To address a creator by their first name, use the /CreatorFirstName merge tag in your greeting — type / in the message editor, select CreatorFirstName from the dropdown, and Dapple fills in the right name for each recipient when the message sends. 'Hi /CreatorFirstName,' becomes 'Hi Priya,' automatically. This works in one-off messages and in reusable message templates, so every creator gets a message that reads like it was written to them personally.
Why address creators by first name?
Feels personal — a first-name greeting reads like a message from a person, not a mail merge or a form letter.
Works at scale — write the greeting once in a template; it's correct for every creator on every project.
No manual lookup — Dapple takes the name from the creator's account, so there's no copying names in from a spreadsheet.
How do I insert the first-name tag?
Open the message editor — the Messages tab on a submission, the bulk-message composer, or Settings → Message Templates for a reusable template.
Place the cursor at the start of your greeting.
Type / — a dropdown of available merge tags appears.
Click CreatorFirstName (listed as 'The first name of the creator').
Finish the greeting and write the rest of the message as normal.
Send, or save as a template. Dapple replaces the tag with each creator's actual first name when the message goes out.
What does a first-name greeting look like?
A typical message pairs a first-name greeting with a first-name sign-off, so the whole message feels consistent:
What you write | What the creator sees |
Hi /CreatorFirstName, thanks for submitting to the Open Call. | Hi Priya, thanks for submitting to the Open Call. |
Best, /MyFirstName | Best, Sam |
Use /MyFirstName for your own sign-off to match the informal tone — see What Are Merge Tags in Dapple, and How Do I Use Them? for the full list of available tags.
When should I use the full name instead?
Reserve /CreatorFirstName for everyday messages — updates, reminders, informal notes. Switch to /CreatorName (the creator's full name) for anything formal or official:
Use /CreatorFirstName for… | Use /CreatorName for… |
Greetings and day-to-day messages | Award confirmations and certificates |
Reminders and status updates | Anything that might be printed or forwarded on |
Best practice
Put /CreatorFirstName in the greeting and /MyFirstName in the sign-off for a consistently informal tone throughout.
Test the template by sending it to yourself first, to confirm the name resolves correctly.
Don't mix /CreatorFirstName and /CreatorName in the same message — pick one and stay consistent.