Merge Fields in MarTech: A Complete Guide

Merge Fields in MarTech: A Complete Guide

October 09, 2026•12 min read

Merge fields let Ajax Union MarTech fill in the right details for every person you contact, so you write a message once and it reads like you wrote it for each customer.

A merge field is a short placeholder wrapped in double curly braces, such as {{contact.first_name}}. When an email or text goes out, or when a document is created, MarTech swaps that placeholder for the real value saved on the matching record. One recipient sees "Jane," the next sees "Tom."

You can use merge fields in emails, SMS messages, invoices, campaigns, automated workflows, and even your Voice AI and Conversation AI agents. The result is communication that stays accurate and consistent without any copy-and-paste work.

A quick note on raw phone numbers: some phone fields come in a "raw" version. Raw format strips out spaces, dashes, and parentheses (for example, +15155552345 instead of (515) 555-2345). Use the raw version when a phone number goes inside a link, a tracking parameter, or needs international formatting.

How to Add a Merge Field and a Fallback Value

Inserting a merge field takes a few clicks. Follow these steps in any MarTech editor that supports them:

  1. Open the email, text message, document, or workflow step you want to personalize.

  2. Place your cursor where the personalized detail should appear.

  3. Open the merge field picker (also called the custom value picker) in the editor and choose the field you need. Using the picker is the safest option, because the exact field names available can differ from one account to another.

  4. To set a fallback value in the email editor, click the custom value tag you just inserted and enter the text that should show if the field is empty (for example, "there" for a missing first name).

  5. Preview or send a test so you can confirm the right values fill in before the message goes live.

For a deeper walkthrough, see the help article How To Use Merge Fields and Fallback Values in MarTech.

Contact Merge Fields

Contact fields pull from the details saved on each contact record. They are the go-to choice for greetings, confirmations, and personal follow-ups.

Field

Merge field

Example

Full name

{{contact.name}}

Jane Smith

First name

{{contact.first_name}}

Jane

Last name

{{contact.last_name}}

Smith

Email

{{contact.email}}

[email protected]

Phone

{{contact.phone}}

(515) 555-2345

Phone (raw)

{{contact.phone_raw}}

+15155552345

Company name

{{contact.company_name}}

Smith Plumbing

Full address

{{contact.full_address}}

1234 W. Main St, Chicago, IL 60657

Address line 1

{{contact.address1}}

1234 W. Main St

City

{{contact.city}}

Chicago

State/Region

{{contact.state}}

Illinois

Postal code

{{contact.postal_code}}

60657

Time zone

{{contact.timezone}}

GMT-06:00 America/Chicago

Date of birth

{{contact.date_of_birth}}

Jan 3, 1980

Source

{{contact.source}}

Referral

Website

{{contact.website}}

www.example.com

Contact ID

{{contact.id}}

FZDn5mYlkZuCCQe5Bep8

User Merge Fields

User fields pull details about the team member (or sender) linked to the conversation, activity, or appointment.

You can also use them after someone books through a calendar: in the Thank you message on the calendar confirmation page, and on the next funnel step when the Calendar element's redirect action is set to Go to next step.

Field

Merge field

Example

Full name

{{user.name}}

John Doe

First name

{{user.first_name}}

John

Last name

{{user.last_name}}

Doe

Email

{{user.email}}

[email protected]

Phone

{{user.phone}}

(333) 555-9876

Phone (raw)

{{user.phone_raw}}

+13335559876

Email signature

{{user.email_signature}}

John Doe, [email protected], (333) 555-9876

Booking link

{{user.calendar_link}}

https://booking.example.com/schedule/john-doe

Appointment user phone (raw)

{{appointment.user.phone_raw}}

+13335559876

External calling number

{{user.call_provider_phone_number}}

(234) 555-9876

External calling number (raw)

{{user.call_provider_phone_number_raw}}

+12345559876

Good to know: depending on how your account is set up, the external calling number field may show under a different name. Insert it from the merge field picker so you get the exact name your account uses.

