When you send texts to multiple students, including a merge field can make your message sound more personal. You can use merge fields in 1:1 and bulk texts as well as SMS templates.

Using Merge Fields in SMS Templates and 1:1 Texts

There are currently three merge fields you can use in an SMS template or 1:1 text:

A student's first name:

{{FirstName}}

A student's last name:

{{LastName}}

A student's full name:

{{Name}}

The college/university name under the "Most Recent College" field on a student's record:

{{Most_Recent_College__c}}

You can copy and paste these values into your SMS template or 1:1 text.

You must use the exact formatting seen above - if you accidentally include a space or only use one bracket, the system will not read it as a merge field and the text will appear exactly as written.

Using Merge Fields in Bulk SMS

When composing your bulk messages, you can use the Merge Fields function right in the Bulk SMS interface:

In the dropdown, you'll see quite a few options. Ignore the lead and opportunity merge fields and select from the contact fields:

If you're unsure what is considered the "First Name" and "Last Name" for a student, you can click the pencil icon next to the Name field on their record page; the editing sections will open up and you can see which values would be pulled into the merge fields.