Template Variables

Templates support variable substitution using double curly braces {{variable_name}}. Variables are replaced at send time with values from the provided data object.

Built-in Variables

These variables are automatically available in all templates without explicit declaration:

Custom Variables

Pass custom variables via the variables parameter in SEND TEMPLATE:

WITH vars
    .name = "John"
    .company = "Acme Corp"
    .product = "Pro Plan"
    .discount = "20%"
END WITH

SEND TEMPLATE "welcome", "email", "john@example.com", vars

The template content would reference these variables:

Hello {{name}},

Welcome to {{company}}! You've signed up for {{product}}.

As a special offer, use code WELCOME for {{discount}} off your first purchase.

Best regards,
The Team

Channel-Specific Templates

Email Templates

Email templates support automatic Subject: line extraction. Place the subject on the first line:

Subject: Welcome to {{company}}, {{name}}!

Hello {{name}},

Thank you for joining us...

The system extracts the subject line and uses the remainder as the body.

WhatsApp Templates

WhatsApp templates must be pre-approved by Meta. Use numbered placeholders as required by the WhatsApp Business API:

Hello {{1}}, your order {{2}} has shipped. Track at {{3}}

Map variables using numeric keys:

WITH vars
    .1 = customer_name
    .2 = order_id
    .3 = tracking_url
END WITH

SEND TEMPLATE "order-shipped", "whatsapp", phone, vars

SMS Templates

Keep SMS templates under 160 characters for single-segment delivery:

Hi {{name}}, your code is {{code}}. Valid for 10 minutes.

Template Examples

Welcome Email

Subject: Welcome to {{company}}!

Hi {{name}},

Thanks for signing up on {{date}}. Here's what you can do next:

1. Complete your profile
2. Explore our features
3. Join our community

Questions? Reply to this email.

Best,
{{company}} Team

Order Confirmation

Subject: Order #{{order_id}} Confirmed

Hi {{name}},

Your order has been confirmed!

Order: #{{order_id}}
Date: {{date}}
Total: {{total}}

Items:
{{items}}

Shipping to:
{{address}}

Track your order: {{tracking_url}}

Appointment Reminder

Subject: Reminder: {{appointment_type}} tomorrow

Hi {{name}},

This is a reminder of your upcoming appointment:

Date: {{appointment_date}}
Time: {{appointment_time}}
Location: {{location}}

Need to reschedule? Reply to this email or call {{phone}}.

See you soon!

Creating Templates

Via BASIC

CREATE TEMPLATE "welcome", "email", "Welcome {{name}}!", "Hello {{name}}, thank you for joining {{company}}!"

Retrieving Templates

template = GET TEMPLATE "welcome"
TALK "Template body: " + template.body

Variable Extraction

Variables are automatically extracted from template content when the template is created. The system identifies all {{variable}} patterns and stores them for validation. Built-in variables (recipient, date, time, etc.) are excluded from the extraction.

Fallback Values

Handle missing variables using NVL in your code:

WITH vars
    .name = NVL(user_name, "Friend")
    .company = NVL(user_company, "your organization")
END WITH

SEND TEMPLATE "greeting", "email", email, vars

Multi-Channel Delivery

Send the same template to multiple channels in one call:

WITH vars
    .name = "John"
    .message = "Your appointment is confirmed"
END WITH

SEND TEMPLATE "appointment-confirm", "email,sms,whatsapp", recipient, vars

Or send channel-specific versions:

SEND TEMPLATE "appointment-email", "email", email, vars
SEND TEMPLATE "appointment-sms", "sms", phone, vars

Bulk Sending

Send templates to multiple recipients:

recipients = ["a@example.com", "b@example.com", "c@example.com"]
count = SEND TEMPLATE "newsletter" TO "email" recipients, #{month: "January"}
TALK "Sent to " + count + " recipients"

Best Practices

Keep variable names simple. Use name rather than customer_first_name_from_database. Shorter names are easier to maintain.

Provide fallbacks. Always handle the case where a variable might be missing or empty.

Test templates. Verify all variables populate correctly before deploying to production.

Respect channel limits. SMS has a 160-character single-segment limit. WhatsApp templates require Meta approval.

Personalize thoughtfully. Using {{name}} improves engagement, but avoid over-personalization that feels intrusive.

Include unsubscribe options. Marketing emails should always provide an unsubscribe mechanism.

Database Storage

Templates are stored in the message_templates table:

See Also

• SEND TEMPLATE Keyword - Full keyword reference
• SET SCHEDULE - Scheduled template delivery
• Universal Messaging - Multi-channel patterns