Appointment Merge Fields

Appointment fields pull details from a booked appointment. Use them in confirmations, reminders, and reschedule messages so clients always have the right time, place, and links.

Field

Merge field

Example

Title

{{appointment.title}}

Appointment with Bob

Start date/time

{{appointment.start_time}}

Wed, Nov 5, 2025 3:30 PM

Start date only

{{appointment.only_start_date}}

Nov 5, 2025

Start time only

{{appointment.only_start_time}}

3:30 PM

End date/time

{{appointment.end_time}}

Wed, Nov 5, 2025 4:00 PM

End date only

{{appointment.only_end_date}}

Nov 5, 2025

End time only

{{appointment.only_end_time}}

4:00 PM

Day of week

{{appointment.day_of_week}}

Monday

Month number

{{appointment.month}}

11

Time zone

{{appointment.timezone}}

CST

Cancellation link

{{appointment.cancellation_link}}

https://booking.example.com/cancel?event_id=123

Reschedule link

{{appointment.reschedule_link}}

https://booking.example.com/reschedule?event_id=123

Meeting location

{{appointment.meeting_location}}

123 W Main St, Chicago, IL 60657

Notes

{{appointment.notes}}

This is our second meeting.

Add to calendar link

{{appointment.add_to_calendar}}

https://booking.example.com/add-to-calendar?event_id=123

Google Calendar link

{{appointment.add_to_google_calendar}}

https://booking.example.com/google/calendar/add-event/calendarid

iCal/ICS link

{{appointment.add_to_ical}}

https://booking.example.com/get-ics?event_id=123

Recurring repeats

{{appointment.recurring.repeats}}

0

Recurring times to repeat

{{appointment.recurring.times_to_repeat}}

1

Assigned user name

{{appointment.user.name}}

John Doe

Assigned user email

{{appointment.user.email}}

[email protected]

Assigned user phone

{{appointment.user.phone}}

(333) 555-9876

Assigned user phone (raw)

{{appointment.user.phone_raw}}

+13335559876

Assigned user signature

{{appointment.user.email_signature}}

John Doe, [email protected]

Calendar Merge Fields

The calendar field shows which calendar an event belongs to.

Field

Merge field

Example

Calendar name

{{calendar.name}}

Lawn Services Calendar

Campaign Merge Fields

Campaign fields handle dates and times for scheduled campaign events.

Field

Merge field

Example

Event date/time

{{campaign.event_date_time}}

Nov 5, 2025 3:30 PM

Event date

{{campaign.event_date}}

Nov 5, 2025

Event time

{{campaign.event_time}}

3:30 PM

Message Merge Fields

Message fields let a workflow or automation reference the content of a message from inside its steps.

Field

Merge field

Example

Message body

{{message.body}}

Hi, just a quick reminder about our call tomorrow morning.

Message subject

{{message.subject}}

Meeting Reminder

Account Merge Fields

Account fields pull your business details. They keep your branding, receipts, and business identity consistent everywhere.

Field

Merge field

Example

Account name

{{location.name}}

WidgetWorks

Full address

{{location.full_address}}

555 Oak St, Tampa, FL 33602

Address line 1

{{location.address}}

555 Oak St

City

{{location.city}}

Tampa

State/Region

{{location.state}}

Florida

Country

{{location.country}}

US

Postal code

{{location.postal_code}}

33602

Email

{{location.email}}

[email protected]

Phone

{{location.phone}}

(333) 555-3344

Phone (raw)

{{location.phone_raw}}

+13335553344

Website

{{location.website}}

mywebsiteurl.com

Logo URL

{{location.logo_url}}

https://files.example.com/logo.png

Owner first name

{{location_owner.first_name}}

Lisa

Owner last name

{{location_owner.last_name}}

White

Owner email

{{location_owner.email}}

[email protected]

Account ID

{{location.id}}

DP4mTqaz7L9XpweFvRjC

Right Now Merge Fields

Right Now fields insert the current date and time at the exact moment the message is created.

