---
title: "Personalization Placeholders"
slug: "personalization-tags-for-placeholders"
description: "Learn how personalization placeholders insert contact data into Mapp Engage messages: format, behavior when a value is missing, and an example."
status: "update"
updated: 2026-11-04T10:47:46Z
published: 2026-11-04T10:47:46Z
canonical: "docs.mapp.com/personalization-tags-for-placeholders"
---

> ## 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.

# Personalization Placeholders

## Introduction

Personalization placeholders insert contact-specific information into a message, for example the recipient's first name. During sendout, Mapp Engage replaces each placeholder with the value stored for the contact.

---

## Common Use Cases

- Insert an attribute value into the message text, for example the first name in a greeting.
- Insert contact-specific information into an HTML element, for example into a link address.
- Insert message, group, or system data, for example the subject or the group name. See [Placeholders for Message, Group, and System Data](/v1/docs/placeholders-for-message-group-and-system-data).
- Show one of two variants depending on a condition. See [Placeholders with Alternative Content](/v1/docs/alternative-content-personalization-placeholder).

---

## Structure of Personalization Placeholders

### Basic format

A placeholder starts with `<%` and ends with `%>`. Between them is the attribute reference in `${ }`:

```plaintext
<%${user['FirstName']}%>
```

For the notation of all attribute types, see [Attribute References](/v1/docs/attribute-references).

### Behavior at sendout

Mapp Engage replaces the placeholder with the value stored for the contact. If no value is stored, nothing is inserted, but the text around the placeholder stays. For a contact without a first name, `Dear &lt;%${user['FirstName']}%&gt;,` becomes `Dear ,`.

If a value can be missing, use a [placeholder with alternative content](/v1/docs/alternative-content-personalization-placeholder) or a personalization rule with fallback content. See [Personalization Rules](/v1/docs/personalization-rules-insertif-insertelse).

### Example: First name in a greeting

```plaintext
Dear <%${user['FirstName']}%>,
```

For a contact with the first name Anna, the message shows `Dear Anna,`.

---

## Inserting Placeholders into Messages

You can select most placeholders in the personalization expander during message creation. Placeholders for member attributes and custom attributes are entered manually. See [Message Creation: Personalization (HTML Email)](/v1/docs/personalization-wizard) and [Insert Personalizations into HTML Emails and SMS Messages](/v1/docs/insert-a-personalization).

## Related

- [Attribute References](/attribute-references.md)
- [Message Creation: Personalization (HTML Email)](/personalization-wizard.md)
- [Personalization Rules](/personalization-rules-insertif-insertelse.md)