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On this page
  • What Are Placeholders?
  • How Placeholders Work
  • Types of Placeholders
  • Using Fallback Values
  • Placeholder Resolution Flow
  • How to Set Up Placeholders
  • Tips for Using Placeholders
  • Common Questions

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How to use placeholders

Last updated 1 month ago

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What Are Placeholders?

Placeholders are special tags in your messages that get replaced with real information when you send your message. They make your messages more personal and relevant to each recipient.

How Placeholders Work

  • Placeholders use double curly braces: {{placeholder_name}}

  • When you send a message, the system automatically replaces these tags with the actual values

  • Example: "Hello {{first_name}}" becomes "Hello John" when sent to John

Types of Placeholders

Global Placeholders

These work for all recipients and are replaced with the same value for everyone.

Examples:

  • {{company_name}} - Your business name

  • {{today}} - Current date

  • {{offer_code}} - Promotion code for everyone

Number-Specific Placeholders

These are unique to each recipient and change based on who receives the message.

Examples:

  • {{first_name}} - Recipient's first name

  • {{last_name}} - Recipient's last name

  • {{appointment_date}} - Specific appointment for this person

Using Fallback Values

If you're not sure a placeholder has a value, you can add a fallback using the pipe symbol (|).

Example: {{first_name|Friend}}

  • If first_name exists: "Hello John"

  • If first_name is empty: "Hello Friend"

Placeholder Resolution Flow

When processing your message, the system replaces placeholders in this order:

  1. Number-Specific Placeholders: Checked first and have the highest priority

  2. Global Placeholders: Used if no matching number-specific placeholder is found

  3. Fallback Values: Used if neither number-specific nor global values are available

  4. Empty String: If no value is found and no fallback is provided, the placeholder is removed

This means if you have the same placeholder name in both number-specific and global settings, the number-specific value will be used.

How to Set Up Placeholders

  1. Go to the Placeholders sheet

  2. The table has two types of rows:

    • global: For placeholders that apply to all messages

    • number-specific: For placeholders that are unique to specific phone numbers

  3. For global placeholders:

    • Set Type column to "global"

    • Leave Phone Number column empty

    • Add your placeholder tags and values in the pairs of columns

  4. For number-specific placeholders:

    • Set Type column to "number-specific"

    • Enter the specific phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567)

    • Add your placeholder tags and values in the pairs of columns

Tips for Using Placeholders

  • Always test your messages before sending to many people

  • Use the "Add Samples" button to see how placeholders work

  • Remember that number-specific placeholders need the exact phone number in E.164 format

  • Number-specific placeholders take priority over global ones with the same name

Common Questions

What happens if a placeholder doesn't have a value?

The system follows the resolution flow: number-specific → global → fallback → empty string. If no value is found at any step, the placeholder is replaced with an empty string.

How many placeholders can I use in one message?

You can use as many as you need, but remember that messages have character limits.

Can I use the same placeholder name for both global and number-specific?

Yes. In this case, the number-specific value will be used for that recipient, while others will get the global value.

Watch the placeholder tutorial