Spintax
Spintax gives one email varied wording. You create a tag with a list of alternatives, such as Hello, Hi and Hey, and place the tag in your email. Each time a message is sent, Mumara ONE picks one of the values at random, so recipients get slightly different versions of the same broadcast.
That helps in two ways:
- Variety. Large sends aren't word-for-word identical, and a recurring email doesn't read exactly the same every time.
- Learning. You can try out several phrasings of a greeting or a call to action and see how your audience responds.
How a spintax tag looks
A spintax tag is written in double curly braces:
{{greeting}}
It sits alongside the other tag types:
| Type | Syntax | Example | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spintax | {{tag}} | {{greeting}} | Picks one of your values at random |
| Recipient field | %%field%% | %%first_name%% | Inserts the contact's data. See Custom Fields. |
| Dynamic content | [[tag]] | [[vip-offer]] | Picks a block by rules. See Dynamic Content Tags. |
| Inline condition | [if:field]…[endif] | [if:first_name]Hi %%first_name%%[endif] | Shows text only when a field has a value |
The Spintax page
Go to Campaigns → Spintax. Above the table:
- Add New creates a tag.
- Templates opens ready-made tags you can copy. It appears when templates are available. See Ready-made tags.
- Bulk Actions → Delete deletes the tags you've ticked.
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Tag | The tag's name, as you entered it |
| Description | Your note about what it's for |
| Created On | When it was created |
| Actions | Edit and Delete |
Create a spintax tag
Go to Campaigns → Spintax and click Add New. The form is headed Spintax Settings.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Tag | The name you'll use in your emails. Letters, numbers, spaces and underscores; other characters are removed as you type. |
| List of values | The alternatives, one per line. One of them is picked at random for each message. |
| Description | Optional. What the tag is for, to help you and your team find it later. |
Click Save.
Mumara ONE lowercases the name and turns spaces into underscores to make the token. A tag named greeting is used as {{greeting}}, and one named Sales Guy as {{sales_guy}}. The Spintax tab of Insert Variable always shows the exact token.
Example values for a greeting tag:
Hello
Hi
Hey
Good day
For a call_to_action tag:
Shop Now
Get Yours
Order Today
See the Deal
Start from a ready-made tag
When ready-made tags are available, the add form also shows Select from the pre-defined templates. Click it, search the list and click Use this template. If you've already typed something, you're asked to confirm, because the template replaces what you entered. Adjust the values, then click Save.
Use spintax in your emails
Put the token wherever you want the varied text:
Subject: {{greeting}} %%first_name%%, {{offer_intro}}
<p>{{greeting}} %%first_name%%,</p>
<p>We have something new for you this week.</p>
<p><a href="https://example.com/sale">{{call_to_action}}</a></p>
Possible subject lines from one broadcast: "Hello Jane, today only" or "Hey Sam, just for you".
Insert a tag
- Broadcast and drip editors: click Insert Variable, open the Spintax tab and click the tag. It's inserted at the cursor.
- Drag & Drop builder: click Variables, open Spintax and click the tag to copy it, then paste it into your text. See Drag & Drop Email Builder.
- Or type the token yourself.
Where spintax works
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Subject line | {{greeting}} %%first_name%% - {{offer}} |
| Pre-header | {{teaser_text}} |
| From name | {{sender_name}} |
| HTML body | Anywhere in the content |
| Text body | Anywhere in the plain-text version |
Spintax works in broadcasts and drip emails, and inside dynamic content blocks.
How values are picked
- One value per tag per message. If
{{greeting}}appears in both the subject line and the body, both show the same value in that message. - A new pick for every message. Two recipients of the same broadcast can get different values.
- Processing order. When an email is sent, dynamic content is expanded first, then spintax, then recipient fields and system variables. That's why a spintax tag works inside a dynamic content block, and a recipient field works inside a spintax value.
Ready-made tags
Mumara may publish ready-made spintax tags. When there are any, Templates appears on the Spintax page and opens Spintags Templates:
- Clone copies one tag into your account.
- Clone All copies every tag.
Edit the copies to match your own voice.
Manage spintax tags
- Edit a tag from its Actions menu. You can change the values and the description. The tag's name can't be changed; to rename one, create a new tag and delete the old one.
- Delete a tag from its Actions menu, or tick several and choose Bulk Actions → Delete.
A deleted tag is no longer replaced, so any email that still uses it would show the raw tag, or nothing, where the text should be. Search your broadcasts and drip emails for the token before deleting it.
Good practice
Name tags by their role:
| Good | Harder to use |
|---|---|
greeting | g1 |
call_to_action | x |
discount_offer | tag_new_2 |
Keep values consistent in tone, length and meaning, so every combination reads well:
Shop Now
Buy Today
Order Now
Get Started
rather than:
Shop Now
Click here to explore our entire catalog of products
Buy
Three to five values per tag gives good variety. Check every value for words that spam filters dislike, and send yourself a few tests to see different combinations.
Examples
Promotional email
| Tag | Values |
|---|---|
greeting | Hello, Hi, Hey |
offer_intro | Check out, Don't miss, Discover |
urgency | Limited time, Today only, While stocks last |
cta | Shop Now, Buy Today, Get Yours |
Subject: {{greeting}} %%first_name%% - {{urgency}}!
<p>{{greeting}} %%first_name%%,</p>
<p>{{offer_intro}} our spring deals.</p>
<p>{{urgency}}: save up to 50% on selected items.</p>
<p><a href="https://example.com/spring">{{cta}}</a></p>
Rotating sign-off
A team_member tag with the values Alex, Sam and Jordan:
<p>Best regards,<br>
{{team_member}}<br>
The Example Team</p>
Each email is signed by one of the three at random.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| The tag isn't replaced | The token has double curly braces and exactly the right name: lowercase, with underscores where the name had spaces. Pick it from Insert Variable to be sure. Check the tag still exists under Campaigns → Spintax. |
| Every test shows the same value | The tag has only one value, or you've only sent one or two tests. Send a few more, to different addresses. |
| A value is cut in two | Each line of List of values is one value. Check that a long value isn't broken across two lines. |
Next steps
- Dynamic Content Tags: show different content by rules rather than at random
- Broadcasts: put your tags to work
- Drip Campaigns: use spintax in automated sequences