Insert variables

Using and inserting variables

Click the button in any step title or description to insert data from earlier form fields. That’s the core of it. Variables automatically pull information from one step into another within your process.

They turn generic workflows into personalized ones. Someone fills out a form field in step 1, and you can display that exact value in steps 5, 10, or 20 - no retyping needed.

Requirements

• A template open in edit mode
• At least one form field in an earlier step (your data source)
• A later step where you want that data to appear

How variables work

• Source: The form field where someone enters information
• Target: Any step title or description where you want that info to appear
• Format: Variables use {{field-alias}} syntax in double curly brackets

When someone fills in the source field, that value appears wherever you’ve placed the variable. Change the source? It updates everywhere instantly.

Using variables for guest assignment

Capture a guest email in the kick-off form, then use that variable in later step assignments to dynamically assign tasks to external people.

Example: Kick-off form asks “Client email?” - later step assigns task to {{client-email}} - that client gets the task automatically.

Note: You’ll need an automation rule that checks when the kick-off form is complete, then assigns the task to the email captured in the variable.

Types of variables

When you click , you’ll see two categories:

• Kick-off form fields: Data entered when someone launches the process
• Form fields from previous steps: Data entered in steps that come before the current one

Tallyfy also supports built-in system variables¹:

• {{current-task-id}} - the unique ID of the current task
• {{current-process-id}} - the unique ID of the running process
• {{DATE}} - the date the process was launched
• {{TEMPLATE_NAME}} - the name of the template

Not all field types support variables

File upload, table, and assignee form fields can’t be used as variable sources. Only text, textarea, radio, dropdown, multiselect, and date fields appear in the variable picker.

Adding variables to step titles

1. Open your template in Edit mode.
2. 
3. Make sure you have a form field in an earlier step.
4. 
5. Go to a step that comes after the step with the form field.
6. Click the step title to edit it.
7. Place your cursor where you want the variable to appear.
8. Click the button near the title field.
9. Select the form field from the dropdown.
10. The variable gets inserted. Save your changes.

Adding variables to step descriptions

1. Open your template in Edit mode.
2. Confirm the source form field exists in an earlier step.
3. Go to a later step and click into its description box.
4. Place your cursor where you want the variable.
5. Click the button in the text editor toolbar.
6. Select the form field from the dropdown. 7.
7. The variable gets inserted. Changes save automatically.

During process execution

1. Someone fills out a form field in an early step
2. Tallyfy stores that value
3. Later steps with variables show the actual values instead of {{field-alias}} placeholders
4. Update the source field and the change flows through everywhere

Common examples

Task titles with context

• “Get approval for Project: {{project-name}}”
• “Review document for Client: {{client-name}}”
• “Schedule meeting with {{department-name}} lead”

Specific instructions

• “Review the proposal for {{client-name}}, focusing on {{focus-area}}.”
• “Call {{customer-name}} at {{phone-number}} to discuss order {{order-number}}.”
• “Prepare the {{document-type}} based on the request from {{requesting-department}}.”

Auto-naming processes

Variables pair well with auto-naming. Your processes name themselves based on form data:

• “Onboarding - {{employee-name}} - {{department}}”
• “Support Ticket - {{ticket-number}} - {{client-name}}”

No more “Process #12345” confusion.

Tips for good variable usage

• Name your form fields clearly - “Customer Name” beats “Field 1”
• Test-run your template before going live
• Think about empty fields - if someone skips “Department,” will “Contact the lead” still make sense?
• Surround variables with context: “Contact {{name}} at {{phone}}” not just “{{name}} {{phone}}”

Combining variables with conditional logic

One template can handle multiple scenarios when you combine variables with conditional automations.

Example - Region-specific checklists:

1. Kick-off form asks: “Which region?” (dropdown: North, South, East, West)
2. Instructions say: “Complete the {{region}} region compliance checklist”
3. Conditional rules show only that region’s requirements
4. One template does the job of four.

Dynamic email notifications can also use variables:

• Subject: “Action required: {{task-name}} for {{client-name}}”
• Body: “The {{document-type}} for {{project-name}} needs your review by {{due-date}}”

Variables + conditional logic = smart templates

Combining variables with conditional automations lets you create templates that adapt based on the data entered - no need for multiple similar templates.

Troubleshooting broken variables

Variables showing as raw text? (like seeing {{client-name}} instead of “Acme Corp”)

This means the variable lost its connection to the source field. Fix it:

1. Delete the broken variable text
2. Click the button again
3. Re-select the field from the dropdown
4. Save your changes

Common causes:

• Renaming or deleting the source form field
• Copying template content from another template
• Manually typing {{...}} instead of using the insert button
• Template import/export operations that break references

Always use the button rather than typing variable syntax manually.

Variables in URLs - hidden character issue

URLs with variables may contain hidden characters

The rich text editor may insert invisible UTF-8 BOM characters² (%EF%BB%BF) around variables in URLs, breaking the links.

Problem: https://example.com?id=%EF%BB%BFvalue%EF%BB%BF instead of https://example.com?id=value

Fix: Build your complete URL in a plain text editor first (including variable placeholders like https://example.com?id={{record-id}}), then paste it into the step description as a single unit. Test the link in a launched process.

Related articles

Templates > Variables

Variables are placeholders that pass information between process steps - eliminating manual re-entry and enabling personalized, automated workflows.

Tasks > Set default content for form fields

Default content in Tallyfy form fields pre-fills values automatically when tasks or kick-off forms open using static text dynamic variables or system-generated values like dates to reduce data entry and maintain consistency while still allowing users to modify pre-filled values as needed across text fields selection fields and date fields.

Tutorials > Create an automation

Tallyfy automation rules use IF-THEN conditional logic to intelligently adapt workflows based on user inputs task completions and other triggers eliminating manual adjustments while automatically showing relevant steps assigning tasks and responding to changing circumstances throughout your processes.

Edit Processes > Auto-name a process

Auto-naming in Tallyfy automatically generates consistent process names using data from kick-off form fields to eliminate manual naming chaos and create organized searchable workflows.

Footnotes

1. System variables like current-task-id and current-process-id return 32-character hash IDs used internally by Tallyfy’s database ↩

2. Byte Order Mark characters (U+FEFF) used for encoding detection but can corrupt URL parameters ↩

Was this helpful?

YesNo