This article is part of the Module 3: Email and Document Templates series in Administrator Training. It explains what merge fields are, how to insert them, and how to test them before making a template available to users. Understanding merge fields is essential for building templates that produce accurate, professional output every time.
Merge fields are placeholders in a template that automatically pull data from Tribe when the template is used. Instead of typing a contact's name manually, you insert a merge field and Tribe fills it in correctly every time, for every record.
How Merge Fields Work
A merge field is inserted into a text block within your template. When a user opens the template from a specific record — for example, a sales opportunity — Tribe looks at that record and replaces the merge field with the actual value stored there.
For example:
[Contact first name] becomes Jan
[Quotation number] becomes OFF-2024-0042
[My organisation name] becomes Tribe CRM
If a field has no value in the record, the merge field is left blank. This is why data quality matters — a template is only as good as the data behind it.
Inserting a Merge Field
Merge fields are added from within a text block in your template.
Open your template and add or open a Text Block.
Click inside the text where you want the merge field to appear.
Click Add Field.
The field picker opens. Use the search bar at the top to find a field by name, or browse the left-hand column by data level.
Click the field to insert it.
Finding the right field:
Use the search bar at the top of the picker to search within the currently visible fields.
Use the Filter by field type option to narrow the list to a specific type, such as dates or currency fields.
By default, the picker shows only the most commonly used fields. Enable the Advanced toggle in the top right corner to reveal the full set, including pricing fields, system fields, and sentiment tracking.
The field picker is organised by data level. For a quotation template, you will find fields under: Quotation Fields, Relation Fields, Contact Fields, My Organisation Fields, and Employee Fields. Understanding Tribe's data structure helps you navigate this efficiently, especially when the field you need is not immediately visible.
Further reading: How Do I Understand The Data Structure In Tribe CRM?
Commonly Used Merge Fields
Category | Examples |
Relation fields | Organisation name, address, email address |
Contact fields | First name, last name, job title |
Activity fields | Quotation number, date, subject, phase |
My organisation fields | Company name, address, phone number, logo |
Employee fields | Name of the account manager, email signature |
Testing Merge Fields Before Publishing
Always test your merge fields with real data before making a template available to users. A merge field that points to the wrong data level will show up blank, and a template full of blank fields is worse than no template at all.
Open a real record of the type your template is built for — for example, an actual sales opportunity.
Select the template from that record.
Check that every merge field has populated correctly.
Pay particular attention to fields that come from linked records, such as a contact name on a quotation. These require the correct link to be set up in the record.
Common mistake: Inserting a field from the wrong data level. For example, inserting Organisation name from the Organisation level in a template used from a Contact record — the value may not populate if the contact is not linked to an organisation. Always test with a representative record before publishing.
Merge Fields in Email Subjects
You can also use merge fields in the subject line of an email template. This is useful for including a reference number or the contact's name directly in the subject.
For example, a subject line written as:
Your quotation [Quotation number] from [My organisation name]
produces:
Your quotation OFF-2024-0042 from Tribe CRM
Quick Summary
Merge fields replace manual data entry with automatic, record-specific values. Insert them from within a text block using the field picker, use the Advanced toggle to access the full field set, and always test with a real record before publishing. Used correctly, merge fields ensure every document and email your team sends is accurate, complete, and professional.