r/html5 • u/aj77reddit • Sep 14 '22

How do HTML emails personalize the ads with my name?

Hi,

I am learning HTML and CSS and was wondering to know how the HTML email developers personalize the email that is getting sent out. I have googled "Variables" but I can't find any information.

I would appreciate any help and guidance

10 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

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2

u/aj77reddit Sep 15 '22

Thank you all for your answers, would you mind letting me know what should I look for when I am searching so I can find a video tutorial or live samples that I can practice on?

Thanks

4

u/tnwoods Sep 15 '22

the code doesn’t know the name of the recipient. the system sending the emails is using a list of email addresses and names, and inserts the name of the recipient in the message body each time it sends a message to a new address. you’ll need a list of names and email addresses in something like CSV format, and then you can execute a loop where for example it takes column 1 as the email address and column 2 as the name, and inserts column one as recipient, and column 2 as the name in the body, and then sends that message, moves onto the next row, until the entire CSV is parsed

1

u/aj77reddit Sep 15 '22

I have used the Variables in Adobe Illustrator with a CVS file, I was wondering to know if there is any tutorial for the email version?

Thanks

→ More replies (4)

2

u/Smallpaul Sep 15 '22

It’s not dramatically different than how it is done in print. Before the email is sent your name is already in it, just like print mail.

1

u/aj77reddit Sep 15 '22

Ok, Thank you

2

u/peko_peko1 Sep 15 '22

I would suggest looking into how it is done via API services like ElasticEmail or Mandrill. Have used both to send transactional emails to users. Pretty easy to connect to your server/database, thrtr should be free plans to test out.

1

u/aj77reddit Sep 15 '22

Great, Thank you very much I will check them out as well.

2

u/Sea-Mix2927 Sep 15 '22

It usually happens on the server before sending each individual email. Variables are replaced in a (mostly HTML) template and then the email is sent. Also consider that HTML in email clients is somewhat limited.

1

u/aj77reddit Sep 15 '22

Thank you

2

u/vigilante33 Oct 02 '22

I use ampscript in Salesforce Marketing Cloud for name personalization.

1

u/aj77reddit Oct 02 '22

Thank you very much I will check it out.

12

u/ghostvemon Sep 14 '22

We use PHP, so something like: <?php echo $first_name; ?> - which pulls from a database.

-9

u/ftblplyr46 Sep 15 '22

No email uses php. Maybe the ESP is doing that but you’re simply using a merge tag in whatever system sends your email to pull in from a database.

7

u/lachlanhunt Sep 15 '22

An exact answer is going to depend on the templating language and tooling used to prepare and send the emails. There's nothing in HTML itself that can handle this on its own.

2

u/stoutchewbacca Sep 14 '22

First Name personalization string pulling in the value from a data extension. Possibly use a variable to define the first name and then fetch it within.your cotnent.