---
title: "Personalize outreach with field placeholders"
slug: "personalize-outreach-with-field-placeholders"
updated: 2026-10-11T12:48:46Z
published: 2026-10-11T12:48:46Z
canonical: "help.gong.io/personalize-outreach-with-field-placeholders"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gong.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Personalize outreach with field placeholders

> **Who can use this**: Any team member
> 
> **Available on**: Gong Engage
> 
> **Ideal for**: Sales rep, Sales manager

Field placeholders (previously called variables) automatically pull in personalized data, such as the recipient's name or your job title, from Gong or your CRM. Use them to personalize templates, blocks, and flows.

There are several types of placeholders:

- **System placeholders:** Built-in placeholders defined by Gong, such as the sender's first name or your scheduling link.
- **CRM field placeholders:** Placeholders based on CRM fields, created by admins. For details on configuring CRM fields as placeholders, see [Create field placeholders](/v1/docs/create-field-placeholders).
- **Manual placeholders:** Short text reminders for you to fill in, not system data. They use single curly brackets.
- **Custom placeholders:** Fields you or your team define in Gong.
- **Third-party placeholders:** Fields that come from integrations or other connected systems. Use them to pull in values from external tools or to edit flow instances through APIs.

All field placeholders use double curly brackets: `{{object.field_name}}`

For example:

- `{{opportunity.created_date}}`
- `{{sender.first_name}}`

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> You can use field placeholders in templates, blocks, and flows. You can't insert them directly in the email composer.

## System placeholders

Gong provides the following built-in system placeholders:

| Placeholder label | Description |
| --- | --- |
| Recipient first name | Displays the first names of the recipients in the "To" field. Displays up to three recipients by name (Sarah, John and Mike). For four or more recipients, displays only the first name of the first person in the "To" field. |
| Sender first name | Displays the first name of the person in the "From" field. |
| Meeting title | Displays the title of the meeting that triggered this email. |
| Meeting date | Displays the date of the meeting that triggered this email. When relevant, the date is preceded by "yesterday," "today," or "tomorrow." |
| Meeting hour | Displays the hour of the meeting that triggered this email, in AM/PM time format. |
| Recording link | Displays the link to the recording that triggered this email. |
| Email subject | Displays the subject of the email that triggered this email. |
| Recipient job title | Displays the job title of the person in the "To" field. |
| Recipient company name | Displays the company name of the person in the "To" field. |
| Primary scheduling link | Displays the sender's primary scheduling link, as set up by the sender in My Settings. |
| My scheduling link 2 My scheduling link 3 My scheduling link 4 My scheduling link 5 | Displays the sender's scheduling links, as set up by the sender in My Settings. |

## Insert a field placeholder

Insert field placeholders in the message body or in the subject line of a template, block, or flow email. Find templates and blocks under Assets > Content templates and Assets > Content blocks. Find flows under Engage > Flows.

**To insert a field placeholder in the message body:**

1. Open the template, block, or flow email step.
2. Click in the body where you want the placeholder to appear.
3. In the toolbar along the bottom, click **Add placeholders**.
4. Select the placeholder you want to insert.

**To insert a field placeholder in the subject line:**

1. Open the template or flow email step.
2. Click the subject field. The **Add placeholders** button appears.
3. Click **Add placeholders**.
4. Click **Field placeholder** to display the menu.
5. Select the placeholder you want to insert.

## Add a manual placeholder

Manual placeholders are short text reminders for human input, not system data. Unlike field placeholders, they don't pull data automatically. They appear in previews. Replace or delete them before sending, or Gong warns you.

Manual placeholders use single curly brackets, for example `{Add your text here}`. Write any label that makes sense, such as `{specific pain point}` or `{mutual connection}`.

## Add a conditional placeholder

Conditional placeholders say "if the specified condition is true, then use this language." With them, you tell the email composer how to proceed when a statement is true or false. For example, you can say "if there is no company name, then say ___."

**To add a conditional placeholder:**

1. Open the template, block, or flow email step.
2. Click in the body where you want the conditional statement to appear.
3. In the toolbar along the bottom, click **Add placeholders**.
4. Click the **Conditionals** tab.
5. Select the conditional statement.
6. Select a field placeholder for each part of the statement.
7. Add your free text between the blue tags.

For example, a statement can say: if there's a company name available, then say "I'd love to hear about the culture at [recipient company name]." If not, then say "Where are you working these days?"

## Add scheduling link placeholders

Add scheduling link placeholders to a template or flow email so that whenever a rep selects that template, their personal scheduling link populates automatically.

**To add a scheduling link placeholder:**

1. Open the template or flow email step.
2. Click in the body where you want the link to appear.
3. In the toolbar along the bottom, click **Add placeholders**.
4. Under the **Scheduling links** category, select the scheduling link placeholder you want.

Team members add their scheduling links in My Settings. To add yours, go to **My Settings** > **Emails** > **View and update scheduling links**.

## Hyperlink a field placeholder

You can hyperlink text with a field placeholder in templates, blocks, or flows in two ways.

**To hyperlink existing text:**

1. Open the template, block, or flow email step.
2. Highlight the text you want to hyperlink.
3. Click **Insert link**.
4. In the **Text** box, confirm the text you want to display.
5. In the **Link** box, enter the field placeholder, for example `{{sender.primary_scheduling_link}}`.

**To hyperlink a placeholder you insert directly:**

1. Open the template, block, or flow email step.
2. Insert the field placeholder, for example `{{sender.primary_scheduling_link}}`, directly into the body of the template.
3. Highlight the field placeholder.
4. Click **Insert link**.
5. In the **Text** box, confirm the text you want to display.
6. In the **Link** box, enter the field placeholder.

## Use field placeholders in URLs

You can embed field placeholders inside URLs. For example: `https://www.google.com/search?name={{recipient.first_name}}`

## Format dates and numbers

Use the `format_date` and `format_number` functions in field placeholders to control how values appear in your emails, without editing the original CRM field.

### format_date function

Use `format_date` to change how a date field is displayed. The default output is typically ISO format (`2025-07-08`), but you can make it more readable or conversational.

Format: `{{format_date object.field 'format_string'}}`

The following table shows common date formats, using July 8, 2025 as the example date:

| Format string | Output example (July 8, 2025) |
| --- | --- |
| `'MM/dd/YYYY'` | 07/08/2025 |
| `'dd/MM/YYYY'` | 08/07/2025 |
| `'MMMM d, YYYY'` | July 8, 2025 |
| `'d MMM YYYY'` | 8 Jul 2025 |
| `'MMM d'` | Jul 8 |
| `'dddd, MMMM d'` | Tuesday, July 8 |

Example usage: `{{format_date opportunity.close_date 'MMMM d, YYYY'}}` returns July 8, 2025.

When using `format_date`, match the uppercase and lowercase letters in the format strings exactly. These formatting strings are case-sensitive. For example, writing `mm` instead of `MM` returns minutes instead of months. The following table describes each format code:

| Format | Example output | Meaning | Case |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `d` | 2 | Day of week (0 to 6) | Lowercase |
| `dd` | Tu | Min day name | Lowercase |
| `ddd` | Tue | Short day name | Lowercase |
| `dddd` | Tuesday | Full day name | Lowercase |
| `M` | 10 | Month number | Uppercase |
| `MM` | 10 | Month number | Uppercase |
| `MMM` | Oct | Short month name | Uppercase |
| `MMMM` | October | Full month name | Uppercase |
| `YY` | 24 | 2-digit year | Uppercase |
| `YYYY` | 2024 | 4-digit year | Uppercase |

### format_number function

Use `format_number` to control how numeric fields appear. You can add commas, decimal points, or currency formatting.

Format: `{{format_number object.field 'format_string'}}`

The following table shows common number formats, using 1234567.89 as the example number:

| Format string | Output example (1234567.89) |
| --- | --- |
| `'0,0'` | 1,234,568 |
| `'0,0.00'` | 1,234,567.89 |
| `'$0,0'` | $1,234,568 |
| `'$0,0.00'` | $1,234,567.89 |
| `'0%'` | 123456789% |
| `'0.00%'` | 123456789.00% |

Example usage: `{{format_number opportunity.amount '$0,0.00'}}` returns $1,234,567.89.

## Show content on a specific day of the week

Use `{{#is_wednesday}}` to show content only when the current date is Wednesday. For example:

`{{#is_wednesday}}` `Hope your Wednesday's going well.` `{{/is_wednesday}}`

You can also apply this logic to any date field, such as the deal close date or a custom event date. For example:

`{{#is_wednesday opportunity.close_date}}` `Since your deal is closing this Wednesday, here's everything you need to know.` `{{/is_wednesday}}`

Use this to tailor your message to the day of the week of a specific event. Use these conditions:

- Current date is Wednesday: `{{#is_wednesday}}`
- Close date is Wednesday: `{{#is_wednesday opportunity.close_date}}`
- Meeting date is Wednesday: `{{#is_wednesday meeting.start_time}}`

## Use custom field placeholders

Custom sender field placeholders are available under the `{{sender.}}` object. Your tech admin defines the custom field placeholders for your company, and each team member then enters their own values.

**To set up your custom field placeholders:**

1. Go to **My Settings** > **Custom Field Placeholders** (under **Email**).
2. Enter the values for your custom placeholders.
3. Click **Save**.

## Preview field placeholders

Get a real-time preview of how your field placeholders look once sent.

**To preview field placeholders:**

1. Open the flow, template, or block.
2. Click the **Preview** icon.
3. Select a contact or lead.
4. Select an account.
5. Select a deal.

If you change the content while previewing, refresh the preview. If field placeholders aren't replaced with actual values, adjust your recipient, account, or deal selection. Manual placeholders (text between single curly brackets) appear in the preview, but Gong warns you if any remain when you send.

## Check placeholder errors

When you add field placeholders in Engage, they're validated automatically. The underline color shows the status:

- Purple underline: Valid placeholder.
- Red underline: Invalid placeholder.

An invalid placeholder has one of two types of errors:

- **Missing or deleted fields:** A field name is mistyped, or the field was removed from Gong or your CRM.
- **Syntax errors:** A curly bracket is missing, or a conditional statement such as if or else has an error.

If you see an error and aren't sure of the cause, check for invalid field placeholders inside hyperlink URLs. For more help, see [Troubleshoot engagement content issues](/v1/docs/troubleshoot-outreach-content-issues).

## Frequently asked questions

****What's the difference between a field placeholder and a manual placeholder?****

Field placeholders (double curly brackets) pull data automatically from your CRM or Gong. Manual placeholders (single curly brackets) are text reminders for the person sending the email to replace. If a placeholder is missing, or text between curly brackets remains when you send an email, Gong warns you before sending.

****Do I need to do anything for purple field placeholders?****

No. Field placeholders that appear in purple populate automatically, so the person working on the email doesn't need to do anything before sending. This is different from manual placeholders, which you replace before the email goes out.

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