Field

Merge field

Example

Second

{{right_now.second}}

9

Minute

{{right_now.minute}}

10

Hour (24h)

{{right_now.hour}}

14

Hour (AM/PM)

{{right_now.hour_ampm}}

2

AM/PM

{{right_now.ampm}}

PM

Day of week

{{right_now.day_of_week}}

Tuesday

Month name

{{right_now.month_name}}

November

Day

{{right_now.day}}

4

Month (number)

{{right_now.month}}

11

Year

{{right_now.year}}

2025

Date (MM/DD/YYYY)

{{right_now.middle_endian_date}}

11/4/2025

Date (DD/MM/YYYY)

{{right_now.little_endian_date}}

4/11/2025

Attribution Merge Fields

Attribution fields show where a contact came from, both the very first time (first attribution) and most recently (latest attribution). The values usually come from tracking parameters, such as UTM tags, in the links people click.

First Attribution

Field

Merge field

Example

Session source

{{contact.attributionSource.sessionSource}}

Referral

Landing URL

{{contact.attributionSource.url}}

https://example.com/form?utm_source=ads

Campaign

{{contact.attributionSource.campaign}}

fall_sale

UTM source

{{contact.attributionSource.utmSource}}

ads

UTM medium

{{contact.attributionSource.utmMedium}}

banner

UTM content

{{contact.attributionSource.utmContent}}

ad12

Referrer

{{contact.attributionSource.referrer}}

https://referrer.example.com

Campaign ID

{{contact.attributionSource.campaignId}}

23849260571384729

Ad click ID

{{contact.attributionSource.clickId}}

ABC123XYZ

UTM keyword

{{contact.attributionSource.utmKeyword}}

running_shoes

UTM match type

{{contact.attributionSource.utmMatchType}}

exact

Ad group ID

{{contact.attributionSource.adGroupId}}

123456

Ad ID

{{contact.attributionSource.adId}}

78910

Latest Attribution

Field

Merge field

Example

Session source

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.sessionSource}}

Referral

Landing URL

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.url}}

https://example.com/form?utm_source=ads

Campaign

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.campaign}}

xmas_sale

UTM source

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmSource}}

ads

UTM medium

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmMedium}}

banner

UTM content

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmContent}}

ad18

Referrer

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.referrer}}

https://referrer.example.com

Campaign ID

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.campaignId}}

23850176293047583

Ad click ID

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.clickId}}

XYZ789ABC

UTM campaign

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmCampaign}}

blowout_sale

UTM keyword

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmKeyword}}

hvac_repair

UTM match type

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.utmMatchType}}

broad

Ad group ID

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.adGroupId}}

654321

Ad ID

{{contact.lastAttributionSource.adId}}

10987

Good to know: some accounts show extra attribution fields tied to specific ad platforms. If you want templates that stay white-label friendly, insert the exact click ID field names from the merge field picker and leave ad platform names out of the text around them.

Invoice Merge Fields

Invoice fields pull values straight from your invoice records. Use them in invoices, receipts, payment confirmations, and payment reminders.

Field

Merge field

Example

Invoice name

{{invoice.name}}

Consulting Contract

Invoice number

{{invoice.number}}

43255

Issue date

{{invoice.issue_date}}

2025-04-05

Due date

{{invoice.due_date}}

2025-10-05

Subtotal

{{invoice.sub_total}}

$500.00

Discount amount

{{invoice.discount_amount}}

$50.00

Tax amount

{{invoice.tax_amount}}

$25.00

Total amount

{{invoice.total_amount}}

$475.00

Invoice title

{{invoice.title}}

Consulting Invoice

Invoice link

{{invoice.url}}

https://pay.example.com/invoice/abc123

Company Details

Field

Merge field

Example

Company name

{{invoice.company.name}}

Test Solutions

Company phone

{{invoice.company.phone}}

(888) 555-9876

Company address

{{invoice.company.address}}

1234 Maple St

Company city

{{invoice.company.city}}

Milwaukee

Company state

{{invoice.company.state}}

Wisconsin

Company country

{{invoice.company.country}}

US

Company website

{{invoice.company.website}}

www.example.com

Company logo URL

{{invoice.company.logo}}

https://files.example.com/logo.png

Customer Details

Field

Merge field

Example

Customer name

{{invoice.customer.name}}

Tom Taylor

Customer first name

{{invoice.customer.first_name}}

Tom

Customer last name

{{invoice.customer.last_name}}

Taylor

Customer phone

{{invoice.customer.phone}}

(222) 555-3456

Customer email

{{invoice.customer.email}}

[email protected]

