CRM

How to Use Custom Fields & Merge Fields in Your CRM: The Full Guide

Charles Higgins

Charles Higgins

— 10 min read
Featured
Featured

We watched a thorough tutorial from a trusted creator and put together this practical, step-by-step guide to help you personalize every touchpoint in your marketing and operations. Merge fields (also called custom values or custom fields) are the simplest and most powerful way to make communications feel human, save time, and reduce manual work across emails, SMS, invoices, documents, websites, and automations.

In this guide we cover what merge fields are, where to create them, how to use them in real-life scenarios, and several ready-to-use workflows you can implement today. We’ll keep things practical and platform-neutral so you can apply these ideas inside the business software you use.

Table of Contents

Why merge fields matter

Merge fields are placeholders that automatically pull information from your CRM into messages, documents, pages, and automations. Instead of typing a name, company, or calendar link manually, you insert a placeholder like {{contact.first_name}} and the system replaces it with the real data when the message is sent.

Benefits:

  • Save time by automating personalization.
  • Improve conversion by using relatable, friendly messaging (people respond better to their name and context).
  • Reduce mistakes and repetitive edits—one change in the source field updates everywhere.
  • Standardize brand details (company address, colors, logos) so websites and documents look consistent.

Merge field categories and what they do

Most solutions organize merge fields into categories. Knowing what each category contains helps you pick the right placeholder for the right job.

Contact merge fields

These pull data from the contact record: first name, last name, full name, email, phone, company, address, city, state, postcode, and custom contact fields you’ve added. Use these everywhere you want the recipient’s personal data to appear.

User merge fields

Users are team members or staff inside your system. Use user merge fields to personalize signatures, display the booking consultant’s name, or show the staff member assigned to a task (example: {{user.email_signature}}).

Appointment and calendar merge fields

Appointment fields are perfect for calendar confirmations and reminders: date, time, timezone, meeting location (Zoom/Google Meet), reschedule link, and even the form responses collected during booking. Calendar-level fields include meeting owner, default timezone, and calendar name.

Message/campaign merge fields

These relate to marketing campaign data or message content. For example, if a contact wrote a message in a contact form, you can pull that message into an internal email to sales so the rep sees the exact notes the lead left.

Account and site-level merge fields

Account-level fields store company-wide data: company name, address, logo, terms, contact details, and even dynamic values like the current year. These are very useful for website footers and invoice headers where company details must remain consistent.

Attribution merge fields

If you run paid ads or use tracking links, attribution fields capture the first and latest campaign/source/medium/UTM data and click IDs. Use these to understand how leads found you and to pass campaign context into sales conversations.

Invoice and payment merge fields

Invoice fields can automatically populate invoice number, issue date, due date, line items, amounts, customer info, company info, last 4 card digits and card brand if payments are processed. This avoids manual invoice edits and helps keep records clean.

Where to create and manage custom fields

There are two main places you’ll typically create merge fields:

  • Global settings for custom fields/custom values—this is where you create values that apply across the platform (contacts, accounts, invoices).
  • Within forms—creating custom fields inside a form makes it easy to capture specific data at the point of entry (for a booking form, lead form, or support ticket).

Typical steps to create a custom value:

  1. Open Settings in your platform.
  2. Find the Custom Fields or Custom Values section.
  3. Click “New custom value” or similar.
  4. Name the field (example: “main_color” or “contact_first_name”) and set the object (contact, account, user, etc.).
  5. Copy the unique merge tag (the placeholder key) so you can paste it into templates, emails, pages, or documents.

Custom values for website styling

A smart use of custom values is to store brand colors and fonts. For example, create “main_color” and “secondary_color” custom values. When building a website template, use those keys to define heading and accent colors. When a client changes their hex code in the backend, the entire site updates instantly. This saves hours per site and makes template handoffs trivial.

How to use merge fields in pages, emails, SMS, documents, and automations

You can paste merge tags almost anywhere the editor supports dynamic content. The most common places:

  • Email subject lines and bodies
  • SMS messages (note: some channels like WhatsApp may use different placeholders)
  • Website pages and thank-you messages
  • Document and contract templates
  • Workflow and automation action names

General workflow for inserting a merge field:

  1. Open the template or editor you want to personalize (email, SMS, page, document).
  2. Click the merge field or custom values icon in the editor toolbar.
  3. Choose the category (contact, user, appointment, account, etc.).
  4. Select the specific field you want to insert.
  5. Test the output by sending a preview to yourself or using a test contact that has values filled in.

Example: Personalizing a Thank You page

We often see generic thank-you pages that feel impersonal. Fix that by adding the contact’s first name. Steps:

  1. Edit the form to include a name field if you don’t already ask for it (full name or first name).
  2. Open the thank-you page editor and select the text that says “Thank you for submitting your request.”
  3. Insert the contact first name merge field right after the sentence: “Thank you for submitting your request, {{contact.first_name}}!”
  4. Save and test by submitting the form with a test contact.

This small change increases trust and makes the experience feel tailored without extra work from your team.

Case studies and practical automations

Below are several real-world examples that we use and recommend. Each one is productive, easy to implement, and designed to save time while increasing conversion.

1. Affiliate onboarding workflow

Objective: Welcome affiliates, give them resources, and encourage recruitment.

Trigger: New affiliate created or a tag is applied to a contact denoting “affiliate.”

Actions:

  • Send a welcome email personalized with the recipient’s first name: “Hey {{contact.first_name}}, welcome to the program!”
  • Include the team member’s name in the signature using a user merge field: “Best, {{user.first_name}}”.
  • Send an SMS reminder the next day with key links and a calendar link for onboarding: “Ready for your onboarding? Book here: {{user.calendar_link}}”

Why it works: Personalization increases trust and the multi-channel nurture increases completion rates for onboarding funnels.

2. Appointment booking with pre-qualification

Objective: Qualify leads before a call so agents spend time only on high-value prospects.

Setup:

  1. Create a booking calendar and attach a form with custom fields (multi-line questions about obstacles, readiness, budget, etc.).
  2. On the calendar, ensure the form is enabled after time selection so the user completes pre-qualifying questions.
  3. Map form fields to contact custom fields so responses are saved directly on the contact’s profile.

Automation:

  • Trigger: Appointment booked for a specific calendar
  • Action: Create a note containing the form responses and attach it to the contact or to the meeting so the salesperson sees it before the call.
  • Action: Send a confirmation email that includes appointment date/time, timezone, meeting link, reschedule link and the rep’s name using merge fields.
  • Action: Send an SMS reminder 24 hours and 1 hour before the meeting with short personalized text.

Example email template lines:

  • Subject: “See you on {{appointment.start_date}} @ {{appointment.start_time}}, {{contact.first_name}}”
  • Body: “Hi {{contact.first_name}}, your session with {{appointment.user.first_name}} is confirmed for {{appointment.start_date}} {{appointment.start_time}}. Join here: {{appointment.location}}.”

3. Save form answers into contact notes

Objective: Give sales context by moving form responses directly into contact notes.

How to do it:

  1. Add custom fields to your form and tag them clearly (example: “main_obstacle”, “budget_range”).
  2. Create a workflow that triggers when a booking is made or when a form is submitted.
  3. Add an action to create a note on the contact with merge fields pulling each custom field: “Q1: {{contact.main_obstacle}} — Q2: {{contact.budget_range}}”.

Outcome: When a salesperson opens the contact, they immediately see the answers and can prepare better for the call.

4. Review and referral automation

Objective: Collect reviews after a service and ask for referrals from satisfied customers.

Setup:

  • Tag customers as “service_completed” or similar when a job finishes.
  • Trigger: Tag applied.
  • Condition: Has the customer left a review already?

Actions:

  • If no review: send a short, personalized review request with a simple call-to-action “Click here to leave a review.” This link can track clicks (trigger link) to record who clicked.
  • If yes: send a referral request asking if they have friends who would benefit from your services, offering simple incentives if you use them.

These messages can include merge fields for location name, owner name, and customer first name to keep the tone conversational and on-brand.

5. Documents and contracts with merged fields

Objective: Generate contracts and invoices automatically populated with client and company data.

How:

  1. Open your document template editor and place merge fields where needed (recipient name, company, billing address, dates, fees).
  2. When creating the document for a contact, the system automatically pulls the data into the template.
  3. Set recipients dynamically so signing parties are auto-filled with contact or user data.

Common fields to include: client full name, client company, start date, service description, price, billing address, and signature blocks.

Handling missing data: the fallback strategy

Sometimes a contact doesn’t have a first name saved. Sending “Hey ,” looks unprofessional. The solution is to build fallback values so messages remain friendly even when data is missing.

Example approach:

  1. Create a custom value called “fallback_first_name” and set it to a friendly neutral word like “there” or “friend.”
  2. Create a workflow with an If/Else condition that checks whether the contact first name is present.
  3. If yes: send the email with {{contact.first_name}}.
  4. If no: send the same email but replace the merge tag with {{fallback_first_name}}.

Result: Instead of “Hey ,” the email reads “Hey there,” which feels natural and avoids awkward blanks.

Testing and best practices

Always test with a number of different contact records before launching a campaign or automation:

  • Create test contacts with full data, partial data, and no data to confirm fallbacks work correctly.
  • Send test emails and SMS messages to team members to validate formatting and links.
  • Preview documents and export a PDF to ensure merge fields align properly and there are no typos.
  • Use readable naming conventions for custom fields (avoid spaces and special characters) so templates remain clear when editing later.

Practical tips to save time and reduce headaches

  • Standardize field names across your organization—this reduces confusion when creating templates and automations.
  • Use account-level fields for company information so you don’t have to edit multiple places when something changes (address, phone, logo).
  • Store brand colors and fonts as custom values to make site and theme changes instant and consistent.
  • Document what each custom field is used for in a shared team doc so new teammates understand why they exist.
  • Limit the number of custom values to what you actually use; too many unused fields create clutter.

Sample templates and snippet suggestions

Here are short templates you can copy into your emails or SMS, replacing merge placeholders with your platform’s syntax:

  • Email subject: “Appointment confirmed for {{appointment.start_date}}, {{contact.first_name}}”
  • Email body: “Hi {{contact.first_name}}, your session with {{appointment.user.first_name}} is scheduled for {{appointment.start_date}} {{appointment.start_time}}. Join here: {{appointment.location}}. If you need to reschedule, use this link: {{appointment.reschedule_link}}.”
  • SMS reminder: “Hi {{contact.first_name}}, reminder: your appointment is tomorrow at {{appointment.start_time}}. Details: {{appointment.location}}”
  • Support thank-you page: “Thanks for contacting us, {{contact.first_name}}! Our team will reply within 24 hours.”

Short testimonial

“Implementing merge fields across our booking and invoicing systems cut our admin time in half and made our client communications feel much more personal. The team loves it.” — a small-business owner

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Q: What’s the difference between a custom field and a merge field?

A: A custom field stores data on a contact, user, account, or another object. A merge field is the placeholder that pulls that stored data into emails, pages, documents, and automations. Think of the custom field as the storage and the merge field as the “connector” used in templates.

Q: Can we use merge fields in subject lines and SMS?

A: Yes. Merge fields work in subject lines and SMS messages in most platforms. Always test text length for SMS to avoid extra charges or truncation.

Q: How do we update a value across all pages and emails without editing each template?

A: Use account-level custom values for company-wide data (logo URL, address, brand colors). Update the value once in settings and it will reflect wherever that merge field is used.

Q: What happens if a field is empty when a message is sent?

A: If there’s no fallback in place, the message may show a blank space where the placeholder should be. Implement an If/Else condition in your workflow or use a fallback custom value to provide a friendly default (for example, “there” instead of a missing first name).

Q: Is it possible to capture form responses and send them to the salesperson assigned to a meeting?

A: Yes. Map form fields to contact custom fields when the form is submitted, then use a workflow that creates a note or sends an email to the assigned user containing the form answers. This gives the salesperson context before the call.

Q: Are there any merge fields that change automatically, like the current year?

A: Many platforms offer dynamic merge fields such as the current year or current date. Use these for footers and legal text so they always stay up to date without manual editing.

Final checklist before you launch

  1. Audit which custom fields you already have and remove unused ones.
  2. Standardize field naming conventions and document them.
  3. Create fallbacks for critical fields like first name and email.
  4. Test templates with multiple contact scenarios (full data, partial data, no data).
  5. Train your team on where to find field mappings and how to update account-level values (brand colors, logos).

Conclusion

Merge fields unlock personalized, scalable communications across marketing, support, and sales without adding extra work. By defining the right custom values, placing merge tags in emails, pages, SMS, and documents, and building a few simple automations, we save time, look more professional, and make each interaction more relevant to our customers.

Begin with the most impactful use cases: appointment confirmations, booking forms, invoices, and a couple of welcome or review automations. Then expand into site theming and full onboarding sequences. With the checklist, examples, and best practices in this guide, we can implement meaningful personalization in hours, not weeks.

Ready to start? Pick one workflow from this article, implement the merge fields and fallbacks, test with real contacts, and watch how much smoother your team’s day becomes.

Read more