Using Placeholders

Placeholders allow you to personalize emails at scale. Learn how to use standard fields, custom fields, and AI-generated content in your email templates.

What are Placeholders?

Placeholders are variables in your email templates that get replaced with actual contact data when emails are sent. They use the format {{field_name}}. WarmOpener replaces these with the contact's actual information at send-time.

Standard Field Placeholders

These are built-in fields available for all contacts:

{{first_name}} - Contact's first name (Example: "John")
{{last_name}} - Contact's last name (Example: "Smith")
{{email}} - Contact's email address (Example: "john@acme.com")
{{company}} - Company name (Example: "Acme Corp")

Custom Field Placeholders

Any custom field you add to your contacts can be used as a placeholder. Simply use the field name:

{{job_title}} - If you have a custom field named "job_title"
{{industry}} - If you have a custom field named "industry"
{{recent_news}} - If you have a custom field named "recent_news"

AI-Generated Field Placeholders

Fields generated by AI (see AI Personalization section) can also be used as placeholders:

{{Personalized_Opening}} - AI-generated opening line specific to the contact
{{Pain_Point}} - AI-identified pain point based on contact's industry/role
{{Value_Prop}} - AI-crafted value proposition tailored to the contact

Example Email Template

Subject: Quick question about {{company}}'s growth

Hi {{first_name}},

I noticed {{company}} recently {{recent_news}}. Congratulations on that milestone!

{{Personalized_Opening}}

I work with {{industry}} companies facing {{Pain_Point}}. We've helped similar organizations increase their outreach efficiency by 40%.

{{Value_Prop}}

Would you be open to a quick 15-minute call next Tuesday or Wednesday?

Best,
Your Name

How Placeholders Work

When you launch a campaign, WarmOpener:

Schedules emails for each contact in your target list
When it's time to send, retrieves the contact's data from the database
Replaces all placeholders with the contact's actual information
Sends the personalized email via your connected inbox

⚠️ Missing Data

If a contact doesn't have data for a placeholder, it will be replaced with an empty string. For example, if {{company}} is empty, the email will show a blank space. Always ensure your contacts have complete data before launching campaigns.

💡 Pro Tip

Use the Preview feature on the Sequences page to see how your email will look with actual contact data before launching a campaign. This helps catch missing fields and formatting issues.