What is a fallback value in variable mapping?

What is a fallback value in variable mapping?

A fallback value is a default placeholder text used when a variable has no data in your uploaded file. It ensures every recipient receives a coherent message, even with missing personalizations.


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✅ Why Use a Fallback?

  • Prevents messages from failing when data is missing
  • Keeps tone professional and user-friendly
  • Maintains campaign continuity without delays
  • Protects template approval by avoiding broken personalization

📊 Before / After Example

Template:
Hi , your order of ₹will be delivered on .

Scenario

Message Output

Result

Without Fallback

Hi , your order of ₹1499 will be delivered on 25 July 2025.

❌ Awkward, broken message

With Fallback (“Customer”)

Hi Customer, your order of ₹1499 will be delivered on 25 July 2025.

✅ Clean, professional output

🛠️ Where to Set Fallback Values

  1. Upload your contact list during campaign setup.
  2. On the Variable Mapping screen, locate each placeholder (e.g., , ).
  3. Next to each variable, enter a Fallback Value (e.g., Customer, N/A, TBD).
  4. Click Preview to validate how the message will render.

📸 In the preview pane, you’ll see real-time substitution with fallbacks applied.

⚠️ Edge Cases & Solutions

Issue

Impact

Recommended Action

No fallback + missing data

Message may fail or look broken

Always define a fallback

Fallback too long

May truncate or cause template rejection

Keep ≤ 25 characters

Unsupported fallback types

Media or rich content not allowed

Use plain text only

Visual mismatch

Layout may look off in preview

Test with sample data & preview

🧠 Pro Tips

  • Use neutral fallbacks like “Customer” or “there” for universal readability.
  • Preview with missing data rows to confirm tone and formatting.
  • Keep fallbacks policy-compliant (no promotional text inside Utility templates).
  • Save your most-used fallbacks for reuse across campaigns.

📎 Related Resources

✅ Summary: Fallback values safeguard your campaigns against missing data. Set them in the variable mapping step, keep them concise, and always preview before launch.

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