What Are Merge Fields?
Merge fields are dynamic placeholders that automatically populate with data from your CRM, GetAccept account, or document metadata. Instead of manually typing the same information into every document, merge fields pull real-time data,like a recipient's name, company, or the document send date,and insert it automatically. This saves time, reduces errors, and ensures every document is personalized without extra work.
Merge fields appear as blue text in your Editor blocks, distinguishing them from regular static text. The blue color signals that the field is linked to a live data source and will update when that data changes.
How to Add a Merge Field
Merge fields can only be added to Editor blocks,not to uploaded PDFs or other block types. To add a merge field to your document:
Open an Editor block (text, heading, or any content block that accepts text).
Position your cursor where you want the merge field to appear.
Look for the formatting toolbar above the text editor and click the Merge Tag icon (it looks like curly braces or a dynamic symbol).
A dropdown menu appears showing available merge fields organized by category (Recipient, Sender, Document, Entity, etc.).
Select the field you want to insert. The merge field appears as blue text in your block.
Save your document.
When a recipient opens the document, the blue merge field automatically displays the actual data. For example, `##{{recipient.first_name}}` becomes "Sarah" if the recipient's name is Sarah.
Understanding Blue Merge Fields vs Static Text
Merge fields are always displayed in blue to help you quickly identify which content is dynamic. This visual distinction is important because blue fields behave differently from regular text:
Blue merge fields , linked to a data source; update automatically when source data changes; cannot be edited as text (must be replaced or removed).
Static text , regular black text; manually typed; does not change; not connected to any data source.
You can mix blue merge fields and static text in the same block. For example: "Welcome, ##{{recipient.first_name}}! Your proposal from ##{{entity.name}} is attached."
Editing and Customizing Merge Fields
To edit a merge field after adding it:
Click directly on the blue merge field text.
The Field Editor panel opens on the right side.
From here, you can replace the current merge field with a different one by clicking the Merge Tag icon again and selecting a new field.
You can also set a fallback value , text that appears if the data source is empty or missing (see the Fallback Values section below).
Click outside the field or press Enter to apply your changes.
Available Merge Field Categories
GetAccept provides merge fields from two sources: your CRM (if connected) and GetAccept's built-in data.
CRM Merge Fields
If you've connected a CRM like Salesforce, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, or Pipedrive, merge fields pull data from these sources:
Recipient , `##{{recipient.first_name}}`, `##{{recipient.last_name}}`, `##{{recipient.fullname}}`, `##{{recipient.email}}`, `##{{recipient.title}}`, `##{{recipient.mobile}}`, `##{{recipient.company_name}}`
Sender , `##{{sender.first_name}}`, `##{{sender.last_name}}`, `##{{sender.email}}`, `##{{sender.title}}`, `##{{sender.phone}}`, `##{{sender.mobile}}`
Company/Account , `##{{company.name}}`, custom company fields from your CRM
Related Objects , data from parent records like opportunities, deals, or contacts (available on Professional and Enterprise plans with deep CRM integration)
Custom Fields , any custom properties you've set up in your CRM, if they've been mapped to GetAccept
GetAccept Merge Fields
These fields are built into GetAccept and work without requiring a CRM connection:
Date Variables , `##{{date.iso}}` (ISO format), `##{{date.short}}` (MM/DD/YYYY), `##{{date.long}}` (full date), `##{{date.yyyy}}` (year only), and other date formats for automatic insertion of today's date or custom dates.
Document Variables , `##{{document.name}}` (document title), `##{{document.value}}` (deal amount), `##{{document.send_date}}` (when sent), `##{{document.expiration_date}}` (when it expires), `##{{document.url}}` (secure document link), `##{{document.unique_id}}` (unique identifier)
Entity Variables , `##{{entity.name}}` (your company name), `##{{entity.currency}}` (account currency)
Sender Variables , `##{{sender.first_name}}`, `##{{sender.last_name}}`, `##{{sender.email}}`, `##{{sender.title}}`, `##{{sender.phone}}`, `##{{sender.mobile}}`
For a comprehensive list of all available merge fields, see the Merge Variable List article.
Fallback Values: What Happens When Data is Missing
Sometimes the data source for a merge field is empty. For example, a recipient might not have a title in your CRM, or a custom field might not be filled in. When this happens, GetAccept displays your fallback value,default text you specify in advance.
To set a fallback value:
Click the blue merge field.
In the Field Editor panel, locate the Fallback Value field.
Enter static text that should appear if the merge field's data source is empty (e.g., "Valued Customer" if recipient.first_name is missing).
Save your changes.
If you don't set a fallback value and the data is missing, the merge field displays as blank or shows the raw merge tag code `##{{field.name}}`.
Important: Do not use another merge tag as a fallback value. GetAccept does not support nested merge tags, and this will cause errors. Use only plain text as fallback values.
Converting Merge Fields to Static Text
If you want to replace a blue merge field with permanent, static text:
Click the blue merge field to open the Field Editor.
Select and copy the fallback value (or type the text you want to use instead).
Delete the merge field.
Paste or type the static text in its place.
Once converted to static text, the field no longer updates automatically when source data changes. This is useful if you want to "lock in" information at a certain point in the document lifecycle.
Best Practices for Merge Fields
Use merge fields for personalization. Insert recipient names, company names, and deal-specific data to make documents feel tailored, not generic.
Set fallback values for optional data. If a CRM field might be empty, always define a fallback so the document never displays a broken merge tag.
Test before sending. Open your document in Preview mode to verify that merge fields are pulling the correct data and fallback values display properly when data is missing.
Use static text for legal boilerplate. Terms, conditions, and standard disclaimers should be static text, not merge fields, so they never change unexpectedly.
Limit merge fields to Editor blocks. Merge fields only work in Editor-built content. If you upload a PDF template, you cannot use dynamic merge fields within it,only static merge fields if your CRM is connected and the PDF template supports them. For full merge field functionality, build content in the Editor instead.
Review fallback values regularly. If your CRM data structure changes, fallback values may no longer be appropriate. Audit your templates periodically.
Merge Fields in Editor Blocks Only
Merge fields are fully supported in Editor blocks,text, headings, and other content you build directly in GetAccept. However, they are not supported in uploaded PDF documents. If you upload a PDF and want dynamic content, you must either rebuild the document using Editor blocks or manually update the PDF before each send.
This limitation exists because PDF files are static, and GetAccept cannot inject dynamic data into pre-made PDFs the way it can with Editor-built content.
Related Resources
To learn more about personalizing documents and handling dynamic content:
Merge Variable List , Full reference of all available merge fields and their syntax
How to add our dynamic merge tags to the editor , Step-by-step video tutorial
How to Use Conditional Content , Show or hide sections based on merge field values
How to use the Text element in the Editor , Editor text block features and options
Understanding Document Lifecycle , When and how merge fields update during document send and signing