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Overview

Custom field variables let you reference any Contact or Account custom field directly inside a sequence email template. When the email sends, Reevo replaces each variable with that contact’s actual field value - so every message is tailored without manual editing. Custom field variables work the same way as standard variables like {{contact.first_name}} or {{sender.email}}. They appear in the same variable picker, render as the same blue chip in the editor, and resolve at send time using the same engine. Variables can be placed in both the email subject line and body.
Custom fields must be defined on the Contact or Account object before they appear in the variable picker. If you have not set up custom fields yet, see Custom Fields.

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Inserting a custom field variable

  1. Open a sequence and select an email step to edit.
  2. Click the { } (variable picker) icon in the email editor toolbar.
  3. The picker opens showing variable categories with a count of fields in each group. Click Contact or Account to drill in.
  4. Scroll or use the scoped search bar to find your custom field.
  5. Click the field name to insert it as a variable chip in the editor.
The inserted chip renders in blue, identical to standard variable chips. You can type around it, delete it, or click it to swap it for a different variable. Variable picker open in Contact group view, showing the scoped search bar and custom field entries like UTM Term, employee_champion, and UTM Content
Use the search bar inside a category group to filter fields by name - useful if your org has many custom fields defined.

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How the variable picker works

The picker uses a grouped drill-down layout with three states:
StateWhat you see
Category listAll variable groups (Contact, Account, Sender, etc.) with a count of fields in each. Click a group to enter it.
Group viewAll fields in the selected group, with a scoped search bar. Click a field to insert it. Click Variable categories to go back.
Search modeStart typing to filter. If a group is open, search is scoped to that group. If you are at the category list, search spans all groups.

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Swapping a variable chip

Click any existing variable chip in the editor to open the picker pre-scoped to that chip’s position. Select a different variable to replace it in place. This works for both standard variables and custom field variables.

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Previewing the email

To verify a custom field variable resolves correctly:
  1. Open the email step and click Preview.
  2. Select a contact who has that custom field populated.
  3. The preview renders the email with live field values substituted.
Preview is the recommended way to check resolution before a sequence goes live.

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What happens when a field has no value

If a contact or account has no value in the referenced custom field, the raw variable placeholder appears literally in the sent email.For example, if {{contact.cus_field__icp_tier}} is in your template and a contact has no ICP Tier value, the recipient sees the text {{contact.cus_field__icp_tier}} in the email body.
Before using a custom field variable in a live sequence:
  • Confirm the field is populated on all enrolled contacts (or use a filter to exclude contacts without a value before enrolling).
  • Use Preview to verify resolution for a representative contact.
  • Consider whether contacts without the field value should be in the sequence at all.
There is no built-in per-variable fallback text in V1. If you need a guaranteed default, populate the field with a fallback value before enrollment.

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Known limitations

Rich text fields render as plain text. If your custom field is a Rich Text Area type, the content is rendered with HTML tags escaped to literal characters (for example, <b> shows as &lt;b&gt;). This is a V1 limitation. Use single-line or multi-line text field types for content intended for email templates.

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Admin settings: Custom field variables

Admins can view all available custom field variables and manage the feature at Settings > Engagement > Custom field variables. The page has three sections: Custom field variables (toggle) Enable or disable custom field variable resolution for your entire organization. This is enabled by default. Disabling it prevents custom field placeholders from resolving at send time across all sequences and email templates. Available fields Lists all Contact and Account custom fields defined in your org, grouped by object. Each field shows its display name and the exact variable syntax to use (for example, {{contact.cus_field__icp_tier}}). Click any variable syntax chip to copy it to your clipboard. If no custom fields appear, add them under Settings > Contacts or Settings > Accounts first. Overwrite protection Shows the three safety guardrails that are always active when the feature is enabled. See Safety guardrails below.

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Safety guardrails

Reevo surfaces warnings before three actions that could affect contacts in active sequences that use custom field variables.

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CSV import overwrite warning

When you import a CSV in Update mode (create and update, or update only), and the mapped columns include custom fields used in active sequence email templates, Reevo shows a warning before processing. The warning lists the affected sequences by name. You can continue the import or cancel. Why it matters: Updating a custom field value changes what recipients in that sequence see when future emails are sent. Contacts who have not yet reached the email step will receive the updated value. For more on CSV update imports, see Update Existing Records via CSV.

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Contact or account field edit warning

When you manually edit a custom field on a contact or account detail page and that contact is actively enrolled in a sequence that uses that field as a variable, Reevo shows a warning before saving. The warning appears inline on the edit form. You can save or cancel.

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Custom field deletion warning

When you delete a custom field (under Settings > Contacts or Settings > Accounts), Reevo checks whether any email templates reference it as a variable. If they do, a warning lists the affected templates before you confirm deletion.
Deleting a custom field removes it from all records and cannot be undone. Templates that referenced the deleted field will contain unresolvable variable placeholders after deletion, which will render as literal text in sent emails.

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Troubleshooting / FAQs

Check two things:
  • The field must exist on the Contact or Account object. Verify it is defined under Settings > Contacts or Settings > Accounts.
  • Confirm the feature is enabled for your org at Settings > Engagement > Custom field variables. If the toggle is off, custom field variables do not appear in the picker.
No. In the current version, only Contact and Account custom fields are supported as email template variables. Opportunity and other object fields are not available in the variable picker.
Custom field variables follow the pattern {{contact.cus_field__field_name}} for contact fields and {{account.cus_field__field_name}} for account fields, where field_name is derived from the field’s display name. You can find the exact syntax for each field at Settings > Engagement > Custom field variables.
Yes. Custom field variables resolve in any email template where they appear, not only in sequence email steps. The same variable syntax and fallback behavior applies.
This happens when the contact had no value in the referenced custom field at send time. The placeholder is left in the email as-is when the field cannot be resolved. Check the contact’s record and populate the field, then consider re-sending or following up manually.
Emails already sent are not affected. Future sends from that template will contain the raw placeholder text where the deleted field was, since the field can no longer resolve. Update or remove the variable from the template to prevent this.
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