Customer company

{{invoice.customer.company}}

Taylor Construction

Customer address

{{invoice.customer.address}}

3333 N. Main St

Customer city

{{invoice.customer.city}}

Chicago

Customer state

{{invoice.customer.state}}

Illinois

Customer postal code

{{invoice.customer.postal_code}}

60657

Sender and Card Details

Field

Merge field

Example

Sender name

{{invoice.sender.name}}

Bob Brown

Sender email

{{invoice.sender.email}}

[email protected]

Card brand

{{invoice.card.brand}}

Visa

Card last 4

{{invoice.card.last4}}

7654

Course Merge Fields

Course fields add course and lesson details to enrollment or content messages.

Field

Merge field

Example

Category title

{{courses.categoryTitle}}

Getting Started with Knitting

Product title

{{courses.productTitle}}

Basics of Knitting

Post title

{{courses.postTitle}}

The Best Types of Yarn

Service Booking Merge Fields

Service booking fields pull the schedule, price, location, and assigned staff for a service booking.

Field

Merge field

Example

Title

{{servicebooking.title}}

Men's Haircut

Start time

{{servicebooking.start_time}}

3:30 PM

End time

{{servicebooking.end_time}}

4:30 PM

Start date

{{servicebooking.start_date}}

March 6, 2026

End date

{{servicebooking.only_end_date}}

March 7, 2026

End time only

{{servicebooking.only_end_time}}

4:30 PM

Day of week

{{servicebooking.day_of_week}}

Monday

Month (number)

{{servicebooking.month}}

3

Month name

{{servicebooking.month_name}}

March

Time zone

{{servicebooking.timezone}}

CST

Total price

{{servicebooking.total_price}}

$55

Meeting location

{{servicebooking.meeting_location}}

123 Main St, Chicago, IL 60657

Meeting location name

{{servicebooking.meeting_location_name}}

Chair 4

Reschedule link

{{servicebooking.reschedule_link}}

https://booking.example.com/reschedule?booking_id=123

Cancellation link

{{servicebooking.cancellation_link}}

https://booking.example.com/cancel?booking_id=123

Service Line Items and Assigned User

These fields describe each individual service, any add-ons, and the staff member assigned to it.

Field

Merge field

Example

Service name

{{this.name}}

Haircut - Regular

Service price

{{this.price}}

$125

Service duration

{{this.duration}}

45 mins

Service start date

{{this.only_start_date}}

March 6, 2026

Service start time

{{this.only_start_time}}

4:30 PM

Service time zone

{{this.timezone}}

GMT-06:00 America/Chicago

Add-on name

{{this.addonName}}

Hair Coloring

Add-on price

{{this.addonPrice}}

$25

Add-on duration

{{this.addonDuration}}

15 mins

Add-on quantity

{{this.addonQuantity}}

1

Assigned user name

{{this.user.name}}

Jane Smith

Assigned user email

{{this.user.email}}

[email protected]

Assigned user phone

{{this.user.phone}}

(515) 555-2345

Assigned user phone (raw)

{{this.user.phone_raw}}

+15155552345

Assigned user signature

{{this.user.email_signature}}

Jane Smith, [email protected]

Fallback Values for Empty Fields

If a record is missing data, its merge field comes out blank. A fallback value fills that gap so your message still reads naturally instead of showing an awkward empty greeting.

  1. In the email editor, click the custom value tag you inserted.

  2. Type the fallback text you want shown when the field is empty.

  3. Save, then preview the message to check it.

Voice AI Merge Fields

In Voice AI, merge fields are called Custom Values. They let your AI phone agent personalize calls using details already saved in MarTech, such as contact, company, appointment, calendar, account, or location information, whenever that data is available for the call.

Custom Values work in agent prompts and in supported message fields. To add one:

  1. Open your agent in the Voice AI builder.

  2. Click into the prompt or supported message field you want to personalize.

  3. Use the Custom Value picker to insert the dynamic detail.

Field

Merge field

Example use

Contact first name

{{contact.first_name}}

"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, thanks for calling."

Contact full name

{{contact.name}}

"I see your name is {{contact.name}}."

Contact email

{{contact.email}}

"We have your email as {{contact.email}}."

Contact phone

{{contact.phone}}

"Is {{contact.phone}} still the best number to reach you?"

Company name

{{company.name}}

"I see you are calling from {{company.name}}."

Location name

{{location.name}}

"Thanks for calling {{location.name}}."

Location phone

{{location.phone}}

"You can also reach us at {{location.phone}}."

Location email

{{location.email}}

"Our team can follow up from {{location.email}}."

Appointment start time

{{appointment.start_time}}

"Your appointment is scheduled for {{appointment.start_time}}."

Calendar name

{{calendar.name}}

"This appointment is booked on the {{calendar.name}} calendar."

Good to know: which fields work can change based on the prompt field, whether the call is inbound or outbound, the contact record, the appointment context, and what data your account holds. A value missing from the record may come through blank during the call. For full setup steps, see How to Use Custom Values in Voice AI Agent Prompts.

Conversation AI Merge Fields

Conversation AI merge fields help your chat agents personalize automated conversations with contact, company, location, and other supported data. They are useful in bot prompts, Bot Goals, AI-generated replies, and supported Conversation AI actions.

  1. Open the bot setup area you want to edit.

  2. Use the Custom Value picker to add the merge field, so you know it is supported in that part of the bot.

  3. Test the bot's response to confirm the correct values fill in.

  4. Turn the bot on for live conversations only after the test looks right.

Field

Merge field

Example use

Contact first name

{{contact.first_name}}

"Hi {{contact.first_name}}, how can I help today?"

Contact full name

{{contact.name}}

"Thanks, {{contact.name}}. I can help with that."

Contact email

{{contact.email}}

"I have your email listed as {{contact.email}}."

Contact phone

{{contact.phone}}

"Is {{contact.phone}} the best number for follow-up?"

Company name

{{company.name}}

"I see this is related to {{company.name}}."

Company email

{{company.email}}

"We have the company email listed as {{company.email}}."

Company phone

{{company.phone}}

"The company phone number on file is {{company.phone}}."

Location name

{{location.name}}

"You are chatting with {{location.name}}."

Location email

{{location.email}}

"Our team can follow up from {{location.email}}."

Location phone

{{location.phone}}

"You can also contact us at {{location.phone}}."

Bot Goals include prompt settings, actions, and testing tools that shape how your AI agent talks and responds.

Good to know: field availability can depend on the Conversation AI area you are editing, the channel, the bot's configuration, and whether the related contact, company, or location data exists. Fields without saved data may fill in blank. For more, see Bot Goals Overview - Conversation AI and Conversation AI Bot Explained.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens when a merge field has no value? In most cases it is replaced with nothing, which can leave a sentence looking unfinished, such as "Hi ,". Set a fallback value to avoid this.

How is a standard phone field different from a raw phone field? The raw version drops parentheses, dashes, and spaces. That makes it a better fit for links, tracking parameters, and international numbers.

Can I use merge fields in invoices and payment messages? Yes. You can add invoice numbers, totals, due dates, customer details, and payment links.

Why does my account show different merge fields than someone else's? The fields you see depend on which tools are turned on, how your account is configured, and the type of record you are editing.

How do I avoid a blank greeting when a first name is missing? Use conditional content blocks. One greeting shows when a first name exists, and a different one shows when it does not.

Start Personalizing in MarTech

Log in at app.ajaxunion.com, open any email, text, invoice, or AI agent, and use the merge field picker to add your first personal touch. Need a hand setting it up? The Ajax Union team is happy to help.

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