What is a merge tag and how to use it?

Merge tag is a bit of code that allows you to insert dynamic data into your campaigns. There are some pre-made merge tags, such as {{FirstName}} for your subscriber's first name or {{SenderInfo}} for your business address. 

You can also use your custom fields as merge tags – just insert it as {{YourTag}} and replace "YourTag" with the Tag assigned to your custom field. In the example below, the field Pet Name can be used as a merge tag with {{PetName}}.

To use a merge tag in the drag and drop editor, simply type it anywhere in the body of your email or use the merge tag button from the toolbar. To display the toolbar, click the space bar on your keyboard and highlight the empty space. It'll be replaced with the merge tag once you've selected it from the drop-down menu. 

Some merge tags have an additional option to insert a default value, which will be shown for contacts who don't have any value in the corresponding field. You can specify the default value after selecting the merge tag from the dropdown. You can also simply leave it blank and click "Insert" right away if you prefer that.

To add a merge tag in the Legacy editor, type it anywhere in the body of the email or use the merge tag drop-down and select the appropriate merge tag:

For example, to address your subscriber by their first name, use the {{FirstName}} tag: 

This will be replaced with a dynamic value once the campaign is sent to a subscriber.

You can use this for various scenarios – for example, displaying a unique URL for each of your subscribers or giving them a unique discount code. As long as you store that information as custom fields in EmailOctopus, you can display it in the campaigns using merge tags.

For a full list of our merge tags and more advanced options, head to our customisation cheat sheet.