What Variables are Available for Email Blasts/Custom Emails? – iClassPro Support

IN BRIEF

Variables allow you to personalize communication templates in iClassPro by automatically merging information from family, student, class, or appointment records. These variables are available when creating Custom Communication Templates or composing Email Blasts/Custom Emails.

When used correctly, variables ensure your messages appear personalized without requiring manual input for each recipient.

Overview
How Variables Work
How to Insert Variables
Available Variables by Page
Tips for Using Variables
- Best Practices
- Limitations
Troubleshooting & FAQs
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Overview

Variables are short codes enclosed in brackets that represent specific pieces of information (for example, a student’s name or a family’s primary email address). When an email, SMS, or push notification is sent, the system replaces each variable with the corresponding data for that recipient.

Example:
If you insert the {{Family First Name}} variable from the menu or type [[family_first]], the message will automatically display the family’s primary guardian’s first name when delivered.

How Variables Work

In both Email Blasts and Custom Templates, variables are context-based — meaning they depend on which page or feature triggers the communication.

When composing an email:

You can insert variables manually (for example, typing [[family_first]]), or
Use the Variables dropdown in the toolbar to select from an organized list.

Typed variables automatically convert into a blue “friendly name” box after pressing the spacebar. The friendly name describes what the variable represents (such as Primary Guardian first name).

NOTE: Invalid or misspelled variables are replaced with an empty text string when the email is sent.

How to Insert Variables

Open the Email, SMS, or Push Notification editor.
Select Variables from the toolbar menu.
Choose the desired variable from the dropdown list.
The variable will appear in your message in a blue box (or as {{Variable Name}} in text view).

Tip: You can also paste variables directly into the message body — just include the proper brackets (for example, [[family_first]]).

Available Variables by Page

Which variables are available for specific communications are based on the selected “Where will this email template be used?” option in the template setup, or from which Page you launch the communication form (Email Blast, SMS, Push Notification).

Each section below lists the categories of variables and the type of data each provides.

FAMILIES Page

Available when emailing from the Families Page or when a custom email template is set to “Families Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Family – Common family data, such as contact details, ledger information, and latest policy details.
Family Custom Fields – Inserts custom family data fields.

STUDENTS Page

Available when emailing from the Students Page or when a custom template is set to “Students Page.”

General – Business details, location information, portal links.
Student – Student names, birthdates, and anniversaries.
Family – Family contact details, ledger, and latest policy details.
Family Custom Fields – Custom family data fields.
Student Custom Fields – Custom student data fields.

CLASSES Page

Available when emailing from the Classes Page or when a custom template is set to “Classes Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Class – Class name, instructor, program, schedule zone, and level.
Family – Family contact details, ledger, and latest policy details.
Student – Student names, birthdates, anniversaries.
Class Enrollment – Enrollment details such as dates, type, and session name.
Class Custom Fields – Custom class data fields.
Family Custom Fields – Custom family data fields.
Student Custom Fields – Custom student data fields.

APPOINTMENTS Page

Available when emailing from the Appointments Page or when a custom template is set to “Appointments Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Family – Family contact details, ledger, and latest policy details.
Family Custom Fields – Custom family data fields.
Student – Student names, birthdates, anniversaries.
Student Custom Fields – Custom student data fields.
Appointment – Appointment details such as name, instructor, program, start/end times, service, and zone.
Appointment Booking – Booking details (student name, booking/request status, start and end times).
Appointment Timeslot – Specific date and time of the selected appointment slot.

CAMPS Page

Available when emailing from the Camps Page or when a custom template is set to “Camps Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Camp – Camp name, instructors, program, start/end dates, and zone.
Camp Enrollment – Block details, enrollment type/status, and student names.
Family – Family contact details, ledger, and latest policy details.
Student – Student names, birthdates, and anniversaries.
Family Custom Fields – Custom family data fields.
Student Custom Fields – Custom student data fields.

NOTE: At this time, SMS and Push Notifications are not available for Camps.

ENROLLMENTS Page

Available when emailing from the Enrollments Page or when a custom template is set to “Enrollments Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Family – Family contact details, ledger, and latest policy details.
Student – Student names, birthdates, anniversaries.
Family Custom Fields – Custom family data fields.
Student Custom Fields – Custom student data fields.
Class – Class name, instructor, program, schedule zone, and level.
Class Custom Fields – Custom class data fields.
Class Enrollment – Enrollment dates, type, and session name.
Camp – Camp details including name, instructor, program, start/end dates, and zone.
Camp Enrollment – Camp-specific enrollment details such as block information and status.
Appointment – Appointment-related details (service name, instructor, and times).
Appointment Booking – Booking-specific information including student name, start/end times, and request status.

NOTE: If only Camp enrollments are selected, SMS and Push Notifications will not available.

STAFF Page

Available when emailing from the Staff Page or when a custom template is set to “Staff Page.”

General – Business and location details, portal links.
Staff – Staff name, contact information, and staff portal link.

Level Passed Emails

Available only for Custom Email Templates configured under SETTINGS>SETUP>GENERL SETTINGS>COMMUNICATION TEMPLATES>"Custom" tab, with “Level Passed Email” selected.

General – Business details, location information, and portal links.
Skill-related – Location name, primary guardian name, student name, discipline of the passed level, and level name.

These emails are automatically triggered when a student is marked as passing a level. A custom template can be created for each level and linked under SETTINGS>SKILLS>"Skill Trees" tab when setting up Level s as the “Email Template to use for Level.”

For more information about configuring Skill Levels to use custom email templates, see How Can I Be Prompted to Automatically Send an Email When a Skill Level is Marked “Passed”?

Tips for Using Variables

Best Practices

Use natural sentence structure to improve readability.
- Example: “Hi {{Family First Name}}, {{Student First Name}} is now enrolled in {{Class Name}}!”
Double-check variable placement before sending.
Test messages internally before launching mass Email Blasts.

Limitations

Variables are only available for the selected Page or Template context.
Invalid variables will appear as blank spaces.
SMS and Push Notifications support a limited set of variables and character lengths.

Troubleshooting & FAQs

Why does my variable show up blank when I send an email?
- This usually means the variable does not apply to the page or record you are emailing from. Ensure the variable belongs to the correct category for the selected “Where will this email template be used?” option. If a record is missing data for that variable, it will appear blank.
Can I use variables in SMS or Push Notification templates?
- Yes, but only a limited number of variables are available, and some contexts (such as Camps or Level Passed Emails) do not support SMS/Push at all.
My variable isn’t turning blue when I type it manually. Does that matter?
- If the variable is correctly typed (including brackets, such as [[family_first]]), it will still work even if it does not convert to the friendly blue box. However, if it remains plain text after saving and reopening the template, double-check the format or reinsert it using the Variables dropdown.
Why are some variable options missing from the “Variables” dropdown?
- The available variables depend on the page or template context. For example, Appointment variables only appear when composing from the Appointments Page or when the template’s use location is set to “Appointments.”
How can I preview how my variables will display before sending an Email Blast?
- Currently, the preview shows the message structure, but not merged variable data. To test variable output, send a sample message to yourself using a test account that includes the relevant family, student, or class data.
Can I add my own custom variables?
- While you cannot create custom variables, you can choose to include data that is stored in Family, Student, or Class Custom Fields. These custom fields will then appear as selectable variable options under their respective categories.