Merge tags in Dapple are dynamic placeholders like /CreatorFirstName or /OrganisationName that fill with the right information when a message is sent. Type / in the message editor or template editor to bring up the picker and choose a tag. Use them to personalise messages to creators at scale — write one template that greets every creator by first name, dates itself correctly, and signs off with your own name and organisation. Dapple has 13 merge tags covering the creator, you, your organisation, and the current date and time.
Why use merge tags?
Personalisation at scale — greet every creator by first name in the subject line and body, not 'Hello there' or 'Dear Applicant'.
Efficiency — write a template once, reuse it across every project and round.
Accuracy — Dapple inserts the correct value automatically; no typos, no copy/paste errors.
Consistency — your organisation name, logo and signature stay uniform across every message, whoever on the team sends it.
Which merge tags are available?
Dapple has 13 merge tags. They fall into four groups: the creator you're messaging, you (the sender), your organisation, and the current date and time.
Merge tag | What it inserts | Example |
/CreatorName | The creator's full name | Priya Sharma |
/CreatorFirstName | The creator's first name | Priya |
/CreatorLastName | The creator's last name | Sharma |
/CreatorEmail | The creator's email address | |
/MyName | Your full name (the user sending the message) | Sam Okafor |
/MyFirstName | Your first name | Sam |
/MyLastName | Your last name | Okafor |
/MyEmail | Your email address | |
/OrganisationName | Your organisation's name (from Settings → Organisation) | Riverside Arts Trust |
/OrganisationLogo | Your organisation's logo (from Settings → Organisation) | (logo image) |
/CurrentDate | Today's date | 8 September 2026 |
/CurrentTime | The current time | 14:32 |
/CurrentDateTime | Today's date and the current time together | 8 September 2026, 14:32 |
Note: the merge tag list grows over time. Open the message editor and type / to see the latest set — anything in the dropdown is available.
How do I greet a creator by their first name?
Use /CreatorFirstName in your greeting. 'Hi /CreatorFirstName,' becomes 'Hi Priya,' when the message is sent. Dapple takes the name from the creator's account, so you never need to look it up or type it yourself.
A first-name greeting reads like a message from a person, not a mail merge. It's the single biggest change you can make to a template to make bulk messages feel personal. Pick the name tag that matches the tone of the message:
Use this tag | When | Example |
/CreatorFirstName | Greetings, informal updates, reminders, most day-to-day messages | Hi Priya, thanks for submitting to the Open Call. |
/CreatorName | Formal or official messages — award confirmations, certificates, anything that might be printed or forwarded | This confirms that Priya Sharma has been shortlisted. |
/CreatorLastName | Formal salutations where you address people by surname | Dear Ms Sharma — pair with a title in your copy. |
The same split applies to your own name: /MyFirstName for a friendly sign-off ('Best, Sam'), /MyName for a formal one ('Sam Okafor, Programme Manager').
How do I use merge tags in a message?
Open the message editor — the Messages tab on a submission, or the bulk-message composer.
Place the cursor where you want the personalised value to appear.
Type / — a dropdown of available merge tags appears.
Click the tag you want (e.g. /CreatorFirstName).
The tag inserts. When you send, Dapple replaces it with the actual value for each recipient.
How do I use merge tags in a template?
Open Settings → Message Templates.
Create or edit a template.
Use merge tags anywhere — subject line, greeting, body, signature.
Save.
Any project that uses this template now sends personalised messages automatically. A template written once with /CreatorFirstName in the greeting and /MyFirstName in the sign-off works for every creator and every team member who sends it.
How do the date and time tags work?
The three date and time tags fill in the moment the message is sent — not when the template was written or scheduled. They're useful for timestamping confirmations and reminders.
Merge tag | Use it for |
/CurrentDate | Dated letters and confirmations — 'Your submission was received on /CurrentDate.' |
/CurrentTime | Messages where the time of day matters on its own. |
/CurrentDateTime | Full timestamps — receipts, audit-style confirmations, 'This message was sent on /CurrentDateTime.' |
Best practice
Default to /CreatorFirstName in greetings. Reserve /CreatorName for formal or printable messages.
Keep merge tag use intentional — don't pepper every line with placeholders. A greeting, a sign-off and one or two details in the body is usually enough.
Always test a template by sending it to yourself first. Confirm every tag resolves correctly before it goes to creators.
Set your organisation name and logo in Settings → Organisation before using /OrganisationName and /OrganisationLogo.
Use /MyFirstName in sign-offs so team-sent messages feel personal even when they're templated.
Use /CurrentDateTime on confirmations of receipt so the creator has a timestamp to refer back to.
Where to go next