leads get a blank in that spot.
The launch check
Starting a campaign runs a check that blocks the launch if a step uses a tag that exists on none of your leads. The check appears in Launch readiness on the Overview tab with a Fix in Sequence link. It does not catch a tag that exists on some leads only.
Check a specific lead before you send
Use Preview on an email step and pick the lead you are worried about (no first name, an unusual company). The preview lists tags that resolved to blank for that lead. On the Audience tab, open a lead's conversation to see the variables that lead carries and the upcoming emails written out for them.
Common problems
My email says "Hi ," with no name. The lead has no first name. Fix the value on the lead, or reword the greeting. Preview shows this before you launch.
A tag works in preview for one lead and not another. The second lead has no value for it. Check the coverage numbers under Insert variable.
My CSV column does not show up as a tag. Only columns imported as custom fields become tags, and the name is the cleaned-up version of the header. Look under Insert variable for the exact spelling.