How to Use Dynamic Salutations

First Name

What it is and when to use it

A first name is a personalization element that inserts the recipient's first name into your mailer. Use it when you want to:

• Address recipients by name for higher engagement and personal connection
• Use cases include: 
  • Reactivation – “We Miss You Jordan”
  • Loyalty – “Thanks for being a VIP Jordan”
  • Promos – “Don’t miss our fall sale Jordan”
  • Holidays – “Happy Holidays Jordan” 

Supported campaign types (PDM Only) 

• Customer Retargeting
• Optimized CRM 
• CRM 

Placeholder syntax

Use the following placeholder in your creative:

<first_name>

How to set it up in the creative template

1. Insert the <first_name> placeholder where the recipient's first name should appear 
2. Surround the placeholder with punctuation or text as needed (e.g., "Hi <first_name>," or "Welcome back, <first_name>!")
3. Ensure adequate space for your longest expected first name, including any punctuation
4. Test different name lengths and casings in proofing

Design guidance

Space and sizing:

• Allocate 1–2 inches of horizontal space depending on font size and name length
• Typical first names range from 3–8 characters; allow extra space for longer names (e.g., "Alexandra," "Christopher")
• If space is tight, use a smaller font size or consider shortening context (e.g., "Hi <first_name>!" instead of "Hello <first_name>, welcome to our store!")

Background and contrast:

• Names should integrate seamlessly with surrounding text, so no special background treatment is needed
• If the name is inside a callout or highlighted box, maintain adequate contrast

Typography:

• Font size: Match the surrounding body text (10pt–12pt) or slightly larger if the name is emphasized
• Font weight: Regular (400) for conversational tone; Medium (500) for emphasis
• Font choice: Match the style of surrounding text (serif for formal, sans-serif for modern)

Platform configuration

When uploading a PDF with a dynamic salutation to the platform, you will see the following formatting fields: 

• Fallback Name
• Proofing Value
• Casing Rule 

Formatting fields are editable while the creative is in draft (before submitting for proofing). After creatives are sent for proofing, formatting fields are locked. Any changes to formatting require a new upload.

Specifies the name to use when a recipient's first name is unavailable or unresolved.

• Options: Any text string you want (e.g., "Neighbor," "Friend," "Valued Customer")
• Option to leave blank: Check the "Leave blank" checkbox if you want no fallback name and prefer to omit the placeholder when data is missing
• Examples:
  • Fallback: "Neighbor" → "Hi Neighbor, we're thrilled to welcome you!"
  • Fallback: "Friend" → "Hi Friend, save 20% on your first order"
• When to use it: Choose a fallback that matches your tone and makes sense grammatically in your copy

Field: Proofing Value

Specifies the example name that appears on proofs.

• What it does: Displays a sample name on digital and physical proofs so you can verify spacing and casing
• Examples: "Christopher," "Stephanie," "Jordan," or any name representative of your expected data
• When to use it: Always populate this field to confirm that longer or shorter names fit your design without wrapping or getting cut off
• What to expect: The proofing value appears only on proofs. Live mail uses real names from your data and applies the fallback rule when needed

Field: Casing Rule (Name Casing)

Controls the capitalization of all dynamic first names for this creative.

What to expect: The selected casing rule is applied to all recipients on this creative, regardless of how the name appears in your data source.

Proofing behavior

• Digital proofs: Display the proofing value you specified, applying the casing rule so you can verify how names will appear
• Physical proofs: Print the proofing value with casing applied, allowing you to check alignment and legibility on cardstock
• Live mail: Uses real recipient names from your data, applies the fallback rule when necessary, and respects the casing rule

Common errors and fixes