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Custom fields and values

How to use merge fields (customer name, appointment date…) in messages and set a fallback value

While writing an email, SMS, document or workflow action, place the cursor where you want the data, click the merge field icon (or { }), search for the field (for example Contact First Name) and insert it. In emails, click the inserted tag to set the fallback text shown when the field is empty.

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Before you start

  • You need access to the place where you'll write: Conversations, Marketing › Emails, Automation › Workflows, documents or calendar settings.
  • A merge field only fills in when the record exists in that context: contact fields need a contact, appointment fields need an appointment, invoice fields need an invoice, company fields use the company linked to the contact.
  • Three different things: a custom field (data that changes per contact, for example "Preferred service"), a custom value (fixed business data, for example your support email) and a merge field (the tag that inserts either of them into the text).
Where to find it

(email, SMS, workflow or document editor) › Merge Fields / { } icon

Step by step

Insert a merge field

  1. Open the email, SMS, workflow action, document, calendar setting or AI prompt you want to personalize.
  2. Place the cursor where the data should appear.
  3. Click the merge field icon (it may show as Custom Values or { }).
  4. Search for the field or open its category: Contact (first name, full name, email, phone), User (name, email, calendar link), Appointment (start time, reschedule link, cancellation link), Calendar, Account (your business name, email, phone), Current date, Invoice (number, total, link), Company (name, website, custom fields of the linked company) and your own custom fields and values.
  5. Click the field: the tag (for example {{contact.first_name}}) is inserted at the cursor.
  6. Re-read the full sentence around the tag and save.
  7. Test with a contact that has the data filled in and confirm the result before publishing or activating.

Set a fallback value in emails

  1. In the email editor (template, campaign, workflow email or bulk email), insert or locate the field tag.
  2. Click the tag to open the Default Text editor.
  3. Type the text that should appear when the field is empty (for example "there" for "Hi {{contact.first_name}}").
  4. Click Save.
  5. Send a test to a contact without that field filled in and confirm the fallback appears. It works in the subject line, preview text and email body.

Tips

  • Always use the picker instead of typing the tag by hand: it avoids naming mistakes and only shows the fields that exist in that context.
  • For links and tracking parameters use the raw phone version ({{contact.phone_raw}}): it comes out without spaces, parentheses or dashes.
  • Company fields fill in from the company linked to the contact; with no company linked, they stay blank.

Common problems

  • The message went out with the field blank → The record doesn't exist in that context (for example an appointment field in a workflow that doesn't start from an appointment) or the contact doesn't have the data. Check the trigger and fill in the field; in emails, set a fallback.
  • The tag showed up literally in the email → It was typed by hand with a mistake in the name. Delete it and insert it with the picker.
  • The fallback doesn't show in SMS → Default text only exists for emails. For SMS, write a sentence that works even without the name.
  • Company fields come out empty → The contact has no linked company, or the company field is blank. Link the company on the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use merge fields in AI agent prompts?

Yes, where supported; the available data depends on the records present in the conversation or call.

Do new custom fields show up in the picker right away?

Yes. As soon as you create the field in Settings › Custom Fields, it becomes available under the matching object category.

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