Campaign Variables
Variables let you personalize outbound campaign content for each lead. You define a variable once, insert it in your campaign text as {{variableName}}, and Frontdesk fills in the right value for every contact when the campaign runs.
Opening Variable Management
- Open your outbound campaigns dashboard and select a campaign.
- Click Variables in the sidebar.
- The Variable Management page opens, showing how many variables the campaign has under Your Variables.
How variables work
Anywhere your campaign uses text (greetings, scripts, prompts), you can insert a variable with double curly braces:
Hi {{firstName}}, this is a reminder about your {{serviceType}} appointment.
When the campaign contacts a lead, each variable is replaced with that lead's value. Variables come in two kinds:
- Mandatory -- a value must be provided for every lead. There is no fallback.
- Optional -- if a lead has no value, the variable's Default Value is used instead.
Creating a variable
- Click Add Variable.
- In the Create New Variable modal, enter a Variable Name. Use a unique identifier without spaces (e.g.,
firstName,appointmentDate). - Leave This variable is mandatory checked if every lead must supply a value.
- If you uncheck it, a Default Value field appears. Enter the fallback text to use when a lead has no value. Optional variables require a default.
- Click Create Variable.
The variable is saved to the campaign immediately and is ready to use in your content.
Editing a variable
- Find the variable in the list and click its edit action.
- You can change whether it is mandatory and update the default value. The variable's name cannot be changed after creation.
- Click Update Variable.
Deleting a variable
Click the delete action on a variable. If the variable is not referenced anywhere, it is removed right away.
If the variable is currently used in campaign fields, a Variable in use dialog lists exactly which fields reference it and asks you to confirm. If you proceed, the variable is deleted and every {{variableName}} placeholder is removed from those fields automatically, so your campaign text never speaks a raw placeholder aloud.
Tips
- Name variables for readers --
appointmentDateis easier to spot in a script thanvar2. - Prefer optional variables with sensible defaults for data you don't always have. A default like "your upcoming appointment" keeps the sentence natural when the specific value is missing.
- Keep mandatory variables to true requirements -- every lead you enroll must have a value for each mandatory variable, so only mark a variable mandatory when the message makes no sense without it.
- Check before deleting -- read the "Variable in use" list carefully. Removing a placeholder can leave a sentence that needs rewording.