A placeholder inserted into an email or webpage that's automatically replaced with a specific piece of known information about the recipient — most commonly a first name, but also company name, or other stored contact properties.
Why it matters
Personalization tokens are a simple, low-effort way to make mass communication feel individually addressed, and have been shown repeatedly to improve engagement metrics like open and click rates, though overuse or a token failing to populate correctly (showing "Hi ,") can undercut trust just as easily.
In a sentence
"We double-check every send in preview mode to make sure the personalization token is pulling the first name correctly before it goes out to the full list."
Related terms
- Often confused with: Smart content (see above — a token inserts a specific data point into otherwise fixed content; smart content swaps entire sections or blocks based on broader rules).
- Synonyms: Merge tag, mail merge field.