---
title: "Placeholders for Message, Group, and System Data"
slug: "placeholders-for-message-group-and-system-data"
description: "Placeholders for message, group, and system data in Mapp Engage, with the recommended format and accepted aliases."
status: "update"
updated: 2026-11-04T13:49:15Z
published: 2026-11-04T13:49:15Z
canonical: "docs.mapp.com/placeholders-for-message-group-and-system-data"
---

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

# Placeholders for Message, Group, and System Data

## Introduction

These placeholders insert data about the message, the sendout group, and your Mapp Engage system. Except for the contact ID, the value is the same for all recipients of a sendout. For contact data, such as the first name, see [Attribute References](/v1/docs/attribute-references).

You type the placeholders directly into the message or into other fields that support placeholders, for example the file name of a contact export. The most common group placeholders are also available in the **Mapp Engage Variables** menu. For details, see [Mapp Engage Variables - Group Attributes](/v1/docs/mapp-engage-variables-group-attributes).

For some placeholders, Mapp Engage also accepts alternative formats, called aliases. Use the recommended format for new content. The aliases are listed so that you can recognize them in existing messages.

---

## Message Data

| Placeholder (recommended) | Description | Aliases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<%${message['ID']}%>` | Message ID. Mapp Engage creates it automatically during sendout. | `<%${message['PK']}%>`, `<%message.id%>`, `<%messageid%>`, `<%mid%>` |
| `<%${message['name']}%>` | Name of the message. The name identifies the message in Mapp Engage and is not visible to recipients. | `<%message_name%>` |
| `<%${message['Subject']}%>` | Subject line of the email message. |  |
| `<%${message['externalId']}%>` | External ID that you defined for the message. Use it, for example, in links to pass the ID to an external system. |  |
| `<%${message['Author']}%>` | First and last name of the Mapp Engage user who sends the message. |  |
| `<%${message['RecipientCount']}%>` | Number of message recipients. |  |
| `<%${message['Forwarded']}%>` | Indicates whether the message was forwarded (Boolean). |  |
| `<%${messagecategory['Name']}%>` | Name of the message category. |  |

---

## Group Data

The placeholders refer to the group in which the message is sent. For custom group attributes, use `group.CustomAttribute`. See [Attribute References](/v1/docs/attribute-references).

| Placeholder (recommended) | Description | Aliases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<%${group['Name']}%>` | Name of the group. | `<%group.Name%>`, `<%group_name%>`, `<%groupname%>`, `<%gname%>`, `<%list_name%>`, `<%listenname%>`, `<%gruppenname%>`, `<%nome_del_gruppo%>`, `<%nom du groupe%>`, `<%nombre de la lista%>` |
| `<%${group['ID']}%>` | ID of the group. Mapp Engage assigns the ID automatically when the group is created. | `<%gid%>`, `<%group.pk%>` |
| `<%${group['Email']}%>` | Email address of the group, as defined in the group settings. | `<%group_email%>`, `<%groupemail%>`, `<%gemail%>`, `<%list_email%>`, `<%listen-emailadresse%>`, `<%gruppenemail%>`, `<%email_del_gruppo%>`, `<%adresse email du groupe%>`, `<%email de la lista%>` |
| `<%${group['Description']}%>` | Description of the group, as defined in the group settings. | `<%group_description%>`, `<%groupdescription%>`, `<%description%>`, `<%grpdsc%>`, `<%list_description%>`, `<%beschreibung%>`, `<%descrizione_del_gruppo%>` |
| `<%${group['CategoryName']}%>` | Name of the group category. |  |
| `<%${group['catid']}%>` | ID of the group category. | `<%${group['categoryID']}%>`, `<%group.catid%>`, `<%catid%>`, `<%categoryid%>`, `<%grpcatid%>` |
| `<%${group['Language']}%>` | ISO language code of the group, for example `en` for English. | `<%group.language%>`, `<%group_language%>`, `<%group_Language%>`, `<%group_lang%>` |
| `<%${group['ISOCountryCode']}%>` | ISO country code of the group. | `<%group_country%>` |
| `<%${group['Maildomain']}%>` | Domain from which the email messages of the group are sent. |  |

---

## Group Category Data

| Placeholder (recommended) | Description | Aliases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<%${groupcategory['pk']}%>` | ID of the group category. Mapp Engage assigns the ID automatically when the category is created. | `<%groupcategory.pk%>`, `<%group_category_id%>` |
| `<%${groupcategory['label']}%>` | Name of the group category. | `<%groupcategory.label%>`, `<%group_category_label%>` |
| `<%${groupcategory['description']}%>` | Description of the group category. | `<%groupcategory.description%>`, `<%group_category_description%>` |

---

## System Data

| Placeholder (recommended) | Description | Aliases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<%${domain['webDomain']}%>` | Web domain of your Mapp Engage system, including `http` or `https`. | `<%domain.WebDomain%>` |
| `<%${domain['mailDomain']}%>` | Email domain from which your system sends email messages. |  |
| `<%${domain['Sysname']}%>` | Name of your Mapp Engage system. |  |
| `<%${domain['PK']}%>` | ID of your Mapp Engage system. The ID is assigned automatically when the system is created. |  |

---

## Other Placeholders

| Placeholder (recommended) | Description | Aliases |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `<%${user['PK']}%>` | ID of the contact. Mapp Engage assigns a unique ID to every contact. | `<%${user['ID']}%>`, `<%userid%>` |
| `<%system_message%>` | Marks the editable area in a template for system messages. See [Use Template for System Message](/v1/docs/use-template-for-system-message). |  |

---

## Related Topics

- [Attribute References](/v1/docs/attribute-references)
- [Personalization Placeholders](/v1/docs/personalization-tags-for-placeholders)
- [Mapp Engage Variables](/v1/docs/mapp-engage-variables)