Email merge tags
How to use merge tags to insert each contact's name, your organization details, and the unsubscribe link into every email automatically.
On this page
A merge tag is a placeholder you type into your email subject line or body. When the email sends, OrganizeOS replaces each placeholder with the actual value for that recipient. The contact whose first name is "Maria" sees "Hi Maria," while every other contact sees their own name, all from the same email you wrote once.
Merge tags work in email campaigns.
Available tags
| Tag | What it inserts | Fallback when the value is missing |
|---|---|---|
{{first_name}} | Contact's first name | there |
{{last_name}} | Contact's last name | (blank) |
{{full_name}} | Contact's full name | Contact's first name, or there if neither is set |
{{email}} | Contact's email address | (always present) |
{{organization.name}} | Your organization's name | (always present) |
{{organization.slug}} | Your organization's URL slug | (always present) |
{{unsubscribe_url}} | The one-click unsubscribe link | (always present) |
To use a tag, type it exactly as shown, curly braces included, anywhere in your subject line or email body.
Fallbacks keep your email readable
If a contact's first name is missing, {{first_name}} renders as there, so
"Hi {{first_name}}," becomes "Hi there," rather than "Hi ," with a gap. The
fallback for {{full_name}} follows the same logic: it tries the contact's full
name, then their first name, then falls back to there. For {{last_name}}, the
fallback is a blank string, so leave a natural space before it only if you are
confident your list is complete.
Any tag that is not on the list above renders as a blank string. OrganizeOS does not leave unknown tags as raw text in the sent email.
The unsubscribe link
Every campaign includes an unsubscribe mechanism. You can place
{{unsubscribe_url}} yourself in your email body to control where the link
appears. Opt-outs are honored immediately and suppress that contact from future
campaign sends.
Tips for using tags well
- Use
{{first_name}}in the subject line to lift open rates, but check that your contact list has first names filled in for most recipients before sending. - Use
{{organization.name}}in footers or legal copy so the text stays accurate if your display name ever changes. - Send a test to yourself before every campaign to confirm the tags resolve as expected. Anything that renders blank in the test means the value is missing from that contact's record.
Why this matters
When people receive an email that addresses them by name and comes from an organization they recognize, they are more likely to open it, read it, and act on it. Merge tags let you write one message that still feels personal to every contact on your list, without drafting individual emails. For high-stakes sends like volunteer mobilizations, donation asks, or event invites, that small signal of familiarity can meaningfully lift your response rate. Keeping your contact records complete, especially first names, is the single most direct way to get the most out of this feature.