Leads Personalization Guide

Use placeholders (like --first_name--) to personalize your SMS when sending to a saved lead list.

Go to SMS → Send

Quick start

  1. Open SMS → Send.
  2. Choose your lead list from the dropdown (instead of “Manual/Paste”).
  3. Write your message using placeholders below.
  4. Click Send. We merge per-lead before submitting.

Supported placeholders

Placeholders are lowercase snake_case wrapped with double dashes:

PlaceholderMeaningNotes
--first_name--Lead’s first namee.g., “Maria”
--last_name--Lead’s last namee.g., “Lopez”
--company_name--Company / OrgOptional
--address--Street addressOptional
--city--CityOptional
--state--State / RegionOptional
--zipcode--ZIP / PostalOptional
--email--EmailOptional
--phone_number--Lead’s phoneDigits-only preferred
--misc1--Custom field 1Optional
--misc2--Custom field 2Optional

These map to your lead list columns.

Make sure the column names in your list match exactly.

Examples

Simple greeting

Hi --first_name--, quick question about your recent inquiry.

If first_name = “Alex” →

Hi Alex, quick question about your recent inquiry.

Using company name

--first_name--, this is Celerity from MyFreeText. Is --company_name-- still using the 305 line?

If company_name = “Sunshine Dental” →

Alex, this is Celerity from MyFreeText. Is Sunshine Dental still using the 305 line?

Where do I put placeholders?

  • Type placeholders in the message body on SMS → Send.
  • They work when a saved lead list is selected (not “Manual/Paste”).
  • Multiple placeholders are fine: Hi --first_name-- (--city--)

What if a field is missing?

If a placeholder is empty for a specific lead, we substitute an empty string.

  • Write messages that still read well without the field. Example: Hi --first_name--, might render as Hi ,. For lists with many blanks, consider “Hi there,”.
  • Punctuation: “Hi --first_name--!” often reads better than comma versions when names are missing.

List selection & sending

  1. Pick your list from the dropdown on /sms/index.php.
  2. The To Number(s) box hides automatically when a list is selected.
  3. We check your balance against list size before sending; if low, you’ll be prompted to recharge.

Lead fields & formatting

  • Phone numbers: store as digits only (e.g., 17865551234).
  • Names: store capitalized values for polished messages.
  • Custom data: use misc1 / misc2 for extra merge tokens.

Test before you blast

  1. Create a small test list including your own number.
  2. Send your templated message and review how it renders on-device.
  3. Check for extra spaces/punctuation caused by empty fields.

FAQ

Do placeholders work with Manual/Paste?
No. Placeholders are replaced only when a saved lead list is selected.
Can I add more custom fields?
Yes — use misc1 and misc2 columns in your list. Ask support if you need additional columns.
What if my column names differ?
Rename your CSV or list columns to match the placeholders (e.g., first_name, city). The names must match exactly.

Need help formatting a list or testing a template?

Contact support and include a sample row (no sensitive data).