Guide to Creating Dynamic Emails with Handlebars in Iterable

Personalization in marketing automation is essential. Did you know segmented email campaigns can boost revenue by an astounding 760%! In this complete guide to creating dynamic emails with Handlebars in Iterable, we’ll walk you through how to achieve effective email personalization using this powerful tool. When it comes to email marketing, success lies in the details, and mastering Handlebars in Iterable can significantly improve your campaigns.

Many marketers recognize the value of personalization, but achieving it effectively requires the right approach and tools. One standout platform is Iterable, which leverages Handlebars, a robust templating language designed to create highly personalized and dynamic email content. Handlebars allow for variables and logic to be incorporated directly into email templates, making it possible to tailor content to each recipient using their unique data.

Our extensive experience with Iterable and other 50 ESPs has equipped us to design hundreds of email templates for Iterable. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate using Handlebars in Iterable and unlock the potential for your email marketing strategy.

Handlebars Explained

Handlebars is a straightforward templating language that enables the generation of HTML or other text formats by combining a template and an input object. Handlebars templates look like regular text enriched with embedded expressions. Using these templates to personalize your emails makes them more relevant to recipients, leading to higher engagement and improved conversion rates.

Personalized emails created with Handlebars can include addressing users by their first name, showcasing their interests, or sending offers based on their behavior. This strategy enhances user experience and boosts engagement rates in your email campaigns. For more on increasing engagement, check out these winning strategies.

Working with Handlebars Templates

Handlebars templates use a unique syntax to embed dynamic content. Expressions enclosed in double curly braces {{ }} pull data from user profiles or event data to display personalized information. For instance, {{firstName}} will insert the user’s first name.

A template such as

becomes “Yehuda Katz” when populated with the right input object:

{ firstName: “Yehuda”, lastName: “Katz” }

Implementing Merge Parameters in Iterable

Inserting dynamic data into your templates is easy with merge parameters. Encasing a user profile or event field in double curly braces generates a merge parameter. These parameters fetch data from relevant profiles or events at the time of sending, allowing for real-time customization. Here’s a list of commonly used merge parameters in Iterable:

• View in Browser URL: {{viewInBrowserUrl}}
• Unsubscribe URL: {{unsubscribeUrl}}
• Hosted Unsubscribe URL: {{hostedUnsubscribeUrl}}
• Unsubscribe Message Type URL: {{unsubscribeMessageTypeUrl}}
• Campaign Id: {{campaignId}}
• Recipient Email: {{email}}

Embedding Handlebars in HTML Source

You can include Handlebars expressions directly within the HTML or WYSIWYG editor of your Iterable message templates. If editing HTML, it’s wise to comment out non-output Handlebars expressions to avoid editor confusion. For example:

Essential Features of Handlebars in Iterable

Explore the key functionalities of Handlebars in Iterable:

1. Variable Insertion: Use placeholders like {{firstName}} to include personalized data.
2. Conditionals: Apply logic to display content based on specific conditions. For example:

   
   
   
   

   3. Loops: Iterate over data arrays to create repeated sections. Example:

   
   
   
   

   4. Helpers: Helpers perform specific functions to manipulate data. For example:

   {{capitalizeFirst firstName}} renders the firstName parameter with its first letter capitalized.

   5. Partials: Define reusable template snippets called partials. Useful for common components like headers or footers.

   
   
   
   

   Here’s an example of a basic Handlebars template:

   
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