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Using Email Variables (Placeholders)

Learn how to use dynamic variables in email templates to personalize customer communications automatically.

What Are Email Variables?

Section titled “What Are Email Variables?”

Email variables (also called placeholders or merge tags) are dynamic content that automatically fills in with real data when emails are sent.

Example:

Template: Hi {customer.name}, thank you for your order!
Sent email: Hi John, thank you for your order!

Available Variables

Section titled “Available Variables”

Customer Variables

Section titled “Customer Variables”

{customer.name} - Customer’s first name

Example: John
Usage: Hi {customer.name}!

{customer.email} - Customer’s email address

Example: john@example.com
Usage: Sent to {customer.email}

{customer.full_name} - Customer’s full name

Example: John Smith
Usage: Dear {customer.full_name},

Shop Variables

Section titled “Shop Variables”

{shop.name} - Your shop name

Example: My Digital Store
Usage: Thank you for your purchase from {shop.name}

{shop.domain} - Your shop URL

Example: mystore.myshopify.com
Usage: Visit {shop.domain} for more products

{shop.email} - Shop contact email

Example: support@mystore.com
Usage: Contact us at {shop.email}

Order Variables

Section titled “Order Variables”

{order.number} - Order number

Example: #1001
Usage: Order {order.number} is ready

{order.id} - Internal order ID

Example: 5234567890123
Usage: Order ID: {order.id}

{order.date} - Order date

Example: January 15, 2024
Usage: Ordered on {order.date}

Download Variables

Section titled “Download Variables”

{download.expiry} - Download link expiration (days)

Example: 60
Usage: This link expires in {download.expiry} days

{download.button} - Download button (automatically inserted)

Note: Don't manually add this - it's auto-inserted

{download.link} - Raw download URL

Example: https://your-app.com/download?key=abc123
Usage: Download: {download.link}
(Not recommended - use button instead)

How to Insert Variables

Section titled “How to Insert Variables”

Method 1: Variable Button

Section titled “Method 1: Variable Button”
  1. Click in text field where you want variable
  2. Click Insert Variable button
  1. Dropdown menu shows available variables
  2. Click variable to insert
  1. Variable appears in text with curly braces

Method 2: Type Manually

Section titled “Method 2: Type Manually”
  1. Type opening brace: {
  2. Auto-complete suggestions appear (if available)
  3. Type variable name: customer.name
  4. Type closing brace: }

Result: {customer.name}

Method 3: Copy and Paste

Section titled “Method 3: Copy and Paste”

Copy variable from documentation:

{customer.name}
{shop.name}
{order.number}

Paste into email template field.

Using Variables in Email Templates

Section titled “Using Variables in Email Templates”

Subject Line

Section titled “Subject Line”
Your download from {shop.name}
Order #{order.number} ready for download
{customer.name}, your files are here!

Email Title

Section titled “Email Title”
Thank You, {customer.name}!
Your {shop.name} Files Are Ready
Welcome to {shop.name}

Message Body

Section titled “Message Body”
Hi {customer.name},


Thank you for your purchase from {shop.name}.


Your order #{order.number} is ready to download.
This download link will expire in {download.expiry} days.


If you have questions, email us at {shop.email}.


Enjoy!
The {shop.name} Team

Footer Text

Section titled “Footer Text”
© 2024 {shop.name}. All rights reserved.
Questions? Contact {shop.email}
Order #{order.number} | {order.date}

Variable Examples by Use Case

Section titled “Variable Examples by Use Case”

Professional & Formal

Section titled “Professional & Formal”
Subject: Your Order #{order.number} from {shop.name}


Dear {customer.full_name},


Thank you for your order placed on {order.date}.
Your digital products are now available for download.


This download link will remain active for {download.expiry} days.


Should you require assistance, please contact us at {shop.email}.


Best regards,
{shop.name}

Friendly & Casual

Section titled “Friendly & Casual”
Subject: {customer.name}, your files are ready! 🎉


Hey {customer.name}!


Your order from {shop.name} is all set! Click below to grab your files.


Remember, you've got {download.expiry} days to download, so no rush!


Questions? Just reply to this email!


Cheers,
The {shop.name} Team

Minimal & Direct

Section titled “Minimal & Direct”
Subject: Download: Order #{order.number}


{customer.name},


Your files from {shop.name} are ready.
Download below. Link expires in {download.expiry} days.


{shop.email}

Variable Best Practices

Section titled “Variable Best Practices”

1. Always Use Shop Name

Section titled “1. Always Use Shop Name”

Include {shop.name} for brand recognition:

  • In subject line
  • In message body
  • In footer

Good:

Subject: Your download from {shop.name}
Message: Thank you for your purchase from {shop.name}

Bad:

Subject: Your download
Message: Thank you for your purchase

2. Personalize When Possible

Section titled “2. Personalize When Possible”

Use {customer.name} for personalization:

Good:

Hi {customer.name}, your files are ready!

Bad:

Hi there, your files are ready!

