# Variable Merge Fields & Personalization

Personalization is the key to **higher engagement** and **better response rates** in direct mail. Open Letter Connect’s **merge fields** let you customize each mailer with recipient-specific details, making your outreach feel personal at scale.

This section will guide you through **using merge fields**, **best practices**, and **formatting tips** for creating effective, personalized mailers.

### What Are Merge Fields?

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**Merge fields** are placeholders that automatically pull information from your contact list into your mailer.

For example:

* `{{first_name}}` will insert *John*
* `{{property_address}}` will insert *123 Main Street*

This makes each mail piece feel like it was **written specifically for the recipient**.

### Available Merge Fields

Here’s a full list of **standard merge fields** available for **all mailer formats**:

| **Category**        | **Fields**                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Contact Fields**  | First Name, Last Name, Full Name, Company Name, Mailing Address 1, Mailing Address 2, Mailing City, Mailing State, Mailing Zip Code, Contact Phone Number, Contact Email |
| **Property Fields** | Property Address, Property City, Property State, Property Zip Code, Property Offer, Property Written Offer                                                               |
| **Sender Fields**   | Sender First Name, Sender Last Name, Sender Company Name, Sender Phone Number, Sender Email, Sender Website                                                              |
| **Miscellaneous**   | Mailing Date, Custom Fields (unlimited user-defined fields)                                                                                                              |

> **Note:** Real Penned Letters **do not support QR codes** due to their handwritten format constraints.

### How to Insert Merge Fields

1. **Open the OLC template editor**.
2. Navigate to the **Merge Fields** panel on the right.
3. Click the field you want to insert (e.g., `First Name`).
4. The merge field appears in your text as a placeholder: `{{first_name}}`.

* When you send your mailer, OLC **automatically replaces these placeholders** with real data from your uploaded contact list.

### Formatting Tips for Merge Fields

* **Avoid special formatting (bold/italic) within merge fields:**\
  Currently, merged content **inherits the surrounding text style** but cannot be styled individually.
* **Characters supported in merge fields:**\
  Fields can handle common characters like **$ - ( )**. While most special characters (\*^%#}{]\[) are supported, it's best to **test these in proofs** for your specific design.
* **Always preview your mailer with sample data:**\
  Download a proof to ensure fields **populate correctly** (e.g., no blank names or misaligned addresses).

### Best Practices for Personalization

1. **Keep personalization simple and focused:**\
   Use **1-2 key fields** per mailer to keep the message natural.\
   Example:
   * “Hi {{first\_name}}, I’m interested in your property at {{property\_address}}.”
2. **Avoid overusing merge fields:**\
   Over-personalizing can make your message feel robotic. Focus on **making it conversational**.
3. **Plan for incomplete data:**\
   Since OLC currently **does not support fallback values**, only insert fields that you know are populated in your contact list.
4. **Use merge fields for relevance, not just names:**
   * Reference **property details** for real estate (e.g., *property address*).
   * Reference **offer amounts** for financial campaigns (e.g., *property\_offer*).


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