Merge fields let you insert contact, form and transaction details into the emails and text messages an automation sends, so each message is personalised. In an email or text message action, type @ to see the merge field values you can insert. Which values are available depends on the trigger that started the journey — not every field is available in every automation.
The key rule: availability depends on the trigger
- The merge field values you can insert into a Send an email or Send a text message action are determined by the initial trigger.
- Not all custom fields are available in every automation journey.
- If a field you expect isn't listed when composing a message, it is most likely not available for the trigger you chose.
Form-based triggers
When the trigger is Form submitted, the form's answers become available as merge field values, so you can echo what the contact submitted back to them or to an internal team.
Transaction details (Transaction block)
When the trigger is a Form submitted on a form that contains a Transaction block (for example, a donation or payment form), transaction-related merge field values become available for receipts, such as:
- Total Amount
- Payment Method
- Transaction ID
- Receipt ID
Insert these into the email to produce a front-end receipt that the contact receives after paying. (The exact set of transaction merge fields can vary with how the form and account are configured.)
Receipt-triggered automations
When the trigger is Receipt, receipt-specific merge field values become available in email and text message actions (for example, receipt status, total amount, payment method and line details). See the receipt-triggered automations guide.
Why a field might be missing
- The field is not associated with the trigger's context (a different record type or unrelated form).
- The custom field referenced was changed or deleted after the automation was built.
- A form question was altered after the automation was built, so its merge value no longer resolves.
- An email template was cloned but its merge field values were not adjusted to the new automation's context.
Why this matters for publishing
Invalid or unavailable merge field values are one of the most common reasons an automation fails to publish. If publishing fails, review every trigger and action and check the merge field values used in each email and text message. See the save vs publish guide and the limitations and best practice guide.