Recurly Engage supports Liquid, an open-source template language. Use it to pull data from your Recurly accounts directly into prompt text and create personalized messages, such as addressing a customer by name, referencing their current subscription plan, or reminding them of their renewal date.

Available on all Recurly plans

1Definition 2Key benefits 3Key details

Definition

A Liquid variable is a placeholder in your prompt text that Recurly Engage replaces with data for each user, so every user sees a personalized message.

Key benefits

Personalized messaging Move beyond generic prompts by dynamically inserting user-specific data, such as first names, subscription details, or renewal dates, for a more relevant and engaging experience.

Increased relevance Prompts that speak directly to a user's situation are more likely to be acted on. A prompt that mentions a customer's billing amount or plan name is more effective than a generic one.

Fewer prompts to manage Instead of creating multiple prompts for different user segments, use a single prompt with Liquid variables to show unique content to each user. This saves time and reduces management overhead.

Better engagement Timely, personalized information improves user interaction and drives better outcomes, whether you're encouraging a plan upgrade or preventing involuntary churn.

Key details

Open Prompts

Go to the Prompts section in Pulse, the Recurly Engage management console.

Create or select a prompt

Create a new prompt, or select an existing one you want to edit.

Edit the prompt design

Click into the text field you want to personalize.

Insert Liquid variables

Add Liquid variables to the text field using the delimiters described below.

Insert Liquid variables using the {{ }} delimiters. The system automatically suggests available variables from your Recurly account data as you type. All Liquid functionality is supported, including control flow, iterators (loops), and assignments.

Variable types

There are two primary types of Liquid variables you can use:

User trait variables: These variables come from user data you have imported. Use the user. prefix, such as {USER.FIRST_NAME}.
Data source variables: These variables are available if you have connected your Recurly account as a data source.

For more information on connecting data sources, see the Data Sources documentation.

Example: personalize a renewal message

You can create a prompt that displays a customer's name and current plan with the following code:

Hello {{ user.first_name }}, your {{ subscription.plan.name }} plan is set to renew on {{ subscription.renews_at }}.

This renders a personalized message for each user, such as:

Hello Jane, your Pro plan is set to renew on 09/30/2025.

NoteThe system shows only the variables available for the targeted user. If a variable, such as user.first_name, isn't available for a specific user, the field appears blank.

Set default values

When you use Liquid variables, the data field you're referencing (for example, a customer's plan type) might not be available for a specific user. By default, the field appears blank.

To keep your messages clean and professional, use the default filter to specify a fallback value. Apply the filter with a vertical pipe (|) followed by default: 'Your Fallback Value'.

Example:

Hello {{ user.first_name | default: 'there' }}, your {{ subscription.plan.name }} plan is set to renew on {{ subscription.renews_at }}.