3. Include Order Number

Section titled “3. Include Order Number”

Reference {order.number} for support:

Order #{order.number} is ready
Reference order #{order.number} if you need help

Benefits:

  • Easy for customer to reference
  • Helps support team locate orders
  • Professional appearance

4. Mention Expiry

Section titled “4. Mention Expiry”

Always inform about {download.expiry}:

Download link expires in {download.expiry} days
You have {download.expiry} days to access your files

Why:

  • Sets expectations
  • Creates urgency
  • Reduces support questions

5. Provide Contact Info

Section titled “5. Provide Contact Info”

Include {shop.email} for support:

Questions? Contact us at {shop.email}
Email {shop.email} if you need help
Reply to this email for support

Variable Formatting

Section titled “Variable Formatting”

Capitalization

Section titled “Capitalization”

Variables preserve capitalization:

{customer.name} = John (capitalized)
{CUSTOMER.NAME} = Not valid (use lowercase variable names)

Fallback Values

Section titled “Fallback Values”

If customer name is missing:

{customer.name} → "Customer" or "there"

System provides sensible fallback:

Hi {customer.name}! → Hi there!

Variable Testing

Section titled “Variable Testing”

Test with Sample Data

Section titled “Test with Sample Data”

When sending test emails:

Variables show sample data:

{customer.name} → John Smith (sample)
{order.number} → #1001 (sample)
{shop.name} → Your actual shop name

Test Checklist

Section titled “Test Checklist”
  • All variables display correctly
  • No broken variables (showing {variable} literally)
  • Capitalization looks natural
  • Spacing around variables correct
  • Variables in right context

Common Variable Issues

Section titled “Common Variable Issues”

Issue: Variable Shows Literally

Section titled “Issue: Variable Shows Literally”

Problem:

Email shows: Hi {customer.name}!
Should show: Hi John!

Causes:

  • Typo in variable name
  • Extra space inside braces
  • Using wrong case

Solutions:

  1. Check spelling: {customer.name} (not {customername})
  2. Remove spaces: {customer.name} (not { customer.name })
  3. Use lowercase: {customer.name} (not {Customer.Name})

Issue: Variable Shows Blank

Section titled “Issue: Variable Shows Blank”

Problem:

Email shows: Hi !
Should show: Hi John!

Cause: Customer data missing (no first name in order)

Solution:

  1. Use fallback phrasing:
    • Instead of Hi {customer.name}!
    • Use Hi {customer.name} or Hello there!
  2. Check customer data in orders

Issue: Wrong Data in Variable

Section titled “Issue: Wrong Data in Variable”

Problem:

Email shows wrong shop name or order number

Cause: Rare system issue

Solution:

  1. Check template saved correctly
  2. Send test email
  3. Contact support if persists

Advanced Variable Usage

Section titled “Advanced Variable Usage”

Combining Variables

Section titled “Combining Variables”

Combine multiple variables in one sentence:

Hi {customer.name}, your order #{order.number} from {shop.name} is ready!
Section titled “Variables in Links”

Use variables in custom links:

<a href="{shop.domain}">Visit our store</a>


Track your order: {shop.domain}/orders/{order.number}

Conditional Content (Advanced)

Section titled “Conditional Content (Advanced)”

Some platforms support conditional variables:

{if customer.name}
  Hi {customer.name}!
{else}
  Hi there!
{endif}

Note: Check if your app version supports this.

Variable Reference Table

Section titled “Variable Reference Table”
VariableDescriptionExample
{customer.name}First nameJohn
{customer.full_name}Full nameJohn Smith
{customer.email}Emailjohn@example.com
{shop.name}Shop nameMy Store
{shop.domain}Shop URLmystore.com
{shop.email}Support emailsupport@mystore.com
{order.number}Order number#1001
{order.id}Order ID5234567890
{order.date}Order dateJan 15, 2024
{download.expiry}Expiry days60
{download.link}Download URLhttps://…

Variable Tips & Tricks

Section titled “Variable Tips & Tricks”

Tip 1: Create Template Variations

Section titled “Tip 1: Create Template Variations”

Save templates for different scenarios:

Template A - First Purchase:

Welcome {customer.name}! Thank you for your first order from {shop.name}!

Template B - Repeat Customer:

Welcome back {customer.name}! Thanks for ordering from {shop.name} again!
Section titled “Tip 2: Use Variables in Footer”
This email was sent to {customer.email}
Order reference: #{order.number}

Tip 3: A/B Test Variable Usage

Section titled “Tip 3: A/B Test Variable Usage”

Test emails with and without personalization:

Version A: Hi {customer.name}! Version B: Hi there!

Track engagement to see which performs better.

Troubleshooting Variables

Section titled “Troubleshooting Variables”

Variables Not Working

Section titled “Variables Not Working”

Check:

  1. Correct variable name
  2. Proper syntax: {variable.name}
  3. No extra spaces
  4. Template saved
  5. Test email sent

Variables in Wrong Language

Section titled “Variables in Wrong Language”

If customers see variables in different languages, check:

  1. Shop locale settings
  2. Customer language preference
  3. Variable translation settings

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”