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A merge tag is a name in double braces, such as {{first_name}}, that Brudcast replaces with each recipient’s value when a campaign sends. Templates add placeholders on top: named values you declare once and reuse on every channel.

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Merge tag syntax

  • Write a tag as a name inside double braces: {{first_name}}. Spaces inside the braces are fine, so {{ first_name }} works too.
  • Names use letters, numbers and underscores.
  • A tag is a straight swap for a value. There are no conditions, loops, filters or default values.
  • A tag that doesn’t match anything sends as empty text. An email with a gap where a name should be reads better than one that shows {{first_name}} to the reader, so Brudcast never sends the tag itself.
Tags work in the email subject, preview text and body, the SMS message, and the push title, body and click URL.

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Built-in tags

Each of your custom fields is a tag too, named by its key. The Insert variable menu lists the built-in tags under Contact field and yours under Custom field. A custom field can’t take over a built-in tag’s name: {{email}} is always the recipient’s address. If you put {{unsubscribe_url}} in your own email, Brudcast leaves its own unsubscribe link out of the footer, so the email doesn’t carry two. See The compliance footer.

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Highlighting and warnings

Tags are highlighted as you type, in every field and on the builder canvas, whether you typed them or picked them from the menu. In a campaign, if a tag doesn’t match a contact field or custom field, a warning at the top of Content names it and says it will send as empty text. It doesn’t block the send.

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Placeholders in templates

In a template, every tag you use has to be declared as a placeholder. There are two kinds: A fill-once placeholder can have a Label, a Default value, and a Required switch. A required one must have a value, typed in or from its default, before the template can be applied. A contact-field placeholder’s key must match a built-in tag or one of your custom fields. The built-in tags can’t be fill-once: if you type one as the key, the kind switches to Contact field.

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Declare a placeholder where you’re writing

1

Open the menu

In any field of a template, open Insert variable and select New placeholder.
2

Describe it

In New placeholder, enter the Key, choose the Kind, and add a Label and, for a fill-once placeholder, a Default value.
3

Add it

Select Add placeholder. It’s declared for every channel in the template and inserted where your cursor was.
You can also manage placeholders in the Placeholders panel: Add a new one, or edit or remove one from its row. If you rename a placeholder that’s already in the copy, the dialog warns that those tags will be undeclared until you update them. If you type a tag you haven’t declared, Before you save shows it as used in the copy but not declared, with a Declare button. Brudcast won’t save a template that uses undeclared tags.

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Key rules

Keys can be up to 64 characters.

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Merge tags and AI

When AI rewrites or translates copy, it has to return exactly the tags the original had. A rewrite that drops, adds or renames a tag is thrown away and your original stays, because a broken tag doesn’t fail loudly: it sends as empty text. In a template, AI only uses the placeholders you’ve declared. See Draft with AI.

Create a campaign

Put your personalized copy in front of an audience and send it.

Templates

Fill placeholders in when you apply a template.

Custom fields

Create the fields your tags read from.

Run a migration

How tags from other providers are converted.