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Instead of hardcoding values, you can use placeholders that AutoSend replaces with actual data when sending the email via API. For example: 
Hi {{firstName}}, your order {{order_id}} has been shipped!
When the email is sent, it becomes: 
Hi Robert, your order #2341 has been shipped!
Variables make your emails more personalized, relevant, and engaging, all without manually editing each message.

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How Variables Work

When you send a transactional email through the AutoSend Email API, you can include variables as key-value pairs in your request payload. AutoSend automatically replaces these placeholders with their corresponding values in the email template before delivery.

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Example API Payload:

{
  "to": "[email protected]",
  "template_id": "welcome_email",
  "variables": {
    "name": "Robert,
    "login_link": "https://app.autosend.io/login"
  }
}

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Example Template:

Hi {{firstName}},

Welcome to AutoSend! You can log in to your account using the link below:
{{login_link}}

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Resulting Email:

Hi Robert,

Welcome to AutoSend! You can log in to your account using the link below:
https://app.autosend.io/login

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Supported Variable Syntax

AutoSend uses double curly braces {{variable_name}} to identify variables inside email templates.
Variable names can include letters, numbers, and underscores, but must start with a letter (e.g., {{first_name}}, {{orderTotal}}).

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Using Variables in Email Templates

You can use variables anywhere in the email:
  • Subject line
  • Body text
  • Button URLs
  • Links or call-to-actions
Example: 
Subject: Welcome, {{first_name}}!

Body:
Hi {{first_name}},
Your account was created on {{signup_date}}.
Click below to verify your email:
{{verification_link}}

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Default and Custom Variables

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Default Variables

Some system-level variables are automatically available when sending emails through AutoSend. For example:
  • {{email}} — recipient’s email address
  • {{date}} — current date

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Custom Variables

You can define your own custom variables when sending emails via the API. These can be anything specific to your workflow. Eg. {{order_id}}, {{invoice_amount}}, or {{reset_link}}.

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Using Dynamic Variables with Conditions

You can use simple if/else logic in your email templates to handle missing data. For example, if a user doesn’t have a firstName, you can fall back to a default like “there”. 
Hello {{#if firstName}}{{firstName}}{{else}}there{{/if}}!

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What this does:

  • If firstName exists → Hello Akash!
  • If it’s missing/empty → Hello there!
This works for any variable in AutoSend, just wrap it with {{#if}}{{else}}{{/if}} to make your messages feel natural even when some data is unavailable.

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Best Practices

  • Always test your templates before sending live emails to ensure variables are replaced correctly.
  • Provide fallback values in your system in case a variable is missing (e.g., “Hi there” if {{name}} is not provided).
  • Keep variable names descriptive for better clarity and maintainability.

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Troubleshooting

  • Check that your variable name in the API payload exactly matches the placeholder in your template.
  • Ensure that the variable is passed under the "variables" object in your API request.
  • Preview the email in your AutoSend dashboard to confirm the replacement works as expected.