Merge Tags Overview
Merge tags let you create reusable communications while still personalizing the final message for each recipient. A merge tag acts as a placeholder for information stored in DonorDock, such as a contact's name, gift details, organization information, custom fields, or other record data.
For example, a template might contain:
Hello
{{donor.first_name}},
When the communication is generated, DonorDock replaces the merge tag with the corresponding information from the recipient's record:
Hello Jane,
This lets you use the same template for many contacts without manually entering personalized information each time.
Adding a Merge Tag in the Template Editor
Merge tags can be inserted anywhere the Template Editor provides supported text editing, including Paragraphs, Headings, Buttons, and applicable Table cells.
Insert a Merge Tag from the Merge Tag Menu
Click inside the text where you want the personalized information to appear.
Place your cursor at the exact location where the merge tag should be inserted.
Select the Merge Tag dropdown from the text formatting toolbar.
Browse or search for the merge tag you want to use.
Select the merge tag.
The merge tag will be inserted at your cursor location.
Continue editing the surrounding text as needed.
The merge tag remains visible as a placeholder while you edit the template and is replaced with actual DonorDock data when the communication is generated.
For example:
Thank you, {{donor.first_name}}, for your gift of {{gift.received_amount | currency}}.
may generate as:
Thank you, Jane, for your gift of $50.00.
Search for a Merge Tag While Typing
You can also locate and insert a merge tag directly from the text area.
Click inside the text and place your cursor where the merge tag should appear.
Type an opening brace: {
Begin typing the merge tag you are looking for, such as name, to view all name-type merge tags
Matching merge tags will appear as you type.
Select the desired merge tag from the available results.
The complete merge tag will be inserted into the text.
This can be a faster option when you already know the name or category of the merge tag you want to use.
Merge Tag Categories
Merge tags fall into four primary categories based on where DonorDock stores the information the merge tag generates when the template is ultimately rendered.
Category | Information Used |
|---|---|
Donor | Pulls information from the Contact record, such as name, address, salutation, phone numbers, giving totals, membership information, and available Custom Fields. Donor merge tags generally begin with {{donor. |
Gift | Pulls information from the individual Gift record associated with the communication, such as gift amount, date, Campaign, Fund, Appeal, payment information, membership details, tribute information, or an individual pledged installment amount. Gift merge tags generally begin with {{gift. and are available in Transactional templates only. |
Organization | Pulls information from your DonorDock Organization Settings, such as organization name, address, phone number, website, receipt message, and receipt signature. Organization merge tags generally begin with {{organization. |
Pledge | Pulls information from the parent Pledge record, rather than an individual Gift installment. Pledge merge tags can provide information about the full pledge, such as the total pledged amount, remaining balance, amount received, number of payments received, or pledge start date. These tags use the Pledge information associated with the Gift, such as `{{gift.pledge.balance}} |
Gift vs. Pledge Merge Tags
Gift and Pledge merge tags can look similar, but they may pull information from different records.
A Gift merge tag returns information from the individual Gift record. For example:
{{gift.pledged_amount | currency}}
returns the pledged amount recorded for that individual Gift installment.
A Pledge merge tag returns information from the parent Pledge record. For example:
{{gift.pledge.balance | currency}}
returns the total remaining balance on the full Pledge, not just the amount associated with the individual installment Gift.
This distinction is especially important when creating Pledge reminders or other Transactional communications where you want to reference the donor's overall Pledge rather than a single gift installment.
Custom Field Merge Tags
Active Contact Custom Fields can also be used as merge tags. Custom Field merge tags are included with the available Donor and Gift merge tags and are listed alphabetically alongside other Donor and Gift Merge tags.
Additional Merge Tags
Several merge tags pull information from sources outside the primary Donor, Gift, and Organization categories.
Current Date
The Current Date merge tag generates the current date at the time the template is created or rendered. This can be useful for letters, acknowledgments, and other communications where the date should automatically reflect when the document is generated.
User Email Signature
The User Email Signature merge tag inserts the saved signature of the team member selected as the Send From user for an email.
The merge tag is: {{user.email_signature}}
This allows the same template to be used by multiple team members while automatically changing the signature based on who is sending the communication.
The User Email Signature is intended for Email communications and does not generate on Print templates.
Unsubscribe Link
Marketing emails automatically include the required unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email for easy opt-out. If you want the unsubscribe link elsewhere in the email instead of at the very bottom, use the Unsubscribe Link merge tag to insert it elsewhere in your template, and the unsubscribe link will generate there instead.
The merge tag is: {{unsubscribe}}
This merge tag generates only when used on a bulk Marketing outreach email communication. If this merge tag is included in a transactional template, it will not generate on the final output.
Add Merge Tags to a Microsoft Word Template
Print templates designed in Microsoft Word can also contain DonorDock merge tags. After a Word template has been created in DonorDock and the initial DOCX file has been uploaded, the merge tags available for that Template Type are displayed with the template information.
To add a merge tag:
Locate the merge tag you want to use in DonorDock.
Copy the complete merge tag.
Open the DOCX template in Microsoft Word.
Paste the merge tag into the location where the information should appear.
Save the updated Word document.
Return to DonorDock.
Select Upload New File.
Upload the revised DOCX file.
Select Test to review the generated template.
Keep the complete merge tag intact within the Word document so DonorDock can identify and replace it when the template is generated.
Use the Address Block Merge Tag in Word
Individual address merge tags act as separate placeholders within a Word document. If one of those fields is empty, such as Address 2, the space occupied by that placeholder may remain in the generated document.
For mailing addresses, Word templates include a specialized merge tag:
{{donor.address_block}}
This generates the Contact's complete address block while accounting for address fields that may be blank.
π‘ {{donor.address_block}} is designed specifically for Microsoft Word templates.
Add a Merge Tag to a Bulk Text
Select Donor merge tags are also available when creating Bulk Text messages through Outreach.
Navigate to Outreach > Texts > Bulk Texts.
Create a new Bulk Text or open an existing draft.
Click inside the message and place your cursor where the personalized information should appear.
Select the Donor dropdown above the message field.
Select the merge tag you want to insert.
The merge tag will be added at your cursor location.
The merge tags available for Bulk Texts are more limited than the full set available within Email and Print templates.
Use a Pledge Payment Link
Transactional templates can include a special Pledge payment link: {{gift.pledge_payment_link}}
When you include this merge tag in a communication associated with a Pledge, DonorDock generates a link the donor can use to make an online payment toward that specific Pledge.
A Gift created through the generated Pledge payment link is automatically connected to the applicable parent Pledge.
Plan for Missing Information
A merge tag can only populate information that exists on the applicable DonorDock record or within your Organization Settings.
When building a reusable template, consider what the finished communication will look like if a particular field is empty.
For example:
Dear
{{donor.salutation}},
depends on a Salutation being available for every Contact receiving the communication. If that information isn't consistently maintained, consider using a different merge tag or rewording the communication so an empty value doesn't create an awkward sentence.