You can customize your Message Templates with variables to include customer-specific data in your notifications.
In message templates, variables (also known as merge tags) function differently compared to their use in other formats like email templates.
In case of WhatsApp, it’s a two step process:
Step 1 – Add Variable Placeholders in Your Message Template #
Create a Message Template by adding variable placeholders such as {{ 1 }}, {{ 2 }}, {{ 3 }}, etc., wherever you want dynamic content to appear. For example, the Body content can be personalized like this:
Hello {{ 1 }}.
Your order number is {{ 2 }}. Thank you for placing your order.
– Team YourStore
You can also personalize your button links by adding variables in the Website URL field like this:
https://yourdomain.com/tracking/{{1}}
You can add only one variable ({{ 1 }}) in button links, and it must be placed at the end of the URL, as shown in the example above. Adding multiple variables or placing the variable anywhere else in the URL is not allowed.
If you’re familiar with email marketing, the process of setting up variables in WhatsApp Message Templates may seem different. However, since templates require WhatsApp approval, this method ensures a standardized and simplified approach.
To learn more about Message Templates, check out our detailed article [here].
Step 2 – Create a Notification and Map Variables #
Now that you’ve set up variable placeholders, let’s map them to actual data when sending a Notification.
After creating the Message Template, the next step is to create a Notification and select the appropriate Message Template.
After selecting the Message Template, you’ll have the option to map variables ({{ 1 }}, {{ 2 }}, {{ 3 }}, etc.) to actual data.
Under the Value column, you can assign values such as First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, custom contact attributes, or data fields from triggers (for transactional notifications).
You can also set a Fallback Value for each variable in case the actual Value field is empty. If no data is available, the system will automatically use the value from the Fallback Value column.