Use Merge Fields and Set Fallback Values

Merge fields personalize your emails and texts automatically — but if a contact's field is empty, the message can end up with an awkward gap. Fallback values fix that by giving you a backup word to show instead.

Inserting a merge field

1. Open the email, SMS, workflow step, or document you're editing.
2. Click where you want the personalized data to appear.
3. Click the Merge Field (or { }) icon in the toolbar.
4. Browse or search for the field you want (for example, first name, appointment date, or a custom field you created).
5. Select it — the correct tag is inserted for you automatically.
6. Read the sentence back to make sure it reads naturally with real data in place.

Using the picker instead of typing the tag manually is worth doing — it guarantees the exact token your editor supports and avoids typos that silently break the personalization.

Setting a fallback value

A fallback value is the text that displays if a contact's field is blank — so instead of "Hi ," you get "Hi there,".

1. Click on the merge field tag you've inserted.
2. Open its Default Text option.
3. Type the fallback text you want to appear when there's no data.
4. Click Save.

Example: With a fallback of "there" set on {{contact.first_name}}, a contact with no first name on file sees "Hi there," instead of "Hi ,".

Where this works

Fallback values are available in email templates, workflow emails, one-off campaigns, and bulk email sends.

Testing before you send

Always send a test to a contact record with a blank version of the field you're merging, so you can confirm the fallback text displays the way you expect before it goes out to real contacts.