Replacement Variables
What it is
Replacement variables are placeholders you type in your Message Template. At send time, thanks.io replaces each variable with the corresponding value for that recipient - so every piece feels personally written.
Variables always appear in %UPPER_CASE% format surrounded by percent signs.
Example
Hi %FIRST_NAME%,
Your neighbor on %STREET_ONLY% just got a new roof.
- %YOUR_FULL_NAME%
%YOUR_PHONE%
At send time: %FIRST_NAME% → "Sarah", %STREET_ONLY% → "Main Street" for a recipient at 123 Main Street, and %YOUR_FULL_NAME% and %YOUR_PHONE% pull from Branding Builder.
Full variable reference
Branding variables (from Branding Builder)
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%YOUR_FULL_NAME% | Your full name |
%YOUR_FIRST_NAME% | Your first name |
%YOUR_PHONE% | Your phone number |
%YOUR_COMPANY% | Your company name |
%YOUR_EMAIL% | Your email address |
Recipient name
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%FIRST_NAME% | Recipient's first name |
%LAST_NAME% | Recipient's last name |
%FULL_NAME% | Recipient's full name |
%NAME% | Alias for %FULL_NAME% |
Recipient address
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%ADDRESS% | Street address line 1 |
%STREET_ONLY% | Street name without the house number, such as Main Street for 123 Main Street |
%ADDRESS2% | Address line 2 |
%CITY% | City |
%STATE% | State or province |
%ZIP% | ZIP or postal code |
Recipient - other fields
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%COMPANY% | Recipient's company name |
%CUSTOM1%-%CUSTOM10% | Custom fields 1-10 from the recipient record |
%FIELD1%-%FIELD4% | Aliases for %CUSTOM1%-%CUSTOM4% |
Real estate / Absentee Owner
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%ABSENTEE_STREET% | The target/search address (Neighbor Blast and Absentee Owner Mode) |
Date
| Variable | What it inserts |
|---|---|
%CURRENT_DAY% | The current date when the mail piece is generated |
Tips & best practices
- Configure Branding Builder before using
%YOUR_*%variables. Empty fields render as blank text. - Use
%FIRST_NAME%at the start of the message for instant personalization. - Custom fields (
%CUSTOM1%-%CUSTOM10%) let you carry any CRM data - lead score, product name, agent name - into your mailer. - If a variable is missing for a recipient, it renders as empty. Preview with a real recipient before a large send.
Tilde format for QR codes and dynamic image templates
The %VARIABLE% format is for the message body text only. Two other fields use a different format - ~VARIABLE~ (tilde instead of percent signs):
- QR code URL field in a Message Template - for example,
https://yoursite.com/welcome?name=~FIRST_NAME~ - Dynamic Image Template fields - header, subheader, background image, overlay image, and QR code
Use ~STREET_ONLY~ in these fields when you want the recipient's street name without their house number.
See Dynamic QR URLs and Dynamic Images for full details and variable lists.
Limits & gotchas
- Standard recipient and branding variables are available on all tiers.
- Do not modify the
%delimiters or change casing inside the variable name -%first_name%will not resolve. %FIELD1%-%FIELD4%are interchangeable with%CUSTOM1%-%CUSTOM4%.%STREET_ONLY%usesyour streetwhen the recipient has no usable street name, such as for an empty address or PO box.