Merge Fields

Merge fields allow you to pre-fill documents with dynamic content, perfect for personalized documents, form filling, and mail merge campaigns.

What Are Merge Fields?

Merge fields are special fields that can be pre-filled with data:

Key Features:

• Pre-filled with data before signing
• Can be filled from CSV (campaigns) or manually (single documents)
• Read-only for signers (cannot edit)
• Named with labels for easy identification
• Support multiple data types

Benefits:

• ✅ Save time (no manual data entry)
• ✅ Reduce errors (data from source)
• ✅ Personalize documents at scale
• ✅ Consistent formatting
• ✅ Perfect for mail merge

Merge Field Types

SignNXT supports various merge field types:

Text Fields

merge_text - Multi-line text

• Student names
• Addresses
• Descriptions
• Comments

merge_textarea - Large text areas

• Long descriptions
• Terms and conditions
• Notes

Number Fields

merge_number - Numeric values

• Amounts
• Quantities
• Scores
• IDs

Date Fields

merge_date - Date values

• Birth dates
• Start dates
• Expiry dates
• Event dates

Format: Displayed in UK format (22 Nov 2025)

Contact Fields

merge_email - Email addresses

• Contact emails
• Notification emails
• Reply-to addresses

merge_phone - Phone numbers

• Contact numbers
• Emergency contacts
• Business phones

merge_url - Website URLs

• Company websites
• Social media links
• Reference links

Selection Fields

merge_checkbox - Checkboxes

• Yes/No options
• Consent checkboxes
• Feature selections
• Pre-checked options

merge_dropdown - Dropdown selections

• Pre-selected options
• Category selections
• Status values

Creating Merge Fields in Templates

Using Merge Fields in Single Documents

When you use a template with merge fields for a single document:

Using Merge Fields in Campaigns

For mail merge campaigns, merge fields are filled from CSV:

StudentName,Amount,StartDate,Email
John Smith,1500,2025-01-15,john@example.com
Jane Doe,2000,2025-01-20,jane@example.com
Bob Johnson,1800,2025-01-18,bob@example.com

Merge Field Examples

Example 1: Student Enrollment Form

Merge Fields:

• StudentName (merge_text)
• DateOfBirth (merge_date)
• ParentEmail (merge_email)
• ParentPhone (merge_phone)
• Grade (merge_number)
• HasAllergies (merge_checkbox)

CSV:

StudentName,DateOfBirth,ParentEmail,ParentPhone,Grade,HasAllergies
John Smith,2010-05-15,parent@example.com,555-1234,5,Yes

Example 2: Invoice

Merge Fields:

• ClientName (merge_text)
• InvoiceNumber (merge_number)
• InvoiceDate (merge_date)
• Amount (merge_number)
• DueDate (merge_date)
• ClientEmail (merge_email)

CSV:

ClientName,InvoiceNumber,InvoiceDate,Amount,DueDate,ClientEmail
Acme Corp,1001,2025-01-15,5000,2025-02-15,billing@acme.com

Example 3: Employee Onboarding

Merge Fields:

• EmployeeName (merge_text)
• Position (merge_text)
• StartDate (merge_date)
• Salary (merge_number)
• Department (merge_text)
• EmployeeEmail (merge_email)

CSV:

EmployeeName,Position,StartDate,Salary,Department,EmployeeEmail
Jane Doe,Developer,2025-02-01,75000,Engineering,jane@company.com

Best Practices

Field Labels

Good Labels:

• ✅ StudentName (clear, no spaces)
• ✅ InvoiceAmount (descriptive)
• ✅ StartDate (specific)
• ✅ ParentEmail (context)

Bad Labels:

• ❌ Name (too generic)
• ❌ Field1 (not descriptive)
• ❌ Student Name (has space)
• ❌ email (not specific)

CSV Preparation

Best Practices:

• ✅ Column names match field labels exactly
• ✅ Consistent date format (YYYY-MM-DD)
• ✅ No empty required fields
• ✅ Valid email addresses
• ✅ Clean data (no extra spaces)

Common Mistakes:

• ❌ Mismatched column names
• ❌ Inconsistent date formats
• ❌ Missing required data
• ❌ Invalid email formats
• ❌ Extra commas in data

Field Sizing

Tips:

• Use sample values to size fields correctly
• Allow extra space for longer values
• Test with longest expected value
• Consider font size
• Check on different screen sizes

Data Validation

Before Sending:

• Preview first document in campaign
• Check all merge fields filled correctly
• Verify formatting (dates, numbers)
• Test with sample data first
• Review for errors

Troubleshooting

"Merge fields not showing in role mapping"

Possible Cause: Template doesn't have merge fields.

Solution:

1. Edit template
2. Add merge field types (not regular fields)
3. Assign field labels
4. Save template

"CSV columns not mapping to fields"

Possible Cause: Column names don't match field labels.

Solution:

1. Check field labels in template
2. Update CSV column names to match exactly
3. Case-sensitive matching
4. No spaces in labels

"Merge field values not appearing"

Possible Cause: Empty CSV cells or mapping error.

Solution:

1. Check CSV has values in all required columns
2. Verify column mapping in campaign
3. Check for extra spaces in CSV
4. Ensure CSV is UTF-8 encoded

"Date format looks wrong"

Possible Cause: CSV date format not recognized.

Solution:

1. Use YYYY-MM-DD format in CSV
2. Example: 2025-01-15
3. Avoid formats like 01/15/2025
4. SignNXT displays as "15 Jan 2025"

Frequently Asked Questions

Can signers edit merge fields?

No, merge fields are read-only for signers. They can see the pre-filled values but cannot change them.

What's the difference between merge fields and regular fields?

Regular fields are empty and signers fill them in. Merge fields are pre-filled with data and read-only.

Can I use merge fields without campaigns?

Yes! You can manually enter merge field values when using a template for a single document.

How many merge fields can I have?

No limit, but keep it reasonable for usability. Most templates have 5-20 merge fields.

Can I mix merge fields and regular fields?

Yes! Templates can have both merge fields (pre-filled) and regular fields (signer fills).

What if CSV has more columns than fields?

Extra CSV columns are ignored. Only mapped columns are used.

Can I update merge field values after sending?

No, merge field values are locked when the document is created. You'd need to void and resend.

Do merge fields work with sequential signing?

Yes! Merge fields are pre-filled regardless of signing